What's the best way to find a domain name for your business? It can be tricky. You need to think about words that describe what you do, decide what domain extensions you're willing to consider... and then juggle these elements until you find a domain name that's available
Find a domain name - initial ideas
If you're just starting up and haven't yet chosen a name for your business, it's a good idea to look at domain name availability before you register your company.
After all, a domain forms an important part of your brand, around which you can build a successful business. Just look at online travel company lastminute.com.
Regardless of whether your business is established or not, there are two main ways to come up with domain name ideas:
- Create a branded domain. This means finding a domain name that's an invented brand name, rather than one or more dictionary words. Some of the world's most successful businesses took this approach, including expedia.co.uk and ebay.co.uk.
- Come up with keywords. This sees you brainstorm words that relate to your business, then experiment with different combinations until you find a domain name you like. Businesses with domains like this include hotels.co.uk and cheapflights.co.uk.
The best place to start is a traditional brainstorm. Come up with lots of words related to your type of business or what you do and the sort of domain name you want.
For instance, if you're an estate agent, you might start with words like rent, mortgage, house, property, buy, sell and agency. You can also think about your location (for instance, London, Berkshire, Scotland, UK), the standard of service you provide (like brilliant, outstanding, convenient, value, premium) and more.
Don't restrict yourself too much. Because availability of good domains is limited, you need to think creatively - and this is just a starting point.
Four simple rules when choosing your domain name
- Keep it short: Most experts agree that shorter, simpler domain names are best. Keep it short and sweet and - if it's available - get the .com or .co.uk version, because people are still more impressed by those than other extensions.
- Keep it simple: When it comes to picking a domain name, 'creative spelling' can be annoying and difficult for potential site users to guess. Any words you would have to spell out to a client are also bad (your domain name should be intuitive) and suggest you don't care how people find you. If you want to be found, you need a domain that says what you do.
- Leave room for growth: Think about your future business plans when choosing a domain name. If you're very specific (like BestLondonCleaners), it becomes more difficult to add content if you diversify, for example. Choose a domain that allows you to expand. Amazon.com is a good example. The name Amazon has nothing to do with any of the things it sells. You can either choose something broad enough to encompass future expansion or something very specific and targeted to what you do. Broad allows you more creativity with the name, but specific has greater search engine optimisation (SEO) value and helps promote your company name directly in the address bar.
- Think about the image your domain portrays: Finally, think about your professional image. What you call yourself may be your professional online trading domain for a long time. Building up a reputation and switching domains later could be tricky. It's therefore important your domain name sends the right message about your business. It's a key part of your branding that will help customers find you online.
Tools to find domain names
Once you've come up with lots of ideas, play around with them and check to see what domains are available. Combine different words, experiment with shortened versions and use an online thesaurus to come up with alternative suggestions.
Domain name registrars like 123-Reg, Domain.com, UK2, Names.co.uk, GoDaddy, Hover and Ionos all let you check the availability of domains online.
However, this repetitive process can quickly become boring when finding a domain name, so you might want to use some of these online tools to speed up your search and find further inspiration:
- Domainr, a slick domain search that will very quickly show you which domain extensions are available for any given term, and suggest inventive possibilities.
- Domain Name Soup, helps you explore all kinds of possibilities with features that include a 'domain name mangle'.
- Name Station, a powerful search tool that requires free registration to use. You can also pay to offer a prize for people who find good domain names for you.
Many of these tools will allow you to buy the domains you find, but you don't have to purchase from them. Once you've found the domain you want, you can buy from any supplier you like.
12 ways to come up with domain name ideas
1. Get everyone brainstorming domain name ideas: Don't underestimate the power of a good old-fashioned brainstorm. If they can spare the time, get everyone in your business together in front of some whiteboards and scribble down all the domain name ideas you can think of. Encourage your staff to think broadly and jot down anything that seems even remotely relevant. You never know where that killer idea will come from.
2. Think about your values and location: Your domain name ideas don't have to contain your brand name. You can include your location, or things that are important to you as a business. Is your company located in London? Does it serve customers in the south-east? Do you pride yourself on speed of service? Maybe your domain name should reflect these attributes.
3. Do some keyword research: Possessing keywords in your domain can still have a positive impact on your search rankings. Keyword research can provide great domain name ideas. Google's keyword research tool is a good place to start (although you will need a GoogleAds account). There are many free and paid-for tools you can use to find out which keywords your competitors are using including KeywordSpy, SEMrush and SE Ranking.
4. Plug initial domain name ideas into a thesaurus: Online tools can't find the ideal domain for you, but they can help. A good place to start is with a thesaurus, like at Thesaurus.com or Collins. Enter business attributes, values, unique selling points, product benefits, the sector you operate in and more. You'll soon have a list of ideas longer than the world's longest domain name. (In case you're wondering, it's 63 characters long.)
5. Go old-skool and use a dictionary: While an online thesaurus can help develop ideas from words you've already thought of, an old-fashioned dictionary can spark entirely new domain name ideas. Get the dictionary, close your eyes and open at a random page. Touch a spot at random with your finger, and write down the words you find there. Repeat this a few times and you might just hit inspiration.
