Your domain name is your address online. It goes on your van, your business cards, your invoices and your email. Changing it later is a hassle, so it’s worth spending a few minutes getting it right first time.
Keep it short and simple
The best domains are easy to remember after hearing them once. Aim for something short, without awkward spellings, and ideally without hyphens or numbers, which people tend to forget or get wrong.
Pass the “phone test”
Imagine telling someone your web address over the phone. If you have to spell it out, explain that “it’s four, not f-o-r”, or mention a hyphen, it’s probably not the right choice.
Use your business name if you can
Your business name is usually the best option, because it matches everything else people know about you. If it’s taken or too long, try small variations:
- Add what you do: smithplumbing instead of smith
- Add where you are: smithplumbing[town]
- Use a shortened version of a long name
Choosing an ending (extension)
.com is the most widely recognised and is a safe choice for almost any business. Many countries also have their own extension, which can be a good fit if all your customers are local. Newer endings like .shop or .studio can work, but some people may not recognise them as web addresses.
Whichever you choose, if a closely matching version is available in another popular extension, it can be worth registering that too, so a competitor can’t.
Check before you commit: search the name online and on social media. Make sure it isn’t too close to another business, especially a competitor or a well-known brand.
We find and register your domain
Your domain, design, content, hosting and updates are all part of the service, for $49.99 a month.
See what’s included →Make sure you own it
This is the most important rule of all. Your domain should be registered in your name or your business’s name, even if someone else manages it for you. Ask whoever registers it:
- Whose name is the domain registered under?
- Can I get access or move it if I ever want to?
- When does it renew, and who is responsible for renewing it?
Losing a domain because a renewal was missed, or because a former web designer won’t hand it over, is a painful and avoidable problem.
Use it for email too
An email address at your own domain (like hello@yourbusiness.com) looks far more professional than a free webmail address, and it keeps your business identity consistent.
The bottom line
Choose something short, easy to say and close to your business name, pick a well-known ending, and make sure the domain belongs to you. Get those right and you won’t need to think about it again.