Choosing the right domain name – For a strong digital identity as an artist

As an artist, there's one essential necessity you shouldn't do without: a website to showcase your work to potential clients. But before you start building your website, it's crucial to choose domain name

Choosing a domain name for an artist's website can be a creative project in itself. A domain name is the internet address that users use to access your website, such as ArtistName.de , and plays a crucial role in representing your brand.

Once you've chosen a domain name, it can be difficult to change it later. Therefore, you should choose the best one from the start

Choosing a name for your art website is very similar to choosing a name for a business and requires careful consideration. Unfortunately, for many artists, this often leads to procrastination, worry, and the question: "What should I do?"

During my time as a web designer and freelancer, I was frequently asked about this, not only by artists; many businesspeople also sought advice. Therefore, I've had this conversation dozens of times across a wide range of industries.

In this post, I'll explain the basic concepts and share my own experiences choosing a name for an art website, as well as the times I deviated from the usual rules. So, if you need help choosing a domain name for your artist website, take a look at the tips below!

Regarding terminology

The term for a website is "domain name" or "URL . A domain name is the unique address of a website on the internet, making it easy to find among billions of others. At the heart of the internet are IP addresses, which consist of numbers, such as 192.168.1.1. These serve as "coordinates" to locate a specific resource. But imagine how difficult it would be to remember numerical combinations for every website. To make using the internet easier for users, domain names were introduced.

A domain name is a kind of "alias" for the IP address, consisting of an easily understandable combination of letters. This allows users to quickly find the desired resource without having to deal with technical details. Our domain name, for example, is " kunstplaza ". The domain name/URL represents the "name of the website" that is entered into the address bar of your web browser. The web browser is the software you use to access the internet—programs like Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Firefox are all web browsers used for "surfing" the internet. So far, so clear.

Buy domain names

A domain name can be purchased and consists of several levels separated by periods. These levels have a hierarchy:

• The first level (Top-Level Domain) is controlled by organizations.
• The second and subsequent levels are managed by the registrar – the company with which you register the domain.

This structure ensures fast access to websites and clear data organization. The levels of a domain are read from right to left. There are usually two levels, but there can be more. Let's look at the different levels and how they work.

What levels of domains are there?

Domain levels form their hierarchical structure. They define how the domain system works and facilitate the quick retrieval of resources. The most important domain levels are explained below:

Top-Level Domain (TLD)

This is the top-level domain, appearing after the last dot. It defines the type or geographic location of a website. Examples:

• General domains:  .com , .org , .net – used worldwide, regardless of country.
• Geographic domains:  .de , .us , .ua – relating to specific countries or regions.
• Specialized domains:  .tech , .shop , .art – for specific niches or industries.

Second-Level Domain

This is the part of the domain name that comes before the top-level domain, e.g., travelart in travelart.com . This layer makes the domain unique.

Subdomain (third-level domain)

This is an additional subdivision of the website that precedes the second-level domain. For example, "blog" in blog.travelart.com a subdomain. Subdomains are often used to separate website functions (e.g., shop.travelart.com for an online store).

9 professional tips for choosing the right domain name

01 Use your brand name

In 2015, a group of artists gathered in Tokyo to create a fictional magazine whose covers would reflect life in the Japanese metropolis. Inspired by the striking cover of "The New Yorker" and the imaginary magazine "The Parisianer ," they decided to name their own fictional magazine "The Tokyoiter .

When choosing a suitable domain name for their website ( https://www.thetokyoiter.com/ ), the group based it on their branding.

You also have the option of registering your brand name for your domain. However, if your brand name is not available for domain registration, don't worry. In this case, you could add suitable words to your brand name to create an alternative – and available – domain name.

For example, if your brand name is "Happy Artisans" (but happyartisans.com is already taken), you could potentially use "thehappyartisans.com" as your domain instead. However, make sure you don't infringe on any existing trademark rights and that your domain name is sufficiently distinct from the already registered one to avoid confusion.

Your own name as a domain

Of course, you can also use your own name, provided you wish to operate under that name and build your brand on it.

In my case, however, my name is often misspelled, which actually makes using my name as an internet address ( joachimrodriguezyromero.de ) a hindrance, as it makes it difficult for people to remember.

Many names from other language areas struggle with the same problem. 

A simple solution: register common misspellings of your name and automatically redirect users to the correct page. For example, joachimrodriges.de redirect to joachimrodriguezyromero.de . Registering names is inexpensive; usually around €15 per year.

Frequency can also be a problem . Your name could also be an obstacle, especially if you have a relatively common name. This includes classics like Thomas Müller, Stefan Schmidt, or Josef Huber.

It can often be advantageous to link your name with your artistic work (e.g., stefanschmidtaquarelle.de). For the majority of artists, combining their name with their profession is probably the most optimal and safest option (regardless of the complex spelling).

02 Make it clear what your website is about

When choosing a domain name for an artist's website, you should consider selecting a name that clearly reflects what your site is about.

This allows potential visitors to get an idea of ​​what you offer even before visiting your website. An example of this is the German comic artist Harald Meyer , who runs a website called harryderzeichner.de . Can you guess what kind of art he presents there? Drawings, of course!

