Your domain purchase is the first step taken in creating your new online business. The right domain name can help you achieve better search engine ranking and even brand your business but choose wrong and it could adversely affect your success.

What’s In a Name?

In many instances the more specific you get with your domain name in terms of keywords relating to your business the better. For example, an online business that sells only wine gift baskets should choose a domain name which reflects this. ‘Winegiftbaskets.com’ or winebaskets.com’ is likely to bring in more targeted visitors that simply ‘carolsgiftbaskets.com’.

The Long and Short of Domain Names

There are two general categories that domain names tend to fit into. One is the short and catchy domain name that may or may not describe your business. The other is a domain name that is comprised of a long tail keyword.

The term long tail refers to a multi-word phrase entered into search engines such as “toy poodle breeders.” From a search engine optimization standpoint choosing a two or three word long tail keyword is a smart domain purchase which can help you rank better in the search engines for that particular search term.

Your websites ability to rank well for a specific search means you’ll have an excellent chance to attract customers that are looking for exactly what you’re offering. Of course you’ll want to make sure there are a decent amount of people using that phrase each month to make it domain worthy. If you can find a two or three word phrase that gets good search action and is available that is a wise domain choice.

On the other hand many successful businesses have made a name for themselves, literally, by choosing odd yet memorable one word domain names. Companies such as eBay or Twitter have branded themselves and made their unusual names synonymous with their services.

While choosing a more descriptive domain name is the safer bet, if you’ve got a good marketing plan and the time to implement it a one word domain name can pay off. Create a unique logo to represent your unique domain and spread it far and wide across the Internet.

What to Avoid During Your Domain Purchase

Finding the perfect domain name can often feel like looking for buried treasure. Often times when a new business owner become frustrated at the lack of suitable yet available domain names they resort to tactics such as adding hyphens between words in order to create a unique domain name. While this may seem like a quick and easy solution it is generally agreed upon that hyphenated domain names look unprofessional and are more difficult for people to remember when typing them in.

While buying a domain name with a .com extension is highly recommended for businesses the benefits of a professional looking .com domain name is usually undermined when hyphens are thrown in. Instead you would be better off making a domain purchase with the acceptable .net or even .org extension instead.

It Gets Better with Age

While we as a society tend to covet items that are new and shiny when it comes to making a domain purchase you’re actually better off buying used. By used I mean domain names that have expired but where already used for an existing website or business for at least a year. Google likes aged websites as they have earned their keep by sticking around. Also these older domains can often come with extras attached to them such as backlinks from other websites to the pre-existing website.

By spending a little more money for a seasoned domain purchase your business can reap the rewards of these built-in benefits with no extra work on your part. Sure, you will still have to market your business as the new tenant on that particular domain but you can avoid some of the growing pains of a new domain by purchasing an expired domain instead.

In the end it takes careful thought and research to come up with a domain name that will best suit your online business. Your domain name should make a statement, be it keyword orientated or short and catchy. Your domain purchase will be your business’ face to the online world so choose carefully before hitting that “add to cart” button.