Scott,

Thanks for ASKing.

A Hyphenated domain name does not cause a problem with "search term". Generally, your search engine results will be more about the terms used on the Website as opposed to its domain name.

Look at your own searching. How often does a site come back in the results who domain name has Nothing to do with the Search Term you entered? Every time, yeah?

As for people Typing a name into the location bar... how often do You do it? Not often, if ever, I bet. I'd say, you move around the 'Net by Clicking Links, don't you? The same way those who come to your site will get there - by clicking links. In which case, it doesn't matter as Much whether the website has a hyphenated name or not.

The main thing about a Hyphen name is... it's prestigious. It makes you Sound more Official. It Might even give your customers more Confidence to shop with you - then again, if you have what they are after and it's hard to get elsewhere, they might just buy it anyway and sales won't be hurt at all.

Domain names are so Cheap these days, there really is no excuse for not Just Jumping In and Giving It A Go, hyphenated name or not, for whatever idea you have.

Get the non-hyphenated if you can. Even one of the others like .net or .info. Otherwise, go with the hyphen and market better than the others. Either way, Getting Started is More Important than agonizing over a hyphen.

Michael Ross