When you name your company, the next big step is often securing a matching domain name. It feels logical — your brand name should be your online address, right?
But in today’s crowded internet, it’s not always that simple. The truth: your domain name does not have to be identical to your business name.
Why They Don’t Always Match
While an exact match is clean and professional, there are many reasons you might go a different route:
- The domain is already taken, even if no one is actively using it.
- Your legal name has extra terms like “Private Limited” or “Inc.” that clutter a URL.
- Your business name is long, hard to spell, or contains symbols.
For example:
- Patagonia Works uses patagonia.com — but their environmental arm uses patagoniaprovisions.com for clarity.
- Glossier secured glossier.com, but launched their sister brand Glossier Play on a separate domain to differentiate it.
When a Different Domain Can Be a Smart Move
You might even choose a different domain on purpose to make it shorter, clearer, or more memorable.
Common strategies include:
- Make it shorter: “Manchester Coffee Roasters” might work better online as manccoffee.com.
- Add location cues: A bakery called “Flour & Bloom” in Toronto might use flourandbloom.ca or flourbloomtoronto.com.
- Add your niche: If your name doesn’t explain what you do, add it to the domain. “Nimbus” could become nimbusstudio.com or nimbusdesigns.com.
- Avoid confusion: If your name is similar to another brand, adding an industry word can set you apart. A skincare brand called “Aurora” might choose auroraskin.com.
Risks of Not Owning the Exact Match
While it’s not mandatory, there are risks to skipping the exact match:
- Customers might end up on someone else’s website.
- The owner of the exact match could later demand a high price to sell it.
- The domain could be used in ways that harm your reputation.
Even if you start with an alternative domain, it’s worth keeping an eye on the exact match and buying it when you can.
The Takeaway
Exact-match domains are great, but they’re not the only way to build a strong online identity.
Your domain should be:
- Easy to type
- Easy to remember
- Relevant to your brand
If your perfect domain isn’t available, creative thinking can still land you a domain that works brilliantly for your brand — without changing your business name.
At Ohnym, we help brands not only find the right name but also navigate the digital space with strategies that keep them memorable, searchable, and future-proof.
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