How to choose a good domain name for your business

Why choosing the right domain matters

Your domain is your business's address on the internet: what customers type in the browser, what is printed on your business cards and what comes after the “at” sign in your email. You can change it later, but that means redoing printed materials, telling your customers and rebuilding your position in search engines.

That is why it pays to spend a few minutes on it before you register. A good domain is easy to remember, easy to say out loud and reflects your brand. If you are not yet sure how it relates to the place where your site lives, read our guide on what web hosting is.

A short name that is easy to say

Picture yourself on a phone call, giving your domain to a customer. If you have to spell it out or add “with a hyphen in the middle”, there is a good chance they will type it wrong. A few simple rules help:

• Keep it short. Fewer letters mean fewer typos, especially on a phone.
• No hyphens or numbers. They are hard to say and easy to forget.
• No ambiguous spelling. Avoid words that are written differently from how they sound, or that are easily confused when spoken.
• Tied to your brand. Ideally, use your business name. If it is taken, add a word that describes what you do or your city.

A quick test: say it out loud to someone and ask them to write it down. If they get it right the first time, you are on the right track.

.mx, .com.mx or .com: which extension to choose

The extension is the last part of the domain. Mexican extensions are managed by NIC México, and any of the three most common options works equally well for a website and email. The difference lies in the message they send:

If your business is local, a .mx tells customers you are in Mexico. If you plan to sell to other countries, a .com is usually more neutral. There is no single right answer: what matters is picking one main domain and using it consistently on your site, your email and your social profiles.

Protect your brand by registering variants

Many businesses register their main domain plus the most obvious variants: the same word with another extension, or a version with a common typo. That stops someone else from registering them and taking advantage of your name, and you can redirect all of them to your main site.

You don't need every possible combination. Start with the ones a customer might type by mistake and the extensions your competitors use.

Renewal and transfer

A domain is not bought forever: it is registered for a period and must be renewed before it expires. If it expires, your site and email stop working and, after a while, the name may become available for someone else to register. To avoid that:

• Turn on auto-renewal if your provider offers it.
• Keep the domain's contact email up to date.
• Consider registering it for several years if it is your main domain.

You can also transfer your domain registration to another provider. The general process is to unlock the domain, request an authorization code from your current provider and give it to the new one. Some extensions do not allow transferring a domain that was just registered or just transferred until some time has passed, so check that first.

Once you have your domain, the next step is connecting it to your site and email. We explain how in what DNS is.

Common mistakes when registering a domain

• Picking a name that is too long. It may look fine on a logo, but it is hard to type on a phone or spell out over a call.
• Copying another brand's name. A domain that resembles a well-known company confuses your customers and can lead to legal trouble. Before deciding, check whether the name is already used in your industry.
• Using a personal email as the contact. If that address stops working, you may miss renewal notices. Use an account the business controls.
• Registering it and forgetting about it. Write down the expiration date and check every year that the registrant details are still correct.