When you create a new product, website or program, your first step often involves choosing your domain name. It’s like writing your name on the ID badge you’re going to wear to a networking event.
You can choose your domain name before you need a website, because there are so many ways to create your home on the internet via redirects. If you’re on a really tight budget, for instance, your domain name can send visitors to your Facebook page. That way they’ll associate your domain name with your business right from the get-go.
Alternatively, you might be ready to set up a website but get stalled because you can’t choose a domain name.
Clients ask me questions like these:
“Should I choose a domain name that focuses on the services I offer right now? Or should I choose a name that’s broad enough to encompass the directions where I might be expanding?”
“Should I use my own name or come up with something clever?”
A domain name isn’t the same as a fictitious business name or a company name. Definitely it’s not a brand. It’s not written in concrete.
People will get you know you by name. Therefore it’s a good idea to have one website with your name. This website might be a directory where you refer visitors to all your other sites. If you have just one business, your name site might be what you use. If people can’t find you by typing your name into a search engine, you will lose business; some even try to type your name into a URL. It’s easier to remember “Myrtle Goodcoach” than “elevatingsolutionsforwomen.com”
Your brand won’t be identical to your URL. Once you own a URL, you can change your brand without changing your name. Your brand represents a set of expectations that you’ve created regarding your services.
You can “set and forget” your website.
You can use multiple domain names to point to your website. That means you can change your URL without changing your website. Your domain registrar can forward your URL to your current website.
If you’d like to know more about branding, check out this short (and free!) ebook you can download now.
Listen to my podcast episode on Middle Bear Branding.
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