The Best Name Game: Picking A Domain For Your Business

There are 1,000,000 stages for entrepreneurs to consider between the main gleam of thought and their most memorable deal. Getting everything rolling can some of the time be overwhelming, yet there is one early (and simple task) they can take to put themselves in a good position: getting a domain name.

As the SVP of Areas at Newfold Computerized directing brands, including Domain.com, I’ve been in the room when the words at last snap and a business visionary concoct the ideal name for their maturing business. Innovativeness can come whenever and it’s basic to make the most of present opportunities and secure your area name before getting excessively far into the method involved with making your image. In this article, I’ll share a portion of my best tips and deceives (and a couple of admonitions) to assist with getting thoughts from paper to the web. Above all, how about we separate the essentials:

What Is A Domain?

Technically speaking, a domain name is what goes between the protocol sign (HTTP://) and the first slash in a URL or web address. In this case, gplmax.com is the domain name for this website, hosted with hostmingo.com What many may not realize is that a domain name correlates to the IP address of a specific website, giving users an easy way to find the content they’re looking for without memorizing a string of random numbers and letters. 

On top of giving potential customers a direct line to a company’s website, a good domain gives credibility to the business. And with the proper upkeep, it can be a powerful marketing tool for the brand and company.

Tips For Getting Started 

Let’s say you just had one of those life-changing ideas that will put you on the map. You design a logo, update your LinkedIn announcing this new venture, create social media profiles, tout your website to come and create buzz around your company. When it comes time to get your website set up, you realize someone already owns your domain. While you can work to purchase the domain, there’s no guarantee that you’ll secure it. You’re left with three options: cross your fingers you can purchase the domain for a not-so-hefty price, keep your business name, and use an alternate domain (increasing the chance you’ll lose potential customers in their search for your website), or change your business name. 

While this doesn’t happen all the time, it is a reality for many new businesses. The only surefire way to avoid this predicament is my first tip: secure a business domain as soon as it’s named. Domains are an invaluable tool in a business’s brand and having one that doesn’t match the existing brand and name can lead to a disconnect for customers. 

Choosing the right domain can still be a daunting task. Domains create the first impression for many potential customers, help define a brand, and can aid in search engine optimization (SEO). 

Domain names that are short and easy to remember are key in getting people to your website. Remember: simple, concise, and easy-to-type domains fare better over more descriptive ones — even though descriptive may be your first instinct.

Once everything before the “.” is decided on, it’s time to choose the domain extension; .com is standard but there are over 300 options at varying price points. 

Leveling Up With Alternate Domains

Once a business’ flagship domain is set in stone, thinking through the customer journey comes into play to level up a business’s domains. To get started on this, there are a few questions to ask:

• Are there any potential misspellings of the domain, and what are they?

• Are there any shortened versions of the domain customers could be searching for? Think along the same lines as ‘fb.com’ for Facebook 

• Are there any generic phrases that potential customers could be searching for to find a similar business? A good way to find these is through tools like Google Analytics or Keyword Planner

Once these potential customer missteps and searches are established, use them to create alternative domains that point traffic back to the original domain. For a few extra dollars a month, a business can increase traffic tenfold by anticipating what its customers could be searching for and redirecting that traffic directly to its website. 

A Small Warning

As with everything in business, be sure to research before locking anything in place. Domains too close to another business’s name or trademarked content can cause major issues down the road. Due diligence on the front end can save a world of headaches later on. 

Domains are an integral part of a company’s branding, web presence and overall identity. They can be the difference between gaining or losing a customer, and a few simple searches can be used to uplevel your web traffic to a different playing field. The best part? Many only cost a few dollars a month to upkeep. Hopefully, with the help of this article, you will be well on your way to setting up the perfect domain for your business.