Although a successful web address involves carefully balancing several considerations, successful web page addresses share three main attributes. They are:

* Short and simple. Shorter is always better. Short web addresses are easier to remember and reduce the possibility of typing errors that can trip up potential visitors.
* Descriptive. Your web address should preview the content visitors will encounter when they visit. Your name, in itself, may not provide enough of a clue to your web site's contents to entice visitors to drop in.
* Memorable. The very best URL's combine simplicity and description with an unique element—often a play on words—that helps potential visitors remember your web site address hours, days, or even months after they first encounter it.

As a result, a successful web address often requires more thought and creativity than immediately obvious. Your first instinct, usually to name your URL after your name or your firm's name, may not—in the long run—be the best choice. Let's take a closer look at each of these three attributes.
Using Gramophone Ltd. as a web site address creates several problems.

* Too long. One is that Gramophone Ltd. contains numerous characters, requiring extensive typing. Even worse, there are several ways to misspell Gramophone Ltd. Each day, the store receives checks and mail with various spellings: two "m's", an "a" instead of an "o" after "gram," etc.
* Ambiguous. There's also the question of whether or not to spell out "Ltd." (i.e., Limited) plus the decision concerning what to do about the space between "Gramophone" and "Ltd."
* Punctuation. And then, whether or not to add a period after "Ltd."