8-Factor Score · Brandability · SEO · TLD Guide
| Factor | Weight | What Makes It Good |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 20% | Under 12 characters is ideal, under 8 is premium |
| Pronounceability | 15% | Can you say it on a podcast? Over the phone? |
| Memorability | 15% | Would someone remember it after hearing it once? |
| No hyphens/numbers | 15% | Hyphens and numbers kill brandability |
| Spelling clarity | 10% | No ambiguous spellings (there vs their) |
| TLD quality | 10% | .com is king, .io and .co are acceptable for tech |
| Keyword inclusion | 10% | Helps SEO slightly, but brand > keyword |
| Trademark safety | 5% | Not similar to existing major brands |
| TLD | Trust | Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | Highest | $10-15/yr | Everything (always try .com first) |
| .io | High (tech) | $30-50/yr | SaaS, dev tools, startups |
| .co | Good | $25-35/yr | Startups, brands |
| .net | Moderate | $10-15/yr | Tech, networks |
| .org | Good | $10-15/yr | Non-profits, communities |
| .ai | Good (AI) | $50-90/yr | AI/ML products |
| .xyz | Low | $1-10/yr | Projects, experiments |
| Country codes | Varies | Varies | Local businesses (.mx, .uk) |
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Keep under 12 characters | Use hyphens (my-brand-name.com) |
| Make it easy to spell aloud | Use numbers (brand123.com) |
| Check trademark conflicts | Use doubled letters (bookkeeper → confusing) |
| Buy .com first, add .io/.co later | Pick obscure TLDs for main brand |
| Say it out loud 10 times | Use slang that won't age well |