4 Important Key Points when Evaluating Domain Name Registration

Domain name registration can be very important. Put aside the legalities of whether or not you are entitled to a name. When getting a business off the ground it can be a challenge to get all the planets aligned. Register a business name, trademark, and related domain names all at the same time. Easier said than done.




In fact Nexus Digital Marketing had several iterations of names before landing with Nexus. This was for the very complications mentioned above. Some business names were fine, but the domains were not. Some domains were available, with business name, but a trademark had been registered so foiled again. But eventually we got there, and since we have seen a few businesses struggle with the same thing we decided it would be a good topic to write about. Might shed some light on this for new unsuspecting business owners.

Without going into the motivations of a name you might select for your business there are some factors to consider.

• Is it memorable
• Is it unique
• Does it mean something to you
• Does it relate to what you do 

If you said yes to all of the above, you’re on the right track. One other less quantifiable aspect to consider is the logo. Can you envisage the logo, the lettering. Can you picture what it would look like behind a front desk or on a shirt? If your answer is yes, then you are on the money.
Now the hard part is to have more than one idea if possible. You can almost guarantee that the first name you come up with that ticks all the boxes is already being used. So think of a few. Five or more would be good.

If your domain registration is an important part of evaluating possible names, the fastest way to check this is to type it straight into a search engine and see if it’s registered. Dot com registrations may not pose a big problem, but you definitely want to snag the .com.au TLD.
To get to the point. Once we have got a set of possible ideas, that we know good relevant domain names are available we then go to work checking business registrations and trademarks. This is vital, and we do it all at once.

1st check business name:

https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landing/bn/SearchBnRegisters.jspx?_adf.ctrl-state=jf63zt14s_4
 
2nd Search the trademark database making sure you understand your category:

http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/get-the-right-ip/trade-marks/search-for-a-trade-mark/
 
3rd Check that your domain name is in fact still available. If it is; register it:

http://secure.nexusdigitalmarketing.com.au/Domain-Registration

Once you have secured your domain name, go back and register the business name and then trademark. Then all you have to worry about are social media accounts, but that is a topic for another day. Hopefully this has been helpful in understanding the registration trials and tribulations of a new business, and how to get it done.