Do you wonder why discussions about a business domain name have become so common? In the earlier days, only web developers or programmers used to think about registering business domain names, and most companies used to assign the task to them. But these days, it seems like it has become a trend to think of a domain name for your business yourself. It has become simpler to register domain names and probably also build websites yourself.
Choosing a business domain name is not a simple process, especially if you want it to be effective and plan to maintain it and not change it for the next few years. In most cases, your domain name should match your business name, but it is not always possible to get the exact match. That’s why you need to have several ideas for business domain names so that if you don’t get the exact match you are looking for, you can go with your next best choice.
We will talk about the importance of a business domain name, and what strategies to use for choosing a business domain name, but first, let’s define what a business domain is.
What is a Business Domain Name?
In the simplest terms, a business domain name is a name given to the website built to represent the business and its products or services. It also forms the URL of the website’s home page.
Anyone who has access to the internet can type in a business domain name in their browser, along with the symbols corresponding to it, and open up the website on that domain. Domain or business names make it easier for people to browse the internet and find the web pages or websites they are looking for. If they did not exist, we have to use IP addresses to find sites on the internet. This is much more complicated because IP addresses are long strings of letters and numbers that are very hard to remember and even to recognize or associate with a website.
There are a few parts of a business domain name. It includes a domain name extension, which is the suffix placed at the end of it. For example, in the case of Facebook, the domain name is ‘facebook’ and its extension is ‘.com’. Other examples of domain name extensions are ‘.org’, ‘.net’, and ‘.edu’. The part that precedes these extensions is sometimes called the second-level domain. In the case of Facebook, the second-level domain is ‘facebook’.
However, when you use the internet in the real world or run a business, this jargon does not hold much significance. What holds importance is choosing a business domain name that is memorable and simple. We will be talking about tips on how to do that in a while.
Importance of a Business Domain Name
A business domain name instantly gives identity and credibility to your business and places you in the online marketplace where all your other competitors are playing. It conveys to your audience that you are serious about your business and helps your customers and other online shoppers discover your products and services over the internet.
Companies with a business domain name are perceived as forward-thinking organizations that like to make their services and products conveniently available for everyone interested. Your domain name is a pathway for your customers to visit your website and learn more about what you have to offer. It is also a means for your customers to find your products to purchase them whenever they want.
The correct business domain name will build a strong brand image for your business and create a vibrant brand presence for you on the internet. Without it, your business might be lost in cyberspace. If people were not registering business domain names, and publishing their sites directly through ISPs (internet service providers), all web addresses would sound something like ISP.com/SuperiorAutoRepair, which neither sounds professional nor is easy to remember. With a business domain name, the same website would be superiorautorepair.com, precise and simple to remember.
Tips for Choosing a Business Domain Name
If this is the first time you are starting a business and are looking for ideas for business domain names, you have come to the right place. You might feel tempted to go with the first name or idea that comes to your mind so that you can get started with developing your website, but that’s not always the best thing to do. The process of choosing a good business domain name takes some thought and consideration.
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There are different ways in which your domain name will affect how your business survives and grows. It will have an impact on your brand authority, which in turn will influence the amount of brand equity you can build over time. It will also affect your website’s search engine optimization and the amount of traffic you can attract to your site. That’s the reason why some large organizations spend millions of dollars to purchase a business domain name.
Here are a few tips that can really help you in choosing a business domain name.
1. Keep it Catchy
If you want a top-notch business domain name, it has to be catchy as well as memorable. It has to be easy to say and easy to remember. It has to be such that when a customer reads it in a marketing email, they can internalize it and recall it the next time they hear from your business.
Since word of mouth plays a major role in marketing any brand, your domain name has to be memorable enough for people to mention and share it with others after they get to know of it themselves.
This is why choosing a business domain name is actually a branding exercise. This is when you can show your maximum creativity and come up with a catchy business name.
2. Keep it Simple
The next thing to do is to keep your business domain name simple. There is no point in coming up with a business name that’s hard to pronounce, understand, and remember. You don’t want your customers to ask you twice your business name because they cannot get it the first time.
Avoid using long abbreviations, hyphenated words, phrases with double meanings, or technical jargon. All of these can be very distracting and not fun. Think of names that are easy to spell and easy to type into the Google search bar. If your customers or your audience gets caught up trying to cope with your business domain name, you are going to lose a large portion of your site’s traffic.
3. Keep it Short
It is best to keep your business domain name short. The internet is about getting the results and answers that you want. When somebody asks you your business name, you should tell them quickly, which can only happen if it’s not too long.
For example, if you are thinking of keeping your business name “bensslidersandsubsshack.com”, because that’s original and descriptive. But the problem is it’s too long. How about you shorten it to ‘bensdeli.com’. Now that’s short and sweet. Keeping your business domain name short and straightforward also makes it more easily pronounceable.
4. Match it With Your Website and Business Goals
Your business domain name should be in line with your website and business goals. The previous points were all about the linguistics of your business name. But don’t forget, your business name must also match your organization’s operations and objectives.
It’s easy to get lost in thinking of catchy and fun names, but make sure you stay on track so that your business domain name conveys the goals of your business or at least subtly reflects them.
5. Choose Your Extension
Once you have thought of your business name, you need to add an extension to it. It is best to look for the top-level extensions first because those are the best for your domain authority and website’s SEO. But if those are not available for the name you have chosen, you can opt for the second-level domain extensions.
Register a Business Domain Name With Strikingly
Image taken from Strikingly
If you are building your website on Strikingly, you can register your domain name with us. If you have already registered your domain with another domain provider, you can transfer your domain to Strikingly.
Take the following steps below to register a business domain name with Strikingly.
- From your Strikingly dashboard, click ‘Domains’ and then ‘Register New Domain’.
Image taken from Strikingly
- Type in your chosen business domain name, then click ‘Search Domain’.
Image taken from Strikingly
- You will see a list of suggested domain names that are available. Select one of these to pay and register.
Image taken from Strikingly
- In front of your selected business domain name, click on ‘Register’.
- Fill up your personal information in the form that appears next, and click ‘Submit’.
- Review the details of the information you provided.
- Click on ‘Confirm Purchase’. Your card on file will be charged, and your purchase will be made.
- You will receive an email to verify your domain ownership. Do the verification.
- Connect the new business domain name to your website built on Strikingly.
This is how simple it is to register your domain name with us. Our goal is to provide as much technical support as possible to our users. If you still face any issues, you can contact our customer support team through the live chat on our website.
Registering a business domain name is just the first step. The actual work is to build your website on Strikingly, which does not take more than a couple of hours. We have many users who have built professional websites on our platform, all by themselves. If they can do it, you can do it too!
