The domain name for your company can make it easier for prospective customers to find your site. The more time it takes them to track down your site, the less time they will spend looking at what you have to offer. You might remember seeing those domain names in the past that featured multiple letters and numbers. Very few people will take the time to write down that name, and even fewer people will actually remember it. That is why it’s so important that you understand what you should keep in mind when picking your new domain name.

Copyright Laws

Copyright laws are in place to protect the time and money that companies spend building up their reputations. Imagine how you would feel if you spent years building a new business and later saw someone come in and create a similar business with a similar name. As you look at domain names, make sure that you pick one that does not violate any copyright or trademark laws. Choosing a domain name with a popular cartoon character’s name may result in a lawsuit from the studio that created that character.

Ease of Use

Companies typically pick domain names that are both easy to use and easy to remember. If you think about the sites that you visit daily, you’ll probably find that most consist of just six to eight characters or even fewer. Those visiting your site want to enter as little information as possible to find that site. Some people make the mistake of adding a combination of letters or numbers to the end of a company name because the site they wanted isn’t available. You can try reducing the size of the domain name instead of adding to it.

Domain Availability

Once you decide on a domain name, don’t assume that you can buy that domain and use it right away. There is a chance that someone else might already own that site, which is why you should check available domain names online first. Many sites that offer this option will also provide you with information about who owns the site. You can use that information to contact the owner and ask about purchasing the complete site or just the domain name. Some sites will also recommend other domain names that are available based on the one you want.

Similar Names

In the same way that you want to avoid copyrighted names, you also want to avoid a domain name that is too similar to an existing site. This has a tendency to confuse customers and may result in your site getting less traffic than you wanted. A good example is a doctor’s office in one city that picks a domain name similar to the one used by another doctor. Patients will have a hard time figuring out which one is which. When you pick a domain name for your company, think about issues like availability, ease of use and copyrighted or similar domains.

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