Your Preferred Domain Name is Taken? Try These 5 Pro Tips

Your Preferred Domain Name is Taken? Try These 5 Pro Tips

You’ve debated the idea of ‘should I or should I not’ and you’ve finally decided to start your website! You’ve made plans, decided on the brand name, chalked down the marketing plan and a social media strategy, and even decided your domain and hosting provider. Now all that is left to do is registering your domain name and designing your website! 

But wait, a dent in your well thought out plan. Your perfect domain name is already registered!    

So, what do you do? 

Shelve the project? Even though it might seem like a tempting option at the time, it is not the right choice! Instead, you search for the next best perfect domain name! And in this quest of finding an alternative domain name you’ve landed here, and we won’t disappoint. 

Here are 5 pro tips to help you find alternative domain names that can hopefully be close to your dream domain name.

Let’s get started!

1. Go with Your Second Best Choice 

If I were deciding my brand domain name, I would always brainstorm ideas and jot down the five best possible ones and then go with the one I resonate with the most. Chances are you might have done the exact same thing. If not 5, maybe 3? Maybe you had rejected them because the chosen one was slightly more appealing but when you think about it, choosing the second-best choice is a better choice than brainstorming all over again. And it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? 

2. Add a Verb to Your Domain Name 

Adding a verb aka an action word to your domain name can be a real game-changer. Firstly, it doesn’t alter the meaning of your brand name, and secondly, it acts as a call to action. 

Take, for example, your brand is all about handmade cards, and you thought of registering ‘handmadecards.com’. But it isn’t available. Try adding a verb as a prefix and change it to ‘gethandmadecards.com’

Some of the actions verbs that you can try incorporating are: get/try/go/do etc. 

There are plenty of action verbs, and depending on your brand identity, they will change. On a fun note, all your school grammar lessons now come in handy!

3. Add Relevant Words to Your Domain 

If verbs and grammar aren’t your thing or fit with your website domain name, you can always add relevant words as a prefix or suffix. These words may or may not be a direct influence on your brand but can portray the essence. 

Take the same above example as a reference – you can add words like memorable, beautiful, cute, etc. These are some of the words people associate with cards, in general, so why not add them to your brand name. 

4. Look at Alternative TLDs

If you do not want to let go of your domain name beyond doubt, then the only option is to look for a different TLD. A TLD is nothing but a domain extension. So, if your domain name isn’t available as a ‘.com’, you can try registering with another domain extension. 

There are several domain extensions we’ll list some of them here, so you get a fair idea what they are:

  • .art
  • .blog
  • .online
  • .biz
  • .store 

and many more.

READ: Know the Differences Between TLD, ccTLD, and gTLD 

5. Add a hyphen  

This one is a mixed tip. It depends on how you look at it. 

Adding a hyphen (-) to your domain name is a good option if it comprises of two or more words. However, some people dislike the idea of adding a hyphen as it breaks the flow of your brand name, and isn’t easy to remember.

Nevertheless, if you neither want to choose a different TLD or modify your domain name, this is the best possible alternative. 

Some of the popular brands that have a hyphenated domain name are: 

In a nutshell 

Whether you decide to brainstorm and choose a completely different domain name or try to find alternative domain names by only modifying the original, you should think about your brand. If the new domain name truly reflects your brand or not! 

We hope our alternative domain name suggestions help you find the perfect domain name for your website! 

Get going – find the perfect domain name and register it before someone else does! 

If you have any queries, feel free to leave them in the comments section below. Also, head to our Domains Blog Category to know more and stay updated.

WRITTEN BY:

H. Fatima used to be an Engineer by profession and Writer by passion until she started pursuing full-time writing. She is presently a Content Marketeer at Newfold Digital (APAC). She mostly writes what she deeply perceives and analyses, it is her way of unwinding. Her interests include writing, reading (an avid reader), watching foreign-language movies and public speaking.

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