10 Common Domain Name Mistakes to Avoid

## 10 Common Domain Name Mistakes to Avoid Registering a domain name is easy. Registering the *right* domain name, managing it correctly, and keeping it secure requires knowledge that most beginners do not have on day one. These ten mistakes come up repeatedly among new domain owners — learning about them now can save you significant time, money, and frustration. ## Mistake 1: Using Hyphens in Your Domain Name Hyphens look harmless in writing. `best-coffee-shop.com` seems perfectly readable. But hyphens cause consistent problems in practice: **They are invisible verbally.** When you tell someone your website address, you cannot say "hyphen" every time without it sounding clunky. "It's best-hyphen-coffee-hyphen-shop.com" is not how anyone gives out a website address. Listeners will type `bestcoffeeshop.com` (without the hyphens) and land on a different site — possibly a competitor. **People forget them.** Even people who have seen your written address will type it without the hyphens from memory. If you do not own `bestcoffeeshop.com` as well, you lose those visitors permanently. **They signal spam to some systems.** Multiple hyphens in a domain name are associated with spammy or low-quality sites. Spam filters and security systems sometimes treat hyphenated domains with more suspicion. **The fix:** Find a name that works without hyphens, even if it means slightly adjusting your brand name or choosing a different combination of words. ## Mistake 2: Using Numbers Numbers in domain names create the same verbal ambiguity as hyphens, plus an additional layer of confusion: `web2marketing.com` — Is that "web two" or "web to" or "web too"? `247support.com` — Is that "two four seven" or "twenty-four seven"? `1stchoice.com` — Is that "one st choice" or "first choice"? Written references will sometimes use the numeral, sometimes the word. Your domain name becomes inconsistent across marketing materials. **The fix:** Replace numbers with words, or choose a name that does not require numbers. ## Mistake 3: Registering a Trademarked Name This is the mistake with the most serious consequences. Registering a domain name that incorporates someone else's trademark can result in: - A **UDRP (Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy)** complaint, where the trademark owner can force a transfer of your domain — often at your expense - **Legal action** under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) in the U.S., which can result in damages of $1,000–$100,000 per domain - Losing the domain and all the work you built on it Common variations that cause trouble: adding words before or after a famous brand (`nikeapparel.com`, `googlehelp.com`), combining brand names, or using slightly modified spellings of famous names. **The fix:** Before registering, search the USPTO trademark database (tess.uspto.gov) for U.S. trademarks, or your country's equivalent. Also search Google for the name to see if an established business already uses it. ## Mistake 4: Forgetting to Renew (and Losing Your Domain) Domain names are licensed, not owned. If you do not renew before the expiration date, you lose it — and someone else can register it. The timeline after expiration: 1. **Grace period** (typically 0–30 days): You can still renew at standard price. 2. **Redemption period** (typically 30–60 days): You can still recover it but at a much higher redemption fee ($80–$200+). 3. **Pending delete** (typically 5 days): The domain is queued for release. 4. **Deleted and available**: Anyone can register it. Domain squatters monitor expiring domains and use automated tools to snap up valuable names the moment they become available. Once lost, buying back your own domain can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. **The fix:** Enable Auto-Renewal at your Domain Registrar and keep your payment method current. Set a calendar reminder as a backup. Read What Happens When a Domain Expires? for the full lifecycle. ## Mistake 5: Ignoring Domain Privacy (WHOIS Exposure) When you register a domain, ICANN requires your name, email, phone number, and address to be stored in the public WHOIS database. Without WHOIS Privacy protection, anyone can look up this information instantly. The consequences of unprotected WHOIS data: - Spam to your registration email (often immediately after registration) - Unsolicited calls from people trying to sell you hosting, SEO services, or web design - Targeted phishing attacks using your personal details for credibility - Domain transfer social engineering attempts Many registrars now offer free WHOIS Privacy (also called WHOIS Guard or Domain Privacy). Others charge $5–$15/year for it. **The fix:** Always enable WHOIS Privacy protection. It replaces your personal details in the public WHOIS database with the registrar's proxy information while still allowing legitimate communications to reach you. See domain-privacy-whois for details. ## Mistake 6: Choosing the Wrong Registrar Not all registrars are created equal. Common registrar-related mistakes: **Basing the decision on first-year price only:** A domain for $0.99 sounds great until it renews at $25/year. Always check renewal pricing before registering. **Choosing a registrar with bad support:** When your domain is misconfigured and your website is down, slow or unhelpful support costs you revenue and stress. **Buying from your web host for convenience:** Hosting companies often sell domains at inflated renewal prices, and if you switch hosts later, managing domain and