The rules
There are several issues to consider when choosing a name. Firstly it is worth
stating some of the restrictions set by the naming authorities and the technical
limitations of the Internet.
A domain name can only consist of alphanumeric characters (letters
& numbers) and the punctuation mark dash (-). However, it must begin and
end with either a letter or number.
Domains must be longer than 2 characters in length (not including the
extension). Also - a domain name is not case sensitive, so it doesn't matter
whether you type in upper or lower case characters.
The Internet does not recognise gaps between letters or words so they
must be removed or replaced by hyphens in both domain names and email
addresses.
It is advisable for practical and aesthetic reasons to limit a name to
less than twenty characters. Using a zero is allowed but we would caution
you that it could be confused with the letter 'o'.
General Advice
In addition to the rules above, there are some general guidelines to adhere to
when deciding on what name to register. These are as follows:
As a general rule the shorter the name the easier it is for your clients
to remember. But what is more important is choosing a name that is relevant
to you or your business. If your domain name can be easily remembered then
you will attract more customers. People will use your website or email
address to get immediate and convenient access to the information or service
that you are providing.
Should your first choice name already have been registered, or if your
trading name does not lend itself to being a domain name, you may consider
a generic name. E.g. sweetshop.com. Like any brand name, logo, or trademark,
your domain name represents part of your business identity. Customers will
associate it with your particular product, service, company and so on, if
you name it correctly. Remember that you domain name will probably be used
for several purposes, including your web site, email address, and possibly
an ftp or other server. It will be an integral part of your marketing
campaign.
The next choice is the suffix. In the vast majority of cases domain
names will end with either .com.mt. or .com Both of these cover companies,
individuals and organisations. The difference between the two is that .com
domains are registered in America and seen as International domains and,
com.mt domains are registered in Malta. The .com.mt suffix is becoming the
norm for Maltese based individuals and companies.
Alternative Domains
MediaFlame can also register many alternative domains and country specific
domains, which may prove a good alternative should your chosen name be already
taken. What's great about these domain names is that there's still so many good
names available.
Contact us for more information on the various alternative
domain names that we can register for you.
