5 Things to Avoid in a Blog Domain Name

Choosing a domain name for your blog is a very important decision, and if you don't choose well, you could be dooming your blog from the start. Making the process even more difficult is the fact that so many of the domain names you probably want to use for your blog have probably already been registered by other people.
Don't settle for a domain name that you don't like or could hurt your blog's chances for success. Below are five things you should avoid when choosing a blog domain name that you should keep in mind as you conduct your domain name search.

1. Don't choose an uncommon domain extension

If the domain name that you want isn't available with a .com extension for the URL, consider choosing a different domain where the .com extension is available. By far, the .com extension is the most common and the one that most people expect a URL to use. An uncommon extension could make it difficult for people who aren't fully committed to finding your blog to keep looking for it if they can't find it after their first try.
If you're completely committed to a specific domain name but the .com extension is not available, then consider using the .net extension. Avoid using the least common extensions like .info, which your audience is least likely to search for and are often used by untrustworthy and spam sites.
Most importantly, you don't want to confuse your audience, make them feel like your blog might not be trustworthy, or make it difficult for them to find your blog. Instead, make every effort to help them find your blog and trust it by sticking with a .com or .net extension in your domain name.

2. Avoid misspellings in your blog domain name.

Misspellings can be confusing. As mentioned above, the majority of people won't make an extra effort to find your blog by typing in a variety of spelling combinations to find it. The simpler your domain name, the better.

3. Be careful of numbers in your domain name.

Numbers can also cause confusion. Is the number in numeric form or spelled out? When you speak your domain name, it can be a lot more confusing than it is when someone sees it in writing. Imagine you speak the word "four" in your domain name. Verbally, that could be interpreted as "four," "4," or "for." Which one is used in your domain name? If you have to spell every letter of your domain name out each time you speak it, then your domain name is weak. Tread carefully and understand the ramifications of including numbers in your blog domain name.

4. Consider punctuation carefully in your blog domain name.

Punctuation is another area of confusion in domain names. Of course, many punctuation marks are not allowed in domain names, but even those that are allowed, such as hyphens, can be confusing. Write and speak the hyphenated domain name you're considering using before you commit to it. Make sure punctuation doesn't confuse the domain name or weaken it before you start using it for your blog.

5. Never use trademarks you don't own in your domain name.

If you register a domain name that includes a trademark owned by another person or entity, then they can issue a cease and desist to you which you'll need to abide by. That means you'll need to stop using the domain name that includes a registered trademark and all references to it.
Imagine that you've been blogging for years and suddenly receive a cease and desist letter from an entity that owns a trademarked name or phrase in your domain name. If you have been using the name without permission (whether or not you knew you were doing so), you have to stop using it by law. That means all of the links and backlinks to your blog that have been created over the years will be gone as will your search engine rankings. This is a risk you don't want to take. To avoid it, enter your domain name into the United States Patent Office trademark database search tool and make sure there are no active trademark registrations for it.
An article from http://weblogs.about.com
5 Things to Avoid in a Blog Domain Name