“A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn a reputation by trying to do hard things well.” You know who said this; the legendary entrepreneur and Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos. Today’s digital world demands businesses to brand themselves in such a way that they resonate with their current and potential customers across the board at various touch points.
Branding is much more than staying active across different social channels, running email campaigns, placing ads across the web, and maintaining a sleek website. While these strategies are etched in the traditional marketing course, businesses are finding new ways to engage with their audience.
Have you heard of domain branding? While it is not a full-blown branding strategy compared to some traditional branding methods, it is one of the most effective ways businesses can elevate their branding game.
This article explores the importance of having a branded domain and what domain branding entails. Read on to learn more about this interesting topic worthy of thorough exploration.
What is Domain Branding?
Domain branding refers to the process of picking a brandable domain name or a web address that improves a brand’s digital identity. It is an effective way to ensure your brand is not only discoverable but also easy for people to remember.
In a nutshell, domain branding is picking a domain name that aligns with your company’s name, vision, and values while creating a distinctive identity that sets you apart from your competitors.
Benefits of a Branded Domain Name
Now that we have a fair idea about domain branding, let’s explore some of the major benefits of opting for a branded domain name.
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Brand Identity
Don’t we all keep hearing that the first impression is the last? Well, your domain name is certainly one of the first few elements your target audience will notice while interacting with the different facets of your brand including the logo, brand name, and website. Picking a branded domain or a domain name that includes your business name and represents your values is an important step toward building an online presence and establishing a cohesive brand identity. This also gives your audience an idea of your industry and niche.
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Improve Your Brand’s Discoverability
Yes, performance marketing is an important component of your overall digital marketing strategy. But, wouldn’t it be nice to attract your audience organically as well? While search engine optimisation (SEO) is primarily tied to blog posts, landing pages, meta tags, keyword research, and content, it extends to domain names too.
A branded domain name makes your business more discoverable across search engines and gives you a better online presence. Again, if someone is looking for a business within the same niche or industry, your website has a better chance to stand out if you have a relevant and optimised domain name.
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Branding Strategy
Having a branded domain name can be a part of your comprehensive branding strategy as it is a good way to improve brand recognition and recall. Additionally, it also paves the way for multi-channel marketing opportunities across the web, giving your businesses the necessary exposure and visibility.
Domain Name vs Brand Name – Decoding the Difference
Is your domain name more marketable or your brand name? Can you use both interchangeably without impacting your marketing strategy? Is there any difference between the two? This section explores the difference between these two crucial elements in the digital marketing world and their distinctive roles in elevating a brand’s online reputation and presence.
Here’s what you must know to understand the major difference between a brand name and a domain name.
The domain name is a website’s address or a site’s URL which you type in the browser. A brand name is typically a name used to identify or recognise a group of products and services offered by a company. For example, Samsung is the brand name of Samsung Group primarily manufactures consumer electronics, mobile communications, and other variants of electronic devices.
Choosing the Right Domain Name for Your Brand
Now that we have established why brand domain names are important, it is a good time to discuss a few tips for choosing the right domain name for your brand. Here are a few points to keep in mind when you buy branded domains.
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Pick an Apt Extension
A domain extension is what follows a domain name and .com, .net, .org, and, .au are all examples of domain extensions. However, each of these extensions has a specific purpose and serves as a key identifier of your business’s niche or its geographical location.
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Keywords in Brand Domain Name
Try incorporating relevant keywords in your brand domain name to help your readers understand what your business is. Additionally, using a keyword in your domain name is a good way to get in the good books of search engines like Google and improve your search ranking.
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Avoid Using Hyphens
While it is not a thumb rule, it is best to avoid using hyphens in your domain name to ensure your website’s user experience is optimal. A hyphen in a domain name isn’t easy to remember and type, causing enough inconvenience and confusion among your audience.
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Refrain from Using Numbers
We have all moved past that phase when we memorised phone numbers, haven’t we? Using numbers in a domain brand is not recommended as it compels your audience to memorise the sequence of the digits, leading to a compromised user experience. Therefore, it is best to stay away from using numbers in your brand domain name.
Wrap Up
Using a branded domain or – in domain branding is a small step toward improving your brand’s online presence and -. As mentioned earlier, while it is not an out-and-out – strategy, it is a crucial branding element that – more memorable, particularly in the digital – landscape.
While you focus on making your brand name more memorable and easy to recall, do not forget to – it is relevant to your niche and aligns with your core -.
While we have understood the importance of a domain name and why a domain name is important, it is equally helpful to learn how a branded domain name can work wonders for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I Brand My Domain Name?
You can brand your domain name by incorporating your brand name and picking a – extension.
What is a Brand Specific Domain Name?
Brand-specific domain names use a company’s brand as their domain name to attract customers and – products.
What are the Important Characteristics of Branded Domains?
Some of the important characteristics of branded domains are that they are short and crisp, do not contain hyphens or numbers, are easy to remember, and have relevant keywords.
How Can I Own a Branded Domain Name Permanently?
While you cannot own a branded domain name permanently, you can purchase it for ten years.
If you have any queries or suggestions feel free to send an email on [email protected]