Before we write a single line of code, we often help clients choose their domain name. The domain is the part that goes in the address bar, like arcscribe.co.uk.
It seems simple, but I see many businesses make mistakes here that hurt them later. A bad domain is hard to spell, hard to remember, and hard to type. Here are my three rules for picking a winner.
1. Avoid Hyphens and Numbers
Imagine telling someone your email address over the phone. "It is bob at norfolk-plumbing-247 dot co dot uk."
You have to explain that the hyphen is a dash, not an underscore. You have to explain that "247" is numbers, not words. It is messy. Keep it letters only. If you can't get the name you want without adding a hyphen, try a different name.
2. Location Matters (.co.uk vs .com)
If you are a local business in Norfolk, I almost always recommend .co.uk. It tells Google and your customers that you are a British business. It builds immediate trust for a local service.
Use .com only if you plan to sell products internationally. For everyone else here in Norwich, .co.uk is the gold standard.
3. Keep it Short
The shorter the better. Long URLs get cut off on business cards and are annoying to type on mobile keyboards.
If your company name is "The Norwich Fine Antique Restoration Company Limited," do not make that your domain. Try norwichantiques.co.uk instead. It is punchy and it contains your keywords.
Your domain is an asset. Take the time to get it right before you print the business cards.
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