How To Choose The Right Domain Name For Your Business Website

Choosing a good domain name for your new website is important, but don’t obsess over it.

Securing a good domain name shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes. If it takes any longer than that, you’re probably overthinking it.

Today I’m giving you my personal cheatsheet for picking the right domain for your website.

No need to struggle or second-guess yourself. Just follow the steps and you’ll end up with the right domain name — perhaps the perfect domain name — for your website.

Here are the steps …

Step 1: Brainstorm Ideas

There are several different angles you could take for coming up with a domain name. And the good news is there are only a handful that make sense for most businesses:

• Personal brand name. If you’re the feature attraction, then it makes sense to simply use your personal name as your domain name.
  • Examples: markbrinker.com, katyperry.com, stephenking.com
  • If someone with the same name as you has already snagged your personal brand name, then consider adding a keyword modifier that identifies what you do or what you’re about. For example: markbrinkerwebdesign.com, katyperrymusic.com, stephenkingauthor.com
• Business name. If your website is all about your business … you guessed it … name it after your business.
  • Examples: microsoft.com, michiganhandandwrist.com, nationalconeyisland.com
  • If your business name is relatively common, let’s say “ABC Plumbing”, you could add a geographic modifier to distinguish yourself from others. For example: abcplumbingdetroit.com, abcplumbingcleveland.com, etc
• Outcome oriented. Instead of using your personal name or business name, you could describe the outcome or benefit you provide.
  • Examples: bugsbeegone.com, afineparent.com, guitarlessonsforbeginners.com
  • PRO TIP: When going this route, try and weave in words or phrases people might type into Google when searching for your product or service. If you run into writer’s block, use thesaurus.com to help generate new ideas.

A few things to keep in mind when brainstorming possible domain names:

• Stick with the .com extension when possible because that’s what people are conditioned to expect. A .net or .org extension is ok, but .com is still the preferred choice. I do occasionally see domains ending in .io or .co, but they’re usually for online software services or Silicon Valley startups. If you’re a traditional business like a medical office, manufacturing firm, or salon/spa, stick with the .com extension.
• Avoid hyphens in your domain name. This was popular back in the mid 2000s when the “experts” were advising you to stuff your domain with keywords. Today this practice has fallen out of favor.
• Be careful about trademark/copyright violations. This is why I’m a big fan of using your personal name or business name for your domain name. It’s hard for someone to make a trademark/copyright claim against you for using your own name.

NOTE: Buying Multiple Domains: Some people buy multiple domains — like the .net or .org versions — with the intention of forwarding them to their main website. However, this is a waste of money because search engines only rank domains containing content. People sometimes also buy multiple domains with misspellings or with their business name in the domain in an effort to freeze out competitors and protect their brand. For large corporations (with large budgets) this might make sense. But for the average small business owner, multiple domains are not necessary and not worth the expense. An exception: Even if you don’t currently use your *personal name* for your domain name, you might want to snag it (if it’s still available) just in case you want to switch to your personal brand down the road — like when Sting moved on to a solo career after leaving The Police. You never know what the future holds.

Step 2: Narrow It Down

Now it’s time to take the list domain names you brainstormed in step 1 and whittle it down to the best one. Here are 6 filters to help you do that:

1. Is the domain available? Go to a domain registrar like NameCheap.com, type in the domain name and you’ll know in seconds whether or not it’s available. If it isn’t, cross it off your list and keep searching.
   

   Should you buy a domain that’s for sale? Occasionally a domain will be available, but only from a private seller that currently owns that domain. The asking price could be hundreds, thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. In most cases I would say don’t waste your money. Unless, of course, you have you have your heart set on a particular domain name and money is no object.

2. The shorter the better. Consider how you might use your domain in various types of marketing and promotion like business cards and other printed media. A long domain might pose some logistical challenges for you. Also, a long domain is often more difficult to remember than a shorter one. However, if your preferred domain is not super short, don’t sweat it. Most people won’t be typing it directly into their browser. They’ll usually arrive at your website by clicking a link from somewhere else (i.e. email, social media, search listing, etc.)
3. Watch out for unfortunate word combos. Sometimes innocent word combinations have unintended consequences. Let’s say you sell custom pens and the name of your business is Pen Island. The domain penisland.com might not be the best choice. Or let’s say you owned an art studio called Speed Of Art, resulting in speedofart.com. Ok, you get the picture. 🙂
4. Clarity over cuteness. Avoid trying to be clever or witty with your domain name. One of the main goals of your website is to gain the trust and respect of your reader. Your domain name is often the first thing they see, and you don’t want to risk getting off on the wrong foot. When in doubt, choose clarity and simplicity. Let the content of your site provide the wow factor, not the domain name.
5. Get feedback from friends. When you have it narrowed down to a handful of choices, run them by family, friends and colleagues. What’s their first impression? Is there one domain name that seems to be everyone’s favorite? Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees and 3rd-party feedback can be helpful.
6. Go with your gut. At the end of the day, pick the one that rings true to you and just feels right. Don’t agonize or overthink it. Your initial instincts are usually right.

Yes, you want to pick a good domain name and it is important. But you also want to keep things in proper perspective. The vast majority of your website’s success will be due to the content on your site, not your domain name.

Step 3: Buy It Now

Don’t wait around.

Once you decide on a domain name, buy it immediately. If someone else beats you to it, you’ll be sick about it.

The place I recommend buying domain names from is NameCheap.com. I’ve been using them for years and I’ve never had a problem.

(NOTE: I used to recommend GoDaddy for buying domains, but I stopped using them around 2011 because I felt they were too aggressive with their upsells plus I didn’t like that their founder, Bob Parsons, killed an elephant.)

Here are some helpful tips when purchasing your domain name:

• A domain should only cost about $10-12 per year.
• You normally do not need all the add-ons they try to upsell you. In addition, you don’t need to purchase all the versions of your domain name with different extensions (i.e. .fm, .name, .me, .online, .io, .co, etc). The .com extension is usually all you need.
• When purchasing your domain, make sure to select auto-renew. If you forget to renew your domain, someone else can come along and buy it — and all your hard work is goes down the drain. You might also consider registering your domain for multiple years (up to 10) at a time. It’s one less thing to worry about each year.
• If you’ve gone through the domain selection process described above, and you still can’t decide between 2 or 3 possibilities — fine, buy them all. At just $10-12 per year, it won’t break the bank. After you sleep on it for a day or a week or a month, you’ll eventually decide on the winning domain name, then you can let the others expire.
• ALWAYS register your domain name yourself. Never have a web designer or marketing agency purchase your domain for you, because then they own your domain, not you. And you never want to let someone else have that much leverage over your website or your business. Yes, there’s a process for transferring ownership of a domain, but it’s a pain. Don’t even open up that can of worms. Buy your domain yourself.

That’s it. You now have a simple, well thought out process for picking a good domain name for your website.

Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Just follow the steps outlined above and you’ll have a domain name you won’t regret … and one that will last you many years.