Selecting an appropriate domain name for your company website has become more difficult in recent years, as the most popular domains were registered a long time ago. For example, if you run a window cleaning business it would be ideal to have www.windowcleaners.com – however the chances of getting a generic domain name like this are slim.

There are many types of domain extensions, which form part of the domain name. The common ones are : .co.uk, .com, .net and .org. If you are a UK only business, it would be usual to register your domain with the “.co.uk” extension. However, it is often worth registering the “.com” variant if it is also available, as this will prevent competitors (or unscrupulous spammers) from trying to encroach on your brand.

There are a few important tips to follow when choosing your domain, which should help customers remember your brand and improve your search engine rankings:

• Keep your domain name as short as reasonably possible – this makes it easier to remember and easier to type.
• Try to use the .co.uk extension for a UK company, and claim the .com if available - this ensures you have the best domains available, and protects your brand. Other extensions such as .net/.org are slightly less well known, and .info/.biz (or any other choice you may be given) are much less well known.
• Make it easy to spell - if your company name is complex, consider registering a shortened version too.
• Avoid “Text Speak” - unless you are catering to teens, “txt spk” domain names are worth avoiding.
• Avoid hyphens – the only exception would be if the non-hyphenated version is not available.
• Avoid existing brand names - you are asking for legal action if you include an existing brand name in your domain.

It is quite possible that you aren’t able to register your first choice of domain name, so you may need to play around with the name slightly. Hyphens are a viable option if the conjoined version is already registered, but creative thinking can also yield available domains. Adding prefixes or suffixes to your domain choice can work, such as TheBusinessLounge.co.uk rather then businesslounge.co.uk. If you run a local service, you can also add your city and service to form a domain: ManchesterCleaners.co.uk, rather than bobscleaningcompany.co.uk.

You can check the availability of domains by using a tool such as www.whois.sc, this will tell you if a domain is available or not (and who owns it, if it is taken). It is crucial to pick a reliable domain name registrar to look after your domain (such as www.godaddy.com and www.easily.co.uk). It should cost no more than around £10/year for most domain names.

One final point to note is to ensure your domain name reads as expected. There have been several cases of companies registering domains, only to find it can spell something else when in domain form – such as “Pen Island” and “Experts Exchange” websites.

As with all our information in The Business Lounge, this does not constitute comprehensive business advice.