Choosing a .com domain for your website is one of the first and most important steps to creating a strong, recognizable, and engaging brand online. Google CEO Eric Schmidt once said, “Brand affinity is clearly hard-wired. It is so fundamental to human existence that it’s not going away.” An easy, intuitive domain with a .com ending helps your customer make that connection. Here are a few benefits of branding with a .com domain name:
One of the Benefits of Branding with a .com Domain Name is that Your Visitors Expect .com
Search Engine Journal says that fully 75% of registered domains end in .com. Visitors expect this extension and will often go straight for it even when told .info or .net. By building your brand on a .com domain, you can be sure that you will not spend your hard-earned money sending people to the wrong domain.
You Won’t Be Fighting for Traffic with a Better Domain
Say Joe wants to create a site selling custom workout equipment, but GymsbyJoe.com is taken. He could register GymsbyJoe.net or GymsbyJoe.biz. However, in every attempt to market his site, he’d be fighting against the simpler, more recognizable .com.
A better way?
Use Godaddy's domain name search tool (it's free), and pick a unique and recognizable .com domain to be sure that your marketing is benefiting you and not your competitors. Need help picking out a name? Godaddy also has a nifty Business Name Generator (also free!) to help you get started! Check some other tips on choosing the right domain names for business.
Good .com Domains Have Viral Ability
We’ve become used to the rhythm and phrasing of domain names that end in .com.
Branding is all about creating effortless associations between your business’s names and symbols and the services customers can expect from you.
Make it easy for them by having a memorable URL that effortlessly trips off the tongue. A few ways to ensure that you get your perfect .com domain:
Check Domain Names First
It seems natural to come up with a name for a site or business first, then start checking URLs. But, to ensure that you get the best domain name for branding your business, check available URLs before falling in love with a business name. this is especially important advice for online businesses.
Levered Income has a great article about how to find great domains inexpensively using online tools. You can check out that article here.
Don’t neglect the possibility of buying established domains. They probably cost more, but you have a much better chance of finding the perfect .com domain to brand your new enterprise. Check out GoDaddy auctions to get started.
Consider Alternatives to Get the .com
Often, people will begin and end their search for the right domain at a domain registrar site.
They’ll try for their first choice, then check out increasingly complex names with numbers and hyphens (which you should avoid), before finally considering going for the .biz or .net.
Instead, consider buying an already registered domain name that fits seamlessly into your branding. While there is a higher initial investment, the right domain can make all the difference in your e-commerce success. Picking the right type of domain name makes every other part of your marketing and branding efforts easier.
By making this part of your branding effortless and intuitive, you can concentrate on tasks like creating content for your site, building your social media presence, and other tasks that build your brand.
We have put together some other articles on choosing a domain name for business, how to use your domain name to market your business, and when to know it is time for new domain name branding.