No matter how many extension options are available today, .com is still the most popular and frequently used one. You may want to register additional domains with other extensions as a way to protect your brand. However, your website should always use .com, and any other domains can be forwarded to that main one.

Although it might not always be possible, consider adding a location or a service-related keyword to your domain. This may offer an SEO advantage if your business is based in one geographical area or if it provides a niche service.

Try to keep your domain name relevant, simple, and short. Domains should be memorable, easy to pronounce, and hard to misspell. Symbols, numbers, and abbreviations can make them more challenging to recall. Long domains usually end up being misspelled, and also make uncomfortably long email addresses.

Registering a domain is simple and affordable. You should always have full control over your domain. When you allow someone else to register it, you become dependent on that person to renew it for you. You also risk losing the domain if you ever lose contact with them. And unfortunately, some people could hold it for ransom if the business relationship ends badly.

Keep the registration information on file. The convenience of auto-renew payments and 5+ year registration bundle pricing makes it easy for people not to think about their domain for a very long time. But that can be a problem when there is a need to update payment information or make changes to their settings. People tend to forget where it’s registered or struggle to figure out the login for their account.

If your domain is regularly misspelled, register another domain with the common misspelling and forward it to the correct one. This will help users find your site regardless of having that typo.