Jul 19, 2017
Enhance Your Startup’s Brand Value With Your Domain Name
What has your startup’s web address got to do with your startup’s branding, marketing and customer acquisition? A lot, actually.
It has happened with you, as it has happened with most of us, that there is that perfect brand name in your mind for your startup but the web address is already taken by someone else. What do you do in that scenario? You compromise. You let go of that name and settle for something less marketable, less brandable; the only consolation being that it’s on .COM.
On the other end is owning a domain name that not only is an extension of your startup’s brand identity but also a name you are convinced will give you an edge over your peers. Thanks to the 1200+ new domain extensions available today, startups can pick and choose the one that suits them best. From .ONLINE, .SITE to .STORE, .TECH and even .FUN! The freedom to pick from so many new extensions has empowered the new-age startups to obtain the name they want instead of settling for something that is not their first choice. Realizing this, startups are increasingly going for new domain extensions that are more descriptive and innovative; to enhance their brand identity and to get gain a marketing edge over their peers.
Take, for, instance domain extension .TECH. For startups in the tech space, this is extremely relevant. Instead of naming the website www.brandnametech.com, it can instead be www.brandname.tech — shorter, more specific, brandable and far more memorable.
The trend is already being leveraged greatly by bigger brands too.
Recently, an American media conglomerate, Meredith Corporation, made news when it announced that it has moved its online magazine store to www.magazine.store. Meredith acquired this premium domain name because it understood the value of owning a web address that is memorable, brandable and, what the insiders call, a category killer.
Popular website, Urban Dictionary, launched the Urban Dictionary store on www.urbandictionary.store, a name that clearly conveys what the website is all about. Freedom of the Press Foundation, which has Edward Snowden on its Board of Directors, has www.freedom.press as its official web address — a classic extension to their cause of protecting adversarial journalism.
Other examples of brands using new domain extensions are www.cta.tech, world’s largest tech conference, www.asgardia.space, the prototype of a free and unrestricted society in outer space and www.emirates.store, the Dubai based airline’s official store.
The key benefits of choosing a new domain extension for your startup:
1. Makes web address memorable
Have you ever been in an embarrassing situation because you forgot someone’s name? The reason it happens so often with all of us is that it’s difficult to remember ‘just names’ because they don’t communicate anything apart from the name itself. On the other hand, if someone told you she is a chef or she is from New York, you are most likely to remember that information because you immediately make a mental image of the same.
The same applies to domain names. If you choose to make your domain more than just a name, and convey what you do or where you belong, you will cut through the clutter and become ‘hard-to-forget’.
2. Works well for Google search
Yes, that’s true! With new domain extensions, you can choose a shorter domain name of your choice, which Google prefers. In fact, Google itself has gone on record clarifying why shorter URLs are better.
Google’s John Mueller, a webmaster trends analyst had said, “When we have two URLs that have the same content, and we are trying to pick one to show in the search results, we will pick the shorter one … it doesn’t mean it’s a ranking factor, but it means that if we have two URLs, and one is really short and sweet, and the other one has this long parameter attached to it, and we know they show exactly the same content, we’ll try to pick the shorter one.”
Choosing a shorter, more unique name is thus a smart move from a business point of view too.
3. Builds a better recall
Would you rather be www.brandname-services-chicago.com or www.brandname.tech or www.brandname.website? The first one is not only long, but also prone to spelling mistakes while typing the web address. That kind of longish web address also makes the company seem inexperienced and less-innovative — since it settled for something so complicated. A shorter web address on a new domain extension conveys that the company is innovative and futuristic.
4. Brands the startup
Startups can make their web address an extension of their brand identity. Naming the domain www.freshcupcakes.online exactly conveys what the brand is all about and what it does.
Thus, while selecting a domain name, startups must invest the time and creativity that the process deserves. In a world where any business’ primary identity is its website, it is crucial that the web address be chosen carefully, keeping up with the latest in technology.
All of these these new domains are available on leading domain providers like GoDaddy and NameCheap.
