Your domain name is your web address, the thing people type or read out over the phone. It goes on your van, your business card and your invoices, so it is worth ten minutes of thought before you register it. Changing it later is possible, but it is a nuisance.
What makes a good domain name
It is easy to say out loud. Imagine telling a customer your address over the phone. If you have to explain how to spell it, it is too hard.
It is easy to type. Short is good, but clear matters more. Avoid hyphens, numbers and unusual spellings where you can, because people will get them wrong.
It matches your business name. If you are Jones Electrical, then joneselectrical.com.au is ideal. If your exact name is taken, add something sensible, like your suburb or trade, rather than a random word.
It will still suit you in five years. If you put a suburb in the name and later cover three regions, the name will feel too small. If you put a word like "cheap" in it, you may regret that too.
It does not look like someone else's. If a similar name belongs to a different business, customers can end up on the wrong site. Search the name on Google before you commit.
.com.au, .au or .com?
These are the three you will hear about most.
- .com.au is the most familiar ending for Australian businesses. To register one you need an Australian presence, such as an ABN or ACN. For a business serving Australians it is a safe, recognisable default.
- .au is a shorter ending, so yourbusiness.au. It also needs an Australian presence. Some businesses like the short look. If you already hold the .com.au, it is worth checking whether the matching .au is still available.
- .com can be registered by anyone anywhere. It is a reasonable choice if you also work overseas. Local customers often type .com.au out of habit, though, so check what the .com.au version of your name leads to.
If you are Australian and not sure, choose .com.au. If the short .au suits you better, that is also a fine option. The important thing is picking one and using it everywhere.
Register it in your own name
This matters more than the name itself. The domain should be registered to you or your business, with an email address you read, in a registrar account you can log into. A registrar is simply the company that sells and manages domain names.
If someone else registers it on your behalf in their name, they control your web address, and with it your website and often your email. Our guide on who actually owns your website shows how to check in ten minutes, and domain, hosting and website explains what each piece is.
For anything we build, the domain is in an account registered in your name. That is how it should be done, whoever you hire.
Practical steps
- Write down three or four name ideas based on your business name.
- Say each one out loud and type it. Cross out anything awkward.
- Search each on Google to see if another business already uses something similar.
- Check availability on a registrar's website. Read what the renewal price is, not only the first year.
- Register it with your own email address and your own payment details.
- Put the renewal date in your calendar, and use an email address you will not lose.
Things to avoid
- Registering a pile of variations you will never use. One good name is plenty. One or two extras to catch common typos is enough.
- Letting a friend, relative or former designer register it for you "to help". Good intentions go wrong when people move on.
- Ignoring renewal emails. A domain that lapses can take your website and any email on that address offline.
A name does not decide where you rank
A good domain makes you easy to remember and easy to find by name. It is not a shortcut to the top of Google. We cover what does matter in why your website is not showing up on Google.
You do not need to pay anyone to do this
Picking and registering a domain is something most owners can do themselves in an evening. The only part that really matters is that it ends up in your name. If you would like a second opinion on a name, tell us about your business and we will happily give one on a free 15 minute call.