Domain name branding is an often overlooked aspect of online marketing, but it plays a major role in your digital success, regardless of industry. Knowing when it's time for a new domain name is crucial to any rebranding effort, especially if your previous marketing efforts have not yielded the desired results.

Determining Whether Your Business Needs Domain Name Branding

The first step to figuring out whether your brand needs a new domain name is assessing the competition. Look at other successful competitors in your niche and analyze whether there are any patterns that stand out. While uniqueness is a must-have attribute for logos and advertisements, your domain name should follow the same general structure competitors use. If most of your local competitors use the name of their business followed by an industry-related keyword, it's likely a more effective strategy to stick with this formula rather than going with an obscure domain. For example, LimaAutobody.com or HarrisonLaw.com.

Another sign that you need a new domain name branding strategy is that you don't possess the .com address to your current URL. While some businesses can operate effectively with a .net or .org address, .com is generally best for commercial businesses. A .com address is what springs to consumers' minds whenever they think of visiting a website, so a strong .com address gives your website a professional appearance and makes it easier to remember.

Consider the Importance of Keywords

Keyword optimization is a marketing strategy unto itself, and the best domains usually contain one or more keywords related to your business. The competition for broad keyword URLs is fierce, and it can cost upwards of tens of thousands of dollars to secure a domain name in a given niche. The good news is that if your business serves a local audience, you can find online success with a longer keyword that pairs your area of focus or service with your location. In the above examples of Lima Autobody.com and HarrisonLaw.com, the URLs give valuable keyword information that can be used by search engines to index websites that are a good match for user searches. Research shows that 72 percent of customers who performed a local search later visited a store five or fewer miles from home. This means that even if a URL containing both your city and industry is taken, you can choose a URL with a more specific metro area and still reach a variety of customers.

Getting Help with Domain Name Branding

Whether you are looking for a full domain name branding package containing a competitive URL and web design or you simply need consultation on your marketing efforts, Brandgy can help. Call today at 352-578-2000 or send an email to receive expert branding advice today.