Develop a Domain Name

Developing a URL for a corporate site is fairly simple, as they follow the name of the company or brand.

However, if you need to short list URLs for a microsite, a forum or video site, it is easier to start with a framework. Instead of pulling URLs randomly from thin air, a framework allows you to evaluate and compare URLs objectively.

Step 1. Keywords

Start by generating keywords based on what visitors are key searching. It stands to reason that a domain containing important keywords or values that users are looking for, will aid SEO in the long term.

AdWords keyword tool is a good application to pull together a keyword list, and suggest related words which can be added to expand the base. Keywords are ranked by search volume, so it is easy to list them according to importance.

Step 2. Group words into territories

It is likely the list derived in step 1 may be small, and not very diverse in terms of groups, or what we call territories.

To generate more words and territories, a new tool is required, one which can think wider and more laterally than our minds or AdWords. An online thesaurus is the perfect tool for the job.

A useful example is OneLook Reverse Dictionary. OneLook provides synonyms and throws back antonyms, leading to new territories of thinking. It takes the exploration of URL domains into places conventional linear thinking would not.

Plug each keyword generated from step 1 into the website, and tables of new keywords will display. Choose and key new words back into the engine, and pretty quickly the volume of potential keywords will multiply tenfold.

Begin grouping keywords into territories or value propositions, according to their meaning.

Step 3. Shortlist territories

Examine each territory objectively, and check if the value proposition will resonate with the audience.

Test this by writing a one sentence elevator pitch to explain each URL. If the territory sounds off-brief, discard the territory and focus on others instead.

It is important to work objectively - just because a URL sounds catchy, doesn't make the territory strategically suitable. Think about where the website will be when it first launches, and how it might be redefined in two years time, and evaluate which territories remain most relevant.

Create a control list - this is a territory of basic keywords like the company name, that can be mashed against keywords from other territories.

Try many different combinations. Importantly, do not judge the names created - record every single combination, no matter how absurd the result. URLs can be evaluated collectively later.

Step 4. Shortlist URLs

Shortlist URLs in a table, and group them by territory. Assess their potential by checking their availability, and how the value position could influence the content direction. Incidentally, some domain registration sites offer tools to suggest similar URLs that are available for purchase.

Check their availability using who.is. There are other derivatives of who.is available for other markets like Asia, if country specific domains are required. These may include such domains as.asia,.sg or.com.sg.

List URLs which are available, and not available, to fully demonstrate the range of possibilities and assess the potential competitive threat from purchased URLs.

If the URL is parked, you can consider purchasing the URL. Most purchases range between US$2-5k. To strike the best deal, consider engaging an intermediary to do the purchase on behalf of your firm.

Step 5. Search results pages - the acid test

Given 80% of online journeys begin with an inquiry, search result pages are the start of the brand touch point. Before users see engaging interactive video and content, they will judge the website based on a few lines of text.

How the URL reads forms first impressions, so it is important the URL tells the story it captures the value proposition. This is critical for online-only brands, where there main touch point with customers is search.

For example, how will a promotion site differentiate itself from the corporate site, when a post from both appears on the same search results page?

Check all the current digital assets the company and its competitors own, and assess how attractive the URL is when it appears in situ.

The Holy Trinity of Domain Names - COM, ORG and NET

When I was on the Internet in the late 80s, there weren't many top-level domains available. You had .GOV for the US government, .MIL for the US military, .NET for network-related groups, .EDU for educational institutions, .COM for commercial organizations, and .ORG for any other type of organization. And there were strict rules on who could use which top-level domain. Those rules were loosened, however, and right now pretty much anyone can register a domain in three of those original TLDs: .COM, .NET and .ORG. I call these the "Holy Trinity" of TLDs.

The number of TLDs has grown since then, of course. Each country or autonomous geographic area now has its own two-letter TLD, like .CA for Canada and .CN for China. And there are additional TLDs like .BIZ and .INFO that were created to provide alternatives to the standard TLDs. In theory this makes it easier to find a good domain name, because there are more TLDs to choose from.

But if someone asks for my advice on which TLD to use, I always steer them towards the Holy Trinity unless there's a very good reason to consider one of the other top-level domains.

Let's face it, the .COM, .NET and .ORG domains have been around so long that they have instant recognition -- people know what they are. They also don't have geographic associations, which is important if you're trying to reach a global audience.

That's not to say that the country-code (geographic) domains aren't useful. If you're offering a service in a specific country and you want to reach people in that area, having a .UK or .FR domain is very useful. People in each country generally appreciate those kinds of sites. But they'll expect them to be in their native language. And there are sometimes restrictions on who can actually own such a domain -- only Canadians or companies with a Canadian presence can own .CA domains, for example.

One domain you definitely want to avoid is .INFO. It's a newer domain and you can usually get .INFO domains for under $1, which has made it prime hunting ground for spammers, scammers and websites of dubious purpose and provenance. Forget .INFO, it's just not worth it.

The other TLDs aren't as bad, but nothing beats .COM if you can get it, with .NET and .ORG an OK alternative if the .COM isn't available and you don't think there will be too much confusion or lost traffic to not use .COM.