What Is a Domain Name?
Darren Rowse, otherwise known as Problogger, likens choosing a domain name to choosing a name for your first born child, "is it easy for a child to say, should you name them after someone, etc etc etc) and so many ways to make the decision. What's more, it's a task that has some level of responsibility attached to it as a person's name is something that has an impact upon them for a lifetime."
A domain name is the name that your website will be known for. Once you choose it, you're stuck with it for the rest of it's life. It can be changed, but it's a huge hassle, and the search engines don't like it either. When choosing your domain name you need to give it the level of thought that would go into choosing the name for your child.
Consider what names or keywords would do well in the search engines. Which keywords will your readers be able to remember easily? Does the name describe you or your company? Will the name be funny, serious or something completely different?
The domain name you choose will tell your readers what your site is about and who you are. It will mark you as a place on the Web and tell the search engines where your website lives. This is an important decision, don't take it lightly.