Short domains can be difficult to find. Thankfully, domain names don’t have to be short for them to be great (and memorable) brands. With a little bit of creativity, such as alliteration or rhyming, you can create a unique domain and brand that might be a bit long in characters, but will stick on the brain. This blog post is dedicated to providing you with some helpful tips on how to find a memorable domain name that won’t cost you lots of money and will still be extremely easy for your potential customers to remember!
Alliteration
When you were young, did anyone ever ask you to say “She sells seashells by the seashore” three times quickly? It’s called a tongue twister! But alliteration can be powerful when used correctly. It doesn’t have to make a tongue twister. Two or three word names in which each word starts with the same letter can be memorable brands. Select your first word for a domain and then use a tool like WordFinder to find other alphabetical words that start with the same letter. WordFinder sorts names by length so you can find short words that work well with your primary keyword. Be sure to say it out loud to verify there’s an alliteration because some words may start with the same letter, but the letter is actually silent (such as honest or wrestle). Some current brands that do this include: Dunkin’ Donuts, PayPal, Best Buy and Chuckee Cheese.
Rhyming
Two and three word domains can be easy to remember if they rhyme. It sounds pretty cool, too! If you don’t have prior experience writing poetry or rap lyrics, the internet has you covered with lots of helpful tools for discovering words that rhyme. Sites like RhymeZone.com let you plug in a word and then suggests different words and phrases that rhyme with that word. Words are sorted by syllables to help you find the shortest matches. Some current brands that do this include: Crunch ‘n Munch, Lean Cuisine, and GrubHub.
Common Phrases
As with the two other tips above, three or four word combinations can still be memorable if it’s a common phrase or idiom. You might even get away with tacking another word onto a large phrase if it’s well known.
Some common three word phrases you’ve probably heard before are:
1) Piece of cake (ideas: Piece of Cake catering, Piece of Cake wedding planning)
2) Break a leg (ideas: Break a Leg casting, Break a Leg production company)
3) On the ball (ideas: On the Ball events, On the Ball sports training)
Even completely made-up phrases can be memorable, especially if you add a bit of rhyming to them. For example, the Canadian telecom company SaskTel uses the domain name BeKindOnline.com to bring awareness to cyberbullying and cyber safety.
Putting It Together
Once you find some prospective brands for your business, it’s time to do a reality check. Before you advance any further, see if the domain name you’re interested in is available or listed for sale. If the domain is available to register, do a bit more homework before purchasing your new domain. Make sure the name passes the “radio test” by saying it out loud and assuring that someone hearing it over the radio would be able to spell it out when they get home. Check for trademarks to make sure you can legally own the name and finally, consider the different variations of the domain that you might need to register in the future.
Coming up with a memorable domain name can be challenging. But, if you pull out the dictionary and use a bit of creativity, you’ll come up with something unique that people will be able to remember anytime they want to access your website. Hopefully these tips will help you find new domain name ideas that your potential customers won’t forget!
