How to choose the right domain name
Your domain name is the first investment in your online brand. Here is what to consider before you register it.
1. Shorter is better
Names under 15 characters are easier to remember, faster to type and less prone to typos. If your business name is long, consider the short form you already use in conversation.
2. Watch the Albanian characters
The letters ë and ç create ambiguity when a name is dictated aloud. If your brand contains them, consider registering both variants and redirecting one to the other.
3. Avoid hyphens and numbers
“my-business-2024.al” looks improvised and is easily lost. Hyphens disappear when a name is spoken, and numbers get confused with their written form.
4. Check the trademark register
Before registering, verify with the General Directorate of Industrial Property that the name is not a registered trademark. Names matching approved trademarks are reserved for the rights holder.
5. Think ahead
A very narrow name limits you later. “phoneshop.al” is clear today but becomes a constraint when you also sell laptops tomorrow.
6. Say it out loud
Read the name to someone over the phone who has never heard it. If you have to spell it more than once, it is too complicated.
7. Secure the main variants
If the brand has value, register .com.al alongside .al. The cost is small next to the risk of someone else taking your name.
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