When you start a business, it’s important to choose a name that will allow you to select a domain name that pertains to your business or brand and is easy for your customers to remember. Obviously, if you have the option to get your brand name as your domain name, that is the best possible choice for your domain name. However, every single word .com domain name in the English language is taken. That means if your business name is a single word in English, you probably cannot get that .com domain unless you’re willing to pay more that the standard $10-$12 to get it. Many two word combinations are also taken, which limits your options even further.
Ideally, you should search for domain name options before finalizing a name for the business or brand. You can find your domain name through Google Domains or GoDaddy or your favorite provider. This will give you the best opportunity to secure a simple and memorable domain name that represents your brand. If you look at both brand names and domain names at the same time, you can refine your list of brand names based on the available domain names.
If you operate a commerce site or truly want a .com address, you can use your company name and the products you sell. CompanyCategory.com relates to your business in a way that is easy for customers to understand and remember. They may think your company name is Company Category after a while, but they’ll still remember the company name first.
Customers are also more accepting of non-.com domain names than ever before. You can now end your site in .io, .co, or many other extensions. As long as it’s easy to remember, your customers and clients should be just as likely to click on a .io as a .com website. You might even want to choose a non-.com address to reflect the nature of your business. The popular podcast, Being Boss, recently changed their website to a .club extension when they changed their business model to monetize their audience. If you have a membership site, you can also consider a .club extension. The options are growing and you can truly choose a domain that represents your business.
TB
Still need help to pick a name for your business? Take the Name Your Brand mini course.