Choosing a great domain name for your business or project is just as important as what you call it. The best domain name will make it easy for clients, customers, or colleagues to find your site—because if they can’t find your website, they can’t find your portfolio, your menu, your services, or your contact information. This guide will help reduce some of the stress of choosing a domain name if you don’t know where to begin, along with some troubleshooting tips if you run into issues along the way.
Four Tips for Crafting a Good Domain Name
A good domain name is one that will get people to your site—period. That means it should be memorable, it should be spell-able, and it should let people know what your site is all about. Here are four essential tips and steps for creating a perfect domain name.
1. Choose the best domain extension
A handful of years ago, many people would have said that the .com TLD was the way to go, end of story. And they probably would have been right. Today, however, due to the overcrowding of the old-guard domain extensions, like .com and .net, there are hundreds of TLDs to choose from that can define you and your brand more effectively.
There are TLDs to serve almost any purpose. For example, family photographers could use .photos, .photography, .art, .baby, .camera, .gallery, and on and on. Browse all of the TLDs Epik offers and see what speaks to you. Know that the price of a domain name is largely determined by the extension you choose, so keep your budget in mind.
2. Decide if you’ll use a branded or a keyword-rich domain name
There are two main approaches to picking your second-level domain name: using the name of your business or brand, or using specific keywords that make clear what you do. The best way to approach this is to consider how people will be coming to your site. Are you trying to stand out and make a name for your project that people will recognize? A branded domain name, like legos.com or adidas.com, can help you build your business’s reputation. If you’re relying on SEO and keyword searches to get potential customers to your site, then including those keywords in your domain name, like nycbakery.com, or phoenixcabs.net, will help you show up in search results. Just remember to always keep it short and easy to remember!
3. Choose something people can remember, spell, and pronounce
In an ideal world, your domain name could be heard by someone in conversation, or seen momentarily on a billboard, and be remembered and findable by the time they got home. Good domain names should be memorable, they should be short and snappy, and they should be easy to transcribe. We suggest that you stick to easy to spell words, with no hyphens or special characters. Ask yourself if Siri or Alexa could get to your site if you spoke your domain out loud.
4. Get feedback
Ask friends, family, and colleagues what they think of your shortlist. A second opinion can be invaluable in letting you know if your name is memorable, if it’s spellable, and if it has any negative connotations. Get advice from people who are familiar with your brand and people who aren’t. The more second opinions and positive reactions you receive, the more successful you’ll ultimately be in getting visitors to your site.
How to See if a Domain Name is Available
Once you’ve narrowed in on a domain name that sings, you’ll have to check to see if the name is actually available—the easiest way is with a quick domain name search.
If the name you want is available, congratulations! Add it to your cart, where you’ll find instructions about how to complete your purchase and learn more about Epik’s additional web services.
What if Your First Choice Isn’t Available?
There can only be one registrant per domain name, so it’s possible that someone else at some point had the same great idea you have. But that doesn’t mean you have to totally throw in the towel. There are still a few things you can try if you’re set on making that domain name yours.
1. Change your second-level domain
If you are set on a certain TLD, like .com or .xyz or .shop, but the one you want is taken, then making changes to what comes before that might help you land a domain that still works for you. Consider adding a location, a keyword, or any other modifiers that lead you to a name that’s available to register.
2. Choose a different TLD
If you’re set on everything that comes before the domain extension for branding reasons, you’ll often have success with a less-crowded TLD. Revisit our TLD page to find a different domain extension that might suit your site even better.
3. Find out if the name is for sale
There are ways to find out if the domain name you want is actively for sale. Go to the site itself and see if the owner has left any contact information or is advertising that the site is open to offers. You can also check domain aftermarket sites to see if the domain name is listed there.
4. Conduct a WHOIS search
If that doesn’t get you anywhere, you can do a WHOIS search to find the information of the owner. Sometimes their contact information is displayed and you can contact them. Other times you’ll see generic contact information belonging to the registrar where the domain is registered, but any messages you send should be passed along properly.
Conclusion
Choosing a great domain name can be a fun and creative process and should leave you feeling good about your project and your goals. If you run into trouble finding a perfect fit, or if you have any other questions about the process of registering a domain name, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our legendary domain specialists. Find the chat button in the lower right-hand corner of your screen, or you can call or send us a message.