How to choose a domain name: 7 practical rules

A domain name is the most expensive part of your site to change later. Changing it doesn't just swap an address; it resets your search rankings, your business cards, your signage and your customers' memory.

1. It should survive being said aloud

Try this test: say the name to someone over the phone and have them write it down. If they spell it correctly, it's a good name. If they ask "is there a hyphen?" or "double letter?", it isn't.

2. Avoid hyphens

"atas-web-design.com" is awkward to say, and people forget the hyphen and land on a competitor. Use one only when there's no alternative left.

3. Keep it short, but don't sacrifice meaning

Names over fifteen characters get mistyped. On the other hand a meaningless abbreviation isn't memorable either. Find the balance.

4. Pick the extension to match your business

• .com — still the most trusted and most remembered. Try this first.
• Country extensions (.co.uk, .de, .com.tr) — reassuring for a local business, though some require documentation.
• .net, .co — reasonable alternatives when .com is taken.
• New extensions (.online, .site) are cheap but look untrustworthy to some visitors.

5. Stick to plain Latin characters

Accented and non-Latin characters are technically allowed but cause trouble in email and when links are shared. Use the plain equivalents.

6. Choose a name that won't box you in

"london-furniture.com" looks fine today, but it constrains you if you expand to another city or widen your range. Your brand name outlives a description of the work.

7. Check before you buy

• Is the same handle free on social media?
• Is it registered as a trademark?
• Does searching it on Google confuse you with another business?

One last warning

Register the domain in your own name. A domain sitting in your developer's or agency's account becomes a serious problem the day you part ways.

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• #branding
• #naming