6. Invent new words by combining existing ones: Think up a portmanteau (that's two words combined to make one) that nobody else has come up with, and it could be your new domain name. Experiment with the ideas you've come up with to see if any of them work together. Existing brands that have done this successfully include Groupon ('group' and 'coupon'), Accenture ('accent' and 'future') and Travelocity ('travel' and 'velocity'). Be cautious though - not all portmanteaus sound as good as these.
7. Use smarter domain name idea tools: Any company selling domain names will let you check for available domains online, like 123-Reg, GoDaddy, Ionos and Names.co.uk. However, there are less well-known searches that offer more flexibility. NameStation (free registration required), Bust A Name, Domainr, Dot-o-mator, Domain Name Soup and this free, business name generator can all 'spin' keywords you provide to suggest unusual and (occasionally) inspired domain name ideas that are also available.
8. Take a stroll around your business: Why not use the objects and words that surround you in your domain name ideas? Walk through your stockroom. Study the products on your shelves. See what the signs and labels around you are saying. The language your business uses internally might not always be suitable for an external audience. But it can certainly help you come up with ideas that are.
9. Try translations: You don't need to stick with English. In fact, some things just sound better in other languages. There's no better example of this than Audi's famous 'Vorsprung durch Technik'. Could you do something similar for your business? Google Translate is your best tool here, letting you plough through different words to see if anything captures your imagination. (If you like a word or phrase you discover, always double-check the translation with someone who actually speaks that language.)
10. Get domain ideas from someone outside your business: Once you've exhausted domain name ideas in your company, you can look to people who have less knowledge of what you do. They can provide a fresh or original perspective on things. Good people to talk to include customers, friends, family and anyone who happens to be around when you need them. People like being asked their opinions, so don't be afraid to do so.
11. Put an original spin on a less-popular extension: All out of ideas for a .com or .co.uk name? It may be time to consider other, newer, less well-known extensions. There are many to choose from and new domains are coming on to the market all the time. Some lend themselves to creative uses. For instance, if you have a word or phrase ending in .it, you can register a .it domain name. Alternatively, consider a domain that is related to your area of business or location. For example, a florist could choose a .flower domain, a wedding photographer might choose a .photography and a local coffee shop could take a .coffee domain. Location based domains ending .cymru, or .wales and .scot could help you attract local customers or Welsh speakers or associate your brand with your regional identity.
12. Look at what extensions are coming soon: New domain name extensions continue to enter the market. If you're out of domain name ideas, check which new extensions will be launched soon. While it's hard to predict which of these extensions will gain market approval, they certainly offer scope for creativity.
Which domain name extension?
Now the bad news. Although most experts agree shorter, simpler domain names are best, these days it's hard to find a domain like this that isn't taken - especially if you want to stick with the most popular, well-known domain name extensions of .com and .co.uk.
And while many alternative domain extensions are available, if your business is based in the UK and mostly sells to UK customers, you probably should aim for a .co.uk or .com domain if possible.
Consumers are generally familiar with.co.uk and .com addresses, which means they trust them more. Indeed, Nominet - the organisation that ultimately controls all .uk domains - has published research suggesting British people prefer to use a .uk website rather than a .com.
Alternatives to .co.uk and .com
Awareness of alternative domain name extensions is slowly growing. In particular, domain names ending in .net, .co, .biz and .me could provide a reasonable alternative.
Regional domains are also available. These might make an attractive alternative for businesses that are based in Wales or Scotland. Domain names ending .cymru, .wales and .scot can help you attract local customers or Welsh speakers or associate your brand with your regional identity.
What's more, new domain name extensions (such as .london and .club) are released regularly, offering interesting branding opportunities. Opting for an extension like this is more of a gamble, but could pay off if you choose wisely.
One other consideration is whether you sell internationally. If you do, a lot of business in another country (or plan to), consider registering the local domain extension as well. For instance, this would be .it for Italy or .es for Spain.
It is worth noting however, that it will not be possible to register new or renew existing .eu domain names or to redirect traffic from an existing .eu domain name to a new domain name once the UK leaves the EU unless you:
- have a registered office, central administration or principal place of business in the EU;
- are established in the EU without prejudice to the application of national law;
- are an individual living in the EU.
Final domain checks
If you've found a domain name you like, congratulations! Now you just need to do some last checks:
- Check other domain extensions. It's worth buying both .com and .co.uk versions of your domain, if they're available. If not, check who is using them. If they've registered the domain for malicious reasons (such as passing off) then you may be able to deal with this through a domain name dispute.
- Look for inappropriate words. Some companies have been caught out by running words together in a domain (for instance, speedofart.com). Make sure there aren't any unintended terms in the domain name you've found.
- Watch out for legal and trademark issues. Check your chosen domain name doesn't include trademarks owned by other businesses.
If you do find a domain that seems right for your business, register it immediately and don't mention it to anyone until you've done so.
Good, available domain names can be hard to track down, and you don't want to lose one while you decide if it's the perfect fit for your company. At £5-£10 for a year, it's not a disaster if you decide not to use it.
