Registering a domain seems like something that should be straightforward right? Choosing the wrong one could lead to business failure. Keep the following points in mind when you register your next domain.

Domain name that is descriptive

Unless your company has millions of dollars they can invest into a branding campaign, you should choose a domain that is descriptive of what your website is about. If your website is focused on the topic of pregnancy, you should choose a domain that has pregnancy in it. If your website is selling golf memorabilia, your domain should contain the word golf in it.

Domain name that is memorable

Choose a domain that is easy to spell and easy to remember. This goes back to the last point. Unless you have a truck load of money that you can spend to bring your domain to top of mind status in your prospect's mind, keep it memorable. Registering long domains should be avoided unless they have special meaning to your website topic. The longer the domain, the harder it is for your prospect to remember it.

Domain Name that is keyword rich

Having your main website keywords in your domain can help you a little. Some people on the internet claim that having a domain with the right keywords in it guarantees you'll rank high for those keywords in the major search engines. This advice no longer holds true. Does that mean you shouldn't include your keywords in the domain? You are hopefully choosing keywords that are descriptive of what your website is about and that will attract your target audience to your website. Including those keywords in your domain can help make it easy for your target market to remember you.

Modern search engines have 100 or more factors they use to rank internet websites. Keywords in your domain or URL are only one of those 100 factors. If I had to guess on their impact towards getting you top ranking, I'd say it is less than 1% of the total equation.

Choosing a domain can be a tricky business. Choose the wrong domain and you can hurt your business. Pick the right domain for your business and you are taking the first important steps to success.