How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

What makes a good domain name, which extension to pick, and the mistakes to avoid.

Short and easy to type

The best domains are short (ideally under 15 characters including the extension), easy to spell and easy to type on a phone. Every extra letter is a chance for a typo.

Match your business name

Your domain should match your business name as closely as possible. If the exact .com is taken, a different extension (.co, .io, .shop) is usually better than adding words like "get" or "the", although short prefixes such as get or try are common for apps.

Avoid hyphens and numbers

Hyphens are easy to forget and numbers are confusing when spoken (is it 4 or four?). Both make your domain harder to share by word of mouth.

Pick the right extension

.com is still the most trusted choice for customers. .co is popular with startups, .io with tech companies, .app with apps and .shop with online stores. Choose the one your customers will remember.

Check the history

If you buy a domain someone used before, search it on archive.org and Google to make sure it wasn't used for spam.

Register it in your name

Make sure you are the registered owner, not your web designer or a friend. Ownership matters when you sell the business or change suppliers.