"How To" Guides for Businesses

How To Name a Business

Since some business directories, both printed and online, list business names in alphabetical order, there is some advantage to having a business name that is early in the alphabet. This should not necessarily outweigh other considerations, but if all else is equal, then a name that starts with a letter earlier in the alphabet (let's say A through E) should be selected over a name that starts later in the alphabet (especially U through Z).

An even more important consideration is whether or not an appropriate domain name is available. For businesses that are global or are located in the United States, a domain name ending with ".com" is most desirable. For a business located in another country and doing business primarily in that country, a domain name with a country code top level domain (ccTLD) ending might be just as appropriate as one with a ".com" ending. To search for available domain names for a company, see Search for a Company Domain Name.

If the company name is unique enough, the ".com" domain for the company name may be available. If not, a domain name ending with another generic top level domain (gTLD), such as ".net", ".biz" or ".info", could be used, but be advised that the ".com" top level domains are still much better. If a user is unsure or just not paying attention, it's likely that they will append ".com" to the company name, and wind up at someone else's web site if the company has registered a domain name ending with something other than ".com".

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Last updated Saturday October 7, 2006