Understanding the .be Domain

When you’re creating a website, you have to choose a domain name. That’s the little bit of text that comes at the end of the web address. The most famous, of course, is .com, which accounts for around half of all websites on the internet. But there are plenty more options, like .be.

What is .be? Why would you want this particular top-level domain (or TLD) and what separates it from all the others out there? This guide covers all you need to know.

What Is the .be Domain?

.be is part of the subcategory of domain names known as country-code top-level domains, or ccTLDs. These are domain names that have been assigned to individual countries all over the globe. There are hundreds of them – like .us for the U.S. and .ru for Russia.

In the case of .be, this is the ccTLD for the European nation of Belgium. It’s not the largest nation, with a total population of less than 12 million, and so the .be domain isn’t hugely popular compared to certain other ccTLDs, not even breaking into the top 50 in the world.

However, for people and businesses within Belgium, this is a valuable and important TLD. It’s a popular pick with the country’s banks, brands, government entities, non-profits, and important individuals, and is generally seen as a trusted domain name among the Belgian population.

Are There Any Special Requirements to Obtaining a .be Domain?

Some ccTLDs come with special rules and restrictions – like having to live in the country to get a website with its ccTLD. But that’s not the case with .be. Anyone who wants a .be website can set one up, with the help of a hosting partner.

How to Get Your .be Domain

Acquiring your own .be domain is a quick, easy process.

1. Run a domain check to make sure your name is available (given that there aren’t too many .be sites in existence, availability tends to be quite good with this TLD).
2. Find a trusted registrar that offers .be domain registration.
3. Place your order to acquire your .be domain.

Reasons to Choose a .be Domain

Here are some use cases for .be domains:

Belgian People, Businesses, and Non-Profits

We’ll begin with the most obvious reason why someone would pick a .be domain – because they live and work in Belgium. Like any other ccTLD, the original target audience of .be is for Belgian individuals and brands to set up their own official websites and reach local people.

.be sites tend to rank highly on the Belgian version of Google, and Belgian people will often check to see if a site has a .be domain before trying other options. So, having a .be site is very important for anyone wanting to specifically focus on this national audience.

Businesses Expanding Across Europe

While .be most obviously appeals to businesses and organizations based in Belgium, it can be a good option for other brands elsewhere around the world, too. Lots of business is done internationally nowadays, and many companies want to cross borders and reach audiences in different nations.

You might have an online store, for example, based in the U.K., but want to start selling overseas to places like Belgium. In that case, setting up a .be site for your brand could be a great way to gain traction with the Belgian populace.

Wordplay and “Domain Hacks”

Lastly, some people like to use ccTLDs such as .be for so-called “domain hacks” – this is when the domain name actually forms part of the website name, rather than just be placed at the end as an additional piece of text.

A famous example of .be being used like this is in “Youtu.be,” and since .be looks just like the English word “Be,” there are lots of ways you could theoretically play around with this ccTLD to make quirky and impactful web addresses.

Register a .be Domain Today

If .be sounds like an ideal domain name for you, then don’t delay. The longer you wait, the greater the risk that your desired name will get claimed by someone else. You can run an availability check today and register a .be web address of your own with ease.