How to choose a domain name

Seven rules that work

1. Short. Aim for under 15 characters before the extension. Short names are easier to type on a phone and fit on a business card or a shop sign.
2. Easy to say out loud. Imagine giving a customer your email address over the phone or on the radio. If you have to spell it twice, simplify it.
3. Easy to spell. Avoid unusual spellings (kwik for quick) unless that is how your brand is written.
4. Matches your business name. Customers will guess yourbusiness.com first, so make that your aim.
5. No hyphens or numbers if you can avoid them: people forget them, and “2” or “two” causes confusion.
6. Think long term. accraphones.com is limiting if you later sell laptops in Kumasi, Takoradi and across Ghana.
7. Check trademarks and social handles. Make sure nobody else uses the name as a brand, and that the same name is free on the social platforms you use.

Which extension?

• .com: the main choice for Ghanaian businesses. Everyone knows it, it works for local and international customers, and it is what people type by habit.
• .africa: the pan-African option, good for brands that sell across the continent or when the .com is taken.
• .org: for NGOs, churches, associations and foundations.
• .net: an alternative for technology and internet businesses, or when the .com is gone.
• .com.gh and Ghana’s other extensions: these need an application to the Ghana registry. Ask our team and we’ll help.

More detail in domain extensions.

Your name is taken: what now?

• Try another extension: if yourbrand.com is taken, yourbrand.africa may be free.
• Add a word that describes you: yourbrandghana, getyourbrand, yourbrandshop.
• Use your town if you are local: yourbrandtamale.com or yourbrandkumasi.com.
• Check who owns it with a WHOIS lookup: an unused name is sometimes for sale.

Mistakes to avoid

• Registering in a developer’s or staff member’s name. The domain should be in your company’s name with an email you control.
• Letting it expire. Turn on auto-renewal; expired domains are snapped up quickly.
• Choosing a name too close to a big brand. It can lead to a dispute and losing the domain.
• Waiting. Good names go quickly. A .com costs ₵178 a year to register.

Register more than one?

Many businesses register the .com and the .africa of their name (and the .org or .net if a competitor could use them) and point them all to one website. It protects your brand and catches customers who type the wrong ending. If you also want a .com.gh, ask our team about the application.

Ready? Search for your name on domain registration.