How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business (10 Practical Tips)

On this page

1. 10 tips for a good domain
2. Check its history
3. Registering and renewing
4. After registering
5. Changing domains later

Your domain name is your address online. It appears on your visiting cards, emails, vehicles and ads, so it's worth a little thought. Here are 10 practical tips for choosing one that works for years.

10 tips for a good domain

1. Keep it short. Shorter names are easier to remember, type and fit on printed material.
2. Make it easy to spell and say. Imagine telling it to someone over the phone. Avoid unusual spellings, numbers and hyphens that need explaining.
3. Match your business name where possible, so customers can guess it.
4. Choose the right extension. .com is widely trusted; .in signals an Indian business and is often a good choice for local businesses. Newer extensions can work for strong brands.
5. Don't over-stuff keywords. A brandable name is better than a long keyword string. Keywords in domains carry little ranking weight today.
6. Think long term. Avoid names tied to one city or one product if you plan to expand.
7. Check trademarks to avoid legal trouble with an existing brand.
8. Check social handles so your name is consistent across platforms.
9. Consider buying common variations (.com and .in, or a common misspelling) and redirecting them to your main domain.
10. Register it in your own name and account, never your developer's or agency's.

Still undecided on the extension? See .in vs .com for Indian businesses.

Check its history

If a domain was used before, check what was on it using web archive tools. A domain previously used for spam can carry baggage.

Registering and renewing

• Use a reputable registrar and turn on auto-renew
• Keep your registrar account secure with a strong password and two-factor authentication
• Check renewal prices, not just first-year offers
• Keep your contact email on the registrar account current, so renewal notices reach you

If a renewal is ever missed, see what to do when a domain expires.

After registering

Point the domain to your hosting (through DNS or nameservers), set up SSL and business email. See domain, hosting and SSL explained.

Changing domains later

It's possible to move to a new domain, but you'll need 301 redirects from every old URL to keep your rankings and links. See WordPress migration. It's much easier to choose well at the start.