Before you spend time choosing a domain name take a few minutes to prepare. Think about some of the following questions and make note of the answers. The more information and descriptive detail you have for your organization the better you will find the best available domain name. Don’t let the search discourage you. There are still many good names out there.

1. Is your organization a church, business, non-profit club,  family, or something else?
   • Non-profit clubs and churches may consider using .org instead of .com. While .com is by far the most popular Top Level Domain (TLD) there are many other reasonable choices. Even though many users are “trained” to enter example.com instead of the other TLDs. If your target market is already part of your group then the TLD is less important. If you are really looking to grow our organization using the .com TLD is much more important.
2. Where is your organization located? You may include the town, state, region, etc.
3. How do you verbally tell others about your organization? Can you do it in a few short sentences?
   • What keywords or other attributes do you use to describe your organization. Is it “on the hill” or “east of the river.” Is it “family oriented”, “bible based”, “professional or amature”
4. Is your organization part of a larger parent organization?
   • If you are a chapter of a larger organization you may want to use the parent in the domain name. If you are part of a particular denomination you may consider using Baptist as part of the domain name.
5. What acronyms have you used in the past?
   • Is your organization a long name that is often referred to with an acronym?
6. How do your employees, customers, members, etc refer to your organization?
   • Nicknames may be a good option.
7. Do you have a mascot?
   • If you have Larry the Lizard as a club mascot he might come in handy during your search.
8. If you were searching for your organization what would YOU search for?