Quick test. Which of these URLs would you trust more for a law firm?
- kigalilegal.wixsite.com/home
- kigalilegal.rw
Exactly. The answer is obvious. Yet thousands of businesses — including many in Kigali — are running on free subdomain URLs that immediately signal “I’m using the free plan.”
What’s a subdomain?
A subdomain is when your business name appears before someone else’s domain: yourbusiness.wixsite.com or yourbusiness.wordpress.com or yourbusiness.shopify.com. The platform’s name is in your URL. It’s free because you’re advertising them, not yourself.
A custom domain is yours alone: yourbusiness.rw or yourbusiness.com. No platform branding. Just your name.
Why it matters
- Trust: A custom domain signals investment and permanence. A subdomain signals “I’m testing this out”
- SEO: Google gives more authority to custom domains than subdomains. You’re building SEO equity on someone else’s domain
- Memorability: “kigalilegal.rw” fits on a business card. “kigalilegal.wixsite.com/home” doesn’t
- Email: You can’t set up professional email on a subdomain. No [email protected]
- Portability: If you switch platforms, your custom domain goes with you. Your subdomain doesn’t
The cost difference
A subdomain: free.
A custom domain: RWF 15,000–30,000 per year.
The difference is roughly RWF 1,250–2,500 per month. Less than a lunch. For a business that wants to be taken seriously, there’s no contest.
How to upgrade
If you’re currently on a subdomain:
- Register your custom domain (.com or .rw)
- Connect it to your existing website platform (Wix, WordPress, etc. all support custom domains)
- Set up redirects from the old subdomain to your new domain
- Update your Google Business Profile, social media bios, and business cards
If you’re starting fresh, services like Kisimenti include custom domain registration in their packages, so you never have to deal with subdomains in the first place.
Your URL is the first thing people see. Make it yours.