Pam is not navigating directly to the web site she wants. She is searching for that web site, even though she knows the exact domain. She searches, and the site appears at the top of the search results, and she clicks the link to go to the site. This happens all the time. I see the results in the logfiles, too — the logfiles show me when someone has conducted a search for a domain and then clicked the domain in the search results to get there. Every time I see it, I shake my head in amazement.

This behavior is probably a symptom of “satisficing,” a term coined to refer to something that may not be ideal, but works sufficiently well for a person that they’re not willing to learn a better way. People are used to using that ubiquitous Google Toolbar for everything, or they perceive “the Internet” as being whatever they can get to through their Yahoo homepage. They are simply not aware of any other method of navigation.

Regardless of why this behavior occurs, it means that web site owners, who go to a lot of time and effort to promote their web sites, need to make darn sure that their site comes up at the #1 spot in a search for their domain.

I just signed on a new client this week, to do a complete redevelopment of an existing web site. The current site is so badly constructed that it does not come up #1 in Google in a search for the domain. It doesn’t even turn up in the first 5 pages of Google in a search for the domain. The site is #1 in MSN and Yahoo — but not in the first 5 pages of Google! This is a site that’s been around for several years — there’s no aging delay or sandbox effect at work here. There aren’t many guarantees in the world of search engines, but I will have this site turning up at #1 in Google in a search for the domain before long.

Another site I’m currently developing, a brand-new site, brand-new domain, registered for the first time 2 months ago and not yet fully indexed in any of the big 3 search engines, turns up #1 in all 3 search engines in a search for the domain. That is as it should be. There is no excuse for anything else.

Unfortunately, nearly all of the “good” domains are taken, and you might find yourself doing search after search to find an available domain that you feel appropriately reflects your business.

What makes a good domain?

Generally, all else being equal, here are some guidelines to follow:

• The exact name of your company is often best, if that domain is available.
• Short — the shorter the better
• Easy to remember
• Non-hyphenated. No hyphens is best. One hyphen is moderately acceptable. More than one hyphen should be avoided, period.
• Few words — the fewer words the better
• .com — There are other TLDs (top level domains: .net, .org, .info, etc.) available, but in general when people think of a web site they think .com. The exception would be if you’re a non-profit organization, the .org would be most appropriate. But you should still probably register the .com version and point it to your .org domain.
• Easy to say
• Easy to spell

Think about saying your domain name to someone over the phone: “It’s keyword1 hyphen keyword2 keyword3 hyphen abbreviatedkeyword4 dot com.” Contrast that with “It’s keyword1keyword2dot.com.”

Think about writing your domain name on the back of a envelope, or on a cocktail napkin at a bar.

Think about your customers telling their friends and associates (potential customers) your domain: “It’s keyword1 and then I think a hyphen, but maybe not, there’s a hyphen in there somewhere. Then keyword2 then companyname dot hmmmm, dot net or dot com? I dunno, try both.”

Try to avoid alternative or informal spellings of words. If you’re a real estate agent, for example, a domain name that includes “housez” would just look stoopid. Although if your target audience is hip teens (unlikely for a real estate agent), the z spelling might be effective.

Try to avoid the .net or other alternative TLD to an existing site that has the dot.com of the domain you want. You’ll lose a certain percentage of people to the dot.com site when they unthinkingly type in .com instead of .net.

Assuming you get a .com domain, if you can, also register the .net, and possibly the .org, versions of your dot.com, so that someone else can’t come along and use those domains.

If all else fails, a made-up word could work. (Think Google.)