Answer These 10 Questions to Help You Choose a Website Name [+ 50 Name Suggestio...

This poetic quote means that a name can distinguish various people, places, and objects but has no real meaning in itself.

When considering website name ideas, this sentiment makes a lot of sense. Selecting a website name that simply sounds cool or interesting won't get you far. It's essential to pick a name with true meaning and value that accurately represents your brand. After all, if all consumers have is your website name, they should still be able to get a sense of your products or services.

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What to Consider When Naming Your Website

1. Do you already have a brand name you can use for your website?

A website name is important, but it shouldn't differ from your brand name if you already have one. Consistency is key, so you want consumers to easily locate you across platforms.

If you are launching a new business with a website and need some tips on how to come up with a brand name, read on for further considerations.

2. What type of website are you looking to create?

It's key to assess what type of website you are creating, as this can largely affect the name you desire.

For instance, a business eCommerce website selling a brand's products may be more inclined to select a name that relays what consumers can purchase. An educational website may prefer a more serious name. And a clever, creative name may be more suitable for a blog sharing information and expertise.

Pro tip: Check out our list of different types of websites to help inform this decision.

3. What are the key factors that differentiate your website from competitors?

As we've clarified, a name is nothing without meaning to back it up. So, think about some key features or factors of your brand that set it apart from competing websites.

There are many CRM businesses in the world. What differentiates HubSpot from the masses is that it's a comprehensive, all-in-one customer platform that allows organizations to handle the entire customer lifecycle from a single place. We also have a fierce passion for and focus on inbound marketing, which is incorporated into every aspect of our product.

For this reason, the name "HubSpot" makes total sense. We positioned our product as a central "hub" for all teams to intersect and the dedicated "spot" for all things inbound marketing.

4. Is the name available?

Before you get too attached to a new website name, you must ensure it isn't already taken. You can do this by utilizing a domain registration site, like GoDaddy. GoDaddy allows you to search for the website name you want, and the site will check if it's available.

I searched "hubspot" as an example on GoDaddy.

As you can see, GoDaddy informs me that hubspot.com is already taken (duh!). It offers two options. Either, I can click Buy It Now, which allows me to work with a personal expert broker who will negotiate a price with the website owner to see if they are willing to sell it to me. Or, I can purchase the site-generated website name alternative, which is nucleusspot.com.

Either way, this is a good tip to ensure you have the sole rights and ownership of your new website name.

Pro tip: Consider the cost of the domain you want to purchase. Is the website name worth the cost? Is there a similar domain that works just as well for a fraction of the price? Play with different extensions, synonyms, dashes, and periods to find something that works for you.

5. What message do you want visitors to take away from your website?

Lastly, it's vital to consider your main goal for your new website. Is it increasing brand awareness, targeting a new audience, or increasing sales? Whatever it may be, your brand goal should be part of your website name assessment.

For instance, if your goal is brand awareness, it may be helpful to include your product or service in your actual website name, so that your website's purpose is clear to visitors. Alternately, if your goal is targeting a younger, digital audience, it may be beneficial to use a trendy name that will capture the eyes of Gen Z consumers.

How to Name Your Website

Let's say I'm launching a new online skincare business. Since I won't have a physical storefront, I'll rely on the success of my website. Below are the steps I will take to name my website.

1. Determine your business specifications and features.

As mentioned previously, it's important to know what sets a company apart from competitors. For my faux business, I know I care deeply about sustainability - my products are environmentally friendly, and all packaging, including shipping materials, is compostable.

In addition, my products are made by and for people of color, with an emphasis on skin concerns that matter most to this community. This includes combatting hyperpigmentation, dry skin, and skin bleaching, providing sunscreens that don't leave white residue on darker skin, and overall inclusivity of skin tone.

These are the types of specifications that I will keep in mind as I name my website.

2. Consider the angle of your website name.

There are many ways to provide an angle through a name. I could go for humor, with a name that's a play on words or an inside joke for my audience. I could also consider something edgy and iconoclastic to stand out as influential and original. Or I could even go for simple and direct if I want my name to be no-nonsense.

