Domain name selection is a process that can be describe as domain name branding. When branding your domain name try to choose one that is marketable and keyword relevant, because it is one the most important element in internet marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) practices. A keyword relevant domain name will help your website to achieve higher ranking on search engine result pages (SERPs). Your domain name is your virtual real estate, online identity and internet brand name and should be branded with care. Following is a quote from Kotler's Top Five Marketing Tips that speaks to product branding and can be relevant to domain name branding as well:

The sentiment of the above quote is valid whether you apply it to product branding or domain name branding. In any case, when you are branding your domain name you should take your time and choose your domain name wisely, because a well chosen domain name can benefit you in many ways, including increased web traffic, higher Google PageRank, and improved ranking in search engine result pages (SERPs). The following are some tips to keep in mind when you are branding your domain name:

Owning Your Domain Name - Your domain name should be considered your brand name and it is to your benefit to own your domain name. Thus, you should register your own domain name under your company name. If you wish for your web host or web designer to register your domain name on your behalf, just make sure that the ownership of the domain name is listed under your company name, and they are listed as the domain name administrator. You can easily check this out by using any search engine and look for any website that performs whois. For example, use Google search engine and type in whois.

Using Domain Name to Create Impressions - When possible try to select a domain name that evokes emotions or impressions with your audience. When you are successful with connecting to your audience you have a platform with which you can share your message and sell your services. For instance, I chose pigstyle.ca to be my primary (parent) website. Pigstyle was chosen because the name is short, unique, easy to remember, and my slogan is "Even a pigsty can become stylish."

Permanent Domain Name Branding - Domain name branding is much like body branding or tattooing. You should consider this process as permanent, because it can be very expensive to change your mind a year down the road. Like tattoos, even though it can be removed with laser treatments, the cost is quite expensive, painful and it can take multiple visits. Same goes with your domain name, because if you change your mind later on you will have to change all your printed materials including business cards, letterheads, and literatures. Plus, your website will have to be re-indexed by all search engines and anyone who previously bookmarked your web page will now get an error message.

Copyrighted or Registered Brand Names - When branding your domain name try to avoid domain names that infringe on copyrighted materials or registered brand names. You do not want to get sued for copyright infringement because you will lose every time.