Finding Your Dream Domain Name

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"You don't have to use it, but you've preempted someone else from grabbing it and confusing your customers. And it's very easy to redirect traffic from your .biz site to your .com site."

Consider domain names that include keywords relevant to your company or industry. If you can combine those keywords with your company name, that will give you a boost when it comes to search engine optimization, Melberg says (see BusinessWeek.com, 7/6/06, "How SEO Upped the Revenues").

It Pays to Persevere

"Identify the keywords that are relevant to your Web site, the terms that your potential customers will type into search engines to locate you," she advises. Mike Silverman, managing director of Silver Web Solutions, based in Atlanta, concurs. "Look for keywords that come up on the bottom of the list. People are typing those in, but they're more likely to be available as domains." You can find relevant keywords and statistics on how often they are used at sites such as: http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com, http://www.keyworddiscovery.com/search.html, and http://tools.seobook.com/general/keyword-information/index.php.

Another option—if you've got your heart set on a particular business name and domain name—is to purchase it. "Some names are for sale. If they're within your budget, then make an offer to the seller. Even if it's beyond your budget, make an offer anyway," suggests Eric Swartz, president of TaglineGuru.com, based in San Mateo, Calif. "What's to lose? I obtained a name recently that I've been wanting for years because it was abandoned by the owner. I made a regular habit of checking on WhoIs.com and discovered it was available. And I didn't have to pay a premium for it."

Hedding suggests that you check in frequently at domain auction sites such as Snapnames.com, where you can bid on quality domain names. "Snapnames.com has an inventory of 1 million-plus domain names and is projecting up to 10 million previously registered domain names will pass through their auction this year," he says. "Aggressive Internet marketers go there to find expiring names that have a history and are already highly ranked at search engines. They research the domains and look at the links going to them to test their quality. Just be aware that if you try this, you'll have to bid against some savvy search engine marketers."

Watch for Predators

Other sites that list premium domain names available for purchase are: afternic.com, moniker.com, sedo.com, fabulousdomains.com, and domainaftermarket.com, he says.

Once you've decided on the perfect company name and domain name, don't forget to renew your registration. Individuals who frequent the domain auction sites often pounce on expired domains, register them, and then demand large fees to sell them, Ross notes. "You can register for more than a year at time, but I prefer one-year registrations. Just make sure your registrar gives you ample notice when your domain is about to expire, and includes an automatic renewal option," he says.

Karen E. Klein is a business journalist who covers small-business issues for several national publications. She writes her Smart Answers column twice a week.