For my business, I want my angle to be empowering. My skincare line is all about empowering people of color to use products specifically curated for them, all while feeling good about doing right by the planet. This, to me, screams empowerment and authenticity.

3. Brainstorm keywords attached to your brand that could work in a name.

Now that I know exactly what the key factors of my brand are and the angle with which I want to approach it, I can start brainstorming website name ideas. However, it's not so easy to think of the perfect name off the bat, so I'll first ideate keywords and phrases related to my company.

• Services-related. Skincare, skin, makeup.
• Mission-related. Environment, environmentalism, sustainability, eco-friendly, women, women of color, people of color, brown girl, skin tone, melanin.
• Angle-related. Empowerment, self-love, diversity, inclusivity, self-care.
• Product-related. Moisturizer, cleanser, toner, serum, gel, sunscreen, cream, mask, exfoliant, lotion, balm.
• Industry-related. Beauty, natural, clean, hydrating, protection, soothing, glow, shine.

Now that I have a strong list of relevant keywords and phrases, it will be easier to string terms together and visualize a name that brings my website to life.

4. Double-check that the name doesn't resemble a competitor's name.

I've settled on a few name options from my ideation session. It's good to have a few choices, in case one or more are already in use. My final choices are Brown Girl Beauty, Melan(In)clusive, and Skintone Skincare.

As mentioned earlier, I will first check if the website names are still available. My search results show that browngirlbeauty.com is taken, but browngirlbeauty.shop and brown-girl-beauty.com are still available. Melaninclusive.com and skintoneskincare.com are both available.

Now that I have guidance on which website names are and are not open, I can do some quick research to ensure no direct competitors share the same or similar names.

I quickly realized there already is a South Asian-inspired cosmetics, apparel, and accessories brand called Brown Girl Beauty. While not exactly the same, the products and message are close enough that I wouldn't want to name my website something so similar. Therefore, I will nix this website name idea.

Neither SkintoneSkincare nor Melan(In)clusive produced direct competitor results, so either could be a safe choice.

5. Test out your name options.

Since I have two website names that I feel confident about, now is the time to test out the names. If you can conduct a proper research study group with A/B testing, go for it! I don't have the resources to do this, so I will poll both names with a mix of friends, family, and colleagues who are skincare product users and/or people of color to determine which name performs best.

I selected 20 people to poll, aged 23 to 58 of varying genders, ethnicities, and skincare product usage. I supplied the name skintoneskincare.com to half the group and melaninclusive.com to the other half. I asked a series of questions, such as "What do you think this brand sells?" "What does the website name make you feel?" and "Would you purchase from this brand?"

My results showed that melaninclusive.com performed better, as my peers felt the name was clear in its purpose, clever in wordplay, and unique compared to the names of major skincare competitors. While skintoneskincare.com still had decent results, some people felt the name was too generic and that the product niche wasn't obvious.

I also personally like the idea of trademarking a new name with Melan(In)clusive and feel the name best represents my angle of empowerment and authenticity while getting across one of my two main differentiations (inclusive skincare for all skin colors). So, I've finally landed on my new website name!

Pro tip: Test your ideal website name as a domain to make sure you like the way it flows in the URL. Multi-word website names will likely appear as one long name in the URL, so they should still be clear and represent the right message.

Take it further: Coming up with your name is just the first step. Using sites like WordPress to build a website can make the process a bit easier, but check out our WordPress launch checklist to ensure you have everything you need to establish your site with success.

5 Tools to Help You Name Your Site

I've compiled the five best tools from my experience testing out website name generators. Use any of these to support you when coming up with a custom domain.

1. NameStall

NameStall offers different types of website name generators, including a two or three-word generator and rhyming generator. You can search any keyword or phrase to receive a lengthy list of website names based on top keyword terms.

The tool shows all relevant website domains using the exact searched keyword and whether or not they are available. Below this section, you can see a long list of website name ideas in alphabetical order inspired by your chosen keyword and using other popular keywords.

