1. Think small
Although you might fall in love with a longer name, like www.i-really-like-this-domain-name-so-im-going-to-keep-it-goddammit.com , you still want it to be easy for people to remember and type in by hand. The same goes with difficult spellings too. So keep it short and sweet.

2. Avoid Trademarks
“There was once a guy who bought a domain name and made a lot of money out of the film company that should really have owned it”. Yes, most of us have heard that story. However, nowadays companies will not shell out oodles of cash to buy it from you. They’re already the owners of that trademark name – and their lawyers will be knocking at your door.

3. Buy it fast!
There are people and companies around that bulk buy names, just so that they can take some money off you, if you really want that name… don’t let them beat you to it!

4. Buy more than one
Sometimes, it isn’t a bad idea to register several similar domain names. It really does depend on the nature of your business, and particularly if you go for a generic descriptive name. Consider buying the .net, .co.uk etc too. Some people also go as far as buying common misspellings of their name – but that’s up to you.

5. Ask your friends
When you have narrowed down your choices – run them by a few pals too. It may be memorable to you, but if others have difficulty getting used to it – then the odds are that others will too. Be careful also of how it can be misread. here’s a couple of examples to make you smile!
*Who Represents is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is www.whorepresents.com
*There’s the Italian Power Generator company, www.powergenitalia.com
*Looking for a pen? Look no further than Pen Island at www.penisland.net

6. Be careful
Be very careful where you search to see if your name is available. Unscrupulous companies will register it if they even see a search has been made. Network Solutions in the US has just been sued for doing just that very thing.

If you get stuck, we can take the worry away for you. Have a look at our Domain Name Service for details

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