Picking the domain name for your company is a very important decision. Your domain name is something that you are going to repeat 100 times each day out loud, and you want to make sure it is clear and easy to communicate verbally. The domain name you choose will affect your website and email addresses, and will be a major part of your overall communications. 

When selecting your domain name, there are many different things to consider. To help you get started, we are going to talk about 10 things you should be considering when selecting your company’s domain name. 

1. Make it simple and easy to type

Finding a domain name that’s easy to type is crucial to online success. If you use slang (“u” instead of “you”) or partial words or misspellings (express vs. xpress), it might be harder for customers to find your site.

Your domain name is something that you are going to say verbally often, and you want to make sure that you can clearly communicate it over the phone. If you are including numbers, in your domain name, remember that it will take longer to communicate this verbally. For example, 772Crafts is short when typing, but “seven seven two crafts” is 4 words. 

2. Keep it short

If your domain name is long and complex, you risk customers mistyping, misspelling or misremembering it. Short and simple is the best way to go. Since your domain name is used for both your website and your email, keeping it short, will make your life easier in the long run.

3. Use keywords

Try using keywords that describe your business and the services you offer. For example, if you’re a glass replacement business, you may want to register GlassRepair.com or GlassReplacement.com.

Include the keywords that people enter when searching for your products or services. It helps improve your rank on search engines (which increases traffic) and just makes more sense to your customers.

4. Target your area

If your business only offers local services, consider including your city or state in your domain name to make it easy for local customers to find and remember. Example: PhoenixGlassRepair.com. These types of names are often less expensive to obtain and can be a great benefit in search engine results.

5. Avoid numbers and hyphens

Numbers and hyphens are often misunderstood. People who hear your website address don’t know if you’re using a numeral (5) or it’s spelled out (five) or they misplace or forget hyphens. If you need these in your domain, register the different variations to be safe. When using numbers and hyphens you are increasing the chances of confusing people that want to find you.

6. Be memorable

There are millions of registered domain names, so having a domain that’s catchy and memorable is essential. Once you’ve come up with a name, share it with close friends to make sure it sounds appealing and makes sense to others. Once you get your email and website up and running, you can change your domain name, but it can be a time consuming process.

Quick solution: Got a great idea for a domain? Register your name today and buy a domain

7. Research it

Make sure the name you’ve selected isn’t trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. It could result in a huge legal mess that could cost you a fortune, as well as your domain! There is nothing wrong with spending some extra time to select the perfect domain name. This is such an important decision, it is often worth taking a few days to consider your options. 

8. Use an appropriate domain name extension – .COM vs .NET vs > ORG

Extensions are suffixes, such as .com or .net, at the end of web addresses. These can have specific uses, so make sure to choose one that works for your business. The .com domain extension is by far the most popular, but it is tough to get a short and memorable .com domain name because they are the most popular.

Thousands of new generic top-level domains — like .photography, .nyc and .guru — offer a great opportunity to register short and highly relevant names. And here are some other top extensions and how they’re often used:.co : an abbreviation for company, commerce, and community.

.info : informational sites.
.net : technical, Internet infrastructure sites.
.org : non-commercial organizations and nonprofits.
.biz : business or commercial use, like e-commerce sites.
.me : blogs, resumes or personal sites.
Pro tip: You don’t need to build a website for every domain. Just forward any additional domains to your primary website.

9. Protect and build your brand

To protect your brand, you should purchase various domain extensions, as well as misspelled versions of your domain name. This prevents competitors from registering other versions and ensures your customers are directed to your website, even if they mistype it. You should also consider buying the domains associated with the names of the company founders. In the future someone could purchase the domain and try and use it against you. For the cost of owning the domains, it is often worth the investment just to be safe.

10. Act fast

Domain names sell quickly. Thankfully, they’re also inexpensive, so register your favorite domain names as soon as possible. If you’re having trouble finding an available name, domain registrars like BrandingArc.net will suggest alternate names during your domain search to help you find the perfect domain name.