Practical tips, pitfalls and a little common sense

Choosing a domain name seems easy. Until you actually start. Then suddenly it turns out that "that one good name" is already taken, sounds wrong when you pronounce it, or will no longer fit in with what you do three years from now. A good domain name is not a detail. It is the digital equivalent of your name tag, signboard and e-mail address combined. In this article, we share some practical points of interest that will help you make a thoughtful choice for today and tomorrow.

1. Keep it short (and preferably simple)

The shorter a domain name, the better. Not because short names are "hipper," but because they:

• are easier to remember
• are less likely to contain typos
• fit more smoothly into email addresses, social bio's and word-of-mouth advertising

That doesn't mean that everything must necessarily be 5 letters, but it does mean that it's best to be critical of:

• long compositions
• unnecessary extra words
• words you only understand when they are on paper

A domain name should work without explanation, except maybe about the meaning 😉
Did you know that Kinamo is Swahili for flexibility, for example? And we are happy to tell you that when asked. After all, it is part of our identity.

2. Check what already exists under that name

Before you fall in love with a domain name: just google it. And not just once, but thoroughly.

Search for:

• the exact name
• variants
• the name without extension

Also look beyond Google:

• do companies with that name already exist?
• Does the name pop up on social media?
• Is it associated with something you'd rather not take?

After all, you also don't want to constantly have to explain that you're not that one but that just different one.

3. Think about how the name sounds

Imagine for a moment that you have to pronounce your domain name:

• on the phone
• during a networking conversation
• in a podcast or presentation

Do you have to spell it out?
Should you explain where the emphasis is?
Should you say "with a hyphen" or "with a double o"?

A good test: Can someone independently find your website after hearing it once?
If the answer is "probably not," it pays to look further.

4. Dash? Can. But be consistent.

Domain names with and without hyphen, we often get this question.

With dash:

• sometimes more readable
• can help with compound words

Without hyphen:

• easier to type in
• less prone to error
• often more intuitive

Ask yourself when you last bothered to write the name of something with a hyphen when entering a URL or a search in search engines?

Our practical recommendation: Choose one clear main version, but register both variants if possible. That way you avoid confusion and surprises when someone types the other version.

5. Avoid numbers and special characters

Numbers almost always cause confusion:

• Do you write "2" or "two"?
• Does anyone remember them correctly?

Special characters are also technically or practically undesirable in domain names.

For readability, ease of use and fewer headaches: letters still work best.

We recommend keeping numbers and special characters for creating strong passwords with. We once wrote an article about that too 😉.

6. Choose a name that can grow with you

A domain name should fit what you do today, but also what you might do tomorrow.

Ask yourself questions such as:

• will this continue to make sense as my offerings broaden?
• does this name unnecessarily lock me into one service or product?
• will this name still fit in 5 years?

This does not mean that everyone needs an extremely abstract name, it does mean that overly narrow descriptions can start to pinch in time.

7. You can always change ... but that's no small step

Yes, you can always choose a different domain name later. But don't underestimate that process.

Changing a domain name is a bit like changing your own name:

• it costs money (registrations, technical adjustments)
• you have to change your name everywhere (website, email, profiles, listings)
• people take time to follow through
• and you often still get "mail" (emails, website visits, ... ) on your old name for a while

It's perfectly possible, but it's not a button you just flip. All the more reason to think carefully about your choice beforehand.

8. What if your ideal domain name is already taken?

This often happens. Possible courses of action:

• work with synonyms or variants
• consider another, logical extension
• check whether the domain name is actually being actively used

Sometimes it is even possible to take over a domain name from the current owner, but that is always a trade-off between importance, price and patience. We have already helped clients in this process ourselves: sometimes it pays off, sometimes it costs unfortunately.

9. Company name, brand name or descriptive?

Should your domain name follow your company name, or just be descriptive with keywords? This is not a black and white story, and depends heavily on your ambitions, target audience and growth plans. We've covered this topic in detail in a separate article.

10. It's not an exact science

We're still working on the "comprehensive study around the science for choosing the right domain name in every situation" 😉, so until that's finished ... we're providing tips like those in this article and the others on our site, which are going to be very applicable for the vast majority of cases.

Still have a doubt or a specific situation or something? Just contact our support and we will be happy to chat about it. Be sure to tell us about your idea, business, target group and ambitions, so we can think along immediately.

Did you know: about extensions

The extension of your domain name also plays a role:

• .be: logical, local, familiar
• .com: more international, often associated with brands
• .ai: pretty cool, ideal if you have a business with AI services.
• .design or .agency: creative, but slightly less obvious
• .sexy: can also be done, but maybe not for every strategy 😉

More important than "the right extension" is that the combination of name + extension feels logical and credible to your target audience.
For example, in our article on choosing between a .be and a .com, we also mentioned that it is perfectly normal to register different domain name variants and extensions.

Chosen a good domain name?

Have you found your ideal domain name? Then check on our website if it is still available.
With two clicks away you can register it right away, and you'll be one big step closer to your online presence.