7 Steps to Picking the Best Domain Name

Your domain name is a key part of your brand’s identity. It affects how people find you. But it also plays a role in how people remember your brand and engage with your business online. So, it stands to reason, the right name should be simple and recognizable at a glance.

Whether you’re starting a new venture, rebranding, or simplifying an existing domain, making the right choice takes planning. Follow these 7 steps to pick a domain name that sets you up for success, right from the start. 

1. Keep It Short and Memorable

The best domain names stick in people’s minds. They’re easy to say, quick to type, and simple to remember. Think about some of the world’s most recognizable brands. You know, Google, Amazon, Apple? Their names are short and catchy. And perhaps most importantly, they’re effortless to remember. That’s exactly what you should aim for with any domain name you come up with.

Keeping your domain between six and fifteen characters is a good limit to stick to. Anything longer increases the chance of typos and makes it harder for people to remember. This is doubly the case when someone is trying to input a URL on a phone. If you find yourself having to spell it out every time you share it, that’s a sign it might be too complicated.

It’s not just about length though. Clarity matters, too. If your business is called Denver Home Landscaping a name like DenverLandscaping.com is far easier to remember than DenverHomeGardeningandLandscaping.com. A clean, direct name is almost always the better choice.

If your ideal domain is already taken, resist the urge to make it longer. Instead, tweak it slightly while keeping it short and readable. Instead of BestDenverLandscaping.com, try DenverLandscape.com or LandscapeDenver.com. A small adjustment can really help.

2. Make It Easy to Spell and Pronounce

If people can’t spell or pronounce your domain name easily, they probably won’t make it to your website. The easiest way to test this? Say it out loud. If you immediately have to follow up with, “No, it’s spelled differently,” or, “That’s with two L’s and a silent Q,” it’s too complicated.

Creative spellings might seem like a fun way to stand out, but they usually backfire. Imagine telling someone to visit PhyxDesigns.com. Not only will you have to explain that it’s spelled with a “P-H-Y” instead of an “F-I,” but you’ll also lose people along the way who don’t remember the exact spelling. Instead of making your domain look unique, you’ve just made it harder to share.

One of the best tests? Ask a few friends to write down the name after you say it aloud. If they get it wrong or hesitate your customers will too. And if you’re planning to attract a global audience, double-check that your domain doesn’t have an unfortunate meaning in another language. The last thing you want is to realize too late that your brand name translates to something embarrassing in Spanish or French.

3. Avoid Numbers and Hyphens

Using numbers and hyphens make your domain name less sharable and even more difficult for people to type into the URL bar. If someone hears your website name and it includes a number, they won’t know whether to spell it out or use the numeral. Is it FiveStarCatering.com or 5StarCatering.com? And if you simply have to include a number, registering both versions is the only way to avoid losing traffic.

Hyphens are even worse. They break up the natural flow of a name and make your website sound clunky when spoken out loud. Imagine telling someone, “Visit high-quality-widgets-dot-com. There’s a hyphen between ‘high’ and ‘quality’ and another one before ‘widgets.’” By the time you’ve explained it, they’ve already forgotten. And if they do remember, there’s a good chance they’ll type it in wrong anyway.

Beyond being inconvenient, hyphenated domains often look untrustworthy. They resemble spam sites or those early SEO sites from the mid-2000s. Keep your domain name easy to remember and type by sticking to simple words and letters. No extra punctuation needed.

4. Think Long-Term and Scalable

Your domain name shouldn’t box you in. What sounds perfect today might feel outdated or limiting a few years from now, especially if your business evolves. A name like DallasWeddingPhotography.com might seem like a great fit — until you start booking clients outside of Texas or expand into videography. Suddenly, that hyper-specific domain doesn’t represent everything you offer. Choosing something broader, like EvergreenCreativeStudios.com, would have given you room to grow without needing a rebrand.

One of our clients, Blue Sky Health and Wellness did this well, too. Their domain name, blueskyhealthandwellness.com is precise, to the point, yet broad enough to cover a wide range of service offerings.

The same goes for product-based names. If Tim’sTires.com works now but you eventually start selling car accessories and auto repair services, you might wish you had gone with TimsAutoWorks.com instead. While rebranding is possible, it’s a hassle. You’ll have to update business cards, social media handles, and marketing materials—not to mention the potential SEO hit from switching domains.

Picking a flexible name from the start means you get to avoid all that extra work. It’s much easier to scale a brand when your domain name isn’t holding you back.

5. Incorporate Keywords (Without Overloading)

Using a keyword in your domain can give visitors an instant idea of what your business does, and it may even give you a slight SEO boost. A name like HarperLandscaping.com makes it clear you’re in the landscaping business, without being too generic or forced.

Trying to cram as many keywords into a domain as you can? That’s a different story. No one wants to visit BestCheapLawnCareDealsOnline.com. That sounds incredibly spammy and would be a nightmare to remember. Search engines have also caught on to keyword stuffing, so domains that read like a jumble of search terms don’t get the advantage they once did.

A better strategy is to strike a balance. If a relevant keyword fits naturally into your business name, great! But don’t force it. A strong, brandable domain will always serve you better than one that’s awkwardly stuffed with keywords. 

6. Consider Other Extensions

There’s no arguing that .com is still the most widely used domain extension out there. But it’s not the only choice you have. Depending on your industry, alternative extensions can sometimes make just as much sense. Or, maybe even more.

Running a nonprofit? .org is practically a given. Launching a tech startup? .io has become a favorite in the industry. Churches often go with .church, and local businesses sometimes opt for .us if their preferred domain isn’t available. With so many options, it’s tempting to get creative.

That said, old habits die hard. Most people instinctively type .com when entering a website, so if you have the chance to claim that version of your domain, it’s usually the best move. A more unique extension might fit your brand, but if it causes people to land on the wrong site, it could do more harm than good.

7. Register It

Once you’ve landed on the perfect domain name, don’t wait. Good names disappear fast. There’s nothing worse than coming back a day later only to find someone else grabbed it.

When it’s time to register, steer clear of GoDaddy. While they’re a big name in the industry, their pricing tends to fluctuate, and their endless upsells can be a headache. Instead, go with a registrar that keeps things simple, like Namecheap or Hover. Both offer fair, upfront pricing and useful features like delegate access, which allows team members to manage the domain without transferring full ownership.

If your ideal name is already taken, don’t panic. A domain name generator can help you find creative alternatives that fit your brand without straying too far from your original idea. Tools like Namecheap’s business name generator are great for brainstorming options that are still available.

And one last tip: consider registering your domain for multiple years at checkout. Besides avoiding the hassle of annual renewals, locking it in long-term reduces the risk of it expiring by accident. 

Ready to Rebrand?

Picking the right domain name is an important step, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. A great name won’t do much on its own—you need a strong brand behind it, a website that makes an impact, and a marketing strategy that gets people through the door. Without those, even the best domain in the world won’t get you very far.

Whether you’re launching something new, rebranding, or finally giving your online presence the attention it deserves, we can help bring it all together.

Get in touch today and let’s build something that stands out.