How much thought do you need to put into choosing your domain name? Is it really that important? Do you think if you have a quality website and business, people will visit your site no matter what the domain is? You see, your domain name is a key element of your website. It can make or break you.

But wait, why is your domain name so important? Choosing the right domain name for your website is crucial for your success. If you choose the wrong domain name, then it can be a hassle switch later on without hurting your brand and search rankings. That's why it's extremely important that you choose the best domain name from the start.

The internet is a crowded place. Nearly 84,000 new domain names are registered every day, according to data compiled by web hosting tool, WhoIsHostingThis.com. For small-business owners, that means it's increasingly difficult to create a domain name that your customers will remember while still protecting your trademark and your brand.

Choosing a domain name is similar to choosing a company name - it requires a lot of thought and consideration. Your domain name is your identity on the web; you want to make sure you choose a domain name that not only fits your business, but is also easy to find and promote. To try and make the process easier, we have compiled the following framework that you can use to pick the best domain for your website;

Research it

Make sure the name you've selected isn't trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. It could result in a huge legal mess that could cost you a fortune, as well as your domain!

Make it easy to type

Finding a domain name that's easy to type is critical to online success. If you use slang (u instead of you) or words with multiple spellings (express vs. xpress), it might be harder for customers to find your site.

Use keywords

Try using keywords that describe your business and the services you offer. For example, if you're a glass replacement business, you may want to register GlassRepair.com or GlassReplacement.com.

Include the keywords that people enter when searching for your products or services.

It helps improve your rank on search engines (which increases traffic) and just makes more sense to your customers.

Keep it short

While keywords are important, don't go overboard with domain length. It's better to have a domain name that's short and memorable.

It's a good idea to keep your domain name under 15 characters. Longer domains are harder for your users to remember.

Not to mention, users will also be more prone to entering typos with longer domain names, and you'll lose out on that traffic.

That's why it's a good idea to keep your domain length short.

Keep it unique and brandable

Your domain name must be unique, so you'll stand out in your readers' minds. It's smart to research other websites in your niche and find out what domain names they're using.

You can also choose to pick a domain name that's more brandable. Brandable domain names are unique, catchy, and memorable. For example, "Amazon.com" is a much more brandable name than "BuyBooksOnline.com."

Avoid hyphens

Never create a domain name with hyphens. Hyphens can be a sign of spam domains, which you do not want to be associated with. You don't want to give the wrong impression to potential visitors.

Hyphenated domains are also prone to typos. If you choose a domain name with hyphens because the domain you want is already taken, your users will end up at your competitor's site if they forget to type in the hyphens.

Make it easy to pronounce and spell

You should be able to easily share your domain when speaking as well as writing. You never know when you'll be asked to share your domain name in person.

It should be easy to understand and spell for any listener.

Use an appropriate domain name extension

Extensions are suffixes, such as .com or .net, at the end of web addresses. These can have specific uses, so make sure to choose one that works for your business. The .com domain extension is far and away the most popular, but it can be tough to get a short and memorable .com domain name because it's been around for so long.

A bevy of new generic top-level domains - like .photography, .nyc and .guru - offer a great opportunity to register short and highly relevant names. And here are some other top extensions and how they're often used:

• .co : an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community.
• .info : informational sites.
• .net : technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
• .org : non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
• .biz : business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.
• .me : blogs, resumes or personal sites.

You don't need to build a website for every domain. Just forward any additional domains to your primary website.

Avoid doubled letters

It's a good idea to avoid domains with doubled letters, because it increases your chances of losing traffic to typos. For example, a domain like WordPresssetup.com will be more prone to typos, and result in lost traffic.

Leave room to expand

It's smart to choose a domain name that's related to your niche because it gives users some idea of what your site is about. But you don't want to limit your options too much. For example, a florist might choose a domain name like orchidblog.com, but then want to start blogging about other flowers besides orchids. In that case, the domain might prevent you from attracting readers interested in other flowers.

Most Popular Domain Registrars

GoDaddy is the largest domain registrar in the world. They manage over 63 million domain names for over 14 million customers.

They also offer web hosting plans as well. If you use our GoDaddy coupon code, then you can get a free domain name.

NameCheap - another popular domain registrar that offers great deals on domain registrars, transfers, and domain privacy.