How to choose a domain for your business: name, zone and mistakes to avoid

A domain is the website address a client sees on a business card, hears over the phone and types into the address bar. A poor domain gets in the way at each step: people confuse it, misspell it, forget it. Below - how to choose a name that works for you.

Why does the domain name matter?

A domain outlives the design and the texts. A website can be redone, but the domain stays on business cards, signs, in ads and in clients' memory. Changing it later means explaining to clients again where to find you.

A good domain is easy to dictate over the phone and write down without mistakes.

What should a good domain be like?

Check the name against simple criteria:

Short - the fewer letters, the fewer typos.

Readable - the word is pronounced the way it is spelled.

Clear - it cannot be read as a different word.

Connected to you - it shows whose company this is or what it does.

A simple test: dictate the domain to someone you know over the phone and ask them to write it down. If they ask you to repeat it, the name is worth simplifying.

Company name or service description in the domain?

A domain with the company name works for the brand: it is easier to recognize, and it will not go out of date if you expand your services. A domain with a service description is clearer to a newcomer, but ties you to a narrow topic.

For a company building a recognizable name, the name is better. A service description makes sense if the name is long or hard to write down - then you can combine them briefly.

Which zone should you choose?

The zone is the ending of the address after the dot. Choose it by your audience:

.uz - if your clients are in Uzbekistan. A local zone shows that you work here.

.com - if you work across several countries or plan to expand abroad.

Other zones - industry and unusual endings look interesting, but clients may not remember them and type .com out of habit.

If the name is free in several zones, you can take the main ones so others do not grab them, and point them to your main address.

What should you do if the name you want is taken?

If the name is taken, there are options:

Add a qualifier - a city or type of business next to the name.

Take another zone - if the name is taken in the main zone but free in another.

Change the spelling - but only if the new version stays simple and clear.

Buying a name from resellers is worth it only if it really matters for the business and the price is reasonable. Otherwise, finding another good option is easier.

Which mistakes should you avoid in a domain name?

These mistakes later make it harder for clients to find you:

Transliteration with ambiguous spelling - sh or sch, kh or x, y or i. If a word can be written in Latin letters in several ways, clients will make mistakes.

Hyphens and digits - they are hard to dictate: "with a hyphen," "as a digit or a word."

Repeated letters where words join - they are easy to skip when typing.

Similarity to someone else's brand - you do not need confusion with another company.

If you cannot avoid transliteration, choose the simplest version and use it consistently: on your business card, in social media, in your email signature.

Who should the domain be registered to?

The domain is worth registering in your name or your company's, and access to the registrar account should stay with you. If the contractor registered it, your website address is formally not yours.

More about what a domain and hosting are - in the article Domain and Hosting: What They Are and Whose Name They Go In. What else you should get in hand after the website is handed over, I described in the article Who owns the website after handover: what you should have in hand.

How much does a website with domain selection cost?

A landing page - from $190, a multipage website - from $490, a complex project - on request. I help pick the domain and register it in the client's name; the client pays for the domain with their card directly to the registrar. The article Landing page or multipage website: what your business needs will help you decide on the format.

If you are unsure about a name, send me your options - I will tell you which is easier to remember and dictate.