It’s important to choose a domain name that reflects your brand. Your domain name is your permanent web address. Much like a building address, it’s not something that can be easily changed. The maximum character length a domain name can be is 253 characters for a whole URL, or 63 characters not including domain extensions.
So How Long Should My Domain Name Be?
Your domain name should contain no more than three separate words and 17 characters. The suggested character count does not include ‘www.’, ‘https://’ or the domain extension (e.g. .com or .net). 80% of registered domain names are between 6 and 17 letters long. Only 10% of domain names contain more than 17 letters.
What About Longer Words?
Sometimes domain names longer than 17 letters are acceptable. One example of this is https://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch.info/. This website offers information about the Welsh town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch – or Llanfair PG to its residents. In this case the name of the long town name is relevant and distinctive, so the domain name, while unusually long, is perfectly acceptable to use.
However, not every place or business is as unique as Llanfair PG! Lots of domain names are already in use. If you want to buy domain names that have already been registered, obviously you can’t register these names too. If you’re looking for further information about how to buy domain names for your website, sites like https://www.names.co.uk/domain-names can offer you more detailed information.
Here are two reasons why you should stick to shorter domain names.
Shorter Names Create Better User Experiences
A shorter domain name will make visiting your website a better experience for users. Shorter domain names are easier to remember. ‘www.mybrandwebsite’ is intuitively going to be easier for users to remember than ‘www.mysuperfantasticcoolbrandwebsite’. It’s recommended that you use no more than three dictionary words in your domain name. If you use any more than that, it’s likely that users won’t remember your address. Typing in words in the wrong order or missing a word entirely will take them to a different site.
Shorter Names Look More Professional
Shorter domain names also have the advantage of looking more professional and trustworthy to your users. A super-long domain name makes your site and any associated email addresses seem suspect or spammy. The more your domain name resembles that of other trustworthy sites, the more it will appeal to users.