Picking a suitable domain name

Length matters. Select a domain name that is short and concise.
It is easier to remember Mysite.com then this-is-my-site-on-the-web.com.

Your domain name should contain keywords whenever possible. This is a good trick to use to boost your site’s popularity for particular keywords on search engines.

Your domain name should be directly related to what you are selling. For instance if you are selling widgets your domain name should be something like ABCwidgets.com. I have noticed that the majority of visitors to many of my client’s sites arrive by typing in the domain name directly instead of going through search engines. This tactic allows for visitors to associate your domain name with what products you are offering when they type your domain name in directly.

Use generic names whenever possible. Try to choose a name that people may type into the address bar of their browser without hearing about you. For instance a domain name such as webdesign.com, is really good since people who are looking for web design services may just type webdesign.com into the address bar of their browser. However, this may be hard to accomplish without lots of money to buy these generic term domain names since many of them are already taken. Don’t let this discourage you from doing research within your field to find generic names associated with what you are selling.

These simple techniques will help increase your repeat visitor rates. Before choosing a domain name, it is advisable to search the uspto.gov website to make sure you are not infringing on any trademarks. Domain Name Availability is a useful tool (which supports various extensions) for checking the availability of domain names.

Article Link: http://blogs.oscommerce.com/2007/06/09/ste...-a-domain-name/