For branding reasons, you might want to disregard this advice. You would The Tokyoiter with "thetokyoitermagazineillustrations.com" as a domain name, for example. What a mouthful! That's perfectly fine, but you should be careful to avoid a domain name that leaves people unclear about what you actually do.

For example, if you work as an abstract painter, the word "sculpture" should not appear in your domain name.

03  Choose something memorable

There are countless artist websites . To stand out from the crowd, you should first choose a memorable domain name. A memorable domain name reduces the likelihood of it being forgotten – which means that the chances increase that visitors will visit your website or share it with others.

A domain name can be memorable for various reasons, for example, being compact and concise, like "kunsthierjetzt.de" (art here now.de) ; being based on well-known terms, e.g., "fotorealistisch.de" compared to "bokehandglare.com" ; or being modeled after your own name, such as "maxweber.de" .

Or it could also be because you used creative wordplay when choosing a good domain name (e.g., letsdoshots.com, lichtbildnachweis.de, scharfekanten.de , …).

04 Keep it brief

Domain names are limited to 63 characters. Any name of this length would be unbearably long. Keep it between 5 and 20 characters. According to one study, the names of the most popular websites average only 6 characters. Names consisting of one or two words are easier to understand and make excellent titles.

Therefore, names like "TheNamelessArmyAnFantasyPosterDesigners.de" not advisable for your website. Something like "FantasyPosterDesigns" or "FantasticPosters" .

05 KISS principle: Keep it simple and clear

When choosing a title for your website, you don't need to be as creative as you would be with your art. The title shouldn't be too complicated or extravagant.

Avoid unusual and rare words. For example, "Oedipal Complex Oeuvre" not a suitable name, as some people may not be familiar with Freud's concepts and may also "Oeuvre" (a foreign word for complete works) correctly.

If a complete stranger can easily remember your website's address, you've done it right! And you shouldn't have to spell or explain anything when you say your website's name out loud.

06 Avoid numbers and hyphens

Domain names may contain both numbers and hyphens, however, it is strongly recommended that you refrain from using them in your URL.

Google is better able to identify hyphenated words, but this has no impact on your SEO ranking . A version without hyphens and numbers is easier to type and find. Using numbers and hyphens can only lead to confusion and make your website harder to find.

Furthermore, names with a hyphen are often perceived as less relevant or even inferior compared to those without.

07 Choose the best top-level domain (TLD)

Extensions , or TLDs, are the endings of internet addresses, such as .COM, .ORG, or .NET. These TLDs have only a minor impact on how your site appears in Google rankings. Nevertheless, choosing a suitable TLD can be advantageous in many ways.

The .COM TLD is one of the oldest and most widely used, but finding a memorable name there is nearly impossible, as most are already taken. One solution to this dilemma is to choose a new TLD that also works in your favor. Selecting the right domain name extension will help you discover the optimal and most appealing name for your website.

Some studies show that new TLDs perform better than .COM in terms of certain metrics, while the cost of a campaign with the new TLD is significantly lower. According to these same studies, new TLDs can also lead to more AdWords impressions and improved ranking. You have the opportunity to design your TLD to be meaningful and industry-specific.

In this context, the right TLD would signal relevance to both people and search engines, positively impacting your image and reputation. Users will better understand what you offer and – with a suitable website name – what your art is about.

to click on a website ending in .ART .ART acts as a digital dress code for the art world .

In the years since its launch, .ART has become the most sought-after domain extension for creative minds and has secured a firm place among the ten fastest-growing domain zones. Its community of over 250,000 members includes creative organizations and individuals, as well as renowned companies. These include the Louvre , the Marina Abramovic Institute , the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Pixar , Kickstarter , Vivienne Westwood, and many more.

08 Add a mysterious layer of fascination

When choosing a suitable domain name for your artist website, you can focus on selecting one that sparks people's interest in what you offer. It's entirely possible to give your domain a name that clearly communicates what you provide.

But how can you give this name a special touch that attracts visitors and makes them explore your website?

sound artist Samson Young has a striking website domain: www.thismusicisfalse.com/ . As soon as you hear this domain name, your curiosity is immediately piqued, isn't it? It might seem as if he works in the music industry, but why does he describe his music as "false" ?

You can find the answer on his website.

9. Tell a story with your domain name

Ultimately, you can use your domain name to tell the world what inspires you as an artist. What does your art mean to you, and why have you focused on your chosen medium?

Think about how you can creatively incorporate all of this into your choice of a suitable domain name. 

Choosing a domain name for an artist's website is an art form in itself

As you will discover, there are numerous aspects to consider when choosing a domain name for an artist's website. When you start brainstorming, chances are the ideal name won't immediately come to mind.

Create a list of all domain names that come to mind – even if you don't think they're ideal. The approach is to gather all ideas before you start narrowing the list down to your best options.

It's also helpful to check the availability of your preferred domain names while creating your list. If you find that a particular domain name is already taken, you can decide whether to remove it from your list or change it to a different name.

Choosing a domain name for an artist's website requires a certain degree of creativity and self-reflection as you consider your values ​​as an artist. But when you've discovered the ideal domain name, you'll undoubtedly know it.

And when that moment arrives, register it as quickly as possible! You don't want to risk someone else securing it before you do.