With more than half of the world population now actively using the internet, moving online is a great way to attract more customers for your business.
An important step to create an online presence is to have a website, and a business website needs a solid domain name.
To reserve a domain, you will have to go through a registrar.
A registrar is a business that manages the domain name transactions between a website owner and a registry, an organization that manages top-level domains (TLD).
Both the registrar and the registry will charge you a fee for their service.
While you will have to spare some expenses to buy a domain name, a good domain name is crucial.
This article will cover the reasons why it’s so important to get a domain name for your business website.
1. Gain Recognition
A good domain name will encourage more visitors to come to your business. If your brand name was previously unknown in the offline market, people will recall it better once you put it in your domain name.
Before choosing a domain name, make sure to check if that domain name is still available through a domain name checker. An example would be Hostinger.
If a .com TLD is no longer available, you can choose other forms of TLDs like .xyz or .tech. You may also customize it according to your line of business.
2. Helps Customers Find Your Business
If you already have a popular brand offline, choosing a branded domain name will make it easier for your customers to find your business.
If you’re starting fresh, however, putting relevant keywords to your domain name will help people find your business.
For example, if you’re starting a boutique that sells work attire, you may include those keywords in your domain name and reserve a domain like boutiqueforwork.com, boutiqueforwork.online, or boutiqueforwork.shop.
3. Adds Credibility
Since reserving a premium domain name will take a longer process than getting a free sub-domain one, a website with a premium domain is seen as more credible and trustworthy by visitors.
While you can get a free domain name with a subdomain by using platforms like WordPress, anyone can make a site through these platforms. To boost credibility, opt for a premium domain instead.
4. Increases Web Traffic
A carefully chosen domain name can also increase traffic to your website.
Think of your domain name as a storefront for your business. The more interesting it looks, the more likely people are going to visit.
To choose an interesting domain name, research first what other businesses in your industry are doing. Choose keywords that set you apart from other brands.
5. Rank Higher in Search Engines
Your domain name may also improve your website’s SEO, but it’s not as simple as stuffing keywords.
As the previous points, the most important thing to rank higher is to have a unique domain name.
A unique identity will make you seem more credible and draw in more visitors. Since visitors are more likely to click, search engines will rank your website more favorably.
6. Sets Brand Identity
While having keywords can help people find your website, it’s more important to add your own brand identity to it.
Let’s refer back to the work outfit boutique example. If you already have a brand name idea “Peach” for your business, be sure to include this in your domain name as well.
For example, rather than choosing a generic domain name like boutiqueforwork.shop, you may choose the domain name peachforwork.shop or peachoutfit.shop instead.
7. Puts Your Business Ahead
While an online presence is a crucial part of growing your business, not all businesses have a website. In fact, research in Australia shows that only 50% of small businesses have a website.
If you want your business to reach a bigger audience, having a domain name will boost your presence and puts you ahead of your competition.
Having a domain name is a must for bigger enterprises, but for small businesses, it’s a massive advantage.
8. Adds Internet Mobility
Reserving a domain name means you have the flexibility to change hosting services or move to an in-house server without having to worry about losing it.
This also means you should reserve your brand name on different platforms outside of your website.
For example, make sure to reserve social media usernames with your domain name, especially on the platforms you’re planning to use.
Tips to Choose a Great Domain Name
Now that you know how important a domain name is to grow your business, here are some tips you can try when choosing a domain name.
- Make it short – Google recommends websites to have a domain name with less than 3-4 terms in it. A shorter domain is more memorable and easier to type, which makes your site more accessible.
- Choose the right TLD – While the most common TLD is .com, there’s a large variety of TLD to choose from, from .xyz to .tech. Google also states that different domain endings won’t affect your website ranking, so it may be beneficial to choose a TLD that’s unique and relevant to your business.
- Include your brand name – Once your business has grown, people will grow more familiar with your brand name as well. Having your brand name in the domain helps your website stand out from the rest.
- Include keywords – Putting keywords that describe your business in your domain will also help your intended audience find your website. The more relevant they are, the more likely you are to attract the right visitors.
Conclusion
Having the right domain name for your business website is an investment. While it may cost you money, it will boost visibility and set a unique brand identity.
Now that you know the importance of a domain name for your business, it’s time to brainstorm ideas for your business website.
