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Phsychology | Article #267 :THE PSYCHOLOGY OF URL SELECTION – PT 2

In our last installment of URL selection, we looked at choosing a URL from the viewpoint of picking one that will be easy to remember either for a specific niche or for brand recognition and the advantages and disadvantages of both. In this installment, we’re going to focus more on URL size and characteristics. Hopefully, between these two articles, you’ll have a pretty good idea of the kind of domain you want to use.

There’s no question about it, URLs that are short are easier to remember than URLs that are long. Or are they? What if I told you that I could give you several URLs right here, right now, that were unbelievably long and yet very easy to remember, maybe even more so than short URLs? You wouldn’t believe me, would you? Of course not, but it’s true. And I am going to prove it to you right now.

Try on some of these URLs for size.

Youcansaythatagain.com
Takemywifeplease.com
Icantbelieveiatethewholething.com
Thebestthingsinlifearefree.com
                                  
Do I need to go on? I didn’t think so. The truth is, some of the most memorable phrases in our history are extremely long and would make incredible domain names, if they’re not already taken. I haven’t actually checked the above domain names to see if they’re available. Don’t have to. There are so many phrases in American history that I am sure to be able to find one that isn’t taken yet.

So URL length is not as big an issue as most people would seem to think. Now, if you’re not going to come up with something that memorable, then you probably want to go with a domain that is short and to the point or people aren’t going to remember who you are.

There’s another debate about domain names with and without hyphens. Personally, my feelings on the subject are such. If you have a very short domain name or want a very short domain name, then you probably want to avoid hyphens. If the domain is very long, unless it’s one of those very memorable domains like the ones I listed above, you would probably do better to go with hyphens so the name is easier for people to read. I know there are those who say that people don’t want to type in hyphens, but how many people actually type in URLs? Most people click on links either from emails or other web pages. So I wouldn’t worry too much about hyphens making it hard for a person to get to a web site.

Finally, there is the issue of .com, .net or .whatver. This is usually a no brainer as most people expect domains to end in .com. So if you can get the name you want with a .com ending, do it. It will make your life a lot easier when and if people do go to type in your domain name. Plus, if they give your domain to others verbally, they’re more likely to say .com.

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