Domaining Biz

Choosing a name to represent your business is very important.  After all, this will be YOUR business. Here are some things to consider as you decide on your domain name:

Use keywords people use in search engines that are pertinent to your business
• Make your domain name as short as possible
• Choose a name that is easy to spell
• Choose a name that does not change spelling in different countries or have multiple accepted spellings: color vs. colour; license vs. licence; traveler vs. traveller
• Make sure it is easy to communicate your name over the phone: redbook.com vs. readbook.com; reedbooks.com vs. readbooks.com
• Trademark your name to protect it
• Make sure you are not infringing on someone else’s trademark. It would be terrible to spend your money and time investing in your brand, only to lose it to someone else.
  Search for registered trademarks in the countries you will do business in
  ex: http://tess2.uspto.gov/
• Use Google to search for existing companies
• Conduct a trademark search
  http://www.nolo.com/article.cfm/objectId/79BB0841-5898-40C3-A441E98A7494A853/310/274/FAQ/
• Avoid names that can easily be singular or plural, or else purchase both versions. For example, if your site has to do with medical graphic art, get both medicalartstudio.com and medicalartstudios.com or get both medicalgraphicart.com and medicalgraphicsarts.com
• Make sure your domain doesn’t have additional unintentional meanings. Webad.com can be read “Web Ad” or “We Bad”. Medicalartshits.com can be read “Medical Arts Hits” or “Medical Art Shits.” Even worse, medicalartsexposed.com can be read “Medical Arts Exposed” or “Medical Art Sex Posed.”
  Having the word “Sex” in your domain name is a sure-fire way to have your business email sent straight to junkmail folders, and a great way to lose customers.
• Make it memorable
• The fewer words the better. The fewer characters the better
• Make your name rhyme (i.e. heartart.com)

Some things to avoid if at all possible:

• Hyphens
• Numbers, especially the number 4. Some search engines penalize numbers in domain names.
• Non-standard grammar or speech (i.e. medicaldrawing.com vs. medicallydrawing.com,  medicaldraw.com or medicalcollege.com vs. collegemedical.com)

The domain business will be changing forever, starting next year.  ICANN has approved not just a couple of new top level domains, but are making it so just about anyone with $100,000 to $500,000 and the proper infrastructure can have complete control of generic TLDs.  Read the announcement here: http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-4-26jun08-en.htm

This means cocacola can have .coke, or if you have the money and resources you may be able to have domains such as .weather, .you, .hotels, .dogs, .green, or even .news.  Imagine the possibilities!

One of the most important things you can do for your pocketbook is to transfer your domains away from Network Solutions.  There are many good registrars out there that will charge you a reasonable fee and provide you with decent customer service.  Here’s the steps:

1. Initiate the transfer at the registrar you will be transferring your domain to
2. Sign into your account at Network Solutions
3. Check your email address on your profile and verify it is valid
4. Check your domain and verify it has been at least 60 days since registration AND the domain’s registration is not due to expire within the next 7 days
5. Click Manage Domain Names, then click on the domain in account management
6. Click “Turn Off or Request Authorization Code” in the Domain Details row. (This could potentially say ON instead of OFF)
7. VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Choose “Leave Domain Protect Off”  (Domain must be unlocked to transfer it) 
8. VERY IMPORTANT!!! Check the box that says “Request Authorization Code” (You won’t get your code if you don’t check this box)
9.  Save
10. Check your email for your EPP code. You should have the mail within a minute or two. If you don’t see it, check your junkmail folder.
11. Go to your new registrar and enter the EPP code.  Your domain should transfer within a few hours.