How to Choose a Domain Name for Your Business

## Your Digital Address Your domain name is the first thing people type or see when they find your business online. Choose well — you'll live with this decision for years, and changing it later means losing SEO equity and confusing customers. ### The Rules **1. .com first.** If the .com version is available, get it. Despite dozens of new TLDs (.io, .co, .agency), people still default to typing .com. If .com is taken, .ca (for Canadian businesses) and .co are acceptable alternatives. **2. Short beats clever.** Under 15 characters. Easy to type, easy to remember, easy to say on the phone or in a podcast. Every extra character is friction. **3. Easy to spell when spoken.** If you have to say "that's flourish with a ph" or "the number 4 not the word for," pick something else. Test it: say the domain name out loud to 5 people and ask them to type it. If anyone gets it wrong, simplify. **4. No hyphens or numbers.** "best-web-design-123.com" looks spammy. Clean, simple names build trust. Hyphens are also easily forgotten when typing. **5. Match your business name.** If your business is "Aurora Bakery," get aurorabakery.com. Don't get creative with freshbakedbread.com — nobody will remember it when they're trying to find you. **6. Check social media availability.** Before you commit, search for the name on Instagram, Twitter/X, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Consistent branding across platforms builds recognition. **7. Check trademarks.** Search the CIPO database (Canada) or USPTO (US) for existing trademarks. Using a trademarked name will get you a cease-and-desist letter and force an expensive rebrand. ### Domain Pricing Standard .com registration is $15-20 CAD per year through most registrars. If a domain is priced at $500+, it's a premium or aftermarket domain — someone already owns it and is reselling it. For most businesses, there's a perfectly good alternative available at the standard price. ### At Envosta Domain registration is included free with your first year of hosting. We help you search, register, and configure DNS during onboarding — one less thing to figure out on your own.