A brief review of issues

THE SHOP X ISSUE
Let`s imagine that we have just established a company, called Shop X Ltd. and we want to buy and build a website for it. It is a short, sharp-sounding name. Easy to pronounce and remember. Assuming that both options are available, here is what we can choose from:
- shopx.com
- shop-x.com
Let`s assume we buy both with one being the main domain name, and the other serving just as a redirection point to the main one. The first point of consideration here is pronunciation. What we know as "shopx.com", upon hearing on the radio or somewhere else people might remember as "shopex.com". Not a big issue, but still one that creates a slight aggravation point for people looking for our business online afterwards. A point which we might want to avoid. One possible solution is to choose the "shop-x.com" as primary one, as it hints that it might "X" and not "ex" that follows after the dash. Pronouncing "shopx" gives a bigger chance of being understood as "shopex".
The numbers issue



THE EMAIL ISSUE
an alternative route
In general, if you company is called "The Business Room", you will first look up whether thebusinessroom.com is available. Chances are it will not be, so you will have three options: rearange words in the domain, try versions with hyphens, and the one we want to turn your attention to - don`t use the company name when choosing a domain. There are pros and cons to such an approach, but it is worth-considering.
One main reason to go in the above direction is when you want your domain name to serve as one more point for strengthening the connection between your brand name and specific keywords. In fact, it is the essence of branding - to associate a company with a desired image or set of qualities. For car brands, this could be style, reliability, prestige. For a news outlet, it could be latest news, analytical depth, exclusive interviews. Let`s take an example with a car repairs` business, called "Tom`s Garage". One domain choice (assuming it is available) is "tomsgarage.com". Let`s also assume that Tom`s business focuses exclusively on muscle cars. This would be stated on the website and in advertising efforts that Tom undertakes. But it could also be hinted via the domain name for the business - "musclecarrepairs.com". Maybe even combine service and location - "valleymusclerepairs.com". Frankly, both domain names sound a bit clumsy. They do their main task, though - point to potential customers that Tom`s place is the one to visit if you need your muscle car looked at. So, don`t overlook the keyword strategy for choosing a domain name. Yes, it is tricky, does not work well all the time and also people tend to expect company name and domain name to be the same. But there are cases where clever marketing in this part of the online business strategy might lead to results way above your initial expectations. So, if you reject it - let it be a solid ground for rejection, instead of simple dismissal.
the next step
Choosing a domain name is sometimes an easy task, but often a formidable issue. It is set to have an impact on business decisions in the future.
There is an enormous amount of information we want to share with you on the topic, but we prefer a practical approach. If you want to learn something we haven't covered, please leave a comment below and we will create an article for you! Or simply get in touch via the Contact Form for more specific questions.