The company name has been chosen, the trade register notification is done and the logo is with the designer. Yet one thing is often left until last: the domain. That is a mistake, because domains have no priority rights and no waiting list. A name belongs to whoever registers it first.

In this article, we explain why you should register your domain name as early as possible, how to choose a good name and why you should register it through an official domain registrar.

What is a domain?

A domain is your business’s address on the internet, for example novasolu.fi. It has two parts: the name itself (novasolu) and the extension (.fi). The same domain is used both as your website address and for email, for example info@novasolu.fi.

So a domain is much more than a website address. It appears on business cards, invoices, ads and every email you send. Changing it later is laborious and expensive.

Register before you tell anyone the name

Domain squatting means that someone registers a domain matching another company’s or product’s name and later tries to sell it back at a high price or uses it for their own purposes. Squatters watch new company registrations, press releases and product launches, for example.

Registering a domain costs only a few tens of euros a year. Getting back a name that has already been taken can cost hundreds or thousands of euros – if it is possible at all. That is why we recommend this order:

  1. Decide on the name.
  2. Check that the domain is available.
  3. Register the domain immediately.
  4. Only then announce the name, order the logo and print the business cards.

How to choose a good domain name

  • Short and easy to remember. The shorter the name, the easier it is to type correctly and remember.
  • Easy to say out loud. Test it: if you give the address over the phone, do you have to spell it out?
  • Avoid hyphens and numbers. They are easily forgotten and unclear when spoken.
  • Mind the Finnish letters. A .fi domain may contain the letters å, ä and ö, but not everyone remembers to type them, and foreign keyboards don’t always have them. If your name contains them, also register a version without (for example mäkelä.fi and makela.fi).
  • The same name everywhere. If possible, claim the same name on social media services too.

A .fi domain can be 2–63 characters long. The allowed characters are the letters a–z, å, ä and ö, numbers and the hyphen, which must not be at the start or end of the name.

.fi, .com or both?

If your customers are in Finland, .fi is the natural choice. It immediately tells people you are a Finnish business and builds trust. Anyone can register a .fi domain: an individual, a company or an organisation.

If you operate internationally or plan to, you should also register .com. Many businesses register both, even if they only actively use one. The other can be redirected to the main site, so that nobody else can use your name with a different extension.

For the same reason, consider the most common typos and variations that matter for your brand. The annual fee for a few extra domains is a small price for protecting your brand.

Why register through an official domain registrar?

.fi domains are administered by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, but registrations are always made through a domain registrar. NovaSolu is an official .fi domain registrar approved by Traficom, so registration goes directly through us without intermediaries.

When it is handled through an official registrar:

  • The domain is in your name. Your company is recorded as the domain holder, not the advertising agency or the website builder. This matters if you ever change service provider.
  • Your identity is verified. Under Traficom’s regulations, the registrant’s identity must always be verified. This protects both you and the whole .fi domain system from misuse.
  • Registration is fast. When you register a domain through our client portal, it is processed immediately.
  • A transfer is always possible. You get a transfer key from us, which you can use to move the domain to another registrar if you wish.
  • You won’t forget to renew. You get a reminder before the domain expires, so the name doesn’t become available for others to register.

Mind trademarks and other people’s names

Registering a domain does not give you the right to use another company’s name or trademark. If you register a domain that infringes someone else’s protected name or trademark, Traficom may in certain cases remove the domain or transfer it to the rights holder. So before registering, check that the name is not already in use by someone else, for example in the trade register and the trademark register.

It also works the other way round: once your company name is registered in the trade register or as a trademark, it strengthens your position if someone tries to squat your name as a domain.

Checklist: how to register a domain the right way

  1. Check availability with our domain search. If the name is taken, the WHOIS lookup tool tells you how long it is valid.
  2. Register .fi and, if needed, .com as well as the most important variations.
  3. Register it in the company’s name, not personally or in your service provider’s name.
  4. Choose a long enough registration period. A .fi domain can be registered for 1–5 years at a time.
  5. Keep your contact details up to date, so the renewal reminders reach you.

Summary

A domain is one of your business’s most important digital identifiers, and also one of the cheapest. Register the name as soon as you have decided on it, choose a short name that is easy to remember and make sure the domain is in your own company’s name.

Check whether the name you want is available now – registration takes only a few minutes.