10 Tips for Choosing the Perfect Domain Name

Your Domain Name Matters More Than You Think

Your domain name is the first thing people see and the last thing you want to get wrong. It is your brand's permanent address on the internet — the phrase customers type into their browser, the link they share with friends, and often the first impression of your entire business.

With hundreds of millions of domains already registered, finding a great name feels harder than ever. A poor choice can hurt your brand, confuse visitors, and even damage your search engine rankings. But a strong domain name does the opposite: it builds trust, sticks in memory, and gives your project a professional identity from day one.

This article walks through 10 practical, proven tips that will help you choose a domain name you will be proud of for years to come. Whether you are launching a business, a side project, or a personal brand, these principles apply. And along the way, you will see how the Domainwise domain name generator can help you put each tip into practice instantly and for free. If you need a refresher on how domains work, start with our beginner's guide to domain names.

Tip 1: Keep It Short and Simple

Aim for 6 to 14 characters (excluding the TLD). Shorter domains are easier to type, easier to remember, and easier to share in conversation. They fit neatly on business cards, social profiles, and mobile screens. They also reduce the chance of typos, which means fewer lost visitors.

Avoid double letters at word boundaries (like "pressstart") and awkward letter combinations that look confusing in a URL. If you have to explain the spelling every time you say it out loud, the name is too complicated. Simple, clean names always win in the long run.

Tip 2: Make It Memorable and Brandable

The best domain names do not just describe — they stand out. Coined or blended words like Spotify, Shopify, and Canva are highly brandable because they are unique and immediately recognizable. Generic phrases like "bestcheapwidgets" describe a product but fail to build identity.

Say your candidate name out loud. Does it stick after hearing it once? Can you picture it as a logo? Does it feel like a name rather than a description? If so, you are on the right track. A brandable name gives you something to build on — a story, a personality, a voice.

Tip 3: Use Keywords Wisely

Including a relevant keyword in your domain can signal what your site is about. A name like "cookwith.me" immediately tells visitors they have found a recipe or cooking site. But there is a fine line between strategic and spammy — one keyword is usually enough. Stuffing multiple keywords together ("bestcheapcookingrecipes.com") looks unprofessional and is harder to remember.

This is where Domainwise pattern modes shine. Enter your keyword and choose Prefix mode to place a word before it, Suffix mode to place a word after it, Both mode for combinations on each side, or Wrap mode to sandwich it between two words. Combined with supplementary words from six curated categories — Action, Tech, Brand, Modifier, Size, and Quality — you can generate hundreds of keyword-rich yet brandable names in seconds.

Tip 4: Choose the Right TLD

.com is still the gold standard if your audience is broad or non-technical. People instinctively type it, and it carries universal recognition. But it is far from your only option.

In the tech community, .dev, .io, and .app are widely trusted and signal a modern, developer-oriented product. Country-code TLDs like .co.uk, .de, or .com.au work well for local businesses targeting a specific region. Creative extensions like .design, .studio, and .art can reinforce your niche.

Domainwise lets you search across six TLD categories simultaneously, so you can discover which extensions are available for your name without running separate searches. For a deeper look at choosing extensions, read our guide to TLDs.

Tip 5: Avoid Hyphens and Numbers

Hyphens and numbers make domains significantly harder to communicate verbally. Tell someone your site is "best-recipes-4u.com" and watch the confusion unfold. Is it a dash or an underscore? Is it the number 4 or the word "for"? Every moment of uncertainty sends potential visitors to the wrong address — often a competitor's.

Stick to letters only unless you have a compelling brand reason to include a number (like a brand name that genuinely contains one). Domainwise offers an optional hyphen variants toggle that lets you explore both hyphenated and non-hyphenated forms, so you can compare and make an informed decision rather than defaulting to hyphens out of necessity.

Tip 6: Check Social Media Availability

Your brand needs a consistent name across both your website and social media. If your domain is novacraft.dev but @novacraft is taken on every major platform, you will end up with awkward handles like @novacraftofficial or @nova_craft_hq. This fragments your brand and makes you harder to find.

Before committing to a domain name, use the Domainwise Social Handle Checker to verify username availability across major platforms including X (Twitter), Instagram, GitHub, Reddit, and more — all in one search. Finding a name that is available as both a domain and a social handle gives you a unified brand presence from launch.

Tip 7: Check for Trademark Conflicts

Falling in love with a domain name only to discover it infringes on an existing trademark is a costly mistake. A trademark holder can file a UDRP (Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy) complaint and potentially force you to give up the domain entirely.

Before you buy, search the USPTO database (for the US) or the equivalent trademark registry in your country. Also run a simple web search for businesses using the same or similar name. Five minutes of research now can save you months of legal headaches later.

Tip 8: Think Long-Term

Your domain name should work not just today, but five or ten years from now. Avoid trendy slang, pop culture references, or niche jargon that might feel dated within a few years. "YOLOdesigns.com" may have been clever once — it is not aging well.

Pick a name that still makes sense if your business pivots, expands into new markets, or changes its product focus. If international growth is on the horizon, consider whether the name works across languages and cultures. A timeless, versatile name is one of the best investments you can make for your brand.

Tip 9: Test Pronunciation and Spelling

Apply the radio test: if someone hears your domain name for the first time on a podcast, in a meeting, or over the phone, can they type it correctly? Names with homophones (like "site" vs. "sight"), unusual spellings (like "lyft" instead of "lift"), or ambiguous word boundaries ("therapistfinder" reads differently depending on where you split it) can cause real problems.

Ask a few friends or colleagues to spell your candidate name after hearing it once. If more than one person gets it wrong, reconsider. A domain that requires explanation every time defeats the purpose of having a memorable online address.

Tip 10: Use Domainwise to Generate and Test Ideas

All of these tips come together when you have the right tool. The Domainwise domain name generator lets you apply every principle from this article in a single search session:

• Enter a keyword and let five pattern modes (None, Prefix, Suffix, Both, Wrap) generate hundreds of creative name combinations.
• Filter by availability to see only domains you can actually register right now.
• Compare registrar prices side by side across Namecheap, GoDaddy, Porkbun, Cloudflare, Dynadot, and Name.com.
• Check social handles with the Social Handle Checker to ensure brand consistency across platforms.
• Save favorites to your My Domains watchlist for later comparison — stored locally in your browser, never uploaded to servers.

The entire workflow is completely free, requires no sign-up, and supports 12 languages. From brainstorming to price comparison, everything happens in one place. Once you have found the perfect name, follow our step-by-step domain registration guide to secure it.