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Register your domain name

5 tips for the ideal domain name

When you launch your own website or want a personalised e-mail address, you will need a domain name. It is worth considering an original domain name. We gladly give you some tips to come up with a good domain name that matches who you are and what you do or offer online.

Tip 1: check whether your preferred domain name is still available  

With our tool, you can quickly and easily check whether the domain name you want is still available.

If your domain name is still available, you can register it. Do that first, before communicating it on e.g. business cards. You can only be sure that the preferred domain name is yours once it has actually been registered. 

Tip 2: think carefully about your domain name

  • Choose a short and powerful domain name.  
  • Make sure the domain name is easy to remember.  
  • A domain name must be easy to write.
  • A domain name should be easy to pronounce or spell.  
  • Avoid difficult constructions with hyphens, numbers and letters like q, x, z.  
  • Choose a distinctive domain name that is different enough from your competition.

Tip 3: think carefully about the extension of your domain name

A domain name is an important component of your online identity, so you should give careful thought to a fitting domain extension for your website.

.be is the obvious domain extension to use in Belgium, but all sorts of new extensions have cropped up since 2014 such as .vlaanderen, .brussels, .gent, .london, .immo, .mail, .help, .pizza. 

How to choose the right extension

  • .be

    • National character
    • Has brand strengthening effect
    • Inspires confidence
    • Synonymous with quality
    Read more

  • .brussels

    • Brussels character
    • International image 
    • Familiar to Brussels denizens
    • For targeted communication
    Read more

  • .vlaanderen

    • Accessible character
    • Proximity
    • Connects you with Flanders and the world
    • For local communication
    Read more

Tip 4: register in the name of your company  

If you want to register a domain name for a company, it is important to do so in the name of the company or the manager. Anyone in the organisation can complete the registration process, but if that person does so in his or her own name, you might lose control over your domain name if and when s/he leaves the company. 

Domain names are important signposts for brands, organisations and companies. Who exactly owns the rights to a particular domain name is not always obvious.

Tip 5: check your data  

Check whether the contact details for the registered domain name are correct when you register. You do this by entering below the domain you have just registered. 

If your details are not correct, you should contact your registrar immediately.