How to Find an Available Domain Name (and What to Avoid)

Finding a domain name that’s short, memorable, and available can feel frustrating.
This post shows you how to find available options and what to avoid so customers can easily reach your website.

What’s the problem?

Many business owners have a brand name picked out only to find the domain they want is taken.
This leads to confusion, compromise, and sometimes picking a name that’s hard to remember or spell.

Why this hurts your business

Customers type the wrong address and never find you
You lose credibility with confusing domain names
You delay launching your website

Quick fix you can do today

Follow these simple steps to find an available domain name that works for your brand.

Step 1: Start with your ideal domain

Write your business name clearly
Keep it short and easy to spell
Think about how a customer would type it

Example:

yourbusiness.com

Step 2: Use a domain suggestion tool

If your ideal domain is taken:

Tools show you similar available names
Try words like “co”, “hub”, “online”, “shop”
Add short location words if relevant (e.g., “London”, “UK”)

Example suggestions:

yourbusiness.to
yourbusinessonline.com
yourbusinessshop.com

Namecheap showing suggested available domain alternatives.

Step 3: Try simple alternatives

Here are small changes that work well:

Add your industry (e.g., “plumbing”, “bakery”)
Add location (e.g., “manchester”, “yorkshire”)
Add short words that make sense (e.g., “hub”, “studio”, “team”)

These help keep the domain:

Easy to say
Easy to spell
Easy to remember by customers

What NOT to include in a domain

These make your website harder to find or type:

Numbers (e.g., 123) — confusing to type
Hyphens — easy to forget
Misspelled words — customers type it wrong
Long phrases — hard to remember

Keeping a domain simple improves recall and trust.

Top domain extensions and what we recommend

You’ll see lots of endings like:

.com
.co.uk
.org
.net

Common facts:

.com is still the most recognised globally
.co.uk is great for UK-based businesses
Many extensions exist, but not all build trust

We usually recommend:

.com (global recognisability)
.co.uk (if you serve the UK specifically)

On average, there are hundreds of new extensions now, but only a few work well for business. Stick to the familiar ones above for best results.

Other helpful facts about domains

There are over 360 million registered domain names worldwide
Millions are renewed every year
Finding a good name often takes creativity, not compromise

Using real words and simple phrasing helps customers type your address without guesswork.

Tool we recommend

Namecheap

Namecheap helps you:

Search for available domains quickly
See suggestions for taken names
Compare common and new extensions easily

Affiliate link:
Click here to get started

Need help finding the right domain?

If this feels overwhelming or you want help brainstorming domain ideas,
message us and we’ll help you find a great one.