The quest for the perfect domain name

The Road to the .it Domain

When I first started building this app, I had the name Lerp in mind. Taken from *linear interpolation, *it was short, memorable, and felt both technical and relaxed in just the right way.

But no luck. It was already registered, sitting unused (in fact, out of all the 456,976 possible four-letter .com combinations, there are just as many unregistered, available domains as the times I've felt love and appreciation from my sister.) There was no website, just a parked domain. I hoped that maybe I could buy it later, but in the meantime, I had to keep looking.

While lerp.com was still uncertain, I started exploring other options. I looked at different TLDs like .app and .io, but wasn't very satisfied (they felt very off-brand, knockoff-ish). But then I tried **.it **and it suddenly made sense. “Lerp it!” was a clear nudge or exclamation and the domain lerp.it was available. (Though, perhaps still a bit off-brand…) Nonetheless, I grabbed it.

The Name Change: The Rise of Lurp

It wasn't until many months later that I started to see the huge problem with the name. Naming an app after an existing, well-established term like lerp felt like a nice thing to do, but there was one thing I failed to consider: SEO. For a web-based app like Lurp, ranking highly in search engines was crucial. I would tell my friends about the app I was making, they would search for it, and they would find nothing related to my app. At first, I thought I simply had to be patient and that the algorithms would eventually pick up on my website. But when months had passed and I still hadn't seen any improvement, it was clear that wasn't the case. Linear interpolation, and its abbreviation, completely owned that specific search keyword—it was time to accept that this was a battle I simply couldn't win.

This realization was made less heartbreaking by the fact that I had already felt some doubts about the name. It might sound silly, but I couldn't really get the e to look great in the logo. So I played around with the letters and tried swapping the “e” with a “u”. Lurp instantly felt better—friendlier, more playful, and way more in line with the vibe I wanted for the app. The u was also much easier in logo design. Most importantly, the name sounded the same as before. If you want more insights into this, read the blog post dedicated to this name change.

But then came a new challenge: lurp.com was also taken. This time by a company actually trying to sell it—probably for a small fortune. I wasn’t about to pay hundreds of thousands for some random domain name. Well, not really random, I suppose, but you get the point!

Back to Lurp.it: A (Sort of) Smooth Transition

Thankfully, lurp.it was available. It was a smooth switch from lerp.it, with that same feel and roll off the tongue when saying it in one word like lurpit. The domain kept its identity even when adapted to a new name, which is probably the best way to do a name and domain transition.

Some people associated .it with Italy (understandable), but to me, as I said alredy, it reads more like a fun action—lurp it,* *which felt on brand. Though, I still have to correct some people pronouncing it “lurp dot IT” instead of “lurp dot it” 😣 The whole point is that it's also a word, right? Not just a language code. Oh well …

Considering Alternatives and Additional Domains

I thought about other options too, like getlurp.com. It has a clear call-to-action, which works for a lot of apps, I think mostly for projects that are primarily mobile apps or other installable stuff where the website just works as a portal to get to the installer. For this project, it didn’t feel as natural. I preferred something that felt more like a standalone name that could work even without an app. (Because there's also web app and other cool content on the website—check it out!) Like, you don't need to *get *the app; you can just start using it on the web.

Since I’m based in Sweden, I also made sure to grab lurp.se to catch any local traffic and redirect it to the Swedish version of the site. It just made sense.

I also considered lurp.io and lurp.app, but they didn’t feel essential. For now, lurp.it and lurp.se are enough. That said, I’m keeping an eye on other TLDs—just in case I need them in the future.

Social Media Handles Matter Too

Another way I've convinced myself that the domain really was a good choice is with the social media handleas. @lurp was taken basically everywhere. But @lurpit? Totally available. This way, potential users can familiarize themselves with the name and know how to get there instantly. Though, the username wasn't totally available. For Instagram I had to turn to @lurp.it username instead, which still hearts a bit to be honest. I believe the reason is that Instagram allows the creation of basically infinite accounts without needing email verification or something like that; you just provide a username and a password. So because of that, there are probably much fewer available usernames on Instagram than other platforms. Anyway, just a thought.

The Problem with Domain Squatting

As for lurp.com, I’ve accepted that it’s not going to happen, at least not anytime soon. The domain is being squatted on, meaning that someone has purchased it without actual interest in the domain, instead often just waiting to sell it for a hefty amount. And the asking price is usually kilometers out of reach. So unless things change drastically, I’m happy sticking with lurp.it.

What I Learned from the Journey

This is what ChatGPT had to say about what this whole experience taught me:

• Don’t fall in love with one domain—there are always great alternatives.
• Branding is about the whole vibe, not just the name.
• TLDs can add personality. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative.
• A tiny name change can make a big difference.
• Handles matter—consistency across platforms helps people find you.

Moving Forward with Lurp.it

In the end, lurp.it feels like home for the app. I'm mostly fond of it: the way it sounds, looks and connects everything from the name to the domain to the username. Sure, lurp.com would have been nice, but branding is more than a domain—it’s what you're building. And for that, lurp.it is the perfect fit.