There are a lot of factors to consider when starting a business. One of the most important factors to think about is your domain name. A great domain name can be an invaluable marketing tool for your business, but a bad one can hurt your chances of success.

The reason is simple: your domain name is how customers find you online, which is constitutes a massive part of how they perceive your business. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind when selecting the right domain name to ensure it works as a promising marketing tool.

1. Get Creative

Your domain name should be creative and memorable. Think of something that captures the essence of your business and will stand out in people’s minds. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, try brainstorming or using a domain name generator.

However, be careful – you don’t want to come up with something that customers won’t understand or relate to your business. Let’s look at some examples.

A flower shop might use ‘petalpalace.icu while a law firm might try ‘legaleagles.bond. These domains are creative, memorable, and easily associated with the respective businesses while also being easy to type.

2. Use a Domain Name that Fits Your Industry

Your domain name should be relevant to your industry and customers. People should be able to tell what kind of business you’re in from the domain alone. When choosing a domain, avoid using vague terms that could relate to any business. For example, ‘thebestcompany.tld could relate to any business, so it wouldn’t be beneficial for customers looking for your specific services.

On the other hand if you add your niche to your domain name like what GiliSports did, its easier for customers to identify your website.

Colin Palfrey, CMO of Crediful, recommends that “you should stay away from generic words like “best” or “ultimate” as they don’t provide enough information about your business, and many businesses often use them.”

3. Create Branded Short Links For Social Media

Using branded short links is an effective way to use your domain name for marketing. For example, you can create a link like ‘yourwebsite.icu/socialmedia’ and use it on social media posts. This will make your links look more professional and help customers remember your website. It’s also an excellent way to track the effectiveness of your social media campaigns.

Not only will branded short links help you stand out on social media, but they can also reduce the risk of visitors being confused or turned off by a long and complicated URL.

4. Register Multiple Domain Names

If you can, it’s a good idea to register multiple domain names. This way, you can make sure that customers will find your website even if they make a typo or forget the extension. By registering multiple domain names, you can cover misspelled queries and also point visitors toward your main website.

You can also use domain forwarding to redirect visitors from one domain to another. The last thing you want to do is lose potential customers because they couldn’t find your website or typed it in incorrectly.

For example, one of the dangers of having a domain name is typosquatting, when someone buys a domain similar to yours and redirects traffic to their website. To avoid this, you should register multiple domain names similar to yours.

Anthony Martin, Founder, and CEO of Choice Mutual, says, “Not only will this help protect you from typosquatters, but it can also prevent competitors from getting their hands on a domain name similar to yours.”

5. Create Microsites for Specific Marketing Campaigns

One of the newest and most effective ways to use your domain name for marketing is to create microsites. A microsite is a small website operated for a specific purpose or marketing campaign, usually with one page.

For example, you can create a microsite for a special offer or promotion you’re running. You can also use microsites to target a particular demographic or geographic area. Microsites are great for marketing because they’re focused and can be used to quickly and easily promote your products or services. For example, you can also create microsites for things such as:

• Holiday discounts
• Product launches
• Events
• Contexts

Ensure that the domain name used for your microsite is relevant to the campaign. This way, customers will have an easier time finding and understanding what it’s about. “Microsites are a great way to use your domain name for marketing,” says Michael Nemeroff, CEO & Co-Founder of Rush Order Tees. “They allow you to create a focused, targeted message and promote it quickly and cost-effectively.”

6. Consider Buying an Aged Domain

If you’re still buying a domain name, you may consider purchasing a premium-aged domain instead of a brand-new one. An aged domain has been registered for a long time and has some history attached to it.

The advantage of buying an aged domain is that you may get a better ranking in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This means you’ll get more organic traffic, and your website will be found more easily.

“One thing I’ve seen with aged domains is that they tend to rank better in the SERPs,” says Stephan Baldwin, Founder of Assisted Living. “They have a better chance of being found by customers, which can be a great advantage for businesses, even for one like ours.”

This helps with your marketing efforts because an aged domain has more authority and trust with search engines. This can help you get better rankings, ultimately leading to more customers and sales.

7. Use Subdomains for Successful Email Marketing Campaigns

Sub-domains are another great way to use your domain name for marketing. Subdomains are like mini websites that you can create and separate from your main website. They can be used for anything from email campaigns to special offers and promotions.

For example, you could create a subdomain for a special offer or promotion you’re running and use it in your email marketing campaign. This will make the emails look more professional, and it will also help customers remember your website.

According to Jim Pendergast, Senior Vice President of altLINE Sobanco, “Using subdomains for email campaigns is a great way to make your messages look more professional and memorable. It also helps build customer trust because they know that the emails come from a legitimate source.”

In addition, by using a subdomain for email campaigns, you can avoid the possibility that your leading site will get banned for email filtering or spam. This is because the subdomain isn’t associated with your main website and has no adverse history with email filters.

Conclusion

Using your domain name as a marketing tool can effectively increase brand awareness and generate more leads and sales. Considering the tips above, you can ensure that your domain name is working for you, not against you. As a result, you can take your business to the next level with the right domain name and marketing strategy.

 

 

Author Bio

Roman Shvydun
Content Curator & Marketer