Finding a good domain name is, oddly enough, not given the effort that it deserves. While it may be tempting to opt for a cheaply priced domain name as opposed to shopping on the higher end (as is true for most things), the results for your business may be detrimental to your earnings, online visibility, and marketing strategy. Instead, learn why you need to be smart about the domain name that you pick and enjoy the monetary satisfaction you’ll reap from a choice that best represents your website.
It’s a Way to Market Yourself
Whether you’re using your website for business or pleasure, it’s essential to have a name that represents who you are and what you’re all about. Think of your domain name being as unique as your driver’s license. There is no other you on the planet, and likewise, no other website that is just like yours. Although many website owners don’t keep the same host throughout their time on the web, a good domain name will make it easy for people to find you, regardless of who is hosting your website. As you want to market yourself in the best light, you’ll want to give off a great first impression to everyone – future clients, family, friends on your social network, etc, so begin to think of your domain name as a way to lose or gain your audience. By creating a domain name that has nothing to do with your website’s purpose, you can lose an audience quickly. Keep in mind that the purpose of a domain name is not to be cute or to say something witty, it is to register for keywords associated with your specific business niche. The search engines rule the day in this field, not how interesting or poignant your “.com” sounds. On the flip side, having a domain name that strongly represents your business and/or purpose will generate new leads, improve your social network’s fan base, and have the potential to improve your monthly sales.
Because It Represents Your Brand
Clearly, business is about give and take. The biggest brands in the world didn’t get where they are today without putting some money down on the front end for the sake of earning an eventual profit. As cliché as it may sound, “You have to give a little to get a little.” It’s true. A great website begins and ends with a great domain name, and, usually, that will cost more than a ‘so-so’ one that doesn’t evoke interest from either web-surfers or the search engines. However, since the chances that you have the wherewithal spend millions on manipulative advertising are slim to none, you want to make sure that your domain name accurately represents your brand.
Tips Worthy of Pointing Out
Make sure to keep your domain name ending in .com. Potential clients like to stick with an extension that they know, and .com is the very best and most recognizable. Try to make your domain the exact name of your business (or a name similar to your actual business name). There should be a strong association between your domain name and actual business name, so your brand will be recognized and you’ll get more clicks. One creative option is to develop and market a slogan or mascot that symbolizes your business. If you are in a field where exact name matching for your domain is impossible without jumping out into less well-known extensions, then this could be a good option. Only, you need to make sure that your slogan is marketed alongside you business so that it’s recognized. The shorter your domain name is, the better. It’s easier for people to remember and it avoids confusion. Lastly, after you find a domain name that’s available and meets your requirements, ask yourself: does it sound good? Will you be happy advertising it in all capacities? If so, you’ve got yourself a winner.
Written by Ethan S.
Ethan S. writes on behalf of Amazing Domains. Trying to buy domains should not be difficult, yet selecting a good one can make all the difference in your SEO/marketing strategy.
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I used to be one of those guys who would always try to get an exact match domain name for a new website or at least try to make sure that one of my keywords relevant to the topic was in the domain name. Now I focus more on branding than anything else. If you can get a domain with the keyword in it, then great. But, I don’t think it is as big of a deal as it once was.