What's in a name? This question has been asked since the dawn of time. Now in the digital age the question is now - What's in a domain name? How important is it to have a great domain name? Bad domain names have been the downfall of countless businesses online and the sad part is, most of these companies aren't even aware that there domain name is the problem.

Choosing a great domain name should be one of your number one priorities when starting a business. There are several things to think about when choosing a domain name:

*Is the domain name short? People don't like to type in long domain names. They will also be more likely to forget your domain name if it's long. Keep in mind that your domain name will be part of your email address and nobody wants to type in jsmith@lisas-flower-emporiumworld.com every time they send you an email.

* Does your domain name contain dashes? Never, ever use a dash in you domain name. People will have a hard time remember if and where your domain contains a dash. I know it sometimes hard to find the exact domain name you are looking for but just because joescigars.com is not available, doesn't mean you should buy joes-cigars.com. Look for alternatives like joeyscigars.com or cigarjoes.com. Keep brainstorming and don't give up until you find a good name. No matter how hard it is, don't be tempted to put that dash in there.

* Is your domain name catchy? Google, Yahoo and Amazon - What do these domain names have in common? They are all short and catchy. They don't even directly explain what they are selling, but these Internet giants realized that having a short, catchy domain name was even more important than having an informative one. While I think you should attempt to pick a domain name that gives people an idea about what you do, I wouldn't rule out choosing a short, gibberish based domain name is you can't find anything else. It may even make you rise to the top of your industry by separating you from the crowd.

The bottom line is to take your time when choosing a domain name. Ask you friends and family what they think of the potential names you have choosen. One good idea is to read a list of potential domain names to your friends and then call them a week later to ask which of the names they remember. Chances are that those names will have the most staying power. Have fun choosing your name and remember that it may be one your most important decisions!

Spencer Steele is the owner of Bsleek.com ( http://www.bsleek.com ) - a site that specializes in web hosting, design, promotional items, printing, CD Presentations and more.

Spencer is also the co-founder of Daterade.com ( http://www.daterade.com ) which is the first free online dating web site. Spencer also owns WittyShirts.com ( http://www.wittyshirts.com ) which sells funny t-shirts.

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