Choosing a good domain name is one of most important steps in setting up your online business, but many people get it wrong. This article looks at some common mistakes that people make when choosing a domain name.

Too Hard to Remember Don t choose a domain name that is hard to remember. Hfgkmi.com may be the initials of your business or slogan, but many of your visitors will be unable to remember it. Your domain name should be memorable and easy for visitors to recall and type into their browser.

Not Relevant Your domain name should be relevant to your business and to the content on your web site. BlueThistle.com may be catchy but it is not a relevant domain name for your site selling hardware goods.

Too Long Although domain names can be up to 67 characters, your domain name should be shorter, preferably 7 characters or less. Shorter domain names are easier to remember, easier to type and less susceptible to mistakes.

Double Meanings - When joining words without a hyphen be careful that you don t create any double meanings that might be embarrassing. Here are some examples to illustrate this point:

- therapistfinder.com
- choosespain.com
- molestationnursery.com (Mole Station Native Nursery in Australia)
- powergenitalia.com (Italian electricity company)
- speedofart.com

Poor Choice of Top Level Domain - If your business is in the US or if your web site is targeting a global audience then you should use .com as your top-level domain. Generally .net and .org domains are not perceived as being as professional as .com domains. If however you are marketing to a local audience in another country, for example in UK or Australia, then using the local .com domain such as .com.uk or .com.au may make it easier for visitors to recognize that your site is local.

No Trademark Conflicts - Make certain that your domain name is free of legal conflicts due to trademarks belonging to other businesses. Your new site at GoogleSecrets.com might attract a lot of traffic but it will probably attract even more after your court case is in the headlines for breaching Google s trademark! Stay clear of other companies names and trademarks.

Next time that you select a new domain name keep the above items in mind. This should help you to choose a great domain name for your online business.