In today’s world, having a website with a custom domain name is important for business, but what happens when the name you want is already taken? It can lead to mistakes that you may regret down the line. But fear not, you were smart enough to learn about five common domain name mistakes and ways to avoid them!

Looking Like the Competition

Being too similar to another business’s URL can cause confusion and cheapen your brand. It potentially leads your customers to the wrong website. Some may even view you as a “knock off” of the other brand. Try to choose a domain name that stands out from the crowd, one that would only make sense for your business.

Picking a Pronunciation Problem

Choosing names that are difficult to pronounce (and spell!) make it hard for people to find your website and nearly impossible for them to tell other people about it. For example, a blog called floccinaucinihilipilificationa.tumblr.com hosts popular internet comics, but saying it or trying to share it with another person without simply linking them is a difficult task. Keep it straight forward and simple. FYNE advises your first attempt should always be your business name.

Using Excessive Dashes

You want your domain name to look neat and clean. Even Walmart removed the hyphen from its name in the digital age. If your number one choice is taken, don’t go for the-next-best-option.com. Especially avoid something like the-nextbestoption.com because users will never remember where the dash goes. Brainstorm a new option that won’t require anyone to use hyphens.

Going Too Long

Most successful business domains are one word. Think of sites like Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Spotify. The URL is the name of the business and it’s brief. Longer URLs provide more room for typos, which means lost traffic.

Skipping the Research

What happens when someone types .org or .net instead of .com? Does it lead to your competition? Does it lead somewhere your customers really don’t want to go? Make sure you know where your customers are going to go if they type the wrong domain. Better yet, register those alternates yourself as insurance.

Schedule a Strategy Session to Prevent Domain Name Mistakes

All of these domain name mistakes are easily avoided with a little time, effort, and a free strategy session with FYNE. Help us help you find the perfect domain for your business!