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Whether you own an existing business or have an idea for a startup, you need a strong online presence. Usually, the first thing your potential customer does when looking for your product or service is conduct a Web search, and if your Web site is relatively easy to find and navigate, you will greatly increase your chances of making a sale.
With most Internet shopping, the dynamics of marketing have changed significantly, and one of the most effective and lasting ways to reach potential customers is through a well-developed and maintained Web site. From a marketing perspective, you can create a lasting brand image with the right domain name.
Advantages of a strong domain name
The decision and registration of a domain name should not be made in haste. It is a valuable marketing and research tool that should successfully bring customers to your site. Careful deliberation and research should be applied, as it may be the most important decision you make when carving out your slice of the online market.
A strong domain name
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- It adds professional credibility to your business and separates you from the millions of websites to get rich quick.
- It provides visibility to your brand. Just like a storefront, a good domain will create awareness and attract customers.
- It establishes your business as tech savvy and forward-thinking. Whether you actually sell products online or not, it is critical to your reputation to claim your territory online.
- Create mobility for your Internet presence. If you decide to change web hosting services, move to a different country, or switch to using your own in-house server, your domain name stays with you, allowing you to continue building your brand without having to start over.
- Increase search engine rankings. As you build your business and develop your Web site with quality content, your domain name will become more and more recognizable in search engines such as Google, which will draw more customers in your direction
- It will provide your brand with worldwide marketability, or you can choose to focus specifically on a local region.
- Unlike traditional marketing, as long as you keep up with the low annual fees, your domain name will not expire.
How to decide on a domain name
Your brand name says everything about you, your values, your identity, and what you promise to offer. Why should your domain name be different? Before choosing one, it is important to educate yourself about the different styles and types of domain names available so that you can make the best decision for your needs.
A new startup business should select a domain name that parallels or, better yet, matches the company name to direct customers to your site without any confusion. This is a great opportunity to choose a name for your business that is unique and available as a domain name before you announce yourself to the world.
If you already own an existing business and your company name or some of the keywords you wish to use are not available, it may take some creativity to select a domain name. We will discuss this later in this article.
Domain name length
It is always best to have a domain name that is short and easy to remember. Ideally, the length should be between 6 and 10 letters, with 8 being the sweet spot. Simple, concise and typeable should be the rule for longer, descriptive names.
The longer the domain, the greater the chance of spelling errors when typing. Also, when combining words in a domain, watch out for letters that normally do not connect or are confusing, such as expertexchange.com for Experts Exchange. This is not ideal.
Avoid using dashes and numbers as they can complicate and frustrate users. Always remember: simple is better.
Keywords.
Keywords are words related to the product or service used in a domain name. For example, best-vacuum-cleaners.com. This is also known as an Exact Match Domain (EMD).
Although most people assume that using keywords or EMDs will direct traffic to their Web site, Google has changed its algorithm in recent years to minimize strict keyword usage and now instead rewards sites with a strong sense of branding. This is Google’s way of eliminating “noise.”
However, using keywords in a domain is not always bad. From a marketing perspective, you know exactly what they are selling on best-vacuum-cleaners.com, but be careful because you could be considered spam. This could negatively affect your Google ranking.
It is much better to create a strong brand image and support it with useful and original Web content to promote a reliable online presence.
Generic top-level domains (gTLDs) and new top-level domains (nTLDs)
gTLD and nTLD are the extensions within your domain name. By far the most popular and effective TLD is .com. It is universally recognizable, easy to remember and most trusted by Web surfers.
The gTLD and nTLD list the extensions within your domain name. By far the most popular and effective TLD is .com. It is universally recognizable, easy to remember and most trusted by Web surfers.
The most common list of domain extensions is:
- .com
- .net
- .org (nonprofit organizations)
Some TLDs have certain restrictions associated with them. For example, .biz, .name and .pro are assigned only to credentialed professionals or companies.
Sponsored TLDs are overseen by a sponsor who sets eligibility rules for the specified community.
