So you’re finally getting around to creating a website. You have some great ideas (or products, or whatever) that you want to share with the world, and you've looked into the costs and the technical aspects enough to be confident that you can afford it and that you can put together a reasonably attractive and interesting site.

What has stopped your project dead in its tracks, however, is the daunting task of choosing a proper domain name. After all, your domain name is more than just an address on the Web. If all goes well, your domain name is going to be with you for many years to come. Whether it’s a business or a personal site, your success in marketing it will depend in no small measure on a memorable and apt domain name. Here are our top 5 tips for choosing one.

Shorter is better. Shorter is easier to remember, it’s easier to type, and it’s easier to tell others about. No matter how clever or descriptive, domain names like “howtochooseagreatmonsterkillerdomainname.com” will lose you visits before you even get started. Keep it as short as possible.

Simpler is better. Just because it’s short, doesn’t mean it’s simple. You want your domain name to be both. Try to avoid combining letters and numbers, or substituting numbers (or letters) for words. Particularly avoid the number zero, since it can be mistaken for the letter “O.” Also, try to find a name that isn’t likely to be misspelled, and that you don’t have to explain when you say it. For instance “pix4you.com” could be “pics4u,” picks-for-you” or a multitude other iterations. For that matter, if possible, leave out the hyphens. And make sure that it’s easy to pronounce. That will make it more memorable and sharable online and off. Even if it may seem clever and catchy at first, try to say it three times in a row. “Uniquilts.com” passes the test. “Ubiquilty.com” does not.

Speaking of uniqueness… You’ll want your domain name to stand out from the crowd, and the more unique it is, the more memorable and brand-able it will be as well.

Get suggestive. Okay, not like that. We’re talking about a name that suggests what it represents. If you already have an established and recognized brand offline, then you’ll probably want to take advantage of that with your domain name. If you own a restaurant called the Downtown Diner, then “DowntownDiner.com” pretty much says it all (and good luck finding that one available). If you can’t riff from an established offline presence, then try to find something that gives a clue to what the site is about. You can use a thesaurus or keyword tool to find possible synonyms if your first choice isn’t available. “JimsCarpeting,” “JimsCarpets,” “JimsFlooring,” “JimsFloorCovers,” “JimsRugs,” “JimsWallToWall,” etc. In any case, when someone first sees or hears your domain name, it should give them an idea of what to expect when they visit the site. Take that! Amazon and Google.

Go with Dotcom. Let’s face it, a .com top level domain is the most widely accepted extension out there. Even if your first choice is not available as a .com domain name, your second choice there is likely to get you further than your first choice as a .net, or .info or .biz domain. People are likely to automatically type in .com at the end of an address, and that little “.com” key on many portable devices makes it even more likely. You might also want to grab the other extensions and point them to your .com domain, but it ought to be your main address on the Web. The exception to this rule would be if you are focused on business outside of the U.S. In that case it’s perfectly fine to use the appropriate local top level domain (such as .uk, .ca, and such).

Following all five of these suggestions can be more difficult than you might think, and sometimes you have to compromise one in order to observe another. But with a little brainstorming, research and perseverance you’ll find an effective domain name. If you don’t believe us, just AskJeeves.