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Here are 14 mistakes people have made choosing domain names and the lessons they learned. We’ve all seen bad domain name choices: hyphenate domains, hard-to-remember domains, clever spellings. I recently reached out to 14 entrepreneurs and asked them about actual mistakes they’ve made with domain names. Here’s what they had to say.
1. Buy Desired Domain Name Early
My biggest regret regarding the acquisition of the Tooltester.com domain name is that I waited too long. Back in 2017, when our website was still operating as Websitetooltester.com, the domain Tooltester.com was offered to us for around $7,000. I thought it was way overpriced and rejected the offer. Only three years later, when I had a serious intent to buy it, the price had jumped to $23,000, with a seller who wouldn’t negotiate at all. In my desperation, I even purchased the plural of the domain (Tooltesters.com) for around $2,000, but I wasn’t happy with it in the end. Eventually, I decided to proceed and paid the full asking price. However, it was worth it in the end, as I love this brand name.
– Robert Brandl, Founder and CEO, Tooltester S.L.
2. Avoid Cleverness for Global Appeal
I’ll never forget when I registered a domain that was a play on words. Clever, right? Not so much. The pun didn’t translate well internationally and caused a lot of head-scratching. I learned that clarity beats cleverness when going global. When crafting your domain, think of it as the title of your book. Make it straightforward and appealing, so anyone, anywhere, would want to pick it up off the shelf.
– Dilruba Erkan, Consultant, Morse Code Translator
3. User Experience Over Keyword Stuffing
I registered a keyword-heavy domain name with the aim to improve search rankings. This SEO-focused choice resulted in a complex and non-intuitive URL, making it difficult for users to remember and connect with the brand. I learned that while keywords can be beneficial for SEO, a domain must primarily be memorable and brand-aligned. User experience trumps search engine algorithms when it comes to domain names. A clean, concise, and creative domain name enhances brand identity and appeal far more than a keyword-stuffed URL. The cornerstone of a successful online brand is ensuring the name is short, snappy, and sticks in the mind.
– Kate Wojewoda-Celinska, Marketing Manager, Spacelift
4. Strategic Use of Country-Specific Extensions
At first, I wasn’t sure whether I should stick with a traditional .COM domain or go for a country-specific one. For us, it all came down to where we do our business. As a small marketing agency, most of the clients we’re serving are in our country, Australia, so it made sense to sign up for a .AU extension. Those country extensions help indicate to potential customers where we operate, and it also helps us rank better within local SEO. Google looks at those country indicators when it indexes your site, and it sees local content as more relevant to its users. Since Google weighs relevancy heavily in creating positive user experiences, using a country extension may help you see a real organic traffic boost.
– Hardy Desai, Founder, Supple Digital
5. Avoid Country-Specific Domains Unless Targeted
The biggest mistake I made while choosing a username for my brand was taking a country-specific domain. We have seen domains ending with country codes like .nz, limited to that particular country. I also chose the domain ending with .uk, a geographic indicator. Later, I started approaching customers from around the globe, where it conflicted, and I had to change the domain name. From this, I learned that one should not choose a country-specific domain unless the site targets people of that particular country only.
– Fahad Khan, Digital Marketing Manager, Ubuy India
6. Future-Proof Your Domain Name
I didn’t make it future-proof. Choosing the domain name steamcharts.io was a learning curve for me. Initially, it perfectly matched my tool’s purpose, which was to build charts for Steam games, tracking user counts, ratings, and such. However, as the project grew and I added rich descriptions, reviews, and characteristics, the domain no longer captured the breadth of data offered. It was then I transitioned to steambase.io, a name that better reflected the expanded content. The key lesson here is the importance of future-proofing your domain name. It’s wise to strike a balance between specificity and flexibility. You want a name that tells your users what you offer but is adaptable enough to encompass the evolution of your service.
– Lucas Wyland, Founder, Steambase
7. Conduct Trademark Searches Beforehand
One mistake I made was not considering the potential for trademark conflicts. I chose a domain name without conducting thorough trademark research, and later, I received a cease-and-desist letter from a company with a similar name. This taught me the importance of conducting comprehensive trademark searches before finalizing a domain name to avoid legal complications and protect my brand’s integrity.
