Knowledgebase

Your domain name is your online identity. Pick it well, register it correctly, and you’ll save yourself years of headaches. Do it poorly, and you can lose email, website traffic, and even the name itself.

At MaineBizPros, we’ve rescued more than a few Maine businesses from domain mix-ups. Here’s the simple, no-nonsense way to do it right the first time.

Step 1: Choose a name customers can remember

Keep it short, clear, and easy to spell.

• Aim for 12 characters or fewer if possible.

• Avoid hyphens and numbers unless they’re part of your brand.

• Prefer everyday words over clever puns that are hard to spell.

Make it unmistakably you.

• Good: BiddefordPlumbing.com, PineCoastAccounting.com

• Also solid for Maine businesses: add locality if the exact match is taken
  SmithAutoMaine.com, HarborViewME.com

• Less ideal: Smyth-4U-Services-207.com

Check availability everywhere.

• Search the domain.

• Glance at social handles (you don’t need them all, just avoid conflicts).

• Think about voice: how it sounds when said over the phone.

Pick a trustworthy extension (TLD).

• .com is still king for trust and habit.

• .net and .org are fine in some cases (org for nonprofits).

• Relevant modern options can work if they fit your brand (e.g., .pro, .biz), but consider also owning the .com if available to prevent confusion.

Step 2: Register it — and make sure you own it

Register in your business’s legal name.

• The Registrant (owner) should be your company, not a vendor, cousin, or employee.

• Use a role email you control long-term (e.g., [email protected]), not a personal inbox.

Turn on auto-renew and keep a backup card on file.

• Domains typically renew annually. Expired domains can take your website and email down and may be costly (or impossible) to recover.

Enable WHOIS privacy (domain privacy).

• Reduces spam and hides your personal contact data from public lookups.

• Your business still owns the domain; the privacy service simply masks public contact info.

Red flag: If a vendor insists on registering the domain in their own name “for convenience,” say no. You can grant them access without giving up ownership.

Step 3: Understand the moving parts (Domain ≠ DNS ≠ Hosting)

• Domain registrar: where you buy/renew the name (e.g., the store).

• DNS host (nameservers): where your domain’s records live (the map that points to your website and email).

• Web host: the server where your site files live (the building).

You can keep all three with one provider or separate them for flexibility. What matters is that your DNS records are correct and accessible.

Step 4: Set up essential DNS records (so things work)

At a minimum, you’ll need:

For your website

• A/AAAA record → points yourbusiness.com to your web server’s IP.

• CNAME for www → points www.yourbusiness.com to the same place as the root domain.

For your email

• MX records → tell the world where to deliver mail.

• SPF (TXT) → authorizes which servers can send mail for your domain.

• DKIM (TXT) → cryptographic signature that proves messages are legit.

• DMARC (TXT) → policy that helps prevent spoofing and improves deliverability.

If you’re not sure what to enter, we’ll provision and verify these for you. Proper SPF/DKIM/DMARC dramatically reduces “your email went to spam” complaints.

Step 5: Lock it down and document it

• Enable domain lock to prevent unauthorized transfers.

• Record everything in one place: registrar login, DNS provider, nameservers, renewal date, and a list of all active DNS records.

• Restrict access: vendors can have their own user seats; don’t share your master login.

Step 6: Think ahead (brand protection & convenience)

Register sensible variations.

• Common misspellings or both yourbusiness.com and yourbusinessmaine.com.

• Consider defensively registering .com plus your main alternative (e.g., .pro) if you’ll use it in marketing.

Set up redirects.

• Point variations (and www.) to your primary domain with a 301 redirect.

Plan for growth.

• You can add subdomains later for services (e.g., client.yourbusiness.com, shop.yourbusiness.com) without buying new domains.

What if the domain I want is taken?

• Try a simple, professional modifier: location (Maine/ME), service niche (HVAC/Accounting), or brand phrase (Co/Group).

• Consider another reputable TLD, but watch for lookalikes that could confuse customers (e.g., your .com in someone else’s hands).

• Avoid bidding wars. If it’s parked with a high price, it may be cheaper to brand a close alternative well.

Common mistakes (and easy fixes)

• Letting a vendor own the domain.
  Fix: Transfer ownership to your business; give the vendor limited access.

• Using a personal Gmail for registrar login.
  Fix: Create a role account (domains@) and update recovery details.

• Forgetting auto-renew or using an expired card.
  Fix: Turn on auto-renew and add a backup payment method; calendar a reminder 60 days before renewal.

• No SPF/DKIM/DMARC.
  Fix: Add them now; it’s the #1 deliverability improvement you can make in under an hour.

• Mixing environments during a move.
  Fix: When migrating hosts, lower DNS TTL (e.g., to 300 seconds) 24–48 hours before cutover. Switch when staging is verified.

A 20-Minute, No-Headache Path (MaineBizPros)

1. We search name options with you and check conflicts.

2. We register the domain in your company’s name, enable privacy, and turn on auto-renew.

3. We configure DNS, website, and professional email (SPF/DKIM/DMARC).

4. We lock the domain and hand you a one-page credential & records sheet.

5. We monitor renewals so you never lose it.

You own it. We manage it. No surprises.

Print-Ready Checklist

Before purchase

• ☐ Short, clear name chosen; spelling verified

• ☐ Social handle conflicts checked (optional)

• ☐ TLD decided (.com preferred, plus backup if needed)

During registration

• ☐ Registrant = your legal business name

• ☐ Contact email = [email protected] (not personal)

• ☐ Auto-renew ON; valid card + backup card

• ☐ WHOIS privacy enabled

• ☐ Domain lock enabled

After registration

• ☐ Nameservers set to DNS provider

• ☐ A/CNAME set for website

• ☐ MX set for email

• ☐ SPF, DKIM, DMARC added and verified

• ☐ Variations registered (if needed) + 301 redirects

• ☐ One-page “Domain Info” sheet saved and shared with leadership

Final Thoughts

Registering a domain “the right way” isn’t complicated — it’s about ownership, security, and clean DNS. Do those three things well and your website and email will just work.

MaineBizPros can handle the whole process end-to-end, keep your records tidy, and make sure your brand is protected as you grow. Ready to lock down the perfect name? We’ll make it effortless.