You can also brainstorm directly on this tool. The Domain Brainstorm tab allows you to select word categories related to your website and enter a keyword to generate website name combinations.

What I Like

• This tool is very comprehensive in that you can search for different kinds of website names (multiple words, rhyming, random) based on your preference.
• The Domain Brainstorm tool is a great way to discover related groups and terms to get the ball rolling on your own brainstorming.
• There are several other helpful tools, such as Brand Name Generator, which specifically helps you find creative brand names, and High Paying Keywords, which can help ensure you incorporate some of these terms into your website name.

What I Don't Like

• The lists generated by a search on this tool are so long that it's exhausting to try to go through them all.
• In the same vein, this can sometimes be a "quantity over quality" tool, so you're receiving every possible website name option, rather than the ones that make the most sense.
• You can only read through a few search result pages before receiving a message stating, "Your free limit is over. Upgrade to a paid member."
• The website has an outdated appearance compared to other options on this list.

2. Lean Domain Search

Like GoDaddy, Lean Domain Search allows you to search for a website name to check if it's available. However, this tool provides more than just that confirmation.

You can first see if the domain is available, but the site also spews thousands of related website names inspired by your keyword.

What I Like

• This tool is super simple to use and has just one capability. I like that, though, as it knows its purpose and does the job well.
• Unlike NameStall, the website name ideas generated by a keyword search make more sense to use and are much more plausible website names. The website uses solid technology to ensure it's not just spitting out website names with any random words attached.
• Every website name option is open for use, and Lean Domain Search says if it has a .com or .blog extension available.

What I Don't Like

• The only way to filter the website name ideas is by having your search term first or last in the name. I would like options to filter by number of characters, category, or other factors.

3. DreamHost

DomainWheel is an AI-powered tool that generates website name ideas based on your keyword search and assesses if the website domains are available. While you can use the domain name search on the homepage, I actually preferred to use the Business Name Generator tool under the Domains tab.

Using this tool, I selected three keywords: melanin, inclusive, and skincare. For the industry, I selected Personal Care Services, the option closest to skincare or beauty. When I clicked Generate, I was offered nine carefully curated business name options.

From there, I took one of the names I liked best, Melanin Glow, and took it back to the Domain Extensions tool to see if it was available as a website domain.

While melaninglow.com is not available, there are several options with different extensions, including melaninglow.co, that I could consider.

What I Like

• This ai website name generator has a beautiful, modern user interface, making it pleasant to use.
• The Business Name Generator tool provided one of the best website name selection experiences. The options provided were relevant and unique to my keyword search and industry.
• Outside of business name and domain name searches, DreamHost provides a well-rounded website experience. It is partnered with WordPress, so you can build and design a website, manage website hosting, and partake in services such as social media and SEO marketing, all from the same tool.

What I Don't Like

• It would be nice if the Business Name Generator tool immediately informed you if the name is available as a website domain. Instead, I was forced to take my preferred business names to the Domain Extensions tool to check their availability.

4. 10Web AI Business Name Generator

10Web is a tool that allows you to create a website using AI, host it, and optimize it. The site includes an AI Business Name Generator tool where you can describe your business in a few words, select the desired name length, and choose your preferred language style.

10Web provided 10 business name results based on my criteria. I thought the names made sense and were great options for my business. I then took my favorite name, Melanin Magic Skincare, to the Domains tab.

Here, I searched for the business name I preferred to ensure the website name would be available.

What I Like

• AI website name generators are naturally able to apply more context and knowledge to curate better suggestions.
• This was the only business/website name generator tool I tested that allowed me to offer more than a couple of keywords describing my company. This helped hone the results even further.
• I also liked that I could choose if I wanted a short, medium, or long name, and what style of name I was looking for. This goes along with my earlier advice on knowing your angle.
• If desired, the tool directs you to immediately use AI to generate your favorite name into a real website in a matter of minutes.
• The tool has a clean, aesthetically pleasing appearance that makes it enjoyable to use.

