How to Decide on a Domain Name

The domain name is part of the website's URL.

A domain name is the single most distinguishing description of your web address. Once you've designed and developed your website, deploy it to make it visible to others using the internet. You can choose to name your website anything as long as the domain name is available.

Instructions

1. Brainstorm possible domain names that describe your website. For example, if you are a creating a site about yourself, create a list of variations on your name.

2. Eliminate domain names that exceed 63 characters, which is the maximum length a domain name can be.

3. Highlight domain names that are memorable. Poll a group of friends or family to ask which names are most memorable.

4. Narrow your domain names to a manageable list of five to 10.

5. Rank the domain names from most to least desirable.

6. Pick a domain name extension. This is what comes after the domain name. Common extensions that anyone can choose from include .com, .org and .net. However, some extensions are reserved. For example, .gov is reserved for government entities and .edu is reserved for educational institutions.

7. Find out whether your desired domain name is available. Open a web browser and visit a domain name registry. See "Resources" for links to official registries. Type your desired name into a "Search" field to find out whether the name is available. If it is, register the domain name and reserve it.

References

• Net Mechanic: Beginner Tip: How Do i Get a Domain Name?
• Rockfuse: How to Decide on a Domain Name

Resources

• Domain Name Registry
• Register Domain Names