Some people get so excited when they want to launch a new website that they hurry through the process of choosing a domain name and worry a lot more about other aspects of the new site like web hosting. This is a big mistake because the domain name you end up with will always have a huge impact on whether your business succeeds or fails.

Here are the 5 of the most important things you need to know before you choose your domain name.

1. Search engine friendly

A keyword rich domain name is vital and will get the new website off to a great start. It means that the domain will immediately have the potential of attracting lots of traffic directly from leading search engines. This is because one of the key factors that go into the ranking of a website is a keyword-rich domain name.

For this reason you will need to start with some intensive keyword research looking for the most popular keyword phrases that best describe what you do. It is certainly worth the trouble and time you will spend in this exercise. Some web hosting services have tools to help with your keyword research but there are plenty of excellent free ones like the Google keyword planner.

2. Hyphens

Admittedly it has become very difficult to arrive at a domain name that you like that has also not already been taken up. The answer to this nagging problem is in using hyphens. However this needs to be done with great care because if done carelessly it can end up giving you undesirable results.

For instance hyphens are useful in separating words in a domain name. This dramatically reduces the chances of anybody accidentally misspelling it. The-best-website.com is much more recognizable than thebestwebsite.com. However this makes your domain name longer. If it ends up being way too long then people are less likely to remember it. There is also the chance that people referring your website to friends will forget to mention the fact that the words that are your domain are separated by hyphens.

The most advisable thing to do is to limit the words in your hyphenated domain to a maximum of 3.

Done correctly it will mean that search engine robots will be able to pick out the different words in your keyword rich domain name and make you much more visible in search results in the process.

3. Catchy and memorable

You may want to end up branding your site. Or perhaps part of your intention is to have happy customers frequently refer you to others. In both cases a catchy and memorable domain name can make all the difference to you and your online business. The truth is that catchy and easy to remember is always a huge advantage in any business but more so online where the only lead a hot prospect may have that can get them to you is your domain name. The popular web hosting site GoDaddy is an example of a site that has benefited immensely from it’s very appealing name.

4. Typos can help you

What online experts do is to search widely and include similar keywords and even typos and mis-spellings and then register extra domains that re-direct to their main domain. This is a smart thing to do. And so when you finally choose your desired domain name don’t throw away the other similar choices you considered because they can end up being very useful still. A good ethical web hosting company will help you successfully re-direct your extra domain names to your main one without secretly parking it to earn extra revenue for them.

5. Beware of trademarked names

The cost of litigation being what it is, it is important to avoid the risk of being sued as much as possible. That means that you will need to check to confirm that the domain name you have chosen is not already somebody else’s trademarked name. You should even stay away from domain names where only a part of the name is already trademarked elsewhere.

About Author: Romeo Demes is a technology blogger and IT expert working for WMD hosting , helping their clients to choose a good domain name and the perfect web hosting that will suit their needs.