How to choose a domain name that still works in five years

Most domain regret is predictable, and nearly all of it comes from the same handful of mistakes.

Say it out loud. If you have to spell it for someone on the phone, it will cost you traffic for as long as you own it. Hyphens and numbers are the usual culprits — people hear "domain wise" and type "domainwise".

Shorter is better, but clear beats short. A name nobody can spell is worse than a name that runs a syllable long.

Check the extension matters to your customers. In the UK, a .co.uk still signals "a British business I can ring up". If your customers are local, that reassurance is worth more than a trendy extension.

Search for it before you fall in love with it. If an established company already ranks for the word, you will spend years fighting for your own name.

Buy the obvious typos only if you can afford to. Two or three defensive registrations are sensible; twenty is a budget better spent elsewhere.

One practical note: whatever you pick, check the renewal price and not just the first year. A cheap first year followed by a steep renewal is the oldest trick in this industry.