Post by account_disabled on Dec 25, 2023 20:04:29 GMT -8
Here are the eight strategies we've seen yield good results. Domain names came about because humans have memory limitations. Even though you can avoid making a leap into neuroscience, you should still keep these limitations in mind when choosing your domain name. Specifically, the more you stress working memory, the more humans struggle to complete tasks. There is a “buffer” limit to the information that working memory can hold. Working-Memory Buffer Working-Memory Buffer (image source: Nielson Norman Group ) And while it seems like a common sense limit, it's not as clear as it seems. How “objects” fall into human memory depends on the objects themselves and whether they associate with any other memory system.
This means that although a web address like is significantly longer Country Email List than it will likely be easier for most people to remember. Why? Because “cats” and “dogs” constitute two elements, while “animalia” will require most people to remember three distinct elements: The word “animal”. The letter “i”. The letter “a”. Of course, this example no longer applies if someone has knowledge of biology, but it clearly illustrates the point. What is easy to remember does not always depend on brevity, as recognition can trump brevity. The more recognizable the elements of your domain name are, the easier – and therefore more usable – your address will be.
As a general rule, try to keep the items in question limited to no more than seven. Miller's Law Miller's Law (image source: Prototypr ) It is often called "Miller's magic number": several studies conducted in recent decades have found that the limit to the "chunks" of short-term memory (elements) is seven, plus or minus two. (Note that working memory and short-term memory are technically separate entities, but for our context – and much of psychology – they are safe to use interchangeably.) But, given the deterioration of the “buffer” that occurs when people are forced to remember multiple items, if you can reduce the value to more than seven, that's better.
This means that although a web address like is significantly longer Country Email List than it will likely be easier for most people to remember. Why? Because “cats” and “dogs” constitute two elements, while “animalia” will require most people to remember three distinct elements: The word “animal”. The letter “i”. The letter “a”. Of course, this example no longer applies if someone has knowledge of biology, but it clearly illustrates the point. What is easy to remember does not always depend on brevity, as recognition can trump brevity. The more recognizable the elements of your domain name are, the easier – and therefore more usable – your address will be.
As a general rule, try to keep the items in question limited to no more than seven. Miller's Law Miller's Law (image source: Prototypr ) It is often called "Miller's magic number": several studies conducted in recent decades have found that the limit to the "chunks" of short-term memory (elements) is seven, plus or minus two. (Note that working memory and short-term memory are technically separate entities, but for our context – and much of psychology – they are safe to use interchangeably.) But, given the deterioration of the “buffer” that occurs when people are forced to remember multiple items, if you can reduce the value to more than seven, that's better.