Knowing how to choose a business name is one of the first practical steps toward launching a business — and one that new owners often underestimate. Your business name is the foundation of your brand. It appears on your website, your Google Business Profile, your social media accounts, your invoices, and in the minds of everyone who has heard of you. Choosing a name carelessly creates problems that compound over time.
This guide walks through the criteria for a strong business name, how to check availability, and the practical steps to register a domain and set up web hosting.
What Makes a Business Name Work
A good business name does several jobs at once. It needs to be memorable, easy to spell and pronounce, distinct from competitors, and ideally give some indication of what you do or who you serve. These goals sometimes pull in different directions, and understanding the tradeoffs helps you make a better decision.
Clarity vs. Creativity
Descriptive names like "Frederick Roof Repair" tell people exactly what you do. They are easy to remember, rank well for local search terms, and leave no ambiguity. The tradeoff is that they can feel generic and are harder to trademark.
Creative names like "Amble Media Group" require more marketing to establish what the business does, but they build stronger brand identity over time and are typically more distinctive and protectable.
For most small local businesses, leaning toward clarity is the smarter choice. A name that immediately communicates what you do reduces the friction between a potential customer's first encounter with your business and their decision to contact you.
Keep It Short and Pronounceable
Long business names are harder to remember, harder to fit on signage, and harder to type into a browser. Aim for one to three words. If your name requires explanation every time you say it out loud, it is too complicated.
Test your shortlisted names by:
- Saying them out loud to someone unfamiliar with your business and asking them to repeat it back
- Asking how they would spell it based on hearing it spoken
- Writing it in an email and checking whether autocorrect changes it
If a name consistently causes confusion in these tests, reconsider it.
Avoid Names That Box You In
A name that is too narrowly tied to a single product or service can become a liability as your business grows. If "Frederick Window Cleaning" eventually expands into pressure washing and exterior detailing, the name no longer fits. Consider whether your name will still represent your business accurately in five to ten years.
Similarly, avoid embedding your location in your name if you anticipate expanding beyond that geography in the future.
How to Check That Your Name Is Available
Before committing to a business name, verify that it is actually available to use. There are several layers to check.
Domain availability. Go to any domain registrar — Namecheap, GoDaddy, or Google Domains — and search your preferred name with a .com extension. If it is available, that is a strong signal. If it is taken, check who owns it and whether it is actively being used. Parked domains are sometimes available for purchase.
Trademark search. Search the USPTO database at https://www.uspto.gov/trademark to make sure your preferred name is not already trademarked in your industry. Using a trademarked name exposes you to legal risk even if you did not intend the infringement.
State business name search. In Maryland, you can search registered business names through the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation. Your chosen name must be distinct from existing registered businesses in the state.
Social media handles. Search your preferred name across the social media platforms you plan to use. Having consistent handles across platforms makes it easier for customers to find you and builds a coherent online presence. Use a tool like Namechk to check multiple platforms at once.
Google search. Simply searching your potential business name on Google reveals whether there are existing businesses with the same or similar name that could cause confusion.
If you are starting a business and need help establishing your online presence from scratch, contact us for a free consultation. We build professional websites and set up the digital infrastructure small businesses need to compete.
Registering Your Domain Name
Once you have confirmed your chosen name is available, register the domain promptly. Domains are inexpensive — typically $10–$20 per year — and waiting creates the risk that someone else registers it first.
Choose a reputable registrar. Well-established registrars include Namecheap, Google Domains, and GoDaddy. All offer similar pricing. Namecheap is often recommended for its clear pricing and strong customer service.
Register your .com first. Even if you plan to use another extension, owning the .com protects your brand. If someone else owns your .com and you are using .net, customer traffic will regularly end up at the wrong site.
Consider registering common variations. If your exact name is unavailable, consider registering common misspellings or alternative versions and redirecting them to your main site. This is inexpensive insurance against lost traffic.
