How to Choose a Startup Domain Name?
If you’re launching a startup, your domain name is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. It’s part of your brand identity and can influence how people perceive your company.
A good domain name should be short, easy to remember and spell, relatable to your product or service, and give off the right impression. But with so many options to choose from, how do you select the right one?
Here’s a step-by-step guide to choosing a domain that positions your startup for success.
Understand Domain Name Basics
Before starting your search, it helps to understand the structure of domain names. A domain comprises a top-level domain (TLD) and a second-level domain.
The TLD is the suffix at the end, such as .com, .net or .org. The second-level domain comes before the TLD and is the memorable word or phrase, like “google” in google.com.
When brainstorming names, focus creativity on the second-level domain. The TLD you choose depends mainly on availability.
Set Domain Name Selection Criteria
With an endless array of options, it’s essential to decide what you want in a domain name before you start hunting.
Some key criteria include:
Short and Memorable: Aim for a name with 1-3 commonly used words that’s easy to remember and spell. Lengthy or complex names won’t stick in customers’ minds.
Descriptive: Choose a name that gives a sense of what you do while also being unique. Use words that relate to your product, service, or brand values.
Scalable: Pick a name that allows room to grow beyond initial offerings. Even if you start a niche, you may expand so choose broadly.
Pronounceable: Go for a name people can instantly pronounce when reading. If customers struggle with the pronunciation, it’s an unnecessary hurdle.
Brandable: It should be possible to build a brand around the domain and develop name recognition over time. Keep this factor front of mind.
Check Availability
Once you zero in on a shortlist of names that meet your criteria, the next step is checking if your preferred domain choices are available.
Start by looking at whether the .com version of the domain name is taken. .com is the gold standard that people instinctively type. If the .com is taken, try other common TLDs like .net, .io, or .co.
You can quickly check availability on sites like GoDaddy or Domain.com by entering your desired second-level domain plus the TLD. If it’s taken, alternatives like adding a prefix or suffix may free up options.
Assess Trademark Risk
In addition to availability, research whether your preferred names or similar variations are trademarks. You want to avoid any potential legal issues down the road.
Search the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database for trademarks containing your name. If an identical or closely matching trademark exists, it’s best to steer clear and minimize risk.
There are also paid services like TrademarkNow that offer more advanced trademark screening. This extra layer of verification can provide added peace of mind.
Evaluate Domain History
When you’ve identified an available domain name with no trademark conflicts, dig into its history for potential red flags.
Start by using domain age checkers to see when the domain was first registered. Names recently registered could signal someone releasing it for purchase.
You’ll also want to assess factors like prior use, expired status, domain authority, and whether it formerly hosted questionable content. Sites like DomainTools and Whois History provide this visibility.
If you discover shady history for what otherwise seems like a great domain, weigh risks versus rewards. Buying and rebranding a domain with baggage may still beat the alternatives.
Assess Ease of Communication
A crucial yet sometimes overlooked criterion is evaluating how easy your domain name will be to communicate.
Picture having to spell out or pronounce the name when speaking to someone. Shorter, simpler domains like HubSpot glide off the tongue, while complex names confuse.
You also want customers to get the domain right on the first try when entering it into a web browser. Hard-to-remember or oddly spelled names lead to dead ends that lose business.
Prioritize ease of communication in addition to following naming best practices, as covered next.
Follow Domain Naming Best Practices
Generating naming ideas for your startup and assessing domains is part science and part art form.
Along with the methodology already covered, keep these best practices in mind:
Use Preferred Domain Name Styles: Technical factors like hyphens (-) and underscores (_) hurt site traffic as they get stripped out when shared orally. Stick to domains using 1-3 dictionary words with natural spaces (e.g. carvertical.com).
Avoid Numbers and Symbols: While digits or symbols may seem cool, they get misheard, miswritten, and misremembered. Alphanumeric domains like dr3am.com hurt branding and memorability.
Steer Clear of Trademarked Terms: Unless you want to be sued, stay away from other brands’ trademarks. Using a major company’s name in your domain will soon prompt an angry letter.
Consider Future Expansion: Even if launching with a single focused product, there’s a chance you expand down the road. Opt for a name able to grow beyond initial offerings (e.g. Amazon).
Mind Foreign Meanings: An innocent-sounding name in English could have an unintended meaning in other languages. Do some quick translations before locking in a domain.
Trust Your Instincts: There’s no perfect formula for domain selection. Once you’ve assessed the technical factors, listen to your entrepreneurial gut feeling.
Finding the ideal available domain name aligned with all criteria takes persistence, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Remain open to tweaking your preferred names by experimenting with prefixes, suffixes or merging compound word combinations until you land on “the one”.
Route Technical Domain Details
After deciding on your startup domain and confirming full availability, there are remaining technical considerations around domain registration and configuration.
You’ll need to pick domain name registrars to purchase and manage the registration of your selected domain name on an annual basis. Leading registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Google Domains. Compare costs across different registrars.
When registering available domain names, most allow you to purchase domains for 1-10+ years. Take the long view by buying in bulk for say 5-10 years to lock in ownership.
In addition to registration, use domain privacy services to protect personal details from WHOIS lookups. Anonymous domain ownership avoids unsolicited communication.
Once purchased, point your domain’s name servers to your web host account storing the site files. Propagation of DNS changes facilitating access can take up to 48 hours.
Launch Website in Parallel
With your domain name secured, shift focus to building out your actual company website hosted on that domain. This opportunity to shape first impressions of your brand starts with selecting the right web design.
Resist the temptation to launch the domain empty or as a “coming soon” page. Instead explore inexpensive landing page builder options from Squarespace, Wix or Webflow to mock up minimal viable pages.
Drive urgency around development by mapping out initial site content like your homepage, about section, and blog. Enable basic lead capture mechanisms leveraging free tools.
Building even a simple one-page website in parallel with announcing your domain name demonstrates progress while advancing SEO. Sync timing around finalizing branding elements so colors, logo, etc smoothly carry over across assets.
Promote New Domain Launch
The final step involves spreading the word about your newly minted domain name and associated site to relevant audiences. This builds anticipation around upcoming products or services tied to this identity.
Start by securing aligned social media profiles on networks like Twitter and Linkedin using the same username. Consistency boosts brand familiarity. Begin engaging with your target customers and influencers.
Create material to intrigue readers about your mission like a “Coming Soon” press release or founding story backgrounder. Share them on both social channels and niche publications to spark curiosity.
As you craft messaging around launching under this new domain banner, highlight the meaning behind the startup name selection using positioning concepts covered earlier.
Reinforce the domain name creatively across all external and internal communication. The more it’s spotlighted early alongside your offering’s value proposition, the stronger the associations form in alignment.
Bring the Power of Words to the Web
A domain name serves an elevated purpose beyond technically routing to your website. It’s the first touchpoint where your brand makes an impression.
You influence subconscious perceptions of your company by taking a thoughtful approach to the meaning, sounds, and linguistic traits woven into your domain. Follow this guide when choosing a domain name to startup success.
So be bold, be creative, but also be strategic. The web words you choose today can shape your trajectory profoundly over the long haul.
