Image by: ivanpw
By Michael Sterling
Domains are one of the most important tools you can have in this digital age of marketing. It is the voice of your company, resting it’s name in the minds of your customers and making it easy to remember. The branding of your business should rest around the domain. This can lead to a lot of battles in the early stages of growth.
You don’t want to be stuck with a domain that is forgettable. Getting the perfect domain is like adopting a child. It can be expensive, it might take a while, but it will be worth it in the end. The returns of a good domain are unbelievably evident in how you promote yourself. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to respect the power of the domain.
If you’ve come up with a million-dollar idea and have thought of the best name for your brand, try not to get attached to it. This is 2013. The internet has been around for nearly 20 years now and domains have been bought, sold, and auctioned off. The sales market is much weaker, which is why it’s cheaper to buy generic one-word domains that don’t exactly match your brand. Don’t fret about this.
Domains are the leading tools of marketing and should be presented as such. For example, if you have a clothing store named “Hot Tamales” and you see that the domain HotTamales.com is already being used by a Mexican restaurant in Ohio, there are some things you can do to keep the trajectory of your business on track, without sacrificing your brand’s name.
Brand Around The Domain
Depending on whether you already have a minor word of mouth popularity, the branding should rest around the domain. People who are searching your business will most likely search the name of your brand. So if “Hot Tamales” is the name of your business, don’t buy a domain like ThatRestaurant.com. No one is going to know it’s you!
Consider the domain BEFORE you open your business and start making serious decisions. It’s worth it. Nothing is worse than having a thriving business only to have the domain unavailable. Websites like Namejet.com are a great tool in looking for available domains. Though they may be generic, they will be very cheap since no one wants to buy them. If you have a great product, then the brand will be marketable no matter what the name is. Who knew Google.com would be a household name, right?
If your business has enormous growth potential, consider your budget and check the “whois” information on the domain. Perhaps if the timing is right, you may be able to buy it from whoever owns it. Get ready to spend a pretty penny and/or negotiate. Domain auctions are a thriving business. Sedo just sold Moms.com for over $250,000 this week. Sedo.com and GoDaddy.com’s auctions have been extremely successful in providing businesses with available domains at a good price.
The Law Of Attraction
When considering your domain, you need to understand the power of the internet. As of today, 05-11-13, the number of active domains ending in “.com” is 108,888,012. Domains ending in “.net” is 15,096,669. That shows that nearly seven times more companies have a .com TLD (Top-level domain).
If our example of HotTamales.com was taken, there could be a possibility of buying HotTamales.net, but is it worth it? In Google search engines, it is more likely to show .com TLDs before they show .nets. In America, .com is the most used and sited TLD. If your business deals with international clientele, this is another excuse to consider other TLDs.
When using .net, .org and .com, you are telling your clients something about your business. You are a “net”work, you are a “com”pany, or you are an “org”anization. Consider the minds of your patrons – will they be directed to you if they search your name?
You must attract them by taking your promotional life seriously. When you have business cards, be SURE you make the domain noticeable. Clients from all over the world might think that you do not cater to them, simply by which TLD you use. The TLD “.net” is the second most popular one behind “.com” and is slowly starting to rest in our minds as a second option. However, it’s not the first one we are geared to – and that’s everything.
Sounds Are Memorable
Studies have shown that two syllable consonants are the most memorable in brand marketing. “Google”, “Kinkos”, “Yahoo”, and “Danjur” are good examples of these. Make your name memorable. It is representing your entire company – it should be easily spoken and needs to trigger an image.
The image in your head when speaking a company’s brand is going to be the difference between a forgotten service and one with longevity. People go where their most comfortable. Be one step ahead and help them remember you before they have a chance to forget. When shopping for domains, this can be a helpful tool to remember.