Finding good domain names can be a real challenge when you are starting out. We have created a checklist to filter out the common pitfalls when buying domains. Depending on if you are investing in brandable domain names or using keyword-based domains, different criteria apply. For the start we are going to discuss keyword-based domains.
Regardless of the type of domain you are investing in here are some rules of thumb:
- Your domain contains one or two keywords.
- Your domain has a well-known TLD, preferably .com (if it is not .com it should preferably be a single keyword domain)
- Your domain does not contain any hyphens
- Your domain does not contain numbers with some exceptions, if your domain starts or ends with something like 24 or 247 it might still be a good domain.
- The domain is memorable, some combinations of words will not stick so easily.
- The spelling is obvious, some letters might easily confuse users of the domain name.
- The spelling of the keywords is correct, some people register typo domains, which might get you some
- The domain name is easy to pronounce
- There is no trademark or patent on one of the keywords in the domain name.