Choosing the right domain name is an extremely important decision. Believe it or not, the domain name you choose can make or break your online business. It will be featured in all your marketing and advertising, in online search results, as part of your custom email addresses, and many other aspects of your business brand.
Best Domain Registrars for New Businesses
A domain name registrar manages the reservation, registering, and assignment of IP addresses. You’ll obtain your domain name from a registrar (sort of like you buy your car from a car dealer). They provide your information to ICAAN, so registrars must be trustworthy as they have access to your private information. Here are our top three domain name registrars:
How Do Domain Name Generators Work?
Before we cover the top domain name generators, it’s important to understand exactly how the tools work and what they can do.
The tools ask you to enter one or two keywords and then do your search. They’ll also ask for the extension(s) you prefer.
For example, if your business is about diabetes, you may choose diabetes products. The search will tell you if that name is available for each of the most common endings such as .com, .net, .org, or maybe an ending that’s specific to your country. If your chosen name is available, you may not need to go further. If it’s unavailable, you’ll need to alter the search parameters.
There’s not a lot of thought that’s needed with this process but that may be a bad or a good thing. If you want extra options to help you find a name that’s more descriptive or more suitable than you can think of at the time or you simply want more options to choose from, then forget these basic sites and check out the following domain name generating sites (listed in no particular order) and grab the best possible domain name you can find.
Domain.com: Best Bundle – Domain and Hosting
Founded in 1998, Domain.com is a domain registrar and web host for individuals, entrepreneurs, and small and midsize businesses. It offers popular TLDs and more than 25 country-code TLDs, with domain name registrations for as little as $2.99 annually and a one-year commitment required.
All new registrations are set to auto-renew to prevent domain names from accidentally expiring. Domain.com also allows domain registration transfers. Domain Validated SSL costs start at $3, Wildcard SSL starts at $9, and E-commerce SSL starts at $22.50 per month. Domain Privacy + Protection requires an additional fee.
Pros & Cons of Domain.com
Pros
- URL forwarding
- Automatic email forwarding to any valid email address
- Domain transfer lock that prevents domain hijacking or unauthorized transfers
Cons
- Domain Privacy + Protection costs extra
- SSL certificate costs extra
What Customers Are Saying
This domain registrar stands out in a crowded marketplace full of competitors because it offers its customers a good deal on various tools, such as data transfers, storage, and email. For those looking for no-frills solutions with flexible pricing, Domain.com is a good choice.
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Go Daddy: Biggest Domain Name Registrar
GoDaddy is the world’s biggest domain name registrar, so it’s no surprise that they also offer one of the best tools for generating domain names.
This service is very easy to use — just enter some words that describe your business or idea, and GoDaddy will automatically create a list of domains based on those words using various domain name prefixes and suffixes.
GoDaddy’s domain name generator also acts as a domain name checker, as the tool will never suggest a domain that’s already in use. And best of all, this service is completely free.
Pros & Cons of GoDaddy
Pros
- Free demo
- Email forwarding
- Spam/phishing protection
Cons
- SSL certificates sold separately
- Pricey Wildcard SSL
What Customers Are Saying
GoDaddy is one of the most highly reputed domain registrars. People love it for its ample storage and outstanding performance. According to customers, its top benefits include its ease of use, Windows-based servers, bandwidth, and storage. Others claim it also does well in terms of speed.
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Namecheap: Most Affordable Domain Provider
NameCheap helps you discover a huge variety of domains. With their domain name checker tool, they can lead you to a hundred domain possibilities and help you get the best fit for your business.
Getting your domain name through them comes with a lot of perks including a free email trial with 2-month support for your personal or business brand. They also guarantee free domain privacy protection to keep your inbox free from spam and protect your contact details from fraud with free lifetime Whois protection and private domain registration. And, free DNSSEC security for your website that makes sure your audience discovers your online content, not someone else’s.
Accordingly, if you’ve got over 50 active domains with Namecheap, you can save money on .com, .net, .org, .info, and .biz domain registrations, renewals, and transfers.
Pros & Cons of Namecheap
Pros
- Free domain privacy for life
- Free DNSSEC security
- Email forwarding
Cons
- Free email for only two months
- SSL certificate costs extra
What Customers Are Saying
Some users have mentioned that they like the free privacy protection that comes alongside the basic domain service. Many people looking for a good deal on domains go for NameCheap because of its reasonable pricing and accompanying discount coupons. In addition, signing up is hassle-free.
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Bonus – Other Domain Generator Tools
Many domain registrars have generator tools built into their search. Take a look at these top performing domain generators.
1. Lean Domain Search
Lean Domain Search initially looks like it’s a basic domain name generator. However, after you enter in a word or two and search, you’ll soon realize its powers as the tool reveals other sorting options to help you decide.
These include: popularity, alphabetical, name length, choosing whether your word(s) appear at the start or end of your preferred name and, of course, you can check whether your domain name is actually available. Your search will also give you lots of possible names to choose from.
At first glance Lean Domain Search looks like a simple tool, however after you hit the search button you quickly realize the tool’s power and potential. This is a great tool to brainstorm and come up with fresh ideas for a domain name.
2. BustaName
Bust a Name offers you two screen options. One is a domain name search and the other is a domain name maker. Start with the domain maker and choose one word that’s extremely relevant to your business or niche. Type it into the generator and then choose your filter options.
You may want your word at the start or end and for it to look natural or not as natural. Choose how many characters you want your domain name to be and what ending you wish to use.
