Domainstorming: How to find a good domain name

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Choosing just the right domain name is often the first and foremost concern of new Internet marketers. In reality, it should not occupy the very top spot on your priority list when creating a new site, but it’s definitely something you should give serious thought to.

Why isn't it the first thing you should do? Because your choice of domain name should be heavily influenced by the keywords you are building your site around.

Keywords are the words or phrases that people type into search engines.

For instance, if you're looking for a new computer, you might type "laptop computers," "Macbook," "Sony Vaio laptops," or "laptop computer reviews" into Google. Each of those is considered a keyword, even if there is more than one word in the phrase.

Keyword research is very important because if you know what keywords people are searching for, you'll know how to name and build your site so that they find you. Therefore, it's a good idea to figure out what your main keywords are going to be before you choose the domain.

When you are ready to find a name, what's the first step? Do some "domainstorming." Write down a bunch of variations of your main keyword that you would like to have as your domain name. The bad news is that, most likely, none of them will be available. But it's a good starting point.

Back in earlier days of the Internet, good domain names were much easier to find, but they were also pricey compared to now. I used to have a client in my graphic design business who was buying state name domains because she published a directory that she wanted to expand nationwide. She sent out check after check for $75 for names like Michigan.com, Arizona.com, Ohio.com, Georgia.com, etc. At the time, (this was in the mid-‘90s), I thought it was an outrageous amount to pay for something so intangible.

Now, of course, I kick myself for not having greater vision; any vision, actually. Who knew that domain names would become such valuable cyber real estate? As far as I know, she never developed those names. If she sold them rather than let them lapse, she must have made quite a pretty penny.

If I had just had a little foresight, I would have begged, borrowed, and stole to invest in a couple hundred premium domains and then waited for the rest of the world to catch up. If I had, I wouldn't be working so hard right now. So much for thinking ahead.

Anyway, back to our domainstorming list. Once I have a list of possibilities, I like to use Instant Domain Search because it gives you immediate feedback on what is available and what isn't. Just start typing in names and it will tell you instantly as you type whether .com, .net, or .org is available for that name. If it isn't, back up and try something else. Change the word order. You can add hyphens, although some view them as spammy looking. There are certainly times when they may be a good choice.

If you find a .com or a .net that is available with one of your keywords, great! But if you go through your whole list and nothing is available, don't get discouraged. Try adding small words at the beginning or end of the name. Can't get digitalframes.com or .net? Try digitalframesource.com or qualitydigitalframes.com. (I'm not saying these are available; I didn't check.) Generally, I don't like to add "the" before the name because it doesn't add any value and can mistakenly be left off if someone is trying to get to your site, but it's certainly an option.

Keep in mind one very important thing, though: Do NOT buy a domain name with someone else's trademark in it, such as "Sony Vaiao" or "Macbook" as mentioned above. You can promote such products, but if you use their trademark in your domain name, you'll end up in a big vat of fail.

You might put hundreds or even thousands of hours of work into your site, but when the merchant finds out (and they will), they'll shut you down. All that work will be lost. You could start over with another domain and upload all the same files, but any search engine rank connected with the previous domain will be lost, and you really will be at square one in getting your site noticed again.

I'll be writing more articles about how to choose a domain name as well as other affiliate marketing topics. You can find a comprehensive explanation in the Affiliate Marketing Schoolbook.

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