If you own a website, you may have heard the term domain but don’t fully understand what a domain is or why it’s important. So let’s talk about what a domain is and how you choose one.
What’s a Domain?
A domain, or “domain name,” is an easy-to-read and memorable unique address that people use to access a website. It’s a substitute for a numerical IP address which computers use to connect to specific websites.
Think of it this way: A website’s IP address is its latitude and longitude, while its domain name is the street address. You can tell someone your house is located at 38.8977° N latitude and 77.0365° W longitude, but it’s much easier to say “I live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.”
The White House website is technically located at 192.0.66.51, but we understand its website address to be whitehouse.gov. A domain name takes something complicated and makes it much easier for people to remember.
How Important Is My Domain Name?
Your domain name is critical to your business. It’s your digital address. It’s also your primary brand identifier. It allows search engines to find you and drives your marketing efforts.
With a domain name, you can publish a website, take comments from website visitors, run an ecommerce store, and advertise online. You can grow a mailing list and send branded emails to both potential and existing customers.
What Is a Domain Reputation?
If you have a domain for your business, using it for business email makes sense. It adds an air of legitimacy to your brand rather than using a free email address such as Gmail or Hotmail for business correspondence.
Your domain reputation is a credit score of sorts. Many factors influence a domain reputation score, including the age of the domain and how often it is associated with sending spam emails. Spam complaints and high bounce rates are negative factors, as are less obvious things like not having proper authentication (DMARC/SPF/DKIM).
Shared web hosting may involve sharing an IP address with other less reputable companies, and that too can lower your domain reputation. You can change IP’s, but domain reputation is for life. Practice good mailing list hygiene, and follow the rules for allowing users to opt out of receiving emails.
What Is Domain Strategy?
Domain strategy is most important to consider far ahead of actually purchasing a domain. Here are a few things to consider before purchasing a domain:
Is it memorable and easy to use?
A good domain name should be easy to remember, showcase your brand, and be easy to type. Length matters. Words that are easily misspelled should be avoided. Which would you rather remember: wesellofficeproducts.com or officemax.com?
Is it easy to speak and type?
Voice-to-text is growing in use. Can you say the domain clearly?
Which top level domain best suits your needs?
Consider purchasing more than one top level domain (TLD) such as .com, .net, or .org. This can help protect against domain squatting. It’s also possible to use a different domain for business email if you do a large amount of email marketing. The pros and cons of this should be carefully considered based on your specific business needs.
Using a “boutique” TLD is fun, but it should also add value to your brand. Something like .realty or .design will cost more per year to purchase than a .com or .net domain. A domain using .auto, for example, may cost over $2,000 per year to purchase and maintain, so price is a consideration when choosing a TLD.
Are you purchasing an already-used domain at auction?
Be sure to check the domain reputation of a pre-used domain and ensure it is free from prior blacklisting or other negative attributes.
Is the domain too specific?
Avoid limiting your organization’s growth with a domain that is too narrow in scope. If you intend to increase your product line in the future, don’t limit yourself to a domain that lists a single product. Instead, use a more broad domain to encompass the entire product line. Your domain should be considered an investment that will appreciate over time and adds value to the business as a whole.
Need Help Thinking Through Your Domain?
If you’re choosing a new domain or trying to make sense of the one you already have, it’s worth taking a step back and looking at how it fits your business long-term. A good domain supports your brand, your marketing, and your growth. It shouldn’t limit them.
If you’d like a second opinion on your domain strategy or how it’s set up, we’re happy to talk it through with you and help you decide what makes sense for your business and where you’re headed.
