5 Rules of Thumb for Choosing the Best Domain Name for Your Business

If there’s one thing a small business owner should never rush on, it’s picking a domain name. If you hurry to choose a domain name, mistakes ensue. From picking an unpronounceable name to settling for a name that is too obscure for your business, rookie mistakes can spell disaster for brand recognition both on and offline.

Keep your credibility and choose a memorable name that matters for your business by following these five rules:

1. First and foremost, conduct a search to see if the domain name is available

Don’t just assume that your domain name is available. Conduct a comprehensive trademark search to ensure it is available and not pending or registered elsewhere. Without a search, there's a good chance you will end up in litigation for an alleged infringement.

After you’ve conducted the search and can verify that your domain name is free to use, purchase the domain name and file for federal registration. By doing so, you minimize the risk of trademark infringement actions, placing your business in a stronger position, and you save money. Consider obtaining domain name equivalents, after conducting a search to ensure they’re free for you to use, of course!

2. Make it short and memorable

No domain name needs to be long or drawn out. Keep it simple and to the point, unique, and easy to pronounce and spell.

3. Avoid hyphens and numbers

Tying in with my spelling note, don’t include numbers or hyphens in your domain name. The key to a successful name is one that is memorable, and if you can’t remember where the hyphens go or how many numbers you included, you’re only confusing yourself and your customer base.

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4. Include relevant keywords

Imagine you run a bakery. Depending on what your offerings are, you might opt to include the words “cupcake,” “pie,” or “bagel” in the domain name; you would not include words outside of your industry like “candy” or “car.”

If your domain name is keyword rich, you’ll be much more SEO friendly than you would be if you used a domain name without relevant keywords. Adding keywords to your name creates a fantastic domino effect—your business will come up in Google searches when potential customers type these words in, increasing your site traffic and search engine rank.

5. Add '.com' as your extension

Should your domain name extension be .com, .org, .edu., or even the trendy .co? Your best bet is to first look at your industry (for example, most nonprofits have .org extensions); however, most small businesses fall under the .com umbrella. Try to go with .com for your business whenever possible because it's the most easily recognized and considered the gold standard of extensions.

Finally, as a bonus sixth rule of thumb, you can get a head start on your competitors with geo targeting. For local businesses, this is huge. Businesses specific to a certain city or town should create a domain name that is local-specific to limit their competition in search engines and so customers can easily find them—a win win for everyone!