How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

Short answer

Choose a domain name that's your business name (or a close match), ends in .com if possible, is easy to spell out loud, and under 15 characters. Avoid hyphens, numbers, and made-up spellings.

Rules for a good domain name

Keep it short Under 15 characters. Every extra character is a chance for a typo.

Use .com if possible People default to .com when typing. If your .com is taken, try a different name — don't settle for .biz or .net unless you have a strong reason.

Make it easy to spell out loud If you have to spell it out on a phone call, it's too complicated. "It's marketing — M-A-R-K-E-T-I-N-G — genius with a G" is a problem.

Avoid hyphens best-seo-tools.com is worse than bestSEOtools.com — people forget hyphens.

Don't use numbers Is it 5 or five? Neither is memorable.

Check trademarks Make sure you're not accidentally using a protected brand name. A quick Google + USPTO search takes 5 minutes.

How to check if a domain is available

Namecheap — search + register in one step
GoDaddy — large registrar, often has promotions
Porkbun — cheapest prices, clean interface

What if your preferred name is taken?

Try these approaches:

Add a location — johnsplumbing.com → johnsmithplumbingdenver.com
Add "get" or "use" — getbonsai.com, useintercom.com
Add your service type — johnsplumbing.com → johnsplumbingco.com
Try a different TLD — .co, .io, or .studio for appropriate industries
Buy it — many "taken" domains are for sale. Email the owner or check dan.com

Domain name ideas for common business types

Service business: [YourName][Service].com → sarahsmassage.com
Local business: [City][Service].com → austinlocksmith.com
Online business: [Keyword][Outcome].com → growwebpro.com
Personal brand: [FirstNameLastName].com → johnsona.com

How much do domains cost?