This is what happened when I was setting up the website for my parents’ business which is called The Homestead House. The domains HomesteadHouse.com and TheHomesteadHouse.com were already taken. Bummer…
We ended up going with HomesteadHouseOnline.com, but we could have also used something like…
- HomesteadHouseMoran.com
- HomesteadHouseTexas.com
- HomesteadHouseHunt.com (“Is it ‘hunt ‘ or ‘hunting?’”)
- HuntStephensCounty.com (“Is it Stephens with a ‘ph’ or a ‘v?’” Also, this doesn’t speak to the “house” aspect of their business, and primarily they are offering accommodations.)
- StayAtTheHomesteadHouse.com
Another option is to use an extension other than “.com” such as .biz, .info, .net, etc., but I generally recommend against it. These extensions may get you the name you want, but if the public types in the far more familiar “.com” at the end of it, you risk getting the name you want but not the web traffic. Dot com is just too ingrained in our public consciousness.
There are few “perfect” domain selections, but thinking through your address carefully will reduce the likelihood that your customers will encounter predictable problems finding you.
Barking Dog Website Design 