Choosing a Domain and Naming Your Site
Domains for Directories
There is one final thing you should keep in mind when deciding on a domain. In directories site listings are done alphabetically. It iss not uncommon to have one hundred or more sites in one category. If someone is looking through that category then chances are they will never read the bottom, so you need to be listed at the top. The best way to get a top listing is to start your title with the letter "A" or a number. A1-Photography-Info.com, 123-Photo-Me.com, AAA-Film-Review.com, these would all work to get your site at the top of actual category listings.
I wasn't kidding when I said your domain is one the most important choice you will make. There are pro's and con's to taking the different approaches to domain names that I have outlined. However you should now be equipped to make an educated decision on what type of name is right for you.
Domain Legal Issues
The only issue you are likely to run into with a domain is trademark infringement. Do not buy or use a domain with another business’s trademark as all or part of it. You will end up losing the domain. For instance I once owned the domain Amazon-Coupons.com and I was forced to give it up. However, this doesn’t mean you cannot use trademarks in the URL, such as coupon-code.com/amazon, just do not use them in the domain.
What to do with unused Domains
If you do not develop a domain right away you should park it. Most domain registrars will automatically point your domain to their parking servers until you ask them to point it to your own server. These parking servers display pages of ads when the domain is accessed and you usually do not get any share of the ad revenue. There are other domain parking services though which you can enroll in and then use. You may not make much, but it is something. Another option is to put up a small, one page placeholder with some content, for the site you plan on developing around a domain. This will at least get the ball rolling with the search engines.
For recommendations on where to park your unused domains, or questions on anything mentioned in this article, please visit our forums.
Final Thoughts
Domains are cheap, around $7 or $8 per year. If you cannot decide between a couple different versions, buy them all. Use the most search engine friendly (keyword rich, hyphenated) for your main internal links and for any Internet based promotion or link building. But keep the others (unique brandable/non-hyphenated) for us in worth of mouth or offline marketing, just redirect them to your main site. Just remember, having keywords in your site name, and as such also your domain, gives you a huge head start against your competition in the search engines, it is a benefit few can afford to ignore.
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