Some Domain.com sponsored TLD offerings include:
- .aero: dedicated to members of the aviation community, sponsored by SITA
- .coop: dedicated to cooperative associations, sponsored by DotCooperation LLC
- .mobi: dedicated to mobile product and service providers, sponsored by dotMobi
- .museum: dedicated to museums, sponsored by the Museum Domain Management Association
- .jobs: dedicated human resource managers sponsored by the Society for Human Resource Management
New top-level domains are released every week and help fill the gap due to limited gTLD availability. They also help users looking to specifically target a niche market or geographic location. For example, Domain.com offers domain name extensions:
- .coupons
- .marketing
- .restaurant
- .properties
- .deals
- .tech
- .club
- .wedding
- .chat
- .reviews
- .tours
- .yoga
These nTLDs can be very useful for creating a domain name that quickly and creatively describes your brand or industry. The possibilities are seemingly endless, but now is the time to take advantage of a creative extension since, as with .com, they will not be available forever.
TLD country code (ccTLD)
A country-specific TLD can be useful if you conduct your business within a particular country. If you have a moving company in London, for example, a domain name such as bigbenmovers.uk will require Google to direct local searches in the United Kingdom directly to your site. A ccTLD narrows the focus of your business to a specific geographic area
Premium domains
For most, a .com address is ideal, but if the domain name you want is not available, don’t despair. Your dream domain may still be available, but it will probably cost you.
A current operating business might use the domain, but often domains are purchased and never used, the business has gone out of business, or the domain has been snatched up as an investment and is for sale. These are known as premium domains. If you are convinced that your business must have a certain unavailable domain name to be successful, investing up front in a premium domain name might pay off in the long run.
The benefits of a premium domain
Simple, short and sweet: Since almost all common words and phrases are already registered as domain names, becoming premium may be your only hope for branding your company using a concise or catchy domain name.
- Credibility: a highly valued domain will instantly propel your site into the realm of top players in your industry and establish trust with your audience that might otherwise take years to develop.
- Attract more commerce: with a straightforward premium domain name, such as petinsurance.com (taken from Nationwide Insurance) or visitparis.com, people searching for your product or service can bypass a Google search and simply type the address into the search bar and be sent directly to your site.
- Highly appreciated: most premium domains have been around for a long time and have accumulated a lot of backlinks, which drive consumers with referrals from other sites to yours. This also has a great impact on the SEO ranking of the site.
- A solid investment: if your business grows as you hope, the value of your premium domain name will also increase. Therefore, it becomes a very desirable asset if you choose to sell it down the road.
The cost of a premium domain name will vary depending on a number of factors, but consider looking at its long-term value when formulating your branding.
Investing in premium domains
There are many professional investors who specialize in premium domain names and will resell them later when their value increases. If you see an opportunity to capitalize on the perfect domain name, or more, this might be your chance to start investing. After all, some domain names have increased in value over the years because of their simplicity, credibility, backlinks, and other valuable benefits.
Here are some of the most popular domain names and what they were sold for:
- Insurance.com – $35.6 million
- VacationRentals.com – $35 million
- PrivateJet.com – $30.18 million
- Internet.com – $18 million
- 360.com – $17 million
If you think that’s something, consider that the cars.com domain name was valued at $872 million when the company was sold for a total of $2.5 billion just a couple of years ago. So if you have an inkling for the next emerging domain name, jump on it before someone else does!
Alternatives to the domain name
If your company cannot afford the expense of a premium domain name or if your domain name has already been taken, there are many other options you can consider.
- Choose a slightly alternative or shortened version of your desired name. Get creative, but don’t settle for an overly long name or anything that might be confusing or unrelated to your business or brand.
- Use a different domain extension. According to Google, no preference is given to .com addresses over any other extension. If your company reflects a certain nTLD and will create a memorable web address, do it!
- Use a slogan instead of a company name. As long as it is concise, recognizable and will reflect your brand, this could be a good way to generate marketing.
