Should I buy domains for future newsletter markets now, and where should I buy them?
Short answer
Buy them now. A domain costs about $11, and if someone else takes it you pay whatever they ask. I buy every domain on Cloudflare: it sells at cost and AI agents can manage it, so I change sites without logging in. Use the city plus a brand word. A .co is fine, and long names are fine because nobody types domains.
Domains are one of the hardest parts of launching local brands. If you haven't bought the domains for what you're planning, do it now.
Why buy before I launch?
"it's $11 for a domain. Like, you really want to take the risk. If it's gone, there is no option other than to pay whatever insane price the person who has it wants."
The downside of buying early is $11. The downside of waiting is a stranger setting your price. Decide the brand name once, then buy every market you might want.
Where should I buy them?
Cloudflare. Every domain I own is there, and if a name isn't available on Cloudflare, I don't buy it. I pick a different name.
- Price. Cloudflare sells domains at cost.
- AI agents can run it. When I need something changed on my website, I never log in to anything. Cloudflare and AI do all of it.
- One place. All domains in one account is the easiest and the best.
What if the .com is taken?
My quick pattern is the city name plus a brand word. When the .com is gone, you could do the city name with .co. I don't love it, but I don't think the extension makes a real difference. If the brand gets big enough, you can probably buy the .com later from whoever has it. Pay two grand for it or whatever.
Does a long domain hurt?
Not much. Nobody types in domains, so it doesn't matter that it's long.
How do I come up with names?
I ask AI for batches. When a name I liked for a new niche site was taken, I asked for 20 more that were very brandable and broad enough to apply to anything in that niche. Then I check each one against Cloudflare.
What does each new market cost to set up?
Less than people think on the platform side. The domain is about $11. When I looked at Beehiiv's enterprise plan in September 2025, I expected roughly $200 a month more than I was paying, then about $10 for each additional newsletter on top of the big fee. Every extra newsletter costing $10 is not that big a deal. I planned to wait until we were making real money before switching.
Pick the name system once. You'll be repeating it in every market, so naming mistakes multiply. More on brand structure in how I run many brands without losing focus.
Answered by TJ Larkin. From partner and publisher calls in 2025-2026 and my own notes to my AI agents. Last updated .