In the realm of domain names, the notion of domain name suffix is extremely important. A lot of individuals these days, particularly those who are looking to buy domain names for a specific purpose, in fact select the domain name suffixes correctly. Actually, when we try to register a certain domain name, we are always required to choose a domain name suffix for that name. However, even though the domain name suffix is in place since the origin of the domain name concept, quite a few people still do not understand the meaning and significance of the domain name suffix. Despite that the term “domain name suffix” is so commonly used and heard all the time, its nature is quite rarely appreciated.

Domain name suffix actually refers to the top level domain names often called also the domain name extensions. This extension plays a huge role in the domain name world, first of all, as there is no domain name without the suffix. Besides, the domain name suffix is a major signature of domain name, which lets website visitors recognize the nature of the site. It is also called a generic top level domain and thus reflects the type of organization.

In reality there are many types of domain name suffix, and the most regular domain name suffix is the .com, which commonly stands for a company (or more generally for commercial enterprises or online services). A couple of other well-known domain name suffixes are the .org that stands for organization, and the .net, which stands for network.

In the last several years, another set of domain name extensions has been introduced and these comprise the .biz for reserved businesses; .aero for the air transport business; . coop is reserved for cooperatives; .edu for educational organizations and universities; .gov is reserved for United States government organizations and agencies; .info for various applications; .int for agencies that were established as a result of international treaties; and .mil reserved for United States military. But in addition to the aforementioned domain name suffixes, there are quite a few other domain name suffixes that also have a wide scope of applications; these include:  the .museum utilized by museums; .name for individuals; .net stands for networks and is usually used by companies and organizations similar to the internet service providers; .org stands for organization is generally used by non-profit organizations; and, finally, .pro is used by professionals like doctors, solicitors, attorneys etc.

We should mention that domain name suffixes (also referred to as “top level domains”)  are generally maintained by the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which administers the overall Domain Name System with the aim of identifying the type of a specific group in charge of the web site. And because certain domain name suffixes are only appropriate for specific situations, you should also use your own judgment and guidelines given in this article to decide which domain name suffix to use when you go through a new domain name registration.

The domain name of your business is what makes you unique online! You should choose a domain name that is easy to remember, possesses a brand value, has a trust factor associated with it and, the last but not the least, keyword-rich to score well in the search engines like Google and Yahoo. Your business domain name is also hugely important for your business correspondence, especially via email.

A long name can cause communication problems, particularly if the domain name is too complicated and difficult to memorize. Here we offer you some tips on how to select a well-meaning domain name that highlights the nature of your business or brand name:

1. Keyword-rich or an exclusive domain name? If most of your business activity is going to be online, then it is vitally important to research popularity and competition for keywords built into your brand name. Try to use the most frequently searched and (among those) least competitive terms in your tentative domain name. To find such keywords, it is imperative to do some research using various website tools (like Google Adsense Keyword Tool e.g.) BEFORE launching your online business. Your target keywords should satisfy all the criteria we listed above plus bring the highest volume of traffic over a month.

2. Use your company name only if your brand is FAMOUS. That is right. If your business name is well known and overwhelms the name of products that you sell, then by all means choose the company name as the domain name for your business. For example, if your company name is Xerox, you should definitely go for Xerox as your domain name, because most people often call a photocopier Xerox, rather than the other way round. However, this is not a typical example, as most start-up and developing businesses are not so well known. If you are one of those, then you should better go for a keyword-rich domain name. An alternative, of course, is to go for both keyword-rich and brand-descriptive domain. Yet another option is to buy two domain names, one that reflects your brand name and the other containing keywords or key phrases related to your product.

3. Keep your business domain name as short as possible. Bear in mind that the shorter your domain name, the easier it is to remember. If you choose a domain name that includes a popular lingo, it’s even better! However, these days, as you will find, most popular two-word domain names are already taken. An alternative here is to hyphenate two-word phrases. SEO experts will tell you that with regard to Search Engine rankings having hyphenated multiple-word terms in a domain name is almost as good as having them one after another without hyphens, and that is probably true. However, the downside of using this strategy is that people may remember names, but often forget to type hyphens, and therefore, if you site has the same terms as an unhyphenated one (e.g., cheapholidays.com and cheap-holidays.com), they will likely to go to your competitors website. So you should undertake a thorough study when choosing your domain name. Eventually, it is one of the most important things that will dictate the success of your business.

4. Always go for Dot.com:  If your website is E-commerce or any kind of online business, it’s always beneficial to go for domains with .com-extension, as when people type a domain name in the URL-filed of their browser WITHOUT an extension, it will automatically lead them to the domain with .com-extension! To reserve a good domain name and protect it from competitors, it is also a good idea to buy the same name with other popular extensions like .org, net, .biz. However, if you decide to buy only one extension, by all means go for .com!

5. Register related domain names: If you think that in the future you may have a great number of visitors arriving at your website through word-of-mouth promotion, then you should think about registering similar domain names that will re-direct visitors to your main URL (e.g. travelonholidays.com and traveltoholidays.com). There are domain speculators who register domain names hoping that some day they will be able to sell them for a profit to someone who really needs a particular domain name. So if you think up a few really nice domain names related to your business, you should consider registering them as well.

6. Bide your time: You should not select a domain name in minutes just because you want to get done and over with it. A rushed decision may cost you a great deal. Have patience and invest enough time to research and think up a domain name that you believe will suit your business best. It is also a good idea to discuss the clarity and attractiveness of a domain name with family, friends and close colleagues to see whether you really found a good name for your business. Oftentimes, a layman advice may turn out to be the most valuable!

REMEMBER: There are no hard-and-fast rules in selecting the best domain names and it’s often a subtle balance between the guidelines we give you here and your gut instinct.