When selecting a domain name, decide what the purpose of your website is going to be ahead of time.

If you are going to be using your webspace for online business, it is a good idea to stay away from 'cutesy' names that might have been your previous 'chat handles' or usernames. Unless your 'handles' are related to your website in a very huge way, then site names/domain names like "rebel forever" and 'coolmama' are to be avoided!

Some basic tips on selecting a domain name:

* The EXTENSION you select is IMPORTANT

Try to select a dot-com ".com" extension wherever and whenever possible. These, by far, are the easiest for people to remember, and are the most familiar extensions that people think of when they point their browser toward websites.

If you are planning on a series of sites, then it is probably fine to incorporate other extensions that are to be for the 'spin-off' sites, but make your '.com' site your main one with extensions such as '.info,' '.org,' '.us,' '.ca,' 'uk,' etc., as secondary sites.

For instance, you might have an idea for selling family games on your website. You may have an account with an affiliate program that allows you to sell games like Chess, Dominoes, Othello, etc., on custom boards, so you might name your site "CustomGames4Families.com." As a secondary interest you might want an extension site of '.info' where your topics are all the game rules and strategies, including non-board online computer games - for as many mixed kinds of games as you can think of. Perhaps you have a secondary interest in an affiliate program that lets you sell 'game strategy' PDFs, but your CustomBoards4Families.com website is going to be your true 'cash-cow.' website.

If someone is looking for game strategies and thinks they remembered seeing 'game strategy' PDFs for sale at a site called CustomGames4Families.com, then your cash-cow site is going to get visitors FIRST. Of course, you'll make sure to link your CustomGames4Families.info from your '.com' site and get traffic both ways, so you'll be in pretty good shape!

* Use keywords in your site/domain name whenever possible

This way, when someone is doing a search for a particular topic, your site name will be sitting closer to the top of search engines, just waiting for the people to plug your sitename/good keyword in. This might seem pretty basic, but you wouldn't believe how many people opt for a 'snazzy' site name with no keywords - and then wonder why their site is not getting visitors.

For example, "BartsGreatSite" makes "Bart" sound important, but may not have anything to do with the blogging starter packages and tutorials that Bart is trying to advertise! BartsGreatSite may actually be a fantastic site, but when people are looking for blogging tutorials, they aren't going to find Bart's Great Site.

* Keep the name as SHORT as possible while utilizing keywords

Some sites are so straightforward that the keywords and domain name explain pretty much the entire concept of the site. Sites like "buildyourlist" (extension whatever) or "grabtraffictoday" (extension whatever) would be entire phrases that people might type into a search engine when they are looking to build mailing lists and gain fast visitors to their own websites. The length of these example sites is reasonable, as well, so people won't forget the address of the website once a search engine does display these sites in search results.

A name like "mildredscustomflowerarrangmentbargains" (extension whatever) might explain a lot, but people will have a hard time remembering the address EXACTLY, so searchers might end up at 'mildredsflowerbargains' (extension whatever), and consequently - at a competitor's website! Poor Mildred from the longer-named site will have a difficult time with 'return visitors' even with people who DO GET TO the right site directly from a search engine listing. If visitors want to re-visit at a later date, there is still a heavy chance that this long name will be forgotten.

* Avoid dashes!

If a same-name website is already using your preferred domain name and you just really are set on that name, then go ahead and add a dash, but expect that some visitors will end up at the non-dash address. You'll have to be explicit in your promotions, emphasizing the 'dash' when sending people to your website if you use a dash. Plain and simple.

* Special note about the '.net' extension:

...the net extension is notoriously interchanged and mixed up with the com extension even in seasoned internet and computer users. There's not a lot you can do about this, however, if you know that your purpose for having a website is going to be in order to definitely expand your business ideas, products, services, and name, then just go ahead and purchase both extensions when you are reserving/ordering a domain name! That way, if someone misses your 'net' site and lands on your 'com' site, you're still landing visitors! The details of content for each site will require careful consideration in this case, but a lot of marketers and business people purchase both extensions.

* Don't be afraid to use your name as a domain/site name

Do this, particularly, if your business plans include internet marketing and info-product distribution. You'll probably go through a countless number of info-products, so purchasing a domain name related to each info product might get expensive until your business gets really flowing well. If you have a domain name that is your own name, then you can spider sites off of that one as you can afford to do so but your main name site will stay functional, out front for people to find. You'll also 'name-brand' yourself, which will help in your business ventures.

* Tip - If you decide to use your name as your domain name:

If you have a common name that is also commonly 'typoed' or a name variation that people tend to spell incorrectly, it might be a good idea to go with a reasonable shortened version or nickname.

For instance, if your name is Stephen - people may also spell a variation of: "Steven," on a return visit to your site. If you don't mind using the shortened version 'Steve,' most people do not have a problem spelling 'Steve' at all. Finding 'stevesmith.com' will be a better bet than 'stevensmith' versus 'stephensmith' online. Until your business is going really well, it is a bit risky to put up a first-time site with any kind of spelling that is easily mistaken for another, but many people do progress on in their business enough to develop an additional site that displays their entire name, spelled to preference and correctness, so don't let this last tip discourage you too much if you're really set on a certain name.