We learned a painful lesson with Tutorbase. Using separate domains for our different tools made customers question if we were a legitimate company. Once we consolidated under one domain, that feeling disappeared. So here's some free advice for anyone building something: figure out your domain early and stick with it. It saves you a lot of customer confusion and awkward conversations later on.
The biggest mistake new tech businesses make is underestimating how much a domain name impacts trust and credibility. When we rebranded from Terkel.io to Featured.com in 2023, we saw an immediate increase in trust from prospective customers and partners. It was one of the toughest decisions as a cash-constrained startup, but people simply trust a company more when they see a premium domain name in their inbox or when subscribing to a service. I've also owned and operated more than 300+ domain names. My last agency, which operated under the domain name markitors.com, ranked on page 1 of Google for the term "digital marketing company" for 5+ years. It was a deliberate misspelling that performed well, but certainly not as clear as Featured.com. I also own HelpaReporter.com, a legacy domain that is functional, memorable, and has lots of history associated with it. The moral of the domain name story is, a name is what you make of it. Some names have a more clear head start, and others have a higher potential ceiling. But, with grit and grind, any domain name can be made into a viable business. It's just determining how much headwind, or tailwind, you want working for or against you.
Tech founders often try to get a short domain by dropping vowels or using creative spelling. This hurts you in the real world. If you have to spell your website out letter by letter every time you tell someone about it, you have failed the first test of marketing. You want to remove friction, not add it. If a potential client types your name based on how it sounds and ends up on a competitor's site, you have lost a sale before you even started. Another major error is tech businesses picking a domain that limits that growth. For example if you include a specific technology or a specific city in your URL, you trap yourself. You might pivot in a couple of years based on market feedback, but your domain will still be tied to the original idea. Changing it later isn't easy, and it can hurt your search rankings. It's safer to pick a name now that gives you room to grow.
Hi, I'm Andy Zenkevich, Founder & CEO at Epiic. One of the biggest mistakes businesses make when choosing a domain name is treating the domain as an afterthought. It's fine to "get whatever .com is available for $10 or $20," but when you're spending hundreds of thousands building a great product, marketing it, and hiring a team, the domain probably belongs to the subset of your work that deserves a little more attention than it actually gets. I've seen dozens of startups forced to rebrand, pay a fortune to acquire a domain, or lose mindshare to competitors with better names. If you think a crappy domain or $10 shortcut is no big deal, consider that insecurity about your name might cause logical partners to hesitate about promoting it or adding it to conferences and other organic appearances. I worked on a recent SaaS domain switch for a client, and simply switching from a cheap .co domain to their .com led to a jump from 2,000 to 4,500 weekly branded search impressions - because people trusted Google more, and were more likely to search for the thing with the good name. And that can lead to bigger problems - it's also the door you're leaving open to scammers. Domains are real estate. And negotiating them is no different from a real estate deal. If a founder is feeling powerless because an investor is the registered owner of the ideal domain, remember the network is only as powerful as the nodes it has to travel through, and you're motivated enough to figure it out. In many cases, these domain owners are open to phased deals that lead to lease payments, partial cash, equity commitments, and a bunch of other ways to create value. At a minimum, if you're planning to spend on infrastructure, marketing, and your team, I would budget realistic figures on the domain - a decent one often costs $20,000 and can go up to $100,000 or more. And when you can, not only buy the .com, but buy the ones you might want to defend too - name.ai, name.io, name.dev. Big brands like Apple and Google lock down 100 domain names. You don't need that many, but it's worth getting a few because it can save you brand erosion and drama for the rest of your life.
Hello there! I'm Nikola Baldikov, an SEO specialist with over 10 years of experience in the industry. I'm the founder of SERPsGrowth, a digital PR and link building agency helping brands grow their online visibility. I'm a contributing author at Entrepreneur.com, and my insights on content, SEO, and branding strategies have been featured in HubSpot, The Drum, the Content Marketing Institute, and more. I believe I can answer your question. Something I've noticed working with SaaS businesses is that many fail to conduct thorough background checks. There are always risks associated with purchasing a used domain, but if you buy a domain that's been used for spam or link schemes, you inherit suppressed rankings, unstable traffic, and months of cleanup work. Google is explicitly calling out expired domain abuse as a manipulation tactic, so even without a visible penalty, it can be hard to surpass the shadow ban. So, before you buy, I recommend looking for these red flags: - previously hosted low-quality content (casino/pharma) - near-zero indexed pages, spammy backlinks - sudden topic/geo shifts - any history of manual actions in Search Console You can also perform a quick 20-minute audit by running "site:" search and look for any topic flips in the Internet Archive. Previously built backlinks can be beneficial if you buy a used domain, but you need to look out for obvious manipulation. Search for brand reputation mentions and verify Search Console access pre-transfer. And if you've already bought a dirty domain, don't 301 it into your clean site. Stand it up separately, remove what you can, use disavow sparingly, and rebuild with original content. I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions. Cheers, Nikola Baldikov Website: https://serpsgrowth.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikola-baldikov-7215a417/ Headshot: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DiSZ3Eh4eXTZVHrEWAWHm4RReQRbqJCa/view Email: nikola@inboundblogging.net
One of the main errors I notice to be common with startups in the tech industry, while selecting a domain name, is choosing a name that only applies to their present situation, rather than their future role. Your domain is more than just a URL; it is a brand asset with a long-term perspective. Invest in it and do it right! Cleverly spelled names, obscure extensions, and hyper-niche names do not happen to be the main factors, but are rather the founders' attachment because they are available and inexpensive. However, if a customer cannot spell it, remember it, or make an instant association with your brand, you will be creating unnecessary friction. From the viewpoint of SEO, picking a domain that is not clear or relevant can also restrict visibility before even entering the market. The most intelligent and wise way is to think scalability first: select a domain that can expand along with your product, your audience, and your positioning. Do not give yourself a name that you will outgrow in two years - rebranding is much more costly than obtaining the right domain at the very beginning.
