With a start up business you have a clean slate, and some big decisions to make, none more important than location, location, location.  Even when that location is only a virtual one.

That said, there is always a balance that must be found.  Your pursuit of the perfect domain name cannot be taken lightly.  The first consideration you really have to have is deciding on a budget.  What are you willing and able to spend on a domain name?  Constantly seeing the $9.00 (or less) domain name specials, you may think that will be your only cost.  It can be, if you’re lucky and usually if you’re willing to settle.  But more and more, dot com real estate is becoming scarce.

If you’re not willing to settle for a long domain name with dashes and or worse, then a budget may be required.  You must consider that almost anything is available for the right price, but is the price worth it in the end?

So getting to the crux of the article, how do you decide on your new domain name?

You’re planning to sell XYZ Widgets and you want XYZ.com.  Long gone, and if its possible to acquire, it will be priced in the many thousands of dollars to obtain.  (Hundreds of thousands if not more.)  If you have that kind of budget, well you’re probably not reading this article.

In that case what you’re really asking is, “How do I get the most bang for the buck?”

• Keep searching.  You may get lucky, persistence pays off.
  • Make sure you’re not simply misspelling a trademarked name.
  • Keywords are nice, but not required.
  • Make sure its pronounceable.
  • Make sure it doesn’t have alternative spellings.
  • Make it memorable.
  • Look for cvvcv (consanant, vowel, vowel, consanant, vowel) combinations. Or some other derivative based around the above tips.
• If the domain you like is held by a squatter, they’d probably be happy to sell.  Go to a whois database and see if you can find the owner.  Contact them and make an offer. (Don’t go over your budget. You set the value, not them.)
• If the domain you like is held by a domainer, they’d probably sell as well.  Go to a whois database and see if you can find the owner.  Contact them and make an offer. (Don’t go over your budget. You set the value, not them.)
• If the domain is held by another business, (and is in use), they will probably not sell without a complete sale of the business itself.  But it doesn’t hurt to ask

Just remember —   A great name can be a head start, but it won’t get you to the finish line.  A name is very important, but not if it keeps you from ever opening the business and having the proper capitalization (start up capital) in the first place.   In the end the most important thing is your business model and the execution of that business model.   That is why crazy and never heard of before names work, and the only reason they work.  Their business model is what leads to success.

Now that you know what you want, get register your domain for FREE here.

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