Enhance your Credibility and Marketing with a Branded Domain Name

With the continuous advancement of technology and the rise of e-commerce, more and more businesses are now moving online. Instead of being a nice-to-have, it’s now a necessity to have an online presence. This is why having a great website is crucial.

But what exactly makes a great website? A visually appealing design, a seamless and intuitive site experience, fast loading speed, and great content. But one often forgotten thing is your domain name. It actually plays a huge role in establishing your brand and conveying your credibility.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the importance of branded domain name. We’ll also be giving you a rundown on the best ways to choose a great one.

What is a branded domain name?

Launching a website can be fun, but you need to think about the domain name. Domain name is the name of the website that you type into your browser. For example, ours is webnode.com.  

You may now be thinking, “Isn’t that just the URL?”. Not quite. URL is the complete version of your domain name, like https://www.webnode.com/. URL can also direct you to a specific part of a website such as https://www.webnode.com/blog/ or https://www.webnode.com/webnode-reviews/. 

See the difference? To put it simply, if your website is your office, your domain name is your office address. While the URL will tell you the path or route to go to it. 

Now let’s talk about branded domain names. It’s also really simple. Branded domain names are those that incorporate the name of your brand, business, company, or organization. Compared to generic domain names, branded domains are more recognizable due to having branded elements or keywords. 

Let’s say you’re Coca-Cola. Using a domain name of softdrink.com is too bland and generic. Especially since there are hundreds of soda brands in the world. However, using a branded one such as coca-cola.com clearly identifies the website as a part of the Coca-Cola brand. 

Why is using a branded domain name important?

There are many benefits to using a branded domain name. Some examples are: 

1. Creates a positive first impression

For most people, your website might be the first thing they see from you. If you have a well-thought-out and proper domain name, you’ll have a stronger and more positive impression. It shows that you are a legitimate business and not a scam website. 

Let’s say you’re a flower shop with the name Blooming Haven. A branded domain name of bloominghaven.com instead of londonflowershop123.com makes you look more professional and gives a better first impression. 

2. Increases brand recognition

Using a branded domain name that is cohesive with your branding can help increase brand recognition. They’ll see your website address and instantly identify it as a part of your brand. 

Make sure your domain name is also consistent across all your platforms. Let’s say your brand name is Fiery Tacos. Then you should use fierytacos.com for your domain name. If you suddenly use hottacos.com, people will be wondering if they are on the right page. So use a branded domain name to avoid confusion as well. 

3. Establishes credibility

A proper and professional domain name adds credibility and legitimacy to your website.

Imagine if KitKat used bestchocolate.com instead of kitkat.com. The first one sounds generic and looks potentially like a scam, right? It’s best to stick to a branded domain as it looks way more professional. 

4. Enhances SEO and marketing efforts

A branded domain name that contains your brand name or your targeted keywords can help boost your SEO and marketing strategies. 

When people search for your business or brand, they will typically enter your name in the searches. By using your brand name or related keywords in your domain name, they are more likely to click on your website, thus increasing your site’s relevance and authority.

The same goes for your marketing efforts. Whether your website is linked to your Facebook page, Instagram Ad, or LinkedIn post, people are more likely to click on it if the domain name is cohesive and synonymous with your brand name. 

5. Avoids cybersquatting

Securing a branded domain name can also protect your brand from cybersquatting and other malicious online activities. It ensures that people can’t misuse your brand name to set up scam websites as well as ensure that you maintain a positive reputation for your brand. 

Tips for choosing a great domain name

Now it’s time to choose your domain name. Some things to consider are:

1. Relevant to your business

It might be something that seems obvious, but it bears repeating.

Make sure your domain name is related to your brand. After all, you’re creating it to reinforce your branding. If it’s not relevant to you or not something that can be immediately associated with you, then there’s no point.

The easiest way to do this is to use your brand name or business name in your domain. Think nike.com, hellofresh.com, walmart.com, and so on. Their domain name is their brand name. It’s as simple as that.

You can also use your name as your domain name if you are an influencer, content creator, celebrity, or freelancer. Examples are neilpatel.com, colleenhoover.com, or addisonrae.com. This is because as individuals, their real name is their “brand name”. So it makes sense for them to use that as their domain name. 

2. Keep it short and simple

While we recommend using your brand name or real name, there might still be an issue with it. And that is if your name is too long or too complicated. 

There are some ways to go around it. First is shortening your name to include only the most important or recognizable part. 

An example is Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf using only coffeebean.com as their domain name. Another one is consulting firm Mckinsey & Company shortening their domain name to only mckinsey.com. 

You can also use your initials or an acronym for your domain name. American Eagle only uses ae.com, Comedy Central uses cc.com, and the space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration uses nasa.gov. 

In general, your domain name should be simple and easy to remember. Avoid hard-to-spell names. Avoid numbers, hyphens, or letter strings that people can easily mistake as well. You will find bestwebsite9734.com. or bessstwebsite.com confusing, right?  

3. Add keywords if you can

Adding keywords can help your website appear faster on search engines. If you can find one that is relevant to your business, you can try adding them.

Let’s say your company name is ABC Plumbing and Repair Services. You can use abcplumbing.com instead of just abc.com since it adds an important keyword to your domain name. It also immediately conveys to your audience that you offer plumbing services before they even go to your website. 

Of course, it’s important to still make it natural and brandable. Don’t just stuff keywords for the sake of SEO. You don’t want to end up with abcbestnewyorkplumbingsealingrepairservice.com! 

4. Choose the right domain extension

The domain extension is a part of the URL that follows your domain name. These are the .com, .net, .gov, and the like.

Each domain extension has a different meaning. For example, .com and .net are commonly used by commercial sites. These are generally used for all business types, whether big or small. 

While .net was initially used by websites that focused on network and tech services, it is now nearly interchangeable with .com. Some even use .net if their preferred .com domain name is already taken. 

What about the other extensions? Non-commercial sites and non-profit sites use the .org extension. Educational sites use the .edu. Meanwhile, federal, state, or local governments use the .gov. 

The right domain extension matters in how your business is perceived. Don’t use extensions that don’t apply to the nature of your company, just to get that more “credible” look. You’ll actually just do the opposite, as people will view you as scammy or not trustworthy.

5. Be unique and distinct

With millions of websites in the world, how do you stand out? It all starts with your name. 

Your brand name and subsequently your domain name should be distinct, unique, and memorable. Avoid too generic names that don’t say anything about your business. At the same time, avoid names that are too similar to existing websites or brands. 

Of course, make sure to check if your potential name is still available. You don’t want to get copyrighted or be accused of plagiarism. And to begin with, having a name that is too similar to existing websites won’t do you good either, since people will just mistake you for the original and won’t remember your brand for who you are. 

To come up with your domain name, start with a great brand name or business name first. You can check out business name generators if you are having trouble coming up with ideas. From there, you can modify it or adjust it to your preference.

Once you have a great brand name, coming up with a domain name should be easier. Since you can just use your name as is or just add a keyword to make it more optimized for SEO. But if you want a more creative domain name (or if your domain name is already taken), there are also domain name generators you can use to give you more ideas.

Conclusion

As the popular phrase said, “If you’re not online, you don’t exist”. And that is proven true in our increasingly digitized world. If you don’t have a website, you might as well not exist at all, as your website is the hub that contains all your info, content, branding, and marketing.

A great website is important. And choosing a great domain name for it should be your first and most crucial step. By following the tips above, you should be on your way to finding a branded domain name that significantly establishes your online presence. 

Have you chosen a domain name yet? Read on How to Get a Free Domain Name