Choosing a domain name has always been tricky but in 2010 it is damn near impossible as just about everything seems to be gone. In this article we will look at what makes a good domain name and give you some tips to make sure you get a name that works for you. Existing Company or New Business. If you are an existing company then you should look for a domain name that matches your brand identity. People already know you and if they are going to be searching for you then using the brand name will make it easier for people to find you and for you to rank for your given name. If you are a new company then you have a little more flexibility and maybe you should look at aligning your name with something that is is catchy and available. So, if you are called Bobs Print Shop then bobsprintshop.co.uk would be a perfect domain name. What extension? .com.co.uk.net. If you are a UK business only serving the UK.co.uk is the perfect extension. If you provide worldwide services then .com or.net is more suitable. If you are a business then avoid.org extensions as these are primarily for non profit organisations.

As a rule of thumb, .co.uk or.com are your best bets but equally the hardest to find. What about the Search Engines Well, your domain name has no direct bearing on your ranking in the search engines. That said, if you have your important keywords in the domain name then when people link to you with the domain name you will get a boost for these keywords so if possible, get your keywords in the domain name but don't be tempted to make it spammy. http://www.website-design-and-search-engine-optimisation-services-uk.com/ - is not a good name! Registering your domain nameIf I had a pound for each client that had no idea where they registered there domain name or thought that they owned the name only to find out the website company owned it, well I would have about �25.00 but... It is pretty easy to register your name properly and it will save you untold time and hassle. The thing to watch for is that you are using a reputable domain name registrar and to ensure that you are the registered owner. A good registrar will also provide a control panel with a series of tools you can use including email forwarding, a temporary holding page and the ability to make all of the changes to where the domain name points when you get your site up and running.That's all folks. So, to summarise, choose a reputable registrar and think long and hard about the name you choose as it could be with you for some years to come.

Marcus Miller is the owner of Bowler Hat Solutions and is a website design, hosting and internet marketing expert with ten (painful) years of experience from Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.

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