Every business has an identity. On the World Wide Web, your domain name is your identity. An example is www.yourdomain.com, it is the URL of your website.

The process of registering a domain name is easy. You may actually find the hardest part to be finding a name that hasn't already been taken. Some web hosting providers include a free domain name in their package but if your web host doesn't then we would recommend registering your domain at GoDaddy.

Tips for Choosing a Domain Name

Consider Keywords - Having keywords in your domain is good search engine optimization (SEO) practice. Search on Google for "Google Keyword Tool". You can use this tool to research keywords for your website and see how many searches they are getting a month. For example: if you are starting a fitness related website your domain should start with words like "fitness, exercise equipment, workouts, home gym" then switch them up until you find a good match.

Choose a Unique Name - Even if you use keywords in you domain it is still good to make it unique. It is important that when visitors come to your website they remember your domain so they return. You can combine keywords and something else to make it unique. For example: FitnessBlab.com or WorkoutsClub.com

Always Acquire the Dot-Com - There are several domain extensions. During your search for a domain if the .com is not available it is best not to buy another extension such as .net or .org because .com is really important for branding. If you do find an available .com it is a good idea to buy .net and .org as well and have those domains redirect to the .com

Avoid Copyright Infringement - Do not use copyright names on you domain. Most likely you will be asked to turn over your domain to the owner of the copyright or have to deal with legal issues. For example: often people buy domains such as GoogleTalk.com and they end up having their domain confiscated by Google. It is always good to avoid such issues and focus on building a solid name for your website.