After subscribing to the deluxe plan, you'll have the opportunity to choose a new free domain name, like yourcommunity.com. This provides an easy-to-remember way to access your website, plus adds a level of professionalism to your website's appearance. You can also use this domain for email accounts like [email protected]. For more suggestions on choosing the perfect domain, we suggest reading our blog post, Creating a domain your community will love.
How do you choose the perfect domain for your community?
Start by choosing a domain that's relevant and memorable, and be careful to avoid some common pitfalls. Visit a website like Domainr.com and use the tips below to help choose the best available option:
Make it short. The shorter the domain, the easier it is to remember and the less likely a visitor will mistype your domain. Avoid words like "the," "my," "a," and other non-essential words.
Avoid numbers. Numbers can lead to confusion. Someone who hears "2" may not know if your domain uses "2" or "two."
Avoid double letters between words. You'll want to avoid creating a domain where the last letter of one word is the same as the first letter of the next word since it makes the domain harder to read. For example, baddomain.com.
Stick to .com. If the .com variant is available, choose it over .org. Only use .net as a last resort. The exception is for communities in countries with country-specific endings, like ".ca" for Canada or ".com.mx" for Mexico.
Append "HOA" or "POA" if needed. Try adding the abbreviation to your domain if the domain is unavailable without it.
Having trouble finding an available domain?
Some community names are more common than others. If this is the case, try adding dashes between words, appending your location to the end of the domain, or creating an acronym from your community's name.