Creating a Website: The Missing Manual, 3rd Edition

Domain Names

Shakespeare may have famously written “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet.” But he may have seen things differently if he had to type www.thesweetsmellingredflowerwiththorns.biz into his browser instead of www.rose.com. Short, snappy domain names attract attention and are easy to remember. Today, cheap, personalized domain addresses are within the reach of every website creator. If you decide to get one of your own, take the time to get it right.

Note

Valid domain names include only letters, numbers, and dashes.

Choosing the Right Domain Name

You’ll find that most short, clever word combinations are no longer available as domain names. Even if they aren’t in use, domain squatters—individuals who buy and hold popular names in hopes of selling them to desperate high bidders later—have long since laid claim to common names. Give up on www.worldsbestchocolate.com—it’s gone. However, you may find success with names that are a little longer or more specific (www.worldsbestmilkchocolate.com), use locations or the names of people (www.bestvermontchocolate.com or www.anniesbestchocolate.com), or introduce made-up words (www.chocolatech.com). All these domain names are available at the time of this writing.

Choosing a good domain name is not an exact science, but you can find plenty of anecdotal evidence on names that don’t work. Here are some mistakes to avoid:

• Too-many-dashes. It may be tempting to get exactly the domain name you want ...