When building a new business, people often get excited about the branding process. They envision ideas for logos, color schemes, and goals that are so much fun. Many, however, don’t always consider how their branding identity fits into the context of a domain name and consider how that relates to SEO.
In this blog post, we will discuss common domain name mistakes to avoid when designing your brand and image.
Common Domain Name Mistakes to Avoid
- Choosing a Complicated or Long Domain Name
Having a long domain name can confuse potential visitors and be challenging to market with.
For example, if you’re trying to pick a domain name for a company called “Zephyr Logistics and Transportation Experts,” you wouldn’t want to have the domain name be www.zephyrlogisticsandtransportationexperts.com because that is a lot to type out.
In any sort of advertising online, you will have to fit that long long name into small spaces, which is going to be problematic.
It would be better to go with something shorter, such as:
- Zephyre.com (or .net, .co, .org etc – but more on this later)
- zephyre-transport.com
- zephyre-logistics.com
- zephyre-lte.com
- Not Considering Keywords in Your Domain
Overlooking keywords when selecting your domain isn’t necessarily a problem, but it can be a huge missed opportunity to make your digital marketing presence much easier. Including relevant keywords in your domain name can make it easier for potential customers to find you through search engines.
For instance, imagine you own a business called “Foodie Air” that specializes in HVAC systems for restaurants in Northern Colorado. While the domain name foodie-air.com is strong from a branding perspective, it lacks keywords that restaurant owners might use in their Google searches. In fact, searching “Foodie Air” predominantly returns results related to air fryers, making it difficult for your business to compete in search results for that term.
Since this business operates solely in Northern Colorado and has no plans to expand to other states, a more effective domain name strategy would be to choose something that reflects its’ location and services. Incorporating hints about your services and your business’s locality can improve your visibility in search results.
Considering the locality of the business, the services provided, and the importance of strong branding, here are some effective domain name options:
- foodie-hvac.com
- noco-hvac.com
- noco-foodie-air.com
- foodie-hvac-colorado.com
- Poor Usage of Numbers, Alternative Spelling, and Hyphens
For a long time, businesses have taken advantage of alternative spelling for cutesy branding choices, such as Kids R Us, Krispy Kreme, Flickr, etc. In terms of branding, it’s not a bad idea – it comes across and playful and fun to your audience.
However, if your domain includes a keyword, intentionally misspelling that keyword means you also lose any SEO value associated with it. For example, “foodie-heeding.com” isn’t going to have the same SEO experience and “foodie-heating.com”
Additionally, replacing words with numbers can be confusing for your audience and challenging to market. If you replace the word “for” with the number “4”, do you really want to explain that distinction to everyone you tell your domain to?
- Overlooking Trademarks
No one wants to go through the whole process of setting up a business, only to find out afterwards that they’re risking infringing upon someone else’s trademark. Don’t begin your business with a legal battle, look up your desired domain and business name in the trademark records.
- Not Doing Any Social Media Research
It’s best practice to use your brand name or your domain as your social media handles for consistency, so you will want to do a little research to ensure the handles you want are available.
- Not being extension aware
.com used to be considered the only good domain extension for companies, but that is no longer true. While .com is still a great option, there are many more:
- .org
- .us
- .co
- .inc
- .biz
- .tech
- .io
However, we advise avoiding any domain extension that seems obscure or too unfamiliar, as they may be associated with spammy websites.
- Not Researching Any Authority Score or Spam History of a Domain
Many, if not most, simple domains have been owned before by someone else. In the times that the domain was previously owned, the domain in question could have accrued a great authority score – meaning Google considers it a valuable, reputable domain. Authoritative websites tend to rank higher and have more SEO success.
Alternatively, it could have been spammed with bad backlinks, making it a “toxic” domain by SEO standards. Trying to start a business with a toxic domain is an uphill battle.
If you don’t know how to do this type of research, let us know, and we can help!
8. Overpaying for a Domain
Domains can vary a lot in cost, especially when considering the extension and whether this domain is privately owned or owned by a domain registrar. Generally, the cheapest way to get a domain is to buy from a seller that offers wholesale rates.
Avoiding these common domain name mistakes can help ensure your website’s success and protect your brand’s online identity. By choosing a domain name that is simple, memorable, and strategically aligned with your business goals, you can create a strong foundation for your online presence. At iPoint, we understand the importance of a strong domain name. Our team of experts can guide you through the process of selecting the perfect domain name for your business, ensuring it aligns with your branding and growth strategy. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your digital journey.