Having an online presence is critical because it’s one way that people know your brand exists. One of the best ways to establish your brand is by purchasing a domain name. It’s tied to your identity and brand, forming a crucial foundation for your business. We will discuss in this guide why purchasing a domain is a vital step toward long-term business success.
It’s important to take the necessary steps to adapt accordingly to the way you can do business in a digital-centric world.
Professionalism and Credibility
Needless to say, having a domain will solidify yourself as a professional and credible business. Especially when it comes to establishing your brand as a professional from the start. One thing to be aware of is that there are major differences between “brandname.com” and “brandname.wordpress.com”. The latter is typical when you are using free website builders.
What you need to understand is that such domains can be seen as less professional and credible. That is why “brandname.com” will be your best option at this point. It’s legitimate, well-maintained, and it’s easy to remember too. It can be connected to a website that requires a WordPress website hosting plan so you can get started with putting it all together with ease.
Brand Visibility and Recognition
Of course, owning a domain will increase your brand visibility and recognition. You want to make sure that it reflects your brand. Not only that, it should also be memorable and simple to find. If you nail these down, you’re on the right path to making your domain a successful element of your business’s online presence.
Make your domain simple, but not too long. Think about the long-term goals of your brand or business when it comes to deciding your business name and the corresponding domain.
The Benefits of Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Benefits
Free website builders (along with the domains that go with it) will not do your SEO ranking any favours. It’s paid web hosting and domains that will be your best option and it will be better for your SEO rankings.
Make sure you are also working on your keywords. For example, let’s say you run a craft supplies store online. You want to rank for the keyword “best yarn for crocheting”. That’s when you can create content based on that and ensure that it can rank against competitors who are using that same keyword. Improving your domain authority (DA) with backlinks will also play a role in SEO rankings, especially in the long term.
As you might have noticed, there are plenty of things that go into improving your rankings. All you need to do is make sure you have the right domain, use paid hosting, create relevant content, and give yourself some time, SEO is a marathon.
You Have Complete Control Over Your Website
If you own the domain, you have complete control over the website and the content you create. Compare that to free platforms where your control is limited. When your business expands, you need that control for your website so you can make the necessary updates. The thing to remember is that you have full control over your brand – be it the online and offline assets.
What’s the point in having a website that you cannot control if you have limited abilities due to a subpar domain? Full control makes the investment in a professional domain worthwhile.
Email Branding and Communication
Here’s a question for you to answer. Before we ask, put yourself in the shoes of your customers for a moment. Let’s say you have two emails from two different businesses in the same industry. One is from a real domain and another is from a Gmail account.
Which one is the most trustworthy? If you answered the one with a professional domain, you’re correct. This is one more reason why it can be useful compared to using free email platforms like GMail and the like. You can use your professional domain for email branding and communication – such as sending marketing emails or communications between your business and your customers.
Final Thoughts
Having a domain to solidify your brand name and identity will be important. You also have the benefits we’ve listed above including complete control over your website, a professional look, and much more. Consider a domain that will be a fit for your brand name, what you offer, and something that customers will remember for years to come.