Choosing A Domain Name

Written by: Paul Omer

You have an idea for a great forum, now all you need is a catchy domain name that not only describes your forum, but is easy to remember. Remember that there is nothing wrong with stepping outside the box to give your forum a truly unique URL, but don't get too carried away, as there are literally millions of domains being used. I can assure you that there are many that are almost exactly alike.

Basic guidelines to follow.
If your forum corresponds with a main site, a subdirectory is generally the way to go. Something like, forums.yourname.com, or, yournameforums.com. Merely adding "forums" at the end of the domain name can also solve this problem, but it can lead to another problem as well. You don't want your URL to be too long. Remembering a long URL to type in and search can be a real pain, and can furthermore make it hard to advertise. Seeing as though no one can remember it. Along those same lines, it is also a much better idea to always find an available ".com". You could have the most catchy domain name ever, but because it ends with ".org" or ".net", many will forget that and type in ".com" instead. This can not only cause people to not find your forum, but can also cause them to run across the wrong forum, and you definitely don't want that.

Things to avoid.
There are a couple of small mistakes that a lot of people make when choosing a domain name. These problems, if not avoided, can make your forum hard to find, or can simply trash up the look of your domain name. Here we go:

1) Don't use digits in your domain name. This can easily confuse internet surfers, and will result in them many times not finding your forum.

2) Don't use foul language. The best way to give people a bad first impression of your forum is to use an inappropriate term in your URL. Avoid this at all cost.

3) Avoid using dashes, periods, and other such punctuation marks as well. Most people will simply forget it, and instead run it all together, giving them a "Cannot connect to server" page, or someone else's forum.

A proper domain name is crucial, don't take its selection lightly. Take your time, ask for suggestions and other's opinions, and give it lots of thought before finally making a decision.