So you have mastered web design, followed all the tips to avoid newcomer’s mistakes, and now have a great website ready to view. Before you can put it out there for the world to enjoy, you will need a good domain name. Your business and the domain name you choose will be together until “death do you part” (or something close to that). Your repeat customers will learn your domain name, and will associate it with your business, oftentimes typing in your web address to avoid a search engine. If you are constantly changing your website’s name, you are sure to lose out on repeat traffic. Now you understand the importance of choosing the right domain name. The following are some things to think over before making a permanent domain name choice.

If your website’s name and URL are the same, then it is much easier for people to remember your site. You can make your website name and domain name the same thing, but what if someone already has the domain name you want? You can offer to buy a domain name from that person, though you will have to pay a pretty penny for it. Those not wishing to pay an arm and a leg for a certain domain name would be wise to make a list of other possibilities and start by checking availability.

Another top thing to consider for picking a great domain name is the size of the name. The problem with short domain names is that they can be difficult to acquire, as they are very popular. While a domain name can be up to 67 characters in length, a name that long will usually be hard for the average visitor to remember. Finding the balance is important.

Keep in mind how your domain name looks once it is typed out in both lower case and with capital letters. Domain names such as WomensExchange, ViaGrafix, WintersExpress, and NyCanal all take on completely different meanings and innuendos when spelled without the use of capital letters. Can you imagine being the travel company IHA Vegas with a domain name of ihavegas.com? You can see why it is important to pay close attention to the way your domain reads. (Then again, some companies do it on purpose, so go figure in that case.)

Follow these tips and you are sure to have a great permanent domain name for your website.