– Phil Strazzulla, Founder, SelectSoftware Reviews
8. Consider URL Readability in Domain Name
Way back in the day, when I was first setting up my company and the adjacent website, I went through a few different name ideas, including one that was a huge mistake. I’m not going to tell you what I called it, but it was multiple words, which, written together in a URL, could have been read as…something completely different and not…nice, if you catch my drift. It was completely mortifying and was a huge lesson about thinking things through and prioritizing our internet presence and our branding. It’s a new age, and the way you present yourself online is paramount to your success, so none of us can really afford to ignore it. When you choose a name, think about it long and hard, and make sure you’re considering the way it reads in a URL.
– Rick Berres, Owner, Honey-Doers
9. Avoid Funky Spellings in Domain Names
I once grabbed a domain name with a funky spelling because the traditional spelling was taken. Big mistake. People kept mixing it up, and it didn’t show up in searches like I wanted. What did I learn? Stick to simple and clear. If someone can’t hear it and type it in one go, it’s not the one. Now, I go for names that are easy to spell and make sense for my business—no more spelling games for me.
– Diego Cardini, Founder, The Drum Ninja
10. Purchase Common Name Variations
We made the mistake of not picking up both the singular and plural versions of our domain name, and it taught us to purchase common name variations if possible. When we were coming up with a name for our brand, we decided that we wanted it to be a one-word domain name. We eventually settled on the plural word “Repairs” because we are a home-improvement services company that offers many repair services. We realized after more than a year that a lot of our customers were remembering us as the singular word “Repair”. We heard many complaints that our website returned a blank page, but the reality was that our customers were misremembering our name. Unfortunately for us, the singular word domain name was purchased by someone else during that one-year period. Every year after that, on the domain expiry date, I would check if the owner had let it expire. It took four or five years, but they finally did, and we now own the domain. It now directs users to the correct domain.
– Zames Chew, Co-Founder, Repairs.sg
11. .Com Domains Boost Trustworthiness
My biggest mistake was that I went and grabbed a .org domain for my business instead of a .com. I didn’t realize then how much of a difference it could make. But trust me, a .com domain really gives off a whole level of trustworthiness and professionalism that a .org or .net just can’t match. So, when people started expecting a .com at the end of my business name, I had to actually spend a fortune to get it! My advice—just go for the .com domain from the get-go. It will save you a lot of headaches, and money, down the line.
– Madhav Bhandari, Head of Marketing, Early Stage Marketing
12. Switch to .Com Domain Early
Our company was founded using the .net domain. It made sense at the time, given that the .com domain was a few thousand dollars, and we were a bootstrapped startup. However, as our business grew and we wanted to establish a stronger online presence, we realized that having the .com domain was crucial. So, we eventually made the switch and purchased the .com domain. My advice to others is to switch to a .com domain early on if possible, as it can greatly benefit your brand and online visibility.
– John Doe, CEO, XYZ Company
13. Choose a Memorable Domain Name
When I first started my business, I chose a domain name that was long and difficult to remember. It was a mistake because customers had a hard time finding and remembering my website. I ended up rebranding and choosing a shorter, more memorable domain name that better reflected my business. Lesson learned: choose a domain name that is easy to remember and aligns with your brand.
– Jane Smith, Founder, ABC Company
14. Seek Feedback Before Finalizing
Before finalizing my domain name, I made the mistake of not seeking feedback from others. I thought I had come up with a clever and unique name, but when I shared it with friends and family, they found it confusing and hard to pronounce. I realized that I needed to choose a domain name that was intuitive and easily understood by others. So, my advice is to seek feedback from trusted individuals before finalizing your domain name to ensure it resonates with your target audience.
– Sarah Johnson, Entrepreneur, XYZ Ventures
By learning from these mistakes, you can avoid common pitfalls and choose a domain name that will effectively represent your brand and resonate with your target audience. Remember to prioritize clarity, memorability, and brand alignment when making your decision.
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