Choosing the domain name for your website is getting trickier and trickier these days. You know you want to use a .com address, but what if the obvious is already taken?

Let’s have a look at 4 tips for creating a catchy domain name.

Let me start out by saying this — if you can get yourbusinessname.com, get it. It’s the first thing your dream client will type into the address bar of their internet browser when they go looking for you.

But what if yourbusinessname.com isn’t available? Well then, you’re going to have to put your creative hat on and start brainstorming.

Tip #1: Use a modifier

The first thing you can do if your exact business name is unavailable is to add a modifier in the form of an additional word or two alongside your name.

For example, one of my students inside of my program, Simple Start, went with “the other” before her name, which made for a truly memorable url. So, if I didn’t already own allimcauley.com, I could go with theotherallimcauley.com. Hysterical, right?

And one of my recent clients added the words “coaching with” before her first name. So, in my case, it would be coachingwithalli.com.

Tip #2: Define the end result

Answer this: what’s the outcome of working with you and can that be turned into a catchy url?

Using a strong call-to-action can be really memorable, much like a tagline or slogan. For example, when I say, “justdoit.com” you know exactly what brand you’ll see when you head to that page, right? Nike, of course!

Now your business most likely isn’t as well known as Nike, but you can still benefit from going this route.

Think about it, wouldn’t it be easy to remember a call-to-action that piques your interest or speaks directly to your pain point? For example, stressless.com, loseweightwithease.com, or startyouronlinebusiness.com.

Tip #3: Scrap the .com

The .com extension is still preferred because it’s the easiest to remember and the first thing web users attempt when typing in a url. So, if your first choice isn’t available, then I’d go for a second choice that uses .com.

However, there are many creative domain name extensions available as well, like .club, .store, and even .realtor for example. These can make for some really fun urls. Let’s say you’re a designer, then yourname.design would totally work. And if you’re a band you could easily use the .rocks extension.

Tip #4: Try a generator

Still stuck? Luckily there are a number of websites that can help by suggesting domain names based on a few key words that you type into a search bar. A few good ones are namestudio.com, domainwheel.com, and nameboy.com.

When it comes to choosing a domain name for your website, keep in mind that while it does matter, don’t stress too much if you can’t get the exact one you want and don’t use it as an excuse not to move forward.

It’s important that you don’t let this hold you back from getting your business up and running online. Simply make a decision now and change your domain later if need be.

Now if you’re thinking, “Wait a second. I still haven’t nailed down my business name!” Then check out my post on how to choose a business name.