How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business in 5 Steps

Choosing a domain name for your business is one of the first things you need to do when setting up your website. A good domain name promotes traffic to your site by being short, memorable, and on-brand. We’ll show you how to choose a domain name by helping you create a list of acceptable alternative domain names using keywords, explain the difference between domain extensions, and tell you how to research a potential domain’s history before purchase.

Here’s how to choose a domain name with five key tips, straight from the pros:

1. Try Your Brand’s Name

First off, for maximum brand recognition and URL retention, check if your brand name is free. This works for the inverse too. If you aren’t set on your business’ name yet, make sure the domain name you want for it is available, and reserve all related social media handles as well. It’s ideal to have your social media handles match your domain name, but if this isn’t possible, then adding short words like “Its” and “The” can help.

Best practices:

• Consider pronunciation: Before settling on a domain name, consider how it sounds when spoken out loud. Having a name that’s difficult to pronounce can hinder brand retention and word-of-mouth marketing.
• Consider spelling: Aside from pronunciation, take spelling into account as well. An easily spelled domain name is easier to find. If you have the budget for it, you can even purchase your domain’s variations so they can all redirect to your main URL.

2. Create a List of Alternative Domain Names

Unless you have an extremely unique business name, the chances of the domain name being available are slim. Before you begin your search, come up with a list of at least 10 other ideal domain names you can use. Again, words like “The” can make all the difference, as evidenced by domains like TheKnot.com.

Best practices:

• Avoid hyphens: Hyphens make your domain name harder to remember, and the harder it is to remember, the greater the chance that people will make mistakes while trying to find it.
• Avoid acronyms: Unless people know your business by an acronym (e.g., AT&T for American Telephone and Telegraph Company), it’s best to stay clear of acronyms. Potential visitors are unlikely to find your domain name if you use a shortened version of your business’ name.
• Avoid double letters (or more): Doubling up on letters (unless it’s in your brand’s name) increases the chances of your visitors typing in your name wrong. An example of this is All Learn, which uses the domain name All-Learn.org (instead of AllLearn.org). In this case, using a hyphen actually makes their domain name easier to spell.

3. Use Keywords That Describe Your Brand

Using applicable keywords in your domain name not only increases brand retention, but can also boost your standing with search engines. Keywords tell both human visitors and search engines what your site is about, so choose keywords that describe your brand, just like FlyAsiana.com. Start with words and phrases that clearly show what your business does, and use a keyword generator to help you out.

Best practices:

• 15 characters max: The longer the name is, the greater the chance your visitors will forget your domain or make a mistake. Try to keep your domain name within 15 characters or less for maximum retention.
• Don’t be too specific: Choosing keywords that describe your brand is a good idea, but don’t be too specific. For example, if you’re starting a real estate agency in New Jersey, the name ApartmentsNJ may be applicable to you currently, but may not apply when you expand to houses.
• Drop unnecessary words: Articles like “a” and “the” aren’t important for search engine optimization (SEO) and add unnecessary length, so feel free to disregard them when placing keywords in your domain name.

Keep in mind that while keywords in URLs used to be taken into account, search engines, like Google, no longer put as much stock into this. Although this may be helpful to find alternative domain names, if your business’ name is already taken, always put brandability and user-friendliness at the forefront of your search.

4. Choose the Right Extension

Your domain name doesn’t stop with the root domain. Part of how to choose a domain name is choosing the right domain extension. The right domain extension makes your entire domain name look more credible, and it can also give a little hint of the industry your business is in. For example, .com stands for “Commercial,” and is applicable for almost every type of business—making it the most popular (and competitive) domain extension.

Best practices:

• Commercial entities: Commercial entities of any industry can and should use a .com extension. This is the most credible and widely used, so try this first before looking at other extensions (unless your business falls into a very specific industry).
• Web and technology: .net stands for network, and was originally used for businesses in the tech industry. Now, it’s becoming more popular with businesses from other industries that can’t purchase a .com extension. See whether to use .com or .net for your business.
• Organizations and nonprofits: Charities and organizations often use a .org extension; deciding between .com and .org is easy, as using .org implies that your business is a nonprofit.
• Other popular extensions: Aside from the popular extensions above, there are choices like .edu (for educational institutions) and .io (an alternative to .net). You can also use a location-based extension, like .us or .ca for the U.S. and Canada, respectively. Your choice will ultimately come down to the industry your business is in.

5. Research Its History

Before registering your domain name, don’t forget that you may not have been the first business to use it. Whether good or bad, it helps to know the history of your preferred domain name before purchasing it. Good backlinks will increase the value of your website. These backlinks come from trustworthy and informative sites. However, backlinks that come from spam-filled or low-trust sites might drag your website down.

Best practices:

• Use a backlink checker: A quick and free search on backlink checkers like UberSuggest and SimilarWeb will give you some information on your domain’s history. These backlink checkers are usually free, and don’t require signing up to use.
• Disavow links: If you find that your chosen name is associated with spammy websites, you can always contact the site’s admin to remove the link. If that fails, you can disavow the link, telling Google that you don’t want your site associated with these websites.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How do I register a domain name?

Once you’ve decided on your domain name, head over to a domain registrar like Domain.com to purchase it. You can then connect this domain name to your website. Or, if you’re on a tight budget, there are ways to get a domain name for free. The best ways to do so include signing up for a hosting plan or an all-in-one site builder that gives you a free domain name, like Bluehost or Squarespace.

Does it matter where I purchase my domain name?

Strictly speaking, no, it doesn’t matter where you purchase your name. It doesn’t matter which registrar you use as long as you use a reputable domain name registrar, such as Domains.com, Google Domains, or GoDaddy. However, registrars offer different perks. For example, some offer web hosting, more domain extensions to choose from, and varying prices for the exact same domain name. Find the best deal by using one of the best domain name registrars.

What is domain name privacy?

When you register your domain name, your personal information is saved in a public database (e.g., the ICANN registry). For a fee, on top of your domain name registration, registrars offer domain privacy protection. This keeps your information private, preventing your personal details from being used for spam, making it a good choice for online-based businesses that do not have a physical and public address.

Bottom Line

Increasing traffic to your website starts from having the right domain name. Don’t just register the first thing that comes to mind. Keep your domain name on-brand and memorable by ensuring that it’s easy to spell, easy to pronounce, and has the right domain extension for your industry. Finally, do a quick check of its history before heading to a registrar to purchase the domain. Don’t miss out on your ideal domain name and register it now through Domains.com.

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