You can check if the domain names you like are available through that screen or you can use the domain search screen to see what’s available.
3. NameStall
NameStall offers you great flexibility when it comes to selecting the ideal domain name for your business. You can have your keyword at the start or end of the name. Or you can select a lot of different TLDs including many that are country-specific. You can even choose from various groups of words or numbers.
Examples include: 100 popular numbers, 1500 popular last words, adjectives, nouns, 500 popular four-letter words, frequently written words, and various other groupings. Why have headaches when just a few mouse clicks could see you create your very own domain name so you can get on with building your new website.
4. Looka
Looka helps you brainstorm ideas, check availability, and see logo ideas instantly. You can start with one or two words and then hit the Enter key. Looka offers you so much versatility that you may get completely confused. It is powered by AI that translates your vision into a personalized business name and logo. The results will appear for each option and you’ll need to go through each one. Using advanced algorithms, they generate names in four categories:
- Traditional names – these are tied to your industry, so they’re a good choice if you want a more literal business name that describes your products or services. These names also tend to be on the longer side (e.g. Heirloom Property Advisors).
- Invented names – these names are innovative and edgy, they’re one-word names, generally on the shorter side, and they tend to be easier to trademark and find domains for.
- Compound names – these are descriptive and modern, which is a big reason why they’re popular in the tech industry (LinkedIn, ZipSchool, PostEra). These names generally capitalize the second word for distinction.
- Multiword names – these names are just what they sound like — two descriptive words separated by a space or an “&”. These names are on the longer side, but they’re viewed as elegant and discerning.
Looka is a great way to find domain names as long as you’re prepared to spend a bit more time looking through all the possible options. Some people like this while others will choose easier domain name generators so they can achieve their goal faster.
Website: www.looka.com
5. NameSmith
NameSmith offers a degree of flexibility when it comes to generating domain names. You can start with keywords of your own or request random names to be generated.
The search will yield results based on different search types including: language, top-level domains, various word blends that may be appealing, rhymes, prefixes and suffixes, modified spelling of your chosen keyword(s), and a few other options.
It’s not difficult to find some ideal names but, of course, they also need to be available or the effort was a waste of time. Keep a note of your favorite choices because you may decide to use more than one of these generator sites if the first site didn’t yield enough choices worth considering.
6. Panabee
Panabee is an all-in-one domain name generator, domain search tool, and business name generator. The tool asks you to describe your idea using two words to provide you domain names derived from phonemes, syllables, abbreviations, suffixes, prefixes, and popular domain trends.
In addition to showing available to register domain names, this tool also tells you if the available domain name is being used as a social media username, which is great for securing your Twitter handle, Facebook page URL, etc.
7. Wordoid
Wordoid suggest made up words and the tool helps you pick short and catchy domain names for your product, company, or domain. It’s a great tool for coming up with quirky and creative ideas of available domain names for startups and small businesses.
8. DomainTyper
DomainTyper is both a free domain name search too and an available domain name finder. The tool allows you to search instantly as you type and it supports every extension.
A cool functionality is DomainTyper’s “domain hacks” suggestion. For example, a search for “business” shows that 2 domain hacks are available:
» busi.ne/ss (ne – Niger)
» bus.in/ess (in – India)
9. Domain Puzzler
Domain Puzzler is a simple yet powerful tool that comes with many options to find your perfect domain name.
The tool has three search modes to choose from. “Easy” mode let’s you check if your domain name is available. Use “Advanced” mode if you want to combine words and “Magic” suggests free domain names based numerous keyword searches and it will combine your keywords into different variations.
10. Naque
Naque is a crazy site, but crazy in a good way. You have lots of options to help you create a domain name, business name, the name of your new puppy, and a lot more as well.
You input up to five words that you want in your domain name and the site jumbles them up and gives you back some unique words you may like to use for your domain name. There are other ways to help create words, just by clicking the applicable button.
Naque is the sort of site you bookmark for later use because you never know when you need to get inspiration for names. Maybe this is the best site or maybe not. It really depends on your perspective and the sort of business you’re in and your ever-changing needs.
Conclusion
A domain name is integral to your business so you should spend time choosing the one that matches what you’re doing as closely as possible. Avoid generic names if you can. If you don’t want to use advanced techniques to find the right name, you’ll still have plenty to choose from.
If, however, you really want to be confident in your choice and stand out from the crowd, the domain name generators listed above can provide you with additional options to use when searching for that elusive name.
Here are 6 tips to help you pick the perfect domain name:
- Make it easy to type: avoid words that are easy to misspell and words with multiple spellings
- Stay away from numbers and hyphens: these are often misunderstood.
- Be memorable and catchy: remember there are millions of domain names out there.
- Use the right domain name extension: almost always use .com (eg, how many popular brands do you know that use .biz?)
- Keep it short: shorter domain names are easier to spell and to remember.
- Avoid trademarks: don’t choose a name too close to someone else’s trademark or you are asking for trouble.
Remember that each time you select a domain name, you’ll also have to pay and register it. GoDaddy and NameCheap are the largest and most popular domain name registrars. If you already have other sites, you’ll most likely use the same company.
If this is your first domain name, you’ll need to do your homework to find the company that best suits your needs and budget. Some most web hosting companies offer a free domain name for the first year. You can also check domain availability through most web hosting companies.
It’s your business and your decision so think about it before selecting the domain name that could potentially be the beginning of a very successful online business.