“What’s in a name?”, Juliet once lamented. To some, names—or, specifically, domain names—may seem arbitrary. However, in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace, domain names are incredibly important. They help to build and define your brand; a strong domain name can add credibility while getting your story or message across effectively. Your brand’s domain is like it’s calling card: the more unique yours is, the more likely people are to remember it and come back.
So, how does one choose the “right” domain name? Are there some that are more beneficial than others? Let’s break down the why, the how and the what of domain name choices.
Why?
Having the right domain name is important for several reasons. For one, your website is where you drive your customers. This is only the place where they are interacting with your brand and potentially purchasing your products or services. Your website essentially drives your brand’s marketing campaigns.
Because your website is the platform on which customers will be deciding how they feel about you, your brand and your message, it’s important to make that first impression count. Don’t just take our word for it though: heed the warning of Via Grafix, the company who once owned the domain viagrafix.com.
How?
When deciding on a domain name, the first step is to consider the image you want to cultivate and the message you want to convey. In order to get the bottom of all this, ask yourself:
- Does your business name translate well to a web domain?
- If it does, does it look good? Is it easy to remember?
- If it doesn’t, or if that’s taken, is there a different version or an abbreviation you could use instead? Something short, sweet and memorable?
- Who is your target audience that you trying to drive to your website? What would they want to see?
After considering your business name, your core agenda and your audience, ask yourself: why blend in when you can stand out? In a world of .nets, .coms and .everythingelses, are consumers going to get excited about your domain? Is your domain really going to represent what your brand is trying to accomplish? Why not try a .SUCKS domain to really get people talking?
What?
Say you’re a startup company building apps. Your goal is to have people come to you with their idea—they pay you, you build. Simple, right? Well, no. When someone goes to search “app building companies”, almost 6,000 will be found.
A domain is one way to ensure you stand out. Rather than creating something run-of-the-mill like webuildapps.com, why not try something more arresting that directly addresses your customers’ pain points, like ABoringApp.Sucks? Marketing and name all rolled into one beautiful package.
Or, say you’re a company that sells consignment clothing online. You’ve been successful in the “real world,” but it’s time to move things to the world wide web. To make this transition, you need to find a domain that really resonates with your brand. You pride yourself on helping each customer find their unique personal style, so why not try something like Normality.Sucks or BeingAverage.Sucks? Be the fish that swims away from the group—after all, that’s what you’re encouraging your customers to do.
The Takeaway
There are over 294 million domain names out there. Of them, most people know just a handful off by heart. Domain names introduce a brand when there’s no one there to do it in person. In order to make a splash it’s important to figure out how you want your brand to be perceived. Take action with a bold name on an open stage and let your voice, your brand and your message be heard with a .SUCKS domain.
Being unique is more important than ever. Find your unique easily with a .SUCKS domain and let your website be the employee card you’ve always wanted.
Photo Credits: Shutterstock / Look Studio, Shutterstock / aodaodaodaod, Shutterstock / Uber Images
