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Nowadays, every business has a website, or at least it should have one if long-term growth and customer acquisition is the key objective for the company. Building an amazing website is a big part of digital transformation and one of the best ways to cater to a modern audience and a tech-savvy demographic, however, while everyone is focused on creating a stellar online presentation, few business leaders stop to think how their domain name might be affecting their brand as a whole.
There are numerous rules and best practices that you need to consider when choosing and creating your domain name, the key goal being to create an engaging online presence that will inspire customers to check you out, buy your products and services, and share the word of your brand across the web. With that in mind, today we’ll be going over the benefits of choosing the perfect domain name while delving into some of the best practices you can use to help the long-term success of your brand.
Capitalize on the first customer touchpoint
No matter if you’re running a small local business or if you’re building a global Ecommerce store, the first thing any potential customer is going to do when they hear of your company is to research you online. While they might visit some forums and look up your reviews on Google and Yelp at some point, they’re first going to search for your website by typing your name in the search box or by typing your URL directly into the search engine. Two things are going to happen next:
- They are going to quickly form an opinion based on your SERP ranking. We will delve into domain SEO in a minute.
- They are going to go on your website and scrutinize it from top to bottom.
Because you want the latter to be as impactful as possible and create a positive experience, you need to have a memorable domain name that will accurately portray your brand’s identity, support your unique value proposition, and make your website memorable and easy to find in the future. Ideally, you will choose a branded domain name.
Define and connect with your niche market
Some companies are targeting a broad demographic, perhaps even a global one, which is why they should focus on top-level domains the likes of .com or .me. These and other TLDs that boast credibility and authority with the customers and the search engines will boost everything from SEO to brand stickiness and trustworthiness. However, there are also those hyper-specific domain names that can help you connect with a very specific type of customer.
For example, if your goal is to sell exclusively on popular websites like Amazon, then you want to choose a contextual domain name that will help the customer find your brand page with ease instead of having to sift through the website. Popular domain name extensions nowadays include .store for online stores, for example, or .tech for IT companies. Consider these types of domains if you’re looking to capitalize on a very niche market.
Make your personal brand memorable
Personal brands and personal websites are booming across the globe in recent years as the gig economy continues to thrive, especially now that people are kick-starting solo business ventures and managing their personal brands as digital nomads or from the comfort of their home. Now that technology has allowed solopreneurs to run their businesses with ease, there is a need to enhance the perception of their personal brand in the online world, make them more memorable, authoritative, and trustworthy.
This is why solopreneurs are very careful when choosing a domain name for their personal brand, typically going for a top-level domain such as .me in order to enhance the level of personalization of their website and their entire digital footprint. Combining your personal domain name with a non-generic TLD such as .com or .net is a great way to make it more memorable and engaging to your online audience.
Improve your marketing and lead generation
Of course, it should go without saying that a good domain name can mean the difference between a stellar online presence and getting de-ranked all the way to the second page on Google. As you might have guessed, the latter is no way to generate quality leads or build your brand, which is why you need to use your domain name to serve your marketing and lead generation goals.
Consider the following:
- Choose a respected TLD first to get on Google’s good side.
- Try to weave a relevant keyword into the domain name for better ranking.
- Choose a branded or personal domain name to make it memorable.
- Make sure to disseminate your domain name across the online world through content marketing and social media management in order to improve brand stickiness and WOM.
- Try to avoid using numbers and special characters in your domain name.
Set and capitalize on user expectations
Finally, remember that your domain name sets user expectations. This is the first touchpoint your customers will have with your brand, so you need to make sure that your domain name is trustworthy and inviting. Combining a personal domain name with the right keyword while choosing a TLD that builds brand authority is the best way to set positive user expectations and inspire them to click on your link. That said, it is still imperative that the quality of your website matches the expectation you have built with your amazing domain name.
Wrapping up
The domain name you choose can make or break your business over the long term, so be sure not to rush this process. Instead, use these tips to create a domain name that will set your company apart and pave the road to growth and expansion in the years to come.
