How Is the Main Term in Your Domain Being Used?

 If your domain name is made up of a main word plus a second word, see how the main word is being use.

Let’s say your brand is ExampleTech.com.

Your first step should be to check how Example.com is being use.

If example.com is being use in a way that could cause confusion or reflect negatively on your business. You should consider selecting a different main brand.

On the other hand, if example.com is currently unused, parked, or listed for sale, there’s the potential that the domain will be use in the future in a way that hurts your brand.

It might actually be a good thing if example.com is already being used by an established company that is not in your field of business. It makes it less likely that someone else will buy the domain. Then use it in a way that negatively impacts your business. Just make sure that your own use of the main word won’t infringe any trademark rights they have.

Buy Some of the Other Extensions

 There are many domain extensions, known as top level domains (TLDs), available today. Literally hundreds!

It doesn’t make sense to buy up every alternative extension for your choice of domain. But you should at least consider the biggest ones and ones that are relevant to your brand.

For your main website, it probably makes sense to register the .net and .org version if they are available. Also take a look at new top-level domain names that are relevant to your business.

Is There a Matching New Top-Level Domain Name?

 You also need to pay attention to new TLDs (or what’s right of the dot) when you select a domain name. Many of the new TLDs were choose because lots of companies were using the terms as a second word in their domain name.

For example, businesses can now select domains that end in .group, .online, .partners, and .solutions. These are all common terms that companies already use in their domain names.

Buy Different Spellings

 If your domain name has words that can be spelled in multiple ways. Consider registering some of the most obvious ones. Examples are adviser and advisor, enquire and inquire, and theatre and theatre.

This also applies to homophones (words that sound the same but are spell differently) such as brake and break, heal and heel, and buy and by.

If your domain includes a digit like ‘5’, see if the version of the domain that spells out ‘five’ is also available.

Take Precautions but Focus on Your Business

 When naming your business and selecting a domain name. It is worth taking extra time and spending a bit more money to protect your brand upfront by registering alternative domain names.

That said, it’s almost impossible to register every potentially confusing domain name. That’s why I recommend taking some basic steps to protect your domain name. But don’t get too bogged down in it.

Exploring variations of your preferred domain name might even lead you to a new, cooler name with fewer brand protection concerns and avoid brand confusion.