What makes a domain name brandable?

Making a domain name brandable is a term that came over from English, and is the same as setting up your domain name properly for your branding. In this blog post, let's discuss some tips you should consider in this. And how best to set up your domain name to generate brand awareness.

What exactly does 'brandable' mean?

Brandable means that a brand name is recognizable, and therefore easy to remember, and becomes a concept to both your customers and interested parties. You probably know brand names that you are not so much customers of, notions like Amazon, but also local companies like Coolblue, Heineken, Booking.com, Shell, and so on. Of course, global recognition will not be the goal of every startup, but every company has to start somewhere. An easy and easily remembered brand name helps you greatly in this.

Short and sweet: why length matters

Longer names are less easy to remember, this is why it is advisable to keep your domain name and brand name on the shorter side. This is to ensure that your domain name sticks, and does not always have to be spelled and explained 3 times on the phone. As an example, schaatswinkelinutrecht.nl is a local and long name, where noorslag.nl can be a catchier and more recognizable name. Which can also be used more widely than just in Utrecht. Which can be a solution in the long run, and not restrictive.

A good test is to consult someone you know who is not in the industry at all, and try to make a series of domain names clear over the phone. Complicated or technical names will then quickly fall through the basket as difficult to make clear. And thus more often an obstacle instead of an asset.

Unique and distinctive

To continue with the example domain name noorslag.nl, this is a term and type of skate "noren" combined with "stroke," to create an original and recognizable name for this. Coming up with this can sometimes be tricky, but with some creativity it can be easy. Make a list within your notes app on your phone, and write down terms within your industry and the software, hardware, or services you want to offer. Also, AI is a useful digital assistant in this, and these terms and ideas you came up with yourself can also feed into this to come up with great combinations or suggestions.

Always check if the name you want is still free to use, and check for example with the tool whois.domaintools.com to see if your domain name is still free. And use Google to find if the name has been used before. It is not advisable to infringe on an existing brand name and identity. In fact, this can be an expensive and tricky area in which you are then involving yourself. So make sure you do your homework on the possible history of a domain name before you start doing this. It is also possible to see on whois.domaintools.com whether a domain name has been registered before. Then use, for example, archive.org to see what has been registered to it in the past.

A problem that also occurs more often is that a domain name has been used (or abused) for pornography, gambling, or other adult subjects, or has a history of scams or unreliability. This is something you don't want to associate yourself with as a new company in a completely different industry.

The importance of a good extension

A domain name is not complete without an extension, and there are a lot of possibilities. In general, we recommend staying with the well-known extensions for your new business. And here the choice depends mainly on the location or country where your target audience is located: .nl for a Dutch market, .com for an international market. Or just .de or .be for Germany and Belgium.

Take a look at our domain name configurator for further extensions, and see what you think fits best within your project.

Tips to make your domain name truly brandable

Use the checklist below to make sure your domain name is suitable and ready to make your project a success!

Your domain name as a brand carrier

A strong, brandable domain name is the first step to a recognizable and successful brand. Choosing the right name can make the difference between a brand that sticks and one that is quickly forgotten.

At MijnHostingPartner.nl, we not only help you find reliable hosting, but also the perfect domain name for your brand. Start today to find a name that will stick around and grow your business!