Today, consumers go online to find the roofers, plumbers, and lawyers they need to help them solve problems. If you want to be available to those who are searching for the services you know you can offer to them, you need an online presence. That’s where a domain name for your small business comes into play.
The domain name is the words or letters typed into the search bar to visit a specific website. For example, this is a domain name: Google.com.
While you see actual words, search engines use those letters to create a numerical internet protocol (IP) address for your site. This is your web address. No one is going to remember a random string of letters and numbers, though. That’s why we create domain names with words that can be easily recognized.
The Importance of a Domain Name
Obviously, you know you need a website, but why is your domain name so important? And, most importantly, does what you put in really matter? Yes, it does.
Domain names provide you with a number of benefits:
- It helps to build and solidify your brand identity. Your domain should, in some way, reflect your brand name or attributes. This is what people are going to type into the search engine to find your company.
- It establishes credibility. Having an easily identifiable domain name helps people recognize that you are a legitimate business that they should work with for their needs.
- It builds marketplace authority. Your domain name also helps your business to stand out in the industry. It helps make you not just another restaurant in the area but the best option for those looking for what you offer.
- It gives you ownership of your brand. Once you purchase your domain name, no one else can have the same one. That means you are solidifying, building, and owning your brand through this domain name and the website you link to it.
Without a domain name that resonates with your business, it’s hard to make it easy for your customers and clients to find you. For branding, marketing, and overall success online, you need to choose a domain name that helps you to stand out from the competition.
How a Business Owner Can Purchase a Domain Name
A domain name is a critical component of your branding and marketing online. You need to get it right since this will follow your company for years to come. The good news is that you don’t have to go through this process alone.
Townsquare Interactive can provide expert advice and feedback during the domain purchasing process. Here’s what you need to know before you make a purchase.
How to choose a domain name
Your first step is to have an idea of what you want in a domain name. This has a significant impact on your online presence. Here are some factors to keep in mind:
- Brandable: Ensure that your domain name relates to your brand name. A generic name (like lawyersRUs.com isn’t going to offer any type of authentic branding support for your business.
- Select the right domain extension: These are the final three letters that come after the “.” Such as “.com.” Most of the time, .com is the selection because it’s commonly used by consumers. If those are not available, you could try “.net” or “.org” extensions. The choice here is often dependent on what is available.
- Keep the length short: When choosing a domain name, short is best. Google prefers easy-to-understand domain names that provide exactly what they promise. Make sure that it’s short but also direct about what you provide. Special characters and numbers in domain names hurt ranking in the search engines, so avoid them.
- Choose a memorable domain name: It needs to be something people will remember so they can come back to you. You don’t want people to go to the wrong website looking for your services. Using a creative name generator business tool can help you come up with unique and appealing domain names that align with your brand. Utilizing such tools early in the process helps establish both consistency and uniqueness in the competitive online landscape.
- Watch out for trademarks: Make sure you verify that no other brand has trademarked the components of your domain name by conducting a comprehensive trademark check.
It can take a bit of consideration and back and forth to find the perfect domain name. This is such an important task that is always worth spending a bit of time researching.
The process of purchasing
You’ll find that we’ve created a step-by-step process for actually researching and purchasing your domain name at Townsquare Interactive. Here’s what you can expect from this process:
- Use the availability checker tool to help you find the domain name that’s available for you to purchase that fits your specific branding objectives.
- Choose the best domain name option for you based on all of the factors listed above.
- Purchase the domain name following the steps you are given. It takes just a few minutes to register it (and that makes it active and available to you).
- Make sure you verify ownership of your new domain through the links sent to your email.
That’s all it takes to actually make the purchase. However, there’s quite a bit more that goes into the process.
Building From Your Domain Name
When you work with Townsquare Interactive, you’ll have the ability to purchase a domain name that fits your goals outright. This really makes it simplistic to get set up. You can also get our other services to help you establish your online presence, including:
- Business management platform
- Optimized web design
- Local SEO
- Social ads support
- Business listings help
At Townsquare Interactive, we provide you with the tools you need to find, create, and buy a domain name and then the resources to build your website. Pick and choose the services you need. We work with all types of service businesses to streamline the process of getting your company online. That way, you can work on meeting your clients’ and customers’ needs while we work to build your online presence.
Fast, easy, and ideal for business owners, Townsquare Interactive can help you get your business online in no time. Contact us today to get started.