Domains
How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business
DomainHostly Team · 1 November 2026
Your domain name goes on your shop board, visiting cards and WhatsApp messages, and changing it later is painful. It is worth spending an hour on it before you buy.
Start by saying the name aloud to a friend over the phone and asking them to type it. If they ask how to spell it, the name will lose you customers. Avoid numbers that sound like words, and avoid hyphens unless the plain version is taken and you have no better idea.
Keep it short. A name that fits on one line of a visiting card is easier to remember and easier to type on a phone. If your business is local, adding your town can help: a name like your trade plus Erode tells a visitor what you do and where.
Think about tomorrow as well. A name built around one product, such as a single kind of saree, becomes a problem when you add a second product. A broader name lasts longer.
Check that nobody else owns the brand. Search the name on Google, and avoid anything close to a well-known company. A domain does not give you the right to use someone else's trademark, and you could lose the name after paying for it.
Finally, check every common extension at once. If the .com is taken but the .in is free, look at who owns the .com before you decide, because people may reach that site by mistake.