How to choose a domain name for your business
Practical rules for picking a business domain name, which ending to use, where to register it, and the mistakes that cause trouble later.
By the WeBuildYours team · October 18, 2026 · 3 min read
The short answer
Choose a domain that’s short, easy to say out loud, and close to your business name, ideally ending in .com or your country’s ending. Avoid hyphens and numbers. Register it in your own name with a reputable registrar, turn on auto-renew, and keep the login somewhere safe. A .com usually costs around $10 to $20 a year.
Your domain is your address online. It goes on your van, your cards, and every review site. Picking a good one takes ten minutes. Fixing a bad one takes years.
Keep it short and say-able
The real test is the phone test: could someone hear your domain once and type it correctly? "MarigoldBakery.com" passes. "Marigold-Bakery-Austin-TX.net" doesn’t.
- Two or three words at most
- No hyphens, which people forget to type
- No numbers, which people spell out
- No odd spellings, like "kwik" for "quick"
Match your business name
Use your business name if you can. If it’s taken, try adding a simple, natural word:
- Your town: marigoldaustin.com
- What you do: marigoldbakes.com
- A short prefix: getmarigold.com, hellomarigold.com
Which ending should you use?
- .com is still what most people type by default. Get it if you can.
- Country endings like .co.uk, .ca, .com.au, or .in are great if you only serve one country. Locals trust them.
- Newer endings such as .studio, .salon, or .law can work for the right business, but people may type .com out of habit. If you use one, try to own the .com too.
Register it in your own name
This matters more than the name itself. The domain should be registered to you or your company, using an email you control. If a web designer, agency, or ex-employee registers it in their name, they effectively own your address. Getting it back can be slow and painful.
Use a well-known registrar, such as Cloudflare, Namecheap, Porkbun, or Squarespace Domains. Many offer privacy protection for free, which hides your home address from public records.
Turn on auto-renew
Expired domains are one of the most common reasons small business websites suddenly disappear. Turn on auto-renew and keep the card on file current. Some businesses pay for several years upfront for peace of mind.
Get a matching email address
Once you have a domain, use it for email: [email protected] looks far more established than [email protected]. Most email providers can set this up in an afternoon.
Before you buy, check
- Is the name trademarked by someone else in your field?
- Are the matching social handles available?
- Does it read badly when the words run together? Say it out loud and look at it written down.
What happens next
Once you own a domain, any builder can point it at your website. With us, you keep full ownership of both. See how our pricing works.
Common questions
How much does a domain name cost?
A .com typically costs around $10 to $20 a year at a mainstream registrar. Some endings cost more, and premium names already owned by someone else can cost hundreds or thousands.
Should I buy several domains?
It can be worth owning the .com and your country ending, plus common misspellings if they’re cheap, and pointing them all at one site. You don’t need dozens.
Can I change my domain later?
Yes, but it takes work. You’ll need redirects from the old domain to keep search rankings and links working, and you’ll have to update everything printed with the old address.