hey all, I'm pretty sure that when you register a domain, u think about it for days in order to make sure that you are going to get an eye catchy one... but do u think of the business or services that could go with that domain? I believe and did for most of my life on the net that you should decide what business you are going to be making before registering a domain name. For example, if you are going to be making a joke site, think about a weird name or funny one, but hosting you need to be thinkinng about one relating to a webhosting company.. design website, you think about a graphic relating domain or anything that could include thename of ur company and a keyword that implies your business...

I agree, using your company name is usually the best idea but try and avoid hyphens and special character names even if the the name is long. Apart from these points you mentioned I would also look for a name which is short, brandable, easy to remember and type. Choosing the right extension according to the site's content and the name is also important.