Domain Planning Guide

AI Prompt Template

Help me plan a website domain.
- Brand: [Name] | Industry: [Industry]
- Target Market: [Global/Specific] | TLD: [.com/.io]
- Keywords: [3-5]

Provide: 5 domain recommendations, TLD suggestions, brand fit analysis, registrar recommendations.

AI Prompt Template

Generate a domain name strategy for my website.
- Brand Name: [Name]
- Industry: [Industry]
- Target Market: [Global/China/Regional]
- Budget: [Annual budget]

Output: 10 primary domain candidates, 10 defensive registrations, priority by TLD (.com/.cn/.net/.io), risk assessment, renewal cost estimate.

Domains Matter More Than You Think

Most people spend 10 minutes on domain selection: think of a name, check availability, buy it. That approach might have worked a decade ago, but today a domain is brand infrastructure — it affects first impressions, SEO rankings, and even phishing prevention.

Treat domain selection like trademark registration.

Four Qualities of a Good Domain

1. Memorable

Users should be able to spell it after hearing it once. Avoid numbers substituting letters (like 4 for "for"), hyphens, and easily confused spellings.

2. Typeable

One wrong character on a phone keyboard and you lose a visitor. Shorter is better — 8 characters or fewer is the sweet spot.

3. Brandable

A domain is a brand touchpoint. "thinkdifferent.com" has more brand value than "buycheapcomputers.com," even though the latter describes the business more directly.

4. Defensible

Failing to register common misspellings risks traffic hijacking and brand impersonation. It's like buying a house and leaving the door unlocked.

A Practical Domain Portfolio

Most sites only need three categories:

Type Count Purpose
Primary 1 Public-facing, all marketing materials
Alternate 2-3 Spelling variants, different TLDs, redirect to primary
Defensive 5-10 Prevent brand squatting

On a tight budget, secure the primary domain and the .com version first. Add other TLDs after the project becomes profitable.

What to Watch Out For

  • Never buy a domain with a history of spam penalties (check Wayback Machine and historical WHOIS)
  • Avoid years in domain names (youridea2026.com will look dated next year)
  • Complex spelling plus obscure TLDs makes domains impossible to remember or search for