How to Choose a Domain Name

When you’re getting ready to launch your website, choosing the right domain name is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle. It doesn’t take long to buy an available domain name, but you should spend time picking one that feels on brand for you and your small business. A domain name, like squarespace.com, is one of the first impressions you make online, and it impacts everything from search engine optimization (SEO) to a person’s ability to easily remember and find your website.

Whether you’re launching a personal website, an ecommerce business, or a blog, read on for tips about how to choose the perfect domain name to suit your brand.

Personal vs. business domains

Think about the kind of website you want to build with your domain. If you’re launching an online store for an existing business, choose a domain name that will help customers find your website. Start by searching for a domain name that matches the name of your business. Ideally, your business website’s domain name and your business name will be the same or similar. 

If you’re launching a resume website or creative portfolio, your domain can be your full name or nickname. You might want to consider including your middle initial, to distinguish your website from anyone else who shares your name.

If you’re creating a blog or other personal website, you might be migrating an existing audience from a social media platform or an email list. Align your domain name with the channel people already follow you on. The best domain name in this case is one that matches your Instagram handle, or that references the name of your email newsletter.

No matter what kind of website you’re launching, you’ll want to consider how your new domain name will impact other arms of your online presence. For example, if you plan to set up an email for your business, your domain will be a prominent part of your email address. 

Get a free domain name when you sign up for an annual plan with Squarespace.

How long should a domain name be?

Your domain name can be anywhere from a few characters to several words. As a rule of thumb, shorter domain names are more effective. Short domain names are simple for people to recall, and fewer letters mean fewer possible misspellings or opportunities to mistype the URL. In the same vein, try to avoid adding hyphens to your domain name if there are none in your brand name.

Think of your domain name as your online address—you want people, especially first-time visitors, to be able to easily remember where to find you online. From using keywords to picking the right domain extension for your website, here are four key things to keep in mind as you choose a domain name.

1. The importance of a unique domain name

Similar to creating a logo for your brand, a good domain name is unique, easy to recognize, and not too difficult to spell. When brainstorming, avoid domains that are unnecessarily long, prone to typos, have unnecessary abbreviations, or that include numbers or symbols like dashes. 

Your domain name can be as straightforward as your business or brand name—but if competitors have a similar company name to yours, find ways to distinguish yourself. For example, if you run a business called Smith Hardware, you might differentiate your business from other “smithhardware” domain names by choosing a website name like “smithhardwarenyc.”

2. How to choose a domain name extension

When you pick a domain name, you need to choose a domain extension, which is also called a top level domain (TLD). The TLD is the part of the URL that comes after the last period in your website domain name. Common top level domains include .com, .org, and .net. 

Having a .com domain name or other common TLD isn’t a requirement. Customized options like .me or .biz can make a great domain name TLD for an online portfolio or consulting business.

3. Consider SEO

Your domain name is an opportunity to optimize your website for search engines from the very start. If you’re launching a website for your photography business, include the word “photography” or “photo” in your domain name. Adding your location and other specifics about your business can help with search ranking and help site visitors understand what to expect from your website.

If a keyword doesn’t naturally fit in your domain name, don’t force it. It’s more important for people to remember your domain name—and domains that are keyword stuffed can be deprioritized by search engines, which means your website won’t appear in top search results. There are also plenty of other ways to use keywords to optimize your website, like writing effective website copy.

4. Align with your social media handles

Think about aligning your domain name ideas with your social media handles. This is especially important if you’re building your brand on social media, or have a significant social following already. When you match your domain name with your social media handles, it’s easy for your audience to find your brand across channels. 

If your domain and social handles are different, there are other ways to connect your audience. You can integrate your social media accounts with your website, and use tools like Bio Sites to drive your social followers to your web address through your link in bio.
Ready to claim your website name? Learn how to buy a domain name.

This post was updated on January 23, 2023.