What I Don't Like

• It isn't clear if the business name ideas generated are automatically checked for website name availability. Therefore, I had to go to the Domain Name tool and enter my preferred name to check if it was available. It would be better if this information is automatically shared within the AI Business Name Generator tool.

5. ChatGPT

This may seem unexpected, but ChatGPT is a great option for ideating website names. ChatGPT is an AI-powered tool developed by OpenAI that accesses information from a knowledge base to answer questions and follow prompts while communicating like a human.

I decided to test out ChatGPT's skills when it comes to website name generation. Unlike with other tools, I had to be very specific to garner the desired results, so it's helpful to know what kinds of ChatGPT prompts work best for each use case.

I made sure in my prompt to request available domains, and to provide a little background on my business to give ChatGPT the information it needs to offer the most relevant ideas. This was a successful experiment, as it provided 10 unique website name options, all with brief descriptions that tied back to my skincare line.

What I Like

• ChatGPT is a tool many people already use in their day-to-day lives. It's ideal to use a tool for website name generation that you're already acquainted with.
• The tool's human-like responses are helpful because I could confirm that ChatGPT understood my prompt and provided me with the exact kinds of results I was looking for.
• This is the only tool I tested that described why it suggested a certain website name and how it relates to my business.
• Due to the nature of this tool, I could provide as much information as I wanted on my website to assist ChatGPT in its response.

What I Don't Like

• While the tool confirmed that it checked domain availability for all its suggestions, it did prompt me to double-check its availability. As of my writing of this post, ChatGPT was last updated in August 2023, so it can't confirm if any of the suggested website names have been purchased in the last year.

50 Website Name Suggestions

To help guide your website name brainstorming, check out some catchy names for websites I curated within popular industries.

Pro tip: Coming up with the name is just the first step. Using sites like WordPress to build a website can make the process a bit easier, but check out our WordPress launch checklist to ensure you have everything you need to establish your site with success.

Marketing Website Names

• Eye on the Prize
• Propel Agency
• Unwritten Stories
• Through the Funnel Media
• Ignite Your Brand

Technology Website Names

• Focal Innovations
• Device Dreams
• Mobile Metamorphosis
• Tech Nucleus
• CyberWeb Technologies

Social Website Names

• SolutionGram
• Impressions Innovation
• On the Pulse Social
• Trend Followers
• Growfluence

News Website Names

• A Day in the Life
• Novel Times
• Critical Chronicles
• The Real Record
• Today & Tomorrow Magazine

AI Website Names

• Gen AI Hub
• Innovation Content
• Spark Visionary
• Future Is Now
• Light Bulb Intelligence

Publication Website Names

• Booked on Books
• Footnote Publishing
• Paperback Mania
• Binding Publishers
• Novel Novels Press

Apparel Website Names

• Cotton Couture
• Fashion Phenomenon
• Fit For a King
• Garment Tent
• Retro Rage

Personal Care Website Names

• Hydrate 'n Glow
• Skinutrition
• GlossyBar
• Healthy Happy Skincare
• Hydraceuticals

Real Estate Website Names

• HomeGrown
• A House Is Not a Home
• Urban Lodgings
• First-Rate Flats
• Swell Dwellings

Personal Blog Names

• Journal A Day
• Words For Thought
• Early Bird Column
• A New POV
• Breaking the Rut

A Website Name To Inspire

As business owners, it's easy to get bogged down by what your business wants to create or change. Of course, those things are important - you should always have a firm grasp of your purpose and goals.

But, what your website name makes people think and how it makes those people feel can be either favorable or detrimental to your business. A name goes a long way in providing a sense of loyalty and trust in consumers, so it's essential to ideate a name that represents your brand well, is easy to grasp, and is appropriate for your business type.

As some parting advice, consider this former Spanish tourism website: Choose Spain. While the website name seems fine and appropriate, the domain was www.choosespain.com. One closer look reveals a second, hidden meaning: www.ChoosesPain.com.

You can never be too careful when choosing a website name, which is why it's essential to practice plenty of brainstorming, utilize a website name generator, visualize the name in all its forms, and test it out with peers to ensure it's a name you will always be proud of.

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