What’s in a name? 

When you’re choosing the domain name of your site — a lot. 

You want your domain name to be unique, easy to find and perfectly aligned with your brand. 

If that sounds like a lot of pressure, don’t worry. 

This guide will give you the full rundown on how to choose a domain name that’s perfect for your site. 

We’ll cover everything to consider when making this important decision, along with plenty of examples and tips.

Let’s dig in. 

The 3 Qualities of a Great Domain Name

First things first — what makes a great domain name? Successful domain names are…

1. Memorable 

People won’t visit your site if they can’t remember how to get to it. 

Which domain name is easier to remember: Hotels.com or GetTheBestHotelRoomNow.com?

The first one, right? 

It’s short, easy to type and aligns perfectly with the goal of the site: to help people find the best, more affordable hotel rooms. 

And speaking of aligning with goals, your domain also needs to be…

2. Relevant 

Your domain name needs to relate directly to what your site or business is about. 

If your site is about gardening, you wouldn’t name it “Volleyball.com”, right?

For a less obvious example, let’s look at TheFullyBookedCoach.com. Tim coaches new life coaches on how to get more clients — so the goal is to become a “fully booked coach”. 

Now, what if he named his site LifeCoaching.com? This name is sort of relevant, but leaves you wondering: What about life coaching?

TheFullyBookedCoach.com nails both the niche and the goal of his business — making it much more relevant to his site. 

3. Timeless

Ideally, you’ll have your domain name for as long as your site is up. 

And while a domain name can be changed, changing it after your site has been around for a while can lead to hiccups in your business and user experience. 

So when picking a name, you need to ask yourself, “will this name still make sense decades from now?”

For example, if the website FunnyOrDie.com would’ve chosen the domain name LOL.com, it’d already be outdated (take notes, millennials!). 

So try to avoid dates (like years), slang terms or spellings that may go out of style, and anything else that might date your site. 

10 Tips for Choosing The Best Domain Name

You’ve learned your domain name must be memorable, relevant and timeless. 

Now, let’s get into 10 tips to help you choose a domain name that emulates all three qualities. 

1. Keep it Short and Simple

Pop quiz: Name the first 5 domain names that pop into your head. 

Take a second to really do it! 

Now, were any of those domain names over 10 or 12 characters?

I didn’t think so. 

Netflix.com, Apple.com, Google.com… the most popular sites in the world have short, simple domain names. 

Brevity and simplicity make it easy for your audience to:

1. Remember your domain name
2. Type it correctly

So when you’re coming up with your domain name, make sure it’s:

• Under 12 characters (ideally)
• Easy to type without mistakes
• Simple to say out loud
• Free from numbers or hyphens
• Free from complicated letter combinations

Keeping your domain name short and simple will remove any friction between your audience and finding your site. 

2. Use Keywords Strategically

If you want to drive organic traffic to your site, consider using a keyword in your domain name. 

It’s like sending up a bat signal to Google saying: “Hey! This is what my site is about.” 

There’s a reason why FreeCreditReport.com is the first site listed in the search results when you Google “free credit report”. 

But the tip here is to use keywords strategically. Here are a few pointers:

• Use a max of 1-2 keywords that directly describe your core business (CarInsurance.com vs BestOnlineCarInsuranceDeals.com)
• Combine a keyword with a brandable word rather than multiple keywords (HomeAdvisor.com vs HomeServicesExperts.com)
• For local businesses, pair your location with one core keyword (SeattlePlumber.com vs BestSeattlePlumbingServices.com)
• Don’t stuff keywords at the expense of memorability — if adding a keyword makes your domain hard to remember or spell, leave it out

The bottom line: using keywords in your domain name isn’t the right move for everyone. But using them strategically could give you a big advantage. 

3. Make it Brandable

Your domain should feel like a brand name, not a generic description. 

It should match your brand identity — the essence of what your business is about. 

To clarify, let’s look at the video recording platform Vimeo.com as an example. 

The name is a play on the words “video” and “me”. 

They created something unique that perfectly captures what their platform is about, while staying memorable and distinct from competitors.

When crafting your brandable domain name:

• Make it unique but easy to pronounce
• Avoid generic descriptors (like “best” or “top”)
• Choose something that can grow with your business
• Test it with your target audience
• Ensure it’s different from your competitors’ names

A brandable domain name gives you room to grow beyond your initial offerings while building recognition and trust with your audience.

4. Avoid Numbers and Hyphens

Have you ever tried spelling out a website address over the phone? Numbers, hyphens and other special characters make it painfully complicated. 

And while adding numbers or hyphens to your domain might seem like a clever solution when your first choice isn’t available, it often creates more confusion than clarity.

When using a number in your domain name, users may forget whether the number is supposed to be numerical or spelled out. (Example: Take5.com vs TakeFive.com)

And hyphens are just plain easy to forget or misplace within the domain name. 

When choosing your domain name:

• Skip numbers (even if they represent words like “4” or “2”)
• Avoid hyphens between words
• Don’t use special characters or dots
• Keep it simple
• Consider verbal sharing

Think of it this way: if your domain name needs special instructions to type correctly, it’s probably too complicated. 

