A powerful, memorable domain name can help you establish a successful web presence, protect your personal brand and assist you in running new, wildly successful marketing campaigns.
Lorrie (our CEO) likes to joke that she is a “domainiac” because she is addicted to buying urls (I think she even owns her kid’s name!) but in fact, securing domains can be a super scalable investment to support your lifelong marketing.
We have helped many of our clients choose and buy many marketing-savvy domains over the years. Some things to consider when coming up with a domain name are:
1 | Size
The size of your domain name does matter. If you make the name shorter vs looooonger, it can be easier for people to remember, it will fit on business cards, and decrease the likelihood of the name being spelled incorrectly. You want to be able to easily say the name and not have people go “wait…what?”
2 | Memorable Names
When you choose a name, consider how easily the name is to say. Difficult names can be hard to remember, while easier names can pull clients looking for the site as well as make your web marketing more meaningful.
3 | Avoid Confusing Names
When considering what domain you want to use, research is key! It is beneficial to search for sites that have similar names, you do not want to invest in a name that will lead a potential client to the wrong site. You can also search the web, use Whois lookups to see who owns domains.
4 | Consider Misspellings
Do not underestimate the ability of people to misspell something. If they can, then they will. If the domain is longer or has a confusing name, the person looking for the site will likely misspell it. For this reason, it is a good idea to purchase commonly misspelled versions of your site’s name (this also avoids cyber-squatters buying these links).
5 | Search the Web Before You Buy
We had a client who was ready to launch a business and buy a domain name with the Company Name they chose and we Googled the name and found a similar domain with dozens of complaints. We advised the client against using not just the url, but the actual company name because they were apt to be confused with the formerly defunct company.
6 | Domain Suffix
When possible, try and get a .com or .net domain. Many web surfers assume that a site will use a .com domain anyway, and not using one can lead a potential client to either a competitor’s site or to no site at all. It may also be worth buying multiple domain types (Ex..com .net and .org) to protect your brand.
7 | New Campaign – New Name
We have seen clients launch marketing campaigns and buy brand new domains with a perfectly fitting name to support communications. Why have just one domain? It’s ok to have more than one!
Let’s Recap!
When considering a domain name, it is best to keep the name short, avoid misspelling it, and make it a memorable name. When possible, buy the commonly misspelled versions of your domain name and the different top-level domains (example .com, .net, .org), and make sure that your domain name is not too similar to another one.
It’s ok to become a domainiac!