This post will provide you with some tips for selecting your domain name. It’s important that you choose a name you will stick with. The longer your domain remains active, the more recognition (domain name authority) it will receive from the various search engines.

For all intents and purposes, your domain name will be a major part of your “brand”. There are three options when it comes to choosing a good domain name…

    1. You can choose your own personal name. In most cases, this would include your first            and last name.

    2. You can choose a business brand name that is relevant to the general market niche                you wish to serve.

    3. You can choose a “niche-specific” domain name that contains the primary keywords in            your chosen niche.

It’s important that you take your time and put some thought into your domain name selection. When possible, choose a .com TLD (Top Level Domain). Because .com is the original extension, many people tend to assume that all domain names include it.

If you have found the perfect name but the .com extension is not available, try .net, then .org. On your first project, at least, you should avoid the newer domain extensions (ie; .io, .store, etc.). In many cases, they may not compatible with some mailer applications and other marketing software.

Namecheap is one of the most reliable domain registrars available. First year cost ranges from $5.98 to $9.98 depending on available special offers.

If your budget allows, register your domain for two to five years or longer. Reason being, some SEO experts are of the opinion that Google (and possibly other search engines) take “forward longevity” into account.

This calculation is based on the fact that Google does look more favorably on “aged” domains than it does on new domains with one-year registration.

However, don’t sweat it if you can only do one year. If you implement good SEO (search engine optimization) practices, you can still achieve great success in ranking your website.