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· Choosing a domain

How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

Choose a domain name that is short, easy to spell and close to your business name. See which extension to pick, what a good domain name looks like and how to check that it is free.

choose domain name: three labels, short, easy to spell and easy to say, above the web address example.in

Choosing a domain name means picking the web address of your website: the name, such as example, and the extension, such as .in or .com. A good domain name is short, easy to spell and say, and close to the name of your business. This guide covers how to choose a domain name, which extension to pick, what a good domain name looks like, how to check that the name is free, how to match it to your business name and how to get suggestions from a domain name generator.

How do you choose a domain name?

Start with the name of your business, because customers who know the name will try it first. Keep the name short enough to type on a phone without mistakes. Pick words that people can spell after hearing them once. Leave out hyphens, and use numbers only when they are part of the brand. Ask a friend to write the name down after hearing it aloud. Compare two or three options side by side in a domain name search before you decide.

Which extension should you choose?

Choose the extension after the name. A .in or a .co.in points to India, and a .com is not tied to any country. The differences are in our guide to .in, .co.in and .com.

What does a good domain name look like?

good domain name: three example web addresses, short, no hyphens, no numbers

Examples of good domain names for different kinds of business are listed below. All names are invented to show the idea; none has been checked for availability.

  • freshpickles.in, for a pickle brand
  • greenleafcafe.in, for a cafe
  • tinytoyshop.com, for an online toy store
  • bluepotteryco.in, for a pottery studio
  • ravifitness.co.in, for a personal trainer

Each example is made of one to three plain words, with no hyphen and no number, and can be said aloud and typed without a second try.

How do you check that a domain name is free?

A domain name is free when nobody has registered the same name with the same extension. Type the name into a domain name search and the result shows which extensions are free for it. Try the same name with another extension when your first choice is taken. A free domain name can still be too close to another brand, and a domain check does not cover company or trademark registration.

Should the domain name match your business name?

Yes. A domain name that matches the business name is easy for customers to guess and remember. When the exact name is taken, add a plain word such as the city or the product. If you have not chosen the business name yet, start with our guide to business name ideas in India.

Can a tool suggest domain names?

Yes. Namelume's domain name generator with AI suggests about 20 names in five styles from a short description of your business (3 to 300 characters) and checks eight extensions live for each one. No account is needed.