Your domain name isn’t just the words you type into the address bar at the top of your Internet browser. A lot of businesses don’t give their domain names that much thought because they don’t realize the importance, but it’s one of the most critical aspects of your business and its digital marketing strategy. There are several matters to take into consideration when brainstorming great domain name options for your business. Here are a few pointers to ensure your domain makes a lasting impression.

1. It’s All About Being Remembered
Like making introductions at social gatherings, the best way to be remembered is to make a clear, positive impression on your audience. You want your domain name to be simple, novel and memorable. Avoid special characters and unrelated typescripts; they only clutter up domain names.

2. Make it Relevant
One of the biggest frustrations when looking to register a URL is that domain names ending with established extensions, like .com, .net, and .biz, are often off the market because someone already owns them. Luckily, hundreds of new domain extensions are now available, and they’ve opened up the possibilities for acquiring cost-effective and relevant domain names.

3. Make Sure You Can Say It Out Loud
It’s easier for someone to remember a name that can easily be pronounced or sounded out. Easy-to-remember domain names lead to more positive associations between your brand and your audience. You also avoid the issue of confused or lost traffic from an overly complicated domain name. If it’s easy for your audience to pronounce, it’s easy for them to find you online.

4. Keep It Short, Yet Clear
As you’re trying to brainstorm your domain name you may find that abbreviations come in handy, and while they do, they also lead to poor readability. Instead opt for acronyms which are your best bet for shortening your domain, but ensure it still communicates your business name clearly.

5. Distinguish Yourself from Your Competition
You want to be remembered. You don’t want to be confused with any other brand, whether they are your competitor or not. Do your research so you avoid any trademarking issues down the line. Additionally, the least similar your domain name is to another brand the easier it will be for search engines to accurately direct search queries to your website.

6. A Glance Should Be All It Takes
What your brand or business does should immediately be apparent when someone reads your domain name. Who you are and what your business does should be the two main influencing factors when you are brainstorming your domain name.