Enable domain privacy. Domain registrars are required to list owner contact information in the WHOIS database. Domain privacy — usually a few dollars per year — replaces your personal contact information with the registrar's generic address, preventing spam and protecting your personal data.
Set your domain to auto-renew. Forgetting to renew your domain can result in losing it — and reclaiming a lapsed domain can be expensive and sometimes impossible. Enable auto-renewal immediately.
Choosing a Web Hosting Plan
Your domain name is the address. Web hosting is where your website actually lives. When someone types your domain into a browser, the hosting server delivers your website files to their screen.
For most small businesses starting out, shared hosting is sufficient and cost-effective. Plans typically cost $5–$15 per month and provide enough resources for a professional website with moderate traffic.
Key considerations when choosing a hosting plan:
- Reliability (uptime guarantee). Look for hosts with a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Downtime means potential customers cannot reach your site.
- Speed and performance. Page load speed affects both user experience and Google search rankings. Faster hosts provide a competitive advantage.
- Customer support. Reliable 24/7 support matters when something goes wrong. Check reviews for response times and quality.
- One-click WordPress installation. If you plan to build your site on WordPress — which is the right choice for most small businesses — confirm that your host offers easy WordPress installation.
Well-regarded hosting providers for small businesses include Bluehost, SiteGround, and WP Engine. Each offers different price points and feature sets, so compare based on your expected traffic volume and technical comfort level.
Setting Up Your Website Foundation
With a domain registered and hosting in place, the next step is building the actual website. For the vast majority of small businesses, WordPress is the right platform. It powers over 40% of all websites on the internet, has an enormous ecosystem of themes and plugins, and can be managed without coding knowledge.
Your website needs, at minimum:
- A home page that clearly communicates what you do, who you serve, and how to contact you
- A services page describing what you offer
- An about page that builds credibility and human connection
- A contact page with a form, phone number, and address (if applicable)
- A blog section for publishing content that drives organic search traffic
From a design standpoint, clean and professional beats elaborate and cluttered every time. Your website's job is to convert visitors into contacts — simplicity serves that goal better than complexity.
For guidance on the design principles that turn website visitors into customers, see our overview of professional website design services.
Connecting Your Domain to Your Website
Once your hosting is set up and your WordPress site is installed, you need to point your domain to your hosting server. This is done by updating your domain's DNS settings — specifically, the nameservers or A records — to point to your hosting provider's servers.
Your hosting provider will give you the specific DNS values to use. The process takes a few minutes to set up, but DNS changes can take up to 48 hours to propagate across the internet before your site is fully accessible via your domain. This is normal.
Starting to Build Your Online Presence
A registered domain and live website are the foundation, but they are only the beginning. From here, the work of building visibility begins. The two most important early activities for a new business website are:
SEO content. Publishing blog posts and pages that target the specific search terms your potential customers use brings in organic traffic over time. Our guide on local SEO marketing strategies covers the tactics that matter most for local businesses.
Google Business Profile. Claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile is essential for local search visibility. Our guide on Google Business Profile optimization explains the process step by step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should my domain name match my business name exactly?
Ideally yes, but if your exact business name is taken, adding a location or descriptor is better than using dashes or misspellings. For example, SmithPlumbingFrederick.com is strong if SmithPlumbing.com is unavailable.
Do I need a .com domain or will other extensions work?
.com is still the strongest choice for credibility and memorability. If .com is not available for your preferred name, .net or a local extension like .us are acceptable alternatives for small businesses.
How much does it cost to register a domain and get hosting?
Domain registration typically costs $10–$20 per year. Shared hosting plans for small business websites typically run $5–$15 per month. Budget roughly $100–$200 per year for these basic infrastructure costs.
Can I change my business name after I have registered a domain?
You can, but it involves redirecting your old domain to your new one, updating all marketing materials, and rebuilding any SEO authority your old domain had earned. Starting with the right name is far less costly than rebranding later.
At Amble Media Group, we help small businesses in Frederick, MD establish a professional online presence — from business naming and domain strategy to website design and launch. Contact us for a free consultation.