The biggest mistake new tech businesses make when choosing a domain name is selecting something that only fits their current product rather than their long-term vision. If people can't type or recall your domain name easily, they won't visit. Trendy names, hyphens, double letters, and quirky spellings only look modern, but this usually slows down discovery. Whenever the business evolves, the domain is likely to feel outdated and lose its credibility, and this eventually needs expensive rebranding, domain migrations, and lots of SEO work. Another issue is that most businesses take competitor analysis lightly while picking domain names, and choose domains similar to other players in the market, which confuses. A great domain should pass the "radio test" like if someone hears it once, they should be able to type it correctly. That's the true test of usability and branding. From my experience, I suggest choosing a domain that aligns with the brand you want to become 3-5 years from now, not just the product you are launching today. This helps to maintain the brand consistency and avoid other expenses in rebranding and scaling the domain.
Hello, My name is Phil Santoro and I'm a Co-Founder of the startup studio Wilbur Labs. We identify big customer pain points and build businesses to solve these problems. Since 2016, we have built and invested in 21+ technology companies, which means I pick LOTS of domain names across our portfolio. I joke that half my job is picking and negotiating domain names - which is a painful process now. The single biggest mistake tech founders are making right now is anchoring their brand to a .ai domain. It's very trendy today but it's a short-sighted play that will age poorly. We are rapidly approaching a reality where every company is an AI company, and having it in your domain name won't be a differentiator - it will be a redundancy. "AI fatigue" is already starting to take over and it will get worse. Customers are becoming skeptical of AI marketing buzzwords. They don't care how the sausage is made, they just want the best product and service. The most successful companies will integrate AI seamlessly in the background to better serve customers, not flaunt it in the domain name. I always advise our companies to go for a .com domain name, no matter how much AI they are packing. A .com domain remains the gold standard because it signals immediate trust, legitimacy, and longevity. A .ai domain screams 'we are a tech experiment,' but a .com says 'we are a business.'" Best, Phil https://www.wilburlabs.com
"The mistake that I see most often with domain names is not simply poor choices when it comes to branding; it's also issues with signaling. Founders focus most of their time and energy on logos, pitch decks, and everything else; however, it is also important to focus on domains and not just quickly fill them out at the end of everything. Domains are often the first technical touchpoint that customers, investors, and security teams see. And security teams often see them first as well. In cybersecurity and SaaS especially, deals have been slowed down just because of domains that provided quiet warning signs, odd extensions, naming inconsistencies with the product or variants that seemed like they could have been used to phish. Nothing was technically wrong; however, emails were silently sent, and trust was lost. Learning that sort of phenomenon late in the process is a painful lesson. The greater mistake is choosing a domain name based only on the current product. The first product is probably going to change at some point. And the same goes for the market. However, the domain name is the front door and that is going to stay the same. My advice is to choose a name that the future business will not have to be embarrassed by. Founders often do not expect the ease that comes when this is done right from the start." - Yuying Deng, CEO of Esevel
As the CEO of Tuta Mail, I've seen firsthand how important the choice of a domain name is for a tech business. At Tuta, we used to operate via tutanota.com, and recently rebranded by switching to the shorter and more memorable tuta.com domain. What we learned from this: It is often underestimated how important a short and easy domain and a great top level domain - like .com in our case - is. Many brands come up with creative domains under top level domains no one has ever heard of or where the top level domain is part of the brand name. While this might look fancy, it is actually very confusing because people can not remember such a domain as they will not be able to place the dot at the right spot. In addition, a renown top level domain is important for brand reputation as well as search engine optimization. It's easier to rank such a domain as it signal more brand credibility. Another big mistake new tech companies make - and we at Tuta also did this when settling on tutanota.com - is to come up with a domain that only fits the current product. Startups and their products change quickly, and a domain that's too long, too niche, or too difficult to spell can hinder adapting to these changes. That was a key insight we had when we rebranded from tutanota.com to tuta.com: We needed a name that was simpler, more global, and that was a better match with our mission to build the most secure, privacy-first communication platform (not just an encrypted email solution). The best tip I have for startups is: Choose a domain name that supports your vision, so where you want your company to be in five years, not just where you are right now. It should be short, easy to remember, and it should have a reputable top level domain ending.
