Six naming myths to ignore

[callmeed]

Related to #3, make sure to check and see if Google considers your potential name a misspelling and redirects.

My first iOS app fell prey to this. It's called "Farmers MarkIt" ... and, of course, when you google the name it redirects to "farmers market"

They do give you a link to "search instead for farmers markit" but I doubt everyone will get that.

[albahk]

I had the same issue when I registered a domain. But if you go ahead and put content on it and use the same word on Twitter or inbound links, eventually Google drops the "did you mean ..." since it is clear this new phrase/word exists and has links.

[Sean_Hayes]

I think the length depends on the type of website. For regular companies, community sites, and Internet memes having a longer name is OK. But whenever I try to think up a domain name for an Internet startup I try to keep it down to 2-3 syllables. If you look at the most successful consumer facing start ups, they may not all have 6 characters or less, but probably 95% do have only 2 syllables, or at least only 2 stressed syllables. Character length doesn't matter as much on the Internet because most people are clicking on links or copying+pasting, but having only a few syllables makes the name easier to say in conversation or when thinking to yourself.

[michaelpinto]

If you have any money investing in a branding expert or even just a decent copywriter can go a long way. Keep in mind that your brand isn't just you domain name, and sometimes a tagline can become just as recognizable as the name of a company.

[rflrob]

Why not be aware of the "rules" (rather than ignoring them), but break them when you need to? By and large, they seem like good advice, as long as you take them with a grain of salt?

[cubicle67]

slightly related - does anyone have any tip on buying domain names from bulk dealers (not sure what they're called)

we own the .net name, but the .com name has a bunch of ads sitting on it. Made an inquiry and was told they wanted US$1000, which we don't have at the moment.

[Edit: name's for sale here http://www.buydomains.com/ if that helps]

[qjz]

Make a counteroffer. Initially, they just want to make a profit. Unfortunately, since you've expressed an interest in the domain, they'll probably renew it. If your site becomes popular, expect to pay much more later (or let it sit parked forever, you'll be in good company). FWIW, I've obtained parked domains by doing a command line whois (DON'T use a registrar or other web-based tool) to check the expiration date, then patiently waiting until they're available again. It seems risky, but it pays off sometimes.

Also, before contacting anyone about purchasing a domain, make sure you've purchased the name under any other TLDs that matter to you, or you might find them scooped up and held hostage based on your interest. To check availability, always do a DNS lookup before a whois lookup, and don't ever look it up at the registrar until you're prepared to buy it on the spot.

[lzy]

To be honest, $1k really isn't a huge sum for a business.

Presuming you intend to bring your business to the next level, quickly accept the offer and pay the $1k.

If you choose to wait until your business/website is way more established, chances are you won't be able to get the .com for just $1k.

[sushumna]

One more thing I dont understand is why people choose names like babyli.st, sleepyti.me etc. Is it not irritating to choose name including the extension?? Best way to type these would be to type the full name, move back and put DOT ;)