How To Find The Best Domain Name For Your New Brand

Saturday, 20 October 2018 20:42

Choosing your domain name is a lot like getting a tattoo: it requires deep deliberation and careful consideration to choose one that you don’t regret in five years’ time (or when someone points out the obvious).

So before making the commitment, there are a few things you should know first. Here are my top tips for finding the best domain name for your new brand.

Strive for memorable

This is easier said than done, but it’s important to aim for. While a significant portion of your customers will find you through search engines, a good number will also find you directly, or through print material or word-of-mouth.

Consequently, it pays to pick a domain name that sticks in their mind. And even for those who do find you through search queries, it’s worth making it easier for them by choosing a catchy, memorable domain name.

As a rule, keep it short and simple. Avoid using numbers unless absolutely necessary to avoid confusion over spelling. It’s also a good idea to avoid using hyphens or long, complex words. Make it easy to spell and easy to say.

Make it future-proof

No-one can predict the future, but we can do our best to. When you’re choosing a domain name, make every effort to protect it against the future. Simple steps include avoiding referencing a date, but it also pays to avoid using limiting terms too.

For example, if you’re starting a tech review blog, you might choose the domain gadgetreview.com. But if you later decide to diversify by investing in a store as well, it’s possible that it might limit your business further down the line.

But sometimes things happen beyond our control that force our hand and require us to change our name. A good example of this can be seen in the number of brand name changes that occurred after the arrival of terrorist group ISIS, of which there were so many, there’s an entire Wikipedia page dedicated to them.

In the event of this, it is possible to move across to a different domain, although this can impact your branding and SEO efforts overall. Luckily, the chances of this happening are slim.

Select the perfect extension

Your domain name isn’t just the domain itself — it’s also the extension that you choose. New domain extensions are released every year, many of them related to locations, industries or niches. Examples of upcoming releases range from .read and .safety to .yachts and .basketball. If you’re a novice to this concept, a good web design agency can help.

But the extension you choose matters. It goes without saying that it needs to be relevant to your brand — a coffee company with a .music domain doesn’t quite gel. But a Spanish babywear company with a .madrid domain would feel more trustworthy and reputable.

You might also be able to personalize your domain even further by making your extension part of your brand name. For example, if your brand name is Speedy Motorcycles, you could lan yourself the domain name “speedy.motorcycles”. It’s not a must, but it’s a nice branding touch if you can get it.

Create a new word

Think of the first domain names that come to your head, and it’s a safe bet that many of them will consist of entirely new words rather than existing phrases — Moonpig, Etsy, and Ebay, to name but a few. As short domain names become increasingly hard to find, savvy brands such as these benefit from creating new words entirely.

When you’re choosing your domain name (and, indeed, your brand name) and you’re creating a new term or phrase, ensure it sounds natural and mimics the natural cadences of human speech. For example, Etsy flows naturally, where Zhkphk does not.

Alternatively, create a new term out of existing words. MoonPig is a good example of this — not only is it a new term made out of familiar words, but the juxtaposition of the moon and a pig helps it stick in your audience’s minds.

Check out some businesses for sale online for some inspiration for your own. Many established lifestyle brands stick to existing words and phrases (such as Retro Fashion Style), although there is a smattering of those creating new words too — Vibery, Mahabis, Heist etc.

What if you can’t get your brand name as your domain?

You can’t always get what you want, and sometimes you can’t buy the perfect domain you had your eyes on. Maybe someone’s already started a brand with that name, or it’s prohibitively expensive, or perhaps some bought it up to prevent competitors getting it (it happens). What next?

Firstly, you could change your brand name itself to suit a domain that’s free. It’s quick, cheap to do (a lot cheaper than buying it on the secondary domain market), and ultimately saves you a lot of hassle further down the line.

Alternatively, you could choose the same domain name but with a different extension, e.g. crazycoffee.web instead of crazycoffee.com.

However, this does come with the risk of your traffic heading to the wrong domain. The concept of domains other than those commonly accepted (.com, .gov, etc) is still relatively unknown to the general public, so it’ll take some time for people to get used to it. Ultimately, changing your brand name is your best option in the long run (as unappealing as it may seem).

In the internet age, your web domain is a vital component of your business branding. Take the time to find a great domain that will stand the test of time, and your brand will feel the benefit.


 

Victoria Greene is a branding consultant and freelance writer. She’s a content marketing enthusiast and on her blog, VictoriaEcommerce, talks about the hot topics in the industry. She is passionate about helping brands develop their marketing strategies.

 

 

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