Choosing the right domain name should be an essential part of any business marketing plan. Here’s why: Every day, 60 million Americans use Internet search engines to find information about everything from health topics to new products, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit research center studying the social effects of the Internet on Americans.

Here’s another reason: Consider the real-life story of Gary Pudles, CEO of AnswerNet, an Inc. 500 company. When registering domain names, Pudles wanted to register the URL for his company’s name, www.answernet.com, but he also wanted to attract customers looking for services under a particular topic: telemarketing. The URL www.telemarketing.com, which today accounts for 20 percent to 30 percent of their Internet referrals.

Before you head to the online registrar, know that you could be in for a shake-down if you don’t know the ropes. Here’s a rundown of the most important things you need to know:

1. Use your business name. That is, of course, if it’s available. If your company is Rocky Mountain Candy, your domain should be “rockymountaincandy.com.” That may seem obvious, but it’s a point worth reiterating. Customers will automatically assume your domain is YourBusinessName.com and type it into a Web browser. If they can’t find it that way, it will make it harder for them to find you.

2. Be prepared for a challenge. By this point in the game, many of the best domain names have been snapped up, years ago. Generic names like cars.com, sex.com or art.com were among the first to go, and are now worth millions of dollars. Unless your company has an extremely unique name, you may be in for lengthy brainstorming sessions with your business partners as you consider alternatives. When Gary Pudles was lining up URLs for his company, he was asked to pay $50,000 for his company’s name (www.answernet.com), which had been registered by another party who instantly realized the value of the domain when Pudles first came calling (Pudles ultimately had his marketing manager call as an individual to buy the domain for $5,000).

3. Always use dot.com. Having a .com at the end of your URL is not only expected for companies, it also indicates a degree of professionalism that extensions such as .org, us, .info, etc. don’t carry, according Jerry West, Director of Marketing for WebMarketingNow.

4. Keep it simple. Shorter names are easier to remember than longer ones. They also lend themselves better to radio and televisions advertisements and are less prone to typing errors. You’ll get tired of repeating “MyOverlyComplexDomainName.com.” Also, avoid dashes and other symbols, as well as obscure acronyms. “Consider how your domain name sounds when you have to read it over the phone to a customer. If you have to explain special characters, abbreviations, or spelling, then you’ve got a problem,” West advises.

5. Register alternatives. Just as Gary Pudles expanded his roster of URLs to include others that potential customers might type in, you should consider the same for your business. Doing so will keep customers from stumbling across a competitor’s website. Most registrars forward secondary domains to your main URL for free.

6. Register your trademarks. If your company makes a hair product called “CurlNGo,” buy the domain name CurlNGo.com (as well as CurlAndGo.com, for that matter).

7. Consider keywords. Buy additional domain names containing keywords that reflect your line of products or services and redirect them to your main site. This will improve your search engine rankings and bring you new customers. When doing online research, users tend to type in generic keywords such as “barbeque restaurant Atlanta” or “hair gel.” To find the best keywords for your line of business, try Overture’s inventory or WordTracker tools.

8. Use it. Let everyone know your URL: Incorporate it into mailers, television spots, business cards, and letterhead. The more you use it, the more people will remember it and visit your site.

9. Don’t lose it. This is the most crucial point of all. If you run a successful business and fail to re-register your domain name on time, chances are good that a prospector will snap it up as soon as it expires. If this happens, you may be forced to buy back your domain at a high price from the domain squatter. To avoid this scenario, register your domain for as long as possible — Network Solutions sells 100-year registrations — and choose to have the registrar automatically renew your domain each year by keeping your credit card information on file.

I disagree with the comment made by some web developers that all the good domain names are taken. Search engine optimization, or seo, does not depend heavily on the www name you select. For my clients just starting out the decision choosing small business website names has never been an issue. It is a fact that all the 3 character and 4 character domain names with the key extensions are taken. Furthermore, I agree that a vast number of choice domain names are no longer available; however, the selection of a suitable www domain for your small business is possible if you remain flexible.

The real value in the name you choose from a search perspective is how easy it is to spell and remember. Of the two types of visitors to your site, the human visitors and search engines, the ability of a person to remember your domain name and spell it correctly to pass it on to others outweighs any SEO value. Search engines are robots and don’t care.

Using words like “greatest”, “best”, or other exaggerated terms in your domain name is thought by some to be a disadvantage and penalized by search engines. Search algorithms change often and likewise that theory, and although you may not be penalized for using such words, consider the reaction of your human visitors. They may not stick around if they feel you boast without the content to back it up. For a serious small business commercial enterprise, my advice is avoiding adjectives in the domain name entirely.

In some cases new clients approach me to redesign an existing website, and it surprises me that some of the basics are overlooked. For example, a commercial enterprise in business for profit should not select a dot ORG domain simply because the dot COM was taken. This was the case from a conversation with a client interested in a site makeover. Their ORG version was online for two years with little or no backlinks or serious indexing from search engines. The mindset of getting one particular name should be reconsidered especially if it’s your first online venture.

Here’s a breakdown of the most desirable domain extensions and the usual purpose of each:

COM – Commercial for profit enterprise
INFO – Information only related website
NET – Companies providing internet services
ORG – Non-profit organizations

Certainly there are many more like BIZ, US, WS, and others which are all reasonable choices, but for your commercial small business my recommendation is always acquire a dot COM www domain name. The client mentioned earlier did not realize a dot ORG was intended for a non-commercial enterprise, and they decided the poor website SEO performance was something that justified getting a new dot COM. We easily found an available www domain using their company initials and one key word about their target market which is medical. Despite my advice that they keep the existing site and simply change the theme, they decided to just let it go when it expired.

My commercial site choice was my first and last name, and very unique at that. Using your name is okay, and expected if you’re famous. There is, however, little or no value as far as keywords in my www domain to attract visitors, so is that a mistake for search engine optimization? Certainly not. The fact that I have collected more than 100 screenshots of generic phrases relative to my business that made Google page one is evidence the content, not the domain, is key.

Here’s some advice to help you when choosing a new dot COM small business website domain name.

Start out with a list of about 10 domain names that you would like to have. Next, make a list of market related single word terms about what you do and the customer base you service. If your market is localized, consider geographical terms that relate to where you sell or provide services. Spend 30 minutes brainstorming to come up with the initial names and additional lists of single word terms. You may want another list of significant initials.

Next, search for “WhoIs” in Google to find free online services that keep a database of available domain names, and follow the link in the search results. Each database has a search box which allows you to input the domain name and extension. Begin with your first choice and work down the list and keep track of available names for review later. It may not be easy, so try combinations of the key terms as you continue to search, and keep in mind you want a domain name that is easy to spell and remember. By the time you’re done you should have a half dozen or more available names, so take your time and select the best one, and then register the name immediately.

Tip: The domain name may not be significant for search engine optimization, but the length of your registration can be. My advice is registering domains for 2 years minimum, and 5 to 10 years if that’s in your budget. Search engines consider that the length of your registration reflects your commitment to be online long term, so at today’s prices 5 years is practical and should cost less than $50 USD.

There’s nothing wrong with getting the dot COM domain name you want, and then registering the other major extensions that are available for the same name. If you are highly successful in your online venture, having the other extensions registered in your name prevents others from attempting to take advantage of your reputation by association. In conclusion, the concept that all the good domain names are taken is a myth. You may not get exactly what you want, but practical options are available with a little research and due diligence.