You probably already know how important it is to have a website for your business. Statistics show that around 78% of consumers do product research online, and almost half of all smartphone users do online comparison-shopping while shopping in a retail outlet. If you own a business, you need a website. And if you have a website, is a domain name important? Let’s take a quick minute to evaluate what the right domain name can do for you.
Brand Identity
When someone wants to research your company online, you need your domain name to be memorable and relevant to your business. Often, this leads companies to simply use their names: Walmart.com, Starbucks.com, Macys.com, etc. These websites are easy for customers to remember, so if your company name is available as a domain – buy it!
But if your business name is difficult to spell or hard to remember, you might want to consider something different, but still relevant to your business. For example, if you are Jim Czynek’s Kia of Chicago, you might find people have trouble spelling “Czynek,” so you opt for JimKia.com or KiaofChicago.com. These domains are easier for customers to remember, yet still pertinent to the business.
Brand Awareness
A good domain name can also help with your marketing strategy by building brand awareness. Think of Starbucks.com, the online brand of the high street coffee chain, Starbucks. The domain reinforces the business name and so both help build the brand for the company. Seeing both the store name and the domain name on advertising strengthen the coffee brand.
Ancillary Domain Names
You might also decide to purchase any other domain names that are similar, or that might be confused with your domain name. For example, the shoe company Toms Shoes originally purchased and registered tomsshoes.com as their domain name. After a few years, they acquired Toms.com as well. Now, if you type either one into a search engine, you are redirected to Toms.com. This way, if a potential client incorrectly types in a domain name, he will still end up on the Toms Shoes website.
Purchasing additional domains that are relevant to your business can also be a good marketing strategy. Consider the toothpaste brand Crest and crest.com. If you type in toothpaste.com, you are redirected crest.com website. Cleverly purchasing domains similar to related brand searches can help drive business to your website and strengthen your brand.
Choosing the domain name for your business’s website is extremely important and should be done with extreme care. Take your time and consider what domain name will serve your business well. Then talk to GlowHost about registering the name and hosting your website!