It’s not an exaggeration to say that your domain name can determine the success or failure of your online presence.
It can determine whether or not you and your website are easily found online or are buried under a slew of similar names or misspellings, immediately tell potential clients what your product or service is or leave them guessing, and be the first impression a client or customer has of your company.
Here are five strategies that you should keep in mind when choosing your domain name to make sure it supports your company, image and brand.
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Have a domain name that describes your product or service
If you want your website to be easily found, have a domain name that includes your product or service. This lets you take advantage of online searches for products or services like yours, as your domain name will cause your site to be higher up in the search results.
People searching for your specific product or service will be able to find you more easily if your domain name i is searchable, and therefore more relevant.
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Purchase similar domain names
If your domain name does not include what you do (say, it’s someone’s name or a regular word), also purchase other domain names that are related to what you do, then redirect them to your site. This will make searching for your site easier and increase the number of people who can find you.
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Keep your domain name unique to you
When selecting a domain name, you want to be sure that your business is the most well-known entity associated with that domain. Don’t choose a domain name that could possibly be associated with another business, famous place/person/event, something copyrighted, or anything negative on the Internet.
If you do, it will be an uphill battle to establish yourself apart from the other entity, as your company may end up being looped in with their search results.
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Have a strategy for a non-.com
If your domain name ends in something that isn’t “.com” you’ll need a marketing strategy to back it up and spread awareness of your website, since alternative endings are still in the process of gaining momentum. If you have a domain name that ends in something else, support it strongly in your marketing to help overcome people’s perceptions of what a URL looks like.
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Purchase multiple variations of your domain name
This is particularly important if you decide on a domain name that could be easily misspelled. Purchasing common misspellings and alternative phrasings of your domain name will help you capture leads that would otherwise accidentally go somewhere else.
Once you’ve purchased the variation, follow the same process as you would with similar domain names and link them back to your website.
Your domain name is an essential part of your online marketing strategy, so be sure to select a domain that will reflect positively on your company and your brand. By using the above strategies, you’ll be sure to select a domain name that will contribute to your ongoing success.
