Keep your domain name brief
Using full sentences in your new domain name? That's not a good idea! It may seem like fun to start a correspondence with your future website visitors, but less is more. Keep your domain name short and brief and try to stay well below the DNS protocol limit of 63 characters.
Avoid numbers and unusual characters in your domain name
Unusual characters and symbols also have no place in a domain name. Therefore, avoid hyphens, hashtags or other characters such as !&+ etc. It is also best to omit special letters that are difficult to understand correctly. For example, if you have two q's followed immediately by a y, this will cause confusion among the general public. Imagine that you are running a commercial on local radio asking people to visit your website. No one will be able to remember this immediately, which will increase your marketing costs. So make sure your domain name is easy to remember and write down.
It is also best to avoid using numbers. Be especially careful with the number 0, which many people confuse with the letter o. Does your company name contain this number? Then register your domain name with both a 0 and an o and set up a forward. If a visitor makes a mistake, they will still end up on your website!
First register your domain name, then your organisation
This tip may sound a little strange, because who thinks of registering their domain name before registering their business? And yet, it is best to check the availability of your domain name first. This is highly recommended, especially if your organisation is in the digital sector or you want to start a webshop.
It would be a shame to discover after registering your webshop ‘bonnets.be’ that you cannot register a website called www.bonnets.be, right?
Also make sure that your domain name is always registered in the name of your organisation. Otherwise, if your IT manager suddenly decides to start his own business, he might just run off with it!
Think out of the extension box
There are many more options than just the classic .be, .com, .net or .eu domain name registrations. Among the hundreds of extensions that exist, there may well be options that can make your domain name just that little bit more original.
Does your organisation's name end with the word “shop”, for example? Then consider the extension .shop. The possibilities are endless... Feel free to let your creative spirit run wild!
If your focus is solely on the Belgian market, choose a .be domain name. This will instil confidence in your potential customers because they will feel that they are buying from a Belgian partner. If you are not yet sure whether you have international plans, you could consider purchasing both the .be and .com versions.
Conquering new regions? Yes, please! But don't forget your domain name.
Are creative puns not really your thing? Then try a smart approach. For example, it's never a bad idea to use extensions in the region(s) where you operate.
And perhaps you are planning to grow significantly in the coming years? Then consider the extensions of our neighbouring countries. This will make your company completely future-proof for conquering new markets.
The more domain names, the better
It is also never a bad idea to register some additional domain names that are related to yours. For example, is making chairs your passion and would you like to share this with the world? Then look beyond just chairmaking.co.uk. We are thinking of names such as chairs.co.uk, chair.co.uk, chairmaking.co.uk, howtochairmaking.co.uk, thechairmaker.co.uk, and so on.
Multiple domain names have a positive impact on the brand awareness and findability of your website or webshop. Ideal for a starter in e-commerce, then. Bring on those extra website visitors!
Why register a domain name with Level27?
A smooth start for your website begins with perfect cooperation between domain registration and hosting. At Level27, this integration is offered effortlessly. It is not mandatory, but by having both services with the same provider, you not only simplify management, but also speed up the process of going online and staying online.
But even in an age where cyber threats are almost a daily occurrence, security remains a top priority. Level27 distinguishes itself with the implementation of DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions). This extra layer of security guarantees the authenticity of your website data, preventing visitors from being secretly redirected to another website.
