Choosing a domain name is like choosing a company name — it requires a lot of thought and consideration. Your domain name is your identity on the web. You want to make sure you choose a name that not only fits your business but is also easy to find and promote. But it can be hard to know what makes a good domain name. If you need help choosing a domain name, read on.

What makes a good domain name?

A good domain name is unique, short, and easy to remember. A good domain name avoids using other people’s trademarks, complicated words and words that have similar spellings to other words (too/to for example.)

Let’s go into more detail about what makes a good domain name.

1. Choose a domain name that is short and easy to type

Finding a domain name that’s easy to type is critical to online success. If you use abbreviations (u instead of you) or unusual spellings (xpress instead of express), it might be harder for customers to remember the name of your site. This an important consideration when choosing a website name.

2. Choose a memorable domain name

There are millions of registered domain names, so having a domain that’s catchy and memorable is essential. Once you’ve come up with a name, share it with close friends to make sure it sounds appealing and makes sense to others.

3. Choose a domain name without numbers and hyphens

Numbers and hyphens are often misunderstood — people who hear your website address don’t know if you’re using a numeral (5) or it’s spelled out (five) or they misplace or forget the dash.

For the sake of simplicity, it’s usually best to avoid numbers.

Hyphens also complicate your domain name, making it harder to remember and type.

4. Consider using keywords in your domain name

You might want to use keywords that describe your business and the services you offer. For example, if you’re a plumber you might want to include the word plumber in your domain name.

However, it can be hard to find a suitable domain name which includes keywords.

Plus, even if you do find a keyword domain name that’s suitable, it isn’t guaranteed to give you a search engine rankings boost.

On the upside, it will let people know what you do.

5. Choose a domain name that targets your area

If your business is local, consider including your city or area in your domain name to make it easy for local customers to find and remember.

As with including a keyword in your domain, it may be hard to find a suitable domain which includes your location.

However, it will let people know that you operate in their local area.

6. Consider a branded domain name

As it’s difficult to get a good domain name that includes a keyword and your location, you should also consider opting for a branded domain name.

This is the approach taken by most of the world’s biggest online businesses (think Amazon.com).

Don’t get too hung up on whether your branded domain name sounds like it’s the perfect name for a business site. After all, how many people would have said Amazon.com was a good domain name for a business website before it launched?

7. Research your domain name before choosing it

Make sure the name you’ve selected isn’t trademarked, copyrighted or being used by another company. It could result in a huge legal mess that could cost you a fortune, as well as your domain!

8. Secure your domain name fast

Domain names sell quickly. Thankfully, they’re also inexpensive, so register a domain name as soon as possible. If you’re having trouble finding an available name, domain registrars like Mango.ke will suggest alternative names during your domain search to help you find the perfect domain name. This is probably the most important of our domain name tips – if you’ve found one you like, get it as soon as you can or someone else might snap it up!