If you are in the process of getting an online presence you first should look to get the right domain name. Having a short and memorable domain name will make your website and business stand out, easy to remember and more valuable overall.

It’s true that a lot of the good domains are already taken, but with some creative thoughts you will be surprised at how some of the good ones are still available. You can use software to help you generate related words and combination of multiple words quickly. All you have to do enter some variation of words and you will get a list of domain names. You will then need to copy and paste all of these to the bulk registration tool to check for availability.

Alternatively you could buy domains from the auction sites like SEDO and Godaddy Domain Market. There you will find domains that are already registered that up for sale. Getting a good domain name can make your business ten times more profitable and successful, so it’s worth investing time in choosing the right one. Even if something that cost hundreds that would still be worth it depending on what sector of business you are in.

If possible, try to have at least one important keyword in the domain. This will help you in the rankings on Google and many other search engines. For example, if you are a web developer in London it would be good to have the word “web”, “developer” and/or “London” in the domain name. This helps to convey what the website is about, as well as making it easier to remember for your customers. Of course, there will be times which you can’t do this; in that case you want to choose a name that’s unique enough to be a brand – like Nike, Sony, Epson..etc

Avoid dash in the domain name as that will make it hard to promote and to remember as well. Not to mention it looks much less professional on other marketing materials you may use in the future. This is the reason why it’s important to pick the right domain before you start doing any marketing or promotions.

A good domain name should not be longer than three words; try two words if possible. Anything longer than will increase the chance of someone type in the wrong domain name in the address bar and land on your competitor’s website! This is something you want to look out for.