When it comes to domain names, I often see founders becoming overly creative. In an effort to stand out, they choose a fashionable name or one with unusual spelling. This is clearly isn't necessarily synonymous with clever, and that's the rub. Your domain is already dead in the water if people can't spell it after hearing it even once. They'll try, but surely will fail because they will spell it wrong and can't locate your website. A name must be able to be transcribed accurately from one's voice alone in order to receive the "radio test" approval. You could go for a catchy name like "Innov8" just because. The problem is that if they mention innov8.com, someone could accidentally type "innovate.com" and get on a rival site. Always use the common, easy-to-remember spelling that everyone can type without thinking twice. Rather than trying to be smart, I've found that just being honest gets the job done.
I believe SEO is a major factor but it often leads founders down the wrong path when picking a domain name. A common mistake is going for less recognizable extensions like .info or .biz. While they don't directly hurt your search ranking but people often do not trust them as much as a standard .com or even .ai. Founders should go for a short, clear, and relevant name that is easy to say and stick with the common extensions that are trusted right away.
I started a global branding and digital marketing firm 24 years ago. We do a lot of naming work for our clients, the first step in selecting a domain name is to create the committee or team in charge, identify who else should be involved in the process and then set the criteria. When you get buy in from the right people from the start you set yourself up for success rolling out the new name. It is a mistake not to include key stakeholders who can derail the process later on, their support creates a smooth adoption with momentum. Here are some examples of possible criteria: has versatility (works in multiple ways from course name to concept to book) is "sexy" (catches fire/engaging) can be sustainable over time (longevity) looks good sounds good when spoken contains playful element beginning of alphabet if possible URL available (this can be a big challenge) Once these are confirmed then you can start the naming exercises in an objective way. Cast a wide net for contributions then conduct market research and collect data to determine winning name that fits the criteria. It's not about the loudest voices, seniority or politics, the key is what motivates your target audiences to act/buy/click. You do not exist today if you cannot be found online. Being invisible is a terrible strategy so developing a compelling domain name increases the chance your first impression is strong. The goal is to create a distinct brand to differentiate from competitors and improve your search rankings. Names are very important from a branding standpoint. I prefer .com for businesses and always recommend doing trademark searches and registering your name which you will then have to protect legally if anyone else tries to use your mark or leverage your goodwill. It's a mistake not to protect your mark after going through this process.
The biggest mistake founders make is treating a domain like a creative decision instead of a strategic one. Your domain is not marketing. It is infrastructure. When companies lock themselves into names built around a feature, a trend, or a moment in time, they quietly restrict their own future. Another mistake is failing to defend uniqueness. If your brand is not distinct, you will spend years just trying to own your own name in search. The strongest domains do not chase attention. They remove friction from growth.
The biggest mistake tech businesses make when selecting a doming name is not getting the best brand that can be protected. First, just because a domain is not available on GoDaddy it may still be available for purchase. Do a WhoIs search and reach out to the owner if there is not an active website at the domain you want. Second, make sure you can protect the name - at a minimum do a quick trademark search at uspto.gov to make sure someone doesn't own the trademark for the name you are considering. Here is the link to do a simple trademark search: https://tmsearch.uspto.gov/search/search-information if this is a funded company hire a lawyer for a full trademark evaluation.
Underestimating how much trust the domain name communicates. Your domain name serves as the first impression you make on a prospective customer. They will have a formed opinion about your business based on your domain name long before they read a single line of copy. In SaaS and dev tools, many people assume that the failure point is branding or SEO, but the biggest issue is credibility. If your domain name appears cheap, inconsistent, or hastily chosen, users may assume that your product is of the same quality. I often see this with many tech startups settling for mismatched TLDs or domains with unnecessary prefixes, such as 'app,' because the clean version was unavailable. While such choices may seem harmless, technical buyers see them as a red flag. If your domain name feels like a mere placeholder, they instinctively question your reliability. Therefore, it is essential to treat your domain name as a security and trust asset. Before settling on anything, ask yourself if it looks like a product name that a technical buyer would trust with sensitive workflows. If the answer isn't an emphatic yes, keep searching.
Founders often mess up their domain names. They pick broad keywords hoping to get more traffic, but from what I've seen with healthcare clients, a specific name attracts the right customers. Generic domains just get lost in the noise. You're better off figuring out what your actual customers search for and making your domain match those terms.
In the edtech space, picking the wrong domain is a big mistake, especially in a country like India. We went back and forth on a broad global domain but switched to region-specific ones. The change was immediate. Suddenly, more tutors and students trusted us and signed up. My advice? If you're in multiple regions, start with the domain people recognize. It builds credibility from day one.
Don't make the mistake I did with my first startup. We picked a domain that fit our small initial market perfectly, but it became a joke when we tried to expand. Changing it was painful and expensive. My advice is to choose a name that gives you room to grow internationally, even if you're not planning to right now. You'll save yourself a major headache down the road.
I see too many startups get tripped up by a domain that's hard to spell. The team loves their clever name, but customers mistype it and you lose them. That's a killer. A short, memorable name that's easy to pronounce is just smarter. People can actually find your site and tell their friends about it without getting it wrong.