Domain Name 10 Commandments - BEFORE you choose or buy a domain name; understand the ten issues involved in choosing the right domain name the first time. First, the list that we work from when conducting a custom Domain Name Analysis (DNA). Then the explanations of each commandment follow.

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF INTERNET DOMAIN NAME VALUE
1 - The name shall have Development Value
2 - The name shall have .Dot value
3 - The name shall have Brand Recognition
4 - The name shall be Search Engine Friendly
5 - The name shall be Linguistically Viable
6 - The name shall have Traffic or Revenue
7 - The name shall have Industry Strength
8 - The name shall have Sales Value History
9 - The name shall have Intrinsic Value
10 - The name shall have Market Potential

1 - Development Value
A names base line value is based on the ability to use it. One of the primary issues we address in our DNA (Domain Name Analysis) is - Can this name be built into an instantly recognizable site whose name becomes synonymous with its content?
2 - .Dot Value
Dot.com's are, and probably always will be, more valuable than any other .dot designation. Even Dot.net's, and Dot.org's are by their very nature worth less on the open market. There are many reasons for this. One reason involves search engine rankings. Other issues pertain to the consumers hard to break habits. Note that .com is the internationally recognized extension for serious Internet business sites.
3 - Brand Recognition
Simple, familiar words work better than complicated, hard-to-spell ones. Short, catchy names in attractive industry segments are also very valuable. Kleenex is an example of brand recognition in the brick and mortar world. The brand name Kleenex was originally associated with facial tissue made BY KLEENEX ONLY. Because of powerful brand recognition however the name Kleenex came to literally equal ANY brand of facial tissue. "Will you hand me a Kleenex please". This is one of the areas where we rely heavily on our point of contact research and specialists experience with domain names. It is an area we do not analyze via computer algorithm. Rarely will any name receive an excellent valuation under this commandment unless it meets the above criteria AND carries the .Dot com extension.
For explanations of the rest of the Commandments 4 - 10, visit http://extraordinaryartist.com/domain-name.htm It's FREE and will ensure you don't make a mistake right up front when trying to establish a viable Internet Business.

About the Author
14 year veteran web developer, specializing in graphic design, copy writing, and search engine optimization