"A great domain name is the best investment you can make for your brand's future."
Choosing a domain name for your startup is high stakes. It’s the first thing investors see, the first thing customers type, and the permanent home of your brand on the internet.
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15 Actionable Tips for Choosing a Domain
The Must-Haves
- 1. Keep it short: Under 15 chars is ideal.
- 2. Easy to spell: Can they write it?
- 3. .com is king: Still trusted most.
- 4. Avoid hyphens: They look spammy.
- 5. Avoid numbers: Confusing.
Strategic Tips
- 6. Check social handles first.
- 7. Don't be too niche.
- 8. Use keywords (e.g., "GetFlow").
- 9. Be brandable.
- 10. Check history (spam).
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Using "creative" spelling
Flickr eventually had to buy Flicker.com because they were losing so much traffic. Don't make it hard for people to find you.
Ignoring trademarks
Just because the domain is available doesn't mean you can legally use the name. Always search the USPTO database.
Boxing yourself in
If you name your company "SeattleWebDesign.com", it's hard to expand to Portland or offer SEO services later.
Real Startup Examples
Let's look at how successful startups handled their domains:
The lesson? You don't always need the perfect premium domain on day one. Start with a "get" or "app" prefix if you must, but have a plan to upgrade.