You're planning on starting a new business - or a new venture. Now it's time to think of a domain name. You're going to need an online presence, so you'll need to have a place to send interested prospects who may turn in to buying customers or clients.

Purchasing a domain name is the easy part. Finding the right domain name for you - that's a little bit more challenging. Why would buying a domain name be challenging? One reason is that a lot of the best, keyword rich domain names have already been purchased. It's not as easy nowadays to land the domain name of your dream - especially the ones that are just one or two keywords. More and more people are opting for longer domain names.

What are some things to keep in mind when purchasing a domain name for your business?

1. Pick a memorable name. Don't be cute - no one cares for cute - but be memorable. Pick a distinctive name that doesn't sound like everyone else in your niche. Be creative, but don't go overboard.

2. Select the .com for a business. If you want, buy other extensions for the main domain name, but you definitely want the .com version for your business.

3. Use normal spellings for words. Using "z" for "s" is just not a good idea. No one will know what to type in unless they actually see your domain name printed. More than likely, you'll be speaking over the phone, in front of an audience, or on TV or radio when you mention your domain name. That is not the time to take up valuable time by spelling it out for people.

4. Don't use numerals in your domain name for the exact reasons I stated above.

5. Keep it short. Domains names that are sentence length are just not attractive and are difficult for anyone to remember

6. Avoid using hyphens. You just don't have time to spell out your domain name every time you utter it.