How should I choose a domain name for my business?

I want to tell you a confession, I love domain names.

I have had some interesting run-ins with buying interesting domain names but I have also been able to build a lot of business from buying the right domain name.

Back in 2006, when online marketing was just taking off I registered a few killer domains, OnlineMarketingSydney.com.au and CreditCardFinder.com.au.

I want to take you through the value in these domains and how you can go about finding a good domain name.

Why is a domain name worth a lot of money?

• Unique – Each domain name is unique. There is no substitute for it. You either own it or you don’t. There is only one ChristmasDay.com.au.
• Easier to get high search engine rankings – Having your domain name means the main keyword in your niche is pure gold. You can substitute a similar name, eg. CreditCardFinderAustralia.com.au but if you are trying to rank for certain keywords it’s almost impossible to compete against an exact match keyword domain.
• Type in traffic – Some people still type in a keyword and then put .com.au at the end of it and press enter hoping to find a website that offers that service.

Three steps to finding a killer domain name in your niche that will blitz your competitors

1. Keyword Research – Log onto Google’s free keyword tool and find out the most popular keywords in your niche. Eg. put credit card in and see what are the top keywords.
2. Try and buy the domain – Open a second window that has your domain name registrar and start typing in the full keyword as the domain.
3. Register as many as you can.

The fundamental premise here is that domain names with keywords inside them perform better for small businesses that are trying to get traffic and make sales.

If you are a bigger investment or want to zig in a niche that always zags, then you can get away with making a cute name. For example, if you are the first jobs website in a country you can call it Seek. But if you are new entrant, calling your company jobsjobsjobs.com.au is genius.

What to do if the main keyword domains are taken?

Usually in any competitive niche the main domain names are taken, so here are some options:

• Use Modifiers – Add a modifier to the keyword that is still popular and relevant like: Australia, Compare, Buy, Best, Cheap, Location (Sydney, Melbourne etc). See if they are available and perhaps build a few websites to take over the entire niche.
• Wait – Wait till their domain expires and snap it away if they forget to reregister it. Using a reminder service is key for this.
• Buy it – Try and offer to buy the domain name. Use a lookup site like domaintools.com/creditcardfinder.com.au and see who owns it. Contact them and see if they are willing to sell the domain. It’s not an easy process but it is possible. Remember to use a contract to protect your purchase.

If you don’t get an unbelievable domain name that matches your keyword spot on, don’t worry. In our business we don’t have the exact credit card keyword as our domain name but it hasn’t stopped us building a great business. You learn to hussle more when you’re not in the kill zone from the beginning.