Choosing the right domain name is important for the success of your website.
It represents you and your online brand. It’s part of your identity, it’s the first impression you make, and it can attract (or repel!) visitors to your site.
You want to put some careful thought into your domain name, and while there aren’t too many “official” rules on how to choose a domain name, there are definitely some best practices that will make your domain stand out.
Here’s what we’re going to cover in this article:
- What a Domain Is & Why It’s Important
- Tips for Picking the Right Domain Name
- Using a Domain Generator
- How to Register a Domain
What is a domain name?
A domain name is a website’s address, it is what people will type into their internet browser to go to a specific site. For example, the domain name of this website is letswebsitebuild.com.
Your domain is different from your hosting (although many hosting providers will also register a domain for you — they are still separate things). The easiest way to think about the difference between hosting and your domain is to think of your website as a house. The hosting is the land that your house sits on, and the domain is the address to the house. No two websites have the same domain — every single site has a unique one, just like no two houses have the same address!
Why is a domain name important?
Your domain name is the first impression your website makes on visitors! A good domain name increases your credibility, establishes trust, builds brand awareness, and can even help increase your SEO (search engine optimization) to bring more people to your website.
Would you be more likely to click on AwesomeWebsiteName.com, or DodgyWebsite-123.com? You want to choose a domain that represents your website and what it has to offer.
Tips for picking the best domain name for your website
There are a few things you can do when you choose a domain name that will help your website find success. Try to stick to these general rules:
1. Use .com
There are lots of options for what extension to use for your domain, but you almost always want to go with a simple .com ending. It’s the easiest domain extension to remember, and some of the more unique endings can scare visitors off if they think they look untrustworthy. A .com ending simply looks the most credible.
You can also go with .net or .org if that works better for your brand, or if the .com option is no longer available. Try to stay away from anything unusual, though.
2. Keep it short & simple
When you choose a domain, you want to go with something that people will remember. If someone goes to your website and love it but can’t remember how to get back to it then you’re not going to get repeat visitors. You don’t want to go over 2 or 3 words, because the longer it is the harder it is to remember. Try to keep it under about 15 characters. Our domain, letswebsitebuild.com, (at 16 characters) is pushing it on length. Any longer than that would be much too long!
3. Keep it easy to spell and pronounce
If someone asks you for your website’s domain and they don’t know what you say to them, it’s going to be a struggle. You don’t want to have to explain your domain letter by letter every time you share it. Choose a domain that is easy to spell, and easy to say. People are much more likely to recommend your website to others if they can say the name easily.
Not sure if it’s easy to spell? Tell a few friends the domain name you’re considering and see if they can write it on their first guess.
4. Avoid numbers and hyphens
More on making your domain memorable and simple– don’t add in numbers and hyphens unless it’s really necessary. Lots of spam websites use numbers and hyphens in their domains, so if your website domain has them it’s going to look less trustworthy. It also makes it harder for people to remember how to type your domain, and if they don’t then they’ll end up on the wrong website, or no website at all.
5. Use something unique and brandable
This part is important: Choose a domain that is unique and brandable! Your domain is a huge part of your brand recognition. It builds trust, loyalty in readers or customers, and sets you apart from your competitors. Over the long run it’s going to help build credibility and increase site traffic.
Your domain is how people will refer to your website, how they will remember your website. Pick something that’s going to stick with them.
6. Don’t be too niche
When you’re just getting started, you want to start smaller– but don’t pin yourself down to too small a niche with your domain. Your domain is going to stick with you, and can be difficult to change once you have established yourself.
If you’re making an online cupcake shop, cutecupcakes.com is adorable– unless somewhere down the line you plan on expanding into muffins and scones! Leave yourself room to grow.
5. Do your research
You want to make sure that your domain name is really available. Just because the domain itself hasn’t been snatched up, doesn’t mean the name hasn’t been trademarked, or that it’s still available on social media.
First make sure the name isn’t trademarked. You don’t want to start growing just to get slapped with a lawsuit! If you’re in the United States you can use this tool to search for trademarks on the name you’re considering. Going to Google and typing in ‘trademark search’ will give you lots of options for other trademark search tools as well.
After that you also want to check out social media to see if the name you want is available in places like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Still stuck? Use a domain generator!
If you’re struggling to come up with a good domain name, try using a domain generator. These tools will have you put in some keywords and then come up with ideas on how to use those words in a creative way. Sometimes domain generators get a little too creative, so keep the tips in this article in mind, but a generator can be a great way to think about domain names in different ways.
There are 364 million domains already registered, so some creativity when coming up with your own domain name will probably be necessary! Here are a few good domain generators to try:
How to register a domain
First make sure your domain is available! You can use Bluehost’s domain search here if you have a name already in mind:
If all you need is a domain name, then we like to use NameCheap to register domain names. They make the process simple and have a very user-friendly dashboard.
At this point you are ready to pick out your perfect domain name like a total pro. Take your time to pick out the right name for you and your brand, you’re going to be spending a whole lot of time with your domain name!
