Most business owners recognize the necessity of a high-conversion website. According to AdWeek81-percent of consumers research a product or service online before deciding to make a purchase. This means that savvy business owners can no longer afford to skip digital marketing, but many still don’t make the connection between their marketing efforts and the importance of domain names for business.

Why Domain Names for Business Matter

Even the most well-designed website will fail to reach its full marketing potential without a great domain name to match. It helps to start looking at your website as your most important online marketing tool. A high-quality domain name could mean the difference between a customer clicking on your advertisements and making a purchase on your website or heading the other way to make a purchase from your competitors.

Professionalism

The first consideration when choosing domain names for business is professionalism. A high-quality commercial domain name typically ends with a .com web address. This factor has the notable psychological effect of making your brand appear as the leading result for whatever keyword happens to be in your domain name. There may be rare cases in which another type of web address, such as .net or .org is appropriate, however, in most cases, these types of URLs make it seem as though the .com version of your domain was already taken. Registering a dedicated domain name rather than a URL that suggests your site is being hosted as a subdomain on another platform shows that your business is professional and independent.

Trustworthiness

Trustworthiness is one of the biggest factors in successful online conversion. Consumers need to feel certain that the website they are on is not only secure before entering their payment information but private and trustworthy as well. A domain name goes a long way toward communicating trustworthiness and brand authority.

Search Engine Optimization

In addition to the multiple ways in which a good domain name can affect your online reputation, your domain name also affects your rankings in search engine results. Many business owners get discouraged when their first choice of domain name is taken, and often make the mistake of choosing a less-competitive type of domain with the same name. While there are relatively few single-word .com URLs left, it is still possible to choose a memorable, professional domain name that is relevant to your brand with a bit of trial and error.

The most obvious choice for most businesses is a domain that consists of your business name. If this is taken, consider other permutations that are search-engine friendly. For example, a business called Foster’s Autobody Repair operating in Cincinnati, Ohio may choose a domain name such as FostersAutobody.com. If this domain is taken, the business owner could benefit from choosing a more generic but keyword-oriented domain name, such as CincinnatiAutoRepair.com and heavily branding the website.

If a keyword phrase domain is taken, you also have the option of selecting a hyphenated version, such as Fosters-Auto-Repair.com. The benefit of having locally targeted keyword phrases in your domain name is that it often helps you rank more competitively in search engine results for the same keyword. A website with the keyword autobody repair in its URL is more likely to be seen as relevant than another URL that does not include any such keywords.

While domain names are just one part of the overall picture when it comes to improving your SEO, it is still important to give the matter of search engine rankings consideration when choosing your domain name.

Ease of Use and Memorability

Another thing you should consider when choosing domain names for business is how well the name stands out in advertisements, casual conversation and on business cards. An overly long domain name is difficult to remember and hard to fit on compact advertising surfaces. You should also try to avoid any unusual spellings, such as missing letters or letters replaced by numbers. While this may reduce the likelihood that your desired domain name has already been taken, it is also difficult for consumers to remember.

The goal of all your digital marketing efforts is to get as many targeted customers to visit your website and engage with your brand as possible. This means choosing a domain name that is easy to remember, catchy and relevant to your business.

Brand Consistency

The final factor you should consider when choosing your domain name is whether it is consistent with the rest of your branding. Always choose a domain name that makes sense for your business, whether it’s simply your company name or a keyword that your customers often search when looking for services in your area of expertise. Of course, there are times when a more abstract domain name may be appropriate, but it should always tie in with the rest of your brand. Identifiability is the key to effective online advertising.

Get Help with Online Branding

Looking for more ways to integrate a great domain name with your digital marketing efforts? Call Brandgy today at (352) 578-2000 or contact us through email. Brandgy offers streamlined branding packages, including domain names, to help your business stand out from the crowd.