A domain name is part of your website’s identity. Once set, it can be hard to change so it is essential to get it right the first time.
Here are a few tips you can use to help you come up with a domain name.
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What’s Your Website About?
By just looking at the domain name, visitors should have a good idea of what your website is about. It’s important to use words that describe your website’s contents and purposes well.
Keep it Short and Memorable
A short domain name is easy to remember and to type in. Most guides would recommend that it should be between 12 and 18 characters and have two to three words at most.
A domain name should also be easy to remember how to spell. A few tips include:
- Avoid words with double letters
- Avoid words with complicated spelling
- Avoid numbers and hyphens
Choose the Right Domain Extension
A domain extension is the part of the domain that comes after the domain name. Examples of popular extensions include .com, .net, and .org. You will most likely want a .com domain extension as it is the most commonly used one. However, other domain extensions may fit better.
Some examples:
- .org: Used for websites for an organization.
- .edu: Used for schools and other educational institutions.
- .me: Originally used by websites in Montenegro, it is now commonly used by people with a personal website.
There are plenty more domain extensions to choose from that may help describe your website more accurately. If you are not sure though, just stick with .com.
Find Synonyms
Sometimes you have an idea of how you want to describe your website but that word may not be the right fit. At other times, the domain you want may have already been taken, so you need a synonym to create a variation of your domain. Use a thesaurus to find alternative words to use.
Use a Generator
There are tools available that can generate dozens of suggestions for a domain name. You will need to enter an idea or a keyword and results will be generated based on that.
You may have to tweak your prompt to improve the results, but at least you have some ideas to work with.
Write Down Your Ideas
As you keep coming up with ideas, you may find domain names, that you like, but are not too sure about. For now, write those down and then revisit them later.
Make Sure Your Domain Name is Not Taken
When you have an idea, you’ll need to double-check to ensure it has not been taken. You can check this by visiting a domain registrar and typing in your domain name. From there, you’ll be able to find results for whether the domain name has already been taken or not.
This also applies to domain names that are similar to other existing domains. You may confuse visitors who mistake your website for someone else’s. Furthermore, there could be legal repercussions.
Verify that Your Domain Name is Not Taken Elsewhere
In case you ever want to establish a presence somewhere else on the web, you want to be sure that you can use your domain name in other places. It helps maintain consistency as you spread your online presence.
Conclusion
In general, a good domain name is one that is short, memorable, and clear. There are different ways to come up with ideas and things to keep in mind when picking a domain name. You should take your time with this, as it is hard to switch domain names in the future.