Which domain is right for me?

The first step to choosing a domain name is to choose what is called a domain extension, which is the bit at the end of a domain name like .com, .com.au or .co.uk.

Domain extensions are generally based on geographical location, predominantly countries and offer a way for you to target a specific audience whether your business only trades in a specific country or globally.

Top Level Domains (TLD's) like .com, .net and .org are the most popular domains and are used when your target audience is global.

Country Code Top Level Domains (ccTLD's) like .com.au, co.uk and others are popular when your target audience is concentrated to a specific country. This shows visitors to your website that your focus is directed towards a specific country.

Area Top Level Domains (aTLD's) like .eu or .asia are popular when your audience covers many countries in a region of the world, such as Europe or Asia.

The next step is to choose what will be your 'name' part of the domain name. This is the bit before the domain extension like yourdomainname.com.

If you are choosing this domain name for your business, you should choose a name which closely relates to your business, such as your business name (or an abbreviation), your product, an industry term which relates to your business (e.g. phonecards.eu for a calling card website), or other words which describe your business.

If you are choosing this domain for your personal needs, you can choose from any number of names, including your own name or a catchphrase. A popular choice for many personal domains is your last name, which allows you to create email addresses for you, your family and your relatives!

Top 10 tips to choosing a domain name:

Keep your domain name as short as possible
Make your domain easy to remember (use easy, short words that are descriptive)
Check the spelling of your domain name before you purchase - incorrectly spelt domains are not refundable. This however may work in your favor where your name may be commonly be miss spelt, as people will still be able to reach your website.
Consider the location of your target audience and choose a domain extension which matches. In the example where your business is located in the UK, you should register a co.uk domain and if you intend on expanding over time, it might also be a good idea to register the .com domain while you're at it as it may not be available in the future.
Register your domain now! Even if you don't intend on using is straight away, it stops others from registering it first.
Some Country Code Top Level Domains have restrictions placed on them as to who can purchase them and other requirements, such as business name registration. For more information, read our page on domain restrictions.
Consider some of the alternative domain extensions, like .biz for a business, .info for an information website or .name for a personal website.
Consider registering domains for your products as well as your business name.
Avoid using names which are trademarked by other companies, unless you have permission to do so. It is best to contact your lawyer if you have any concerns regarding trademarked names or terms.
If you're registering a .com domain, you may want to also register the .net and .org variants. This will ensure that others can't register these variants and you will protect your brand on the internet.