How to Choose a Domain Name And Reach Your Customers

Table Of Contents

• What is a TLD (top level domain) aka: domain extension?
• Benefits of choosing a new domain extension
• Choosing the perfect domain for your business
• How to register a domain
• Reaching customers with your domain name

When choosing a domain name, there are a few considerations to go through to ensure whether it is the right domain name for your business. In this article we will go through the main things to consider when choosing a domain name:

• Choosing a TLD (domain extension)
• Choosing a domain name
• Reaching customers with your domain

What is a TLD (top level domain) aka: domain extension?

A domain extension, also known as Top Level Domain, or TLD, is everything that follows the final dot of a domain name. For example, in the domain name logo.com, '.com' is the TLD. In the domain name hi.link, ‘.link’ is the TLD.

Here’s a cool fact – most people only know of a few TLDs like .com, .org, .net, .gov or some country-code TLDs (also known as ccTLDs like .uk, .in, .ca, etc.) However, as of today, there are over approximately 1,500 new TLDs, some of which are highly industry-specific.

To operate successfully and stand out in this hyper-competitive environment, you need more than just a business idea. Every little detail of your business must highlight the value and quality that you stand for. And a TLD can be one such detail.

Here are a few you could consider:

• .tech – for businesses operating in the tech industry
• .app – if you’re building a new app
• .space – could be the outer space or any industry-specific space (e.g. health)
• .store or .shop – if you’re selling something online
• .online – a great alternative if your desired .com isn’t available
• …and 1000+ more

Benefits of choosing a new domain extension

​​There are lots of different domain options now, and it can be hard to choose if you want to register a new one. For a long time, '.com' was the go-to choice for businesses. But now, as the number of available '.com' domains decreases and other endings like '.co' and '.es' gain popularity, people's views on these alternative endings are changing.

Big companies like Twitter and Apple are already using these alternative endings for their products, like 't.co' and 'itun.es.' This shows that it might be a good idea to come up with a unique and easy-to-remember domain name using one of these alternative endings instead of insisting on ' .com.'

That said, .com is the still the most-used domain extension and a good choice for your business.

Ready to register a domain? Search for the perfect name on LOGO.com.

Choosing the perfect domain for your business

When choosing a domain name for your business, make sure that it checks these boxes:

• It’s short and simple
• It’s easy to spell (avoid misspelled words, such as moviez instead of movies)
• It’s easy to share verbally
• It doesn’t have any numbers or hyphens - unless they’re a part of your business name

To ensure your domain name is a good fit, make it go through the Radio Test.

It’s a simple test to check if someone were to hear your domain name aloud, would they be able to type in your domain in order to visit your website? If not, that’s a problem so it's critical that your name is memorable and easy-to-spell.

For example, let's assume someone wants to visit your website. Between handcraftedmagnets.com and hand-crafted-magnetz.com, most won't remember the hyphens or the odd spellings in your domain name.

You should also think about instances where people might share your domain name:

• You could meet someone at a coffee shop and tell them about your business
• Someone could mention your website on a podcast
• You could be giving someone your email address (that contains your domain name) over the phone

Given the hundreds of thousands of domain names already registered, your first-choice domain name with a popular TLD such as ‘.com’ may not be available or may have a premium price attached to it. What now?

In this case, instead of complicating your domain name, consider another domain extension (TLD), such as:

• .online (if you're a freelancer or a small online business)
• .shop or .store (if you're selling something online)
• .tech or .ai or .io (if you're in the tech space)

While these domain extensions aren't as common as .com, they have great branding benefits. For example, handcraftedmagnets.shop automatically lets your customers know they can shop for handcrafted magnets on your website.

How to register a domain

Registering a domain with LOGO.com is easy to do, and you also have the option to connect it directly to your LOGO.com website, or use it on an external website. Simply search for the domain, select your desired domain name(s) and follow the payment prompts.

Reaching customers with your domain name

Let’s now explore how to use your shiny new domain name to market your business and get it in front of potential paying customers.

1. Use it to promote your products effectively

Domain names help you add more exposure to your products or services. Creating multiple websites isn't feasible for most small businesses. But you can register your domain name and redirect it to the product page on your Amazon or Etsy store. This strategy enables you to build your brand and give every product a unique online identity.

2. Use it to improve your SEO and rank well on Google search

A good domain name alone won't boost your Google ranking. You have to combine it with quality content, backlinks, and a solid website for better results.

Quality backlinks are vital for SEO, and anchor texts play a crucial role here. Anchor texts are clickable words or phrases that stand out in articles or emails. When you click on them, these anchor texts take you to a different webpage.

Matching the anchor text to the words in your domain name is an impactful way to make your backlinks look relevant and authentic to the search engine (Google/Bing). For example, when the anchor text "warm winter wear" gets a backlink to www.warmwinterwear.com, it validates the link's relevance to the content and helps rank your business website at the top for your business keyword.

3. Use it to stand out in voice search

This is somewhat similar to the Radio Test we discussed in the second email. The presence of voice-first devices, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, have made it all the more important to have a good domain name, one that is simple, clear, and incorporates the right keywords. Your domain name should enhance the chances of your website being picked up by a voice search assistant.

For example, imagine using voice search to find places to buy warm winter wear. A typical search would go:

"Siri (or Alexa), find online stores to buy warm winter wear."

In this scenario, a domain name like warmwinterwear.com has a better chance to stand out because it checks all the search boxes. That's the benefit of having good domain names.

4. Add it to all your business stationery

Consider adding your domain name everywhere, so if someone wants to know more about your business, they can simply go to your website. Here are a few places to add your domain name to:

• On your business cards
• On your email signature
• On your social media posts
• On your letterheads and invoices

All of the above are available with our LOGO Pro subscription, so you can launch your website and get your business stationery set up in minutes!

And…that’s a wrap! You’ve made it to the end 👏 Awesome effort in building your confidence in finding the perfect domain for your business and promoting it to your potential customers.