hosting at different companies becomes confusing. **Using a registrar with a poor interface:** Navigating confusing DNS settings is painful. Test the registrar's interface quality before committing. **The fix:** Compare registrars on renewal price, privacy protection, DNS management interface, support quality, and security features. Read How to Register a Domain Name: Step-by-Step for registrar recommendations. ## Mistake 7: Not Registering Common Misspellings and Variants If your brand name is commonly misspelled, people will mistype your domain and land somewhere else. Worse, a competitor or squatter may register the misspelling and capture that traffic. For example, if your domain is `oogle.com` (fictional), you would want to register `ogle.com` and redirect it. This is less critical for most small sites — covering every variation is impossible and expensive. But for: - Commonly misspelled words in your name - Your name with/without hyphens - Your name under `.com` and your country's ccTLD (Country-Code Top-Level Domain) - Your name with common plural/singular variations ...defensive registration can protect your brand and traffic. **The fix:** At registration time, search for the main variations. Decide which ones are worth registering based on your traffic expectations and brand value. All variations should redirect to your primary domain. ## Mistake 8: Using a Throwaway Email for Your Registrar Account Every critical communication about your domain — renewal notices, transfer authorization emails, password resets, legal notices — goes to the email address on your Domain Registrar account. If you: - Use a temporary or disposable email - Use an email address that you later shut down - Use an email tied to an old employer or institution you left ...you may miss renewal notices, fail transfer authorizations, or be unable to recover your account after a hack. **The fix:** Use a personal, permanent email address for your registrar account — ideally one you control and will maintain indefinitely, not a work address that could be revoked. ## Mistake 9: Skipping Two-Factor Authentication and Domain Lock Domain hijacking — where someone gains control of your domain without your authorization — is real and can be devastating. Attackers use several methods: - **Phishing** your Domain Registrar account credentials - **Social engineering** registrar support to transfer the domain - **Email compromise**, then resetting your registrar password Two protective measures: **Two-factor authentication (2FA):** Adds a second layer beyond your password. Even if someone steals your password, they cannot access your account without the second factor (usually a code from an authenticator app or SMS). **Domain Lock** (Registrar Lock / Transfer Lock): Prevents domain transfers away from your registrar without explicitly unlocking it first. Most registrars enable this by default; check that it is on. When enabled, any transfer request is automatically rejected, stopping unauthorized transfers cold. **The fix:** Enable 2FA on your registrar account the day you register. Confirm Domain Lock is enabled. Check these settings periodically. ## Mistake 10: Choosing a Name That Is Too Long or Too Complex The longer and more complex your domain name, the more opportunities there are for errors: - **Longer names** take more keystrokes and are harder to type accurately on mobile - **Complex spellings** lead to misspellings that lose you traffic - **Names with multiple words** that run together can be ambiguous: is `therapist.com` "the rapist" or "therapist"? (A real-world example that caused embarrassment.) - **Names that are hard to say** are never shared verbally A domain name should be something you can text to someone in a casual message and they can visit immediately, without asking "wait, how do you spell that?" **The fix:** Test your name by texting it to three people without any explanation. If any of them get it wrong or ask for clarification, the name needs reconsideration. Use the Domain Name Generator to find alternatives, and TLD Finder to check what is available. ## Quick Reference: Mistake Checklist Use Domain Registration Checklist as you evaluate your domain, and verify you have avoided these common pitfalls: | Mistake | Check | |---------|-------| | Hyphens in the name | Does the name work without hyphens? | | Numbers in the name | Is the number/word ambiguous verbally? | | Trademarked name | Searched USPTO and Google? | | Renewal plan | Is auto-renewal enabled? | | WHOIS privacy | Is WHOIS Privacy enabled? | | Registrar quality | Are renewal prices and support acceptable? | | Variant registration | Are important misspellings covered? | | Account email | Is it a permanent, personal email? | | Security | Are 2FA and Domain Lock enabled? | | Name complexity | Can three people type it correctly from hearing it? | ## Key Takeaways - Avoid hyphens and numbers — they cause confusion in verbal communication and from memory. - Check trademarks before falling in love with a name — UDRP disputes can strip you of your domain. - Enable Auto-Renewal and WHOIS Privacy at registration — these are near-universal best practices. - Secure your account with two-factor authentication and Domain Lock immediately after registering. - Choose your Domain Registrar based on renewal prices and support, not just first-year cost. For guidance on the registration process itself, read How to Register a Domain Name: Step-by-Step. To understand what happens if you miss a renewal, read What Happens When a Domain Expires?.