When it comes to choosing a domain name, we know the struggle is real! Luckily, more often than not, the decision for a domain name is made after the business name has already been determined. (Though there are definitely cases where this occurs in tandem!) 

Throughout our web design history, we have held many of our client’s hands as they brainstorm their domain names. During this process, we’ve come up with a few of our best practices when it comes to choosing a domain name that we can’t wait to share with you!

What is your business name?

Let’s start with the obvious, shall we?

We can use our own site as an example here, since we are The Mug Creative, the domain themugcreative.com makes sense for us! It’s easy to remember as it is literally the name of our company. For this reason, we recommend choosing a domain name that is as close to your business name as possible. 

Along the same lines ease of remembering, being concise and on-brand are also important factors to be considered when creating a name for your domain. If your business name is lengthy, consider how you may be able to simplify it for your domain while keeping it true to your brand. 

What if my business name is unavailable as a domain name?

If your business name contains popular words or phrases, it can be difficult to purchase the domain that you’d truly prefer. We do have a couple of topics to consider if this is the case for you.

SEO Keywords

If your business name is unavailable for a domain, you could utilize other tactics, like using keywords. Think of keywords being something that your ideal client might search for on the internet when seeking out your services. Examples of keywords would be location or your business or descriptive words about your offerings. (I.e. house cleaner, massage therapist, etc.)

Alternative Extensions

Another option would be to consider using an alternative extension, rather than .com. With the internet increasingly becoming a vital part of everyday life, it can be difficult to get the domain name you really want with the .com extension. While .com remains the most widely known extension, alternative extensions are becoming more popular. Examples include, .shop, .app, or .co. 

There’s nothing wrong with using alternative domain extensions, we just urge our clients to keep simplicity top of mind. What will be easy for your clients and customers to remember? 

Register your domain!

Once you’ve determined the name for your domain, it’s important to take the next step and commit by purchasing and registering your domain. For more information on this process, check out our blog about how to register a domain!

All of the little details that go into creating an amazing website don’t have to be overwhelming! If you’d like help crafting the website of your dreams, please don’t hesitate to contact us! We love partnering with business owners like you to get their businesses online.