How to Choose a Domain Name and Email for Your Business

Your domain name and email for your business are the first thing many clients see from you, often before your logo. “kingstudioai.com” says something very different than “kingstudio2026xyz@freemail.com”. I have registered and moved more domains than I can count since I started building websites in 2019, so here is the shortcut.

What is a domain name?

A domain name is your address on the internet: the part people type to find your website, like patricioolivera.com. You rent it by the year from a registrar, and the same domain is what gives you a professional email like hola@yourbrand.com.

How do you choose a good domain name?

Simple beats clever. Use this checklist before you buy.

• Short and easy to say. If you have to spell it out loud twice, it is too complicated.
• No hyphens or numbers, unless they are part of the brand.
• Matches your brand and social handles. Check Instagram, TikTok and YouTube availability at the same time.
• Think long term. “cheapshoesbuenosaires” boxes you in. A brand name lets you grow.
• Say it on the phone test. Tell it to a friend and ask them to type it. If they get it wrong, rethink.

.com or a local extension?

If you sell in one country only, a local extension like .com.ar builds trust there. If you sell abroad or plan to, get the .com. I work between Miami and Buenos Aires, so for my projects the .com comes first, and when I can, I also register the local version and redirect it.

Where do you register a domain, and what does it cost?

Use a well-known registrar. A .com usually runs between US$10 and US$20 a year. Before you pay, check three things:

1. Renewal price, not just the first-year promo.
2. The domain is in your name, with your email as owner, never only the designer’s.
3. Auto-renew is on and the payment card is valid. Losing a domain for an expired card happens more than you think.

How do you connect the domain name and email for your business?

A professional email is an address at your own domain, like contacto@yourbrand.com. The most common way is to use an email service like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and connect it to your domain.

1. Sign up for the email service with your domain.
2. Verify that you own the domain by adding a record in your registrar’s DNS settings (the service gives you the exact value).
3. Add the MX records so the mail arrives at the right place.
4. Add SPF and DKIM records so your emails do not land in spam.
5. Send a test to a Gmail and an Outlook account and check it arrives in the inbox.

Turn on two-step verification for that email right away. It is the key that resets every other account you have.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Letting someone else register the domain in their name.
• Using one inbox for everything without aliases like ventas@ or soporte@.
• Buying a domain and forgetting the email, or the opposite.

Your domain is the foundation of your brand, the same way a digital clone or a website is built on top of it. I talked about that in building a personal brand with an AI digital clone and about what a personal site costs in this breakdown. More about me on the home page.

— Patricio “King” Olivera