Anyone who has tried it will tell you, choosing a domain name for your professional website is no easy task. But landing on the right one is absolutely essential. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid.

Mistake #1: Picking a domain name that’s too long.

We’ve entered an era where everyone’s doing their Google searches on their Smartphones and tablets instead of their computers. So if your domain name is long, your website traffic may suffer. Studies have shown that the longer your domain name, the more difficult it is for people to memorize it and type it on their phone or tablet screen.  So the shorter you can make your domain name (no more than 7-8 characters), the better it will be for everyone.

Handy Tip

If you can’t make sure you shorten your domain name, make sure that the keywords that will compose it correspond to your site’s natural referencing. Whether or not they know your domain name, users will most often simply type keywords into Google.

Mistake # 2: Skipping the hyphens

If your domain name is made up of several keywords, separate them with a hyphen. For example, the-angels-share instead of theangelsshare. Or Everything-for-my-baby instead of everythingformybaby.  But even though hyphens can be useful and help your prospects find you, be careful not to overdo it.  While you want to make your domain name easy to read, you also want to make it easy for your readers to type (especially on a tablet or Smartphone). (If your angels don’t rescue you, you could still be lucky.)

Mistake #3: Not enough originality.

Without being too out there, think outside the box. You want your domain name to be in line with your activity, but a touch of originality will go a long way.  That said, remember that “original” doesn’t need to mean “eccentric.”

Mistake #4 Choosing an ambiguous domain name.

If people misspell your domain name when you tell it to them, this means that it might be tricky for your audience to get it right. Try out this test: Read the following sentence out loud. “My father is the Mayor of Mamers and my brother is a mail carrier.” Ask your audience who’s who and who does what. They’re likely to get it wrong. And that’s entirely normal. On that note, a website with the domain “threetimesmorebeautiful” could also be “3timesmorebeautiful” or “3xmorebeautiful.” In conclusion, choose something simple, precise and effective.

Handy Tips

• When you read it out loud, a domain name like eduquons.fr might lead to confusion.
• The longest domain name in the world is none other than llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch.info. It’s a website of the famous Welsh village by the same name.

Key Points to Remember

• Keep it short. (Your domain name needs to be easy to understand and remember.)
• If your domain name is made up of several keywords, use hyphens to separate them (but don’t overdo it).
• An original domain name will have a higher impact (and be more memorable) than one that is too generic.
• Keep in mind that most people conduct their searches on a tablet or Smartphone (Your domain name must therefore be easy to type.)
• Once you have checked to see if your domain name is available, reserve it. To do so, go to a domain registry.