5. Choose the Right Domain Extension

Is the “.com” extension not available for your chosen domain name?

Don’t fret! 

An alternative domain extension might be even better for your brand. 

Check out the site About.me. 

It’s a site offering free landing pages for freelancers — so it’s also a smooth play on the words “about me” — really capturing the brand’s mission. 

When deciding on a domain extension, “.com” should be your top pick, as it’s best for global reach, but if it’s not available, consider one of these alternatives:

• .Org: Great for non-profit organizations
• .Net: Ideal for network or technical services
• .Co: Popular for startups
• .Io: Favored by tech companies
• .Me: Perfect for personal brands
• Country codes (.uk or .us): Great for local businesses

It’s also possible to start out with an alternative domain extension like .co, and then purchase the .com version when it’s available or you can afford it. 

Whatever you choose, make sure your domain extension is well-aligned with your industry and brand identity. 

6. Check for Trademark Conflicts

Think you’ve found the perfect domain name?

Not so fast!

Before you get too attached, you need to check to make sure your domain name isn’t already trademarked. 

A trademark conflict can force you to rebrand even years after establishing your business and could lead to costly legal battles. 

Just ask the car company Nissan. 

When Nissan Motor Company rebranded from Datsun to Nissan, it failed to realize “Nissan.com” was already taken by Nissan Computer Company. 

A legal battle ensued, and to this day, Nissan still has to use the less ideal “nissanusa.com” to avoid trademark infringement. 

Before registering your domain name:

• Check the USPTO trademark database
• Check international trademark databases if going global
• Google your proposed domain name thoroughly
• Look for similar businesses in your industry
• Research variations of your chosen name

Believe me — the cost of a trademark search is tiny compared to a big hairy legal battle or forced rebrand. 

7. Think Long-Term

Today’s small blog could grow into a media empire in the future. 

Your domain name needs to give you room to grow, pivot and expand without boxing you into a corner — so the last thing you want is a domain name that limits opportunities. 

What if Amazon had chosen the domain name BuyBooksOnline.com? Would that domain name encompass all that Amazon offers today? Hardly. 

When future-proofing your domain name:

• Avoid year numbers (Like TechNews2025.com)
• Skip trendy terms that may date quickly
• Stay away from limiting geographical terms (unless you’re strictly local)
• Don’t restrict yourself to current products or services
• Choose something that can grow with your vision

If you want your domain name to stand the test of time, keep growth and new opportunities in mind. 

8. Ensure Easy Pronunciation and Spelling

Want your audience to find your site effortlessly?

Then don’t make them stumble over the spelling of your domain name.

While it might be enticing to come up with a super unique domain name to make your brand name stand out, this choice could cost you — literally! 

Consider the social media site Tumblr. Users kept misspelling it as “Tumbler,” so Tumblr had to acquire “tumbler.com” and set up a redirect to their primary site.

The photo site Flickr ran into the same issue — users kept adding the “e” to “Flickr”, so the company secured “flicker.com” to redirect traffic to their main site.

When choosing an easy-to-spell (and pronounce) domain name:

• Test it by saying it out loud
• Ask others to spell it after hearing it
• Avoid creative spellings (like “kool” instead of “cool”)
• Skip inside jokes or puns that need explanation
• Watch out for words with multiple spellings
• Consider common misspellings 

It’s simple: the easier your domain is to spell and say, the more likely people are to find your site. 

9. Consider Availability Across Platforms

You found the perfect domain name…but have you checked for matching social handles?

Consistency across all platforms makes it easier for people to find, remember and trust your brand. 

So when choosing your domain name, think beyond just your website and double check every digital touchpoint where your audience might find you. 

You’ll notice my brand name Live Your Message is consistent across all my social channels, including Facebook, Instagram, X and Youtube. 

Before committing to your domain name, look for username consistency on:

• Instagram
• X/Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Any other digital platform you use

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating: your audience needs to be able to find your brand. And checking your social handles before grabbing your domain name is just one more base you need to cover. 

10. Use Domain Name Generators

Stuck on finding the right domain name? 

Before you start banging your head against the nearest wall, consider using a domain name generator. 

Domain name generators can help spark your creativity and show you options you haven’t yet considered. 

And no — these tools don’t just throw random words together. They can generate creative variations of your ideal name, suggest industry-specific alternatives and instantly check domain availability across multiple extensions. 

When using domain name generators:

• Start with core keywords or a brand name
• Try different combinations and variations
• Look for patterns in the suggestions
• Keep a list of potential names
• Check how they sound out loud
• Verify availability across platforms
• Consider different domain extensions

A word of caution — domain generators are tools for inspiration, not final decision-makers. Use them to expand your options, but always evaluate suggestions against the principles we’ve covered. 

Ready to Choose Your Perfect Domain Name?

Now you’re in great shape to choose a domain name that’s memorable, timeless and a perfect reflection of your brand.

Which tip will you start with? Let me know in the comments!

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