Your domain name ends up on your website, your email address, your business cards and your van. A little thought now saves a costly change later. These are the checks worth running before you register.
Keep it short and easy to say
Say the name out loud to someone and ask them to type it. If they get it right first time, it passes. A name people can spell after hearing it once works on the phone, on the radio and in conversation.
Shorter names are easier to remember and to fit in an email address. Cut any word that does not help people find you or recall you.
Skip hyphens, numbers and odd spellings
- Hyphens get forgotten, so visitors and emails can end up at the name without them.
- Numbers leave people asking whether you mean the digit or the word.
- Creative spellings look clever written down but are hard to pass on by word of mouth.
Also read the name as one run of letters. Words that run together can spell something you did not intend.
Match it to your business
The closer your domain is to your business name, the easier you are to find. Customers who know your name will guess your web address, and your email looks more trustworthy when it matches.
For .com.au and .net.au this is more than advice. Under the auDA rules the name must match, or be closely connected to, your company, business or personal name, your Australian trade mark, or a service, product, event, activity or premises you provide. With Vikilinks, every .au name also needs an active ABN. Read who can get a .au domain name for the full rules.
Pick the right extension
The extension is the part after the dot. Choose the one your customers expect.
- .com.au tells people you are an Australian business.
- .au is the shorter Australian option, and the name does not have to match your business name.
- .com is the familiar global choice if you sell overseas.
- .org.au is for Australian not-for-profit and non-commercial organisations.
Many businesses register their name in more than one extension, such as .com.au and .au, and point the extras at the main site. That stops someone else taking the close match.
Check the name is free to use
A domain being available does not mean the name is free to use. Before you register, search IP Australia's trade mark records and the ASIC business names register for names that are the same or very close. Check the social media handles you want too, so your name matches everywhere.
Leave room to grow
A name tied to one suburb or one product can feel too small if you expand. Pick a name that still fits if you add services or move into new areas.
Ready to look? Try the name generator for ideas that are checked live, see every domain price or search for your name.