Domain names are ubiquitous in the modern business environment, as every organization needs a website to connect with customers and build its brand presence online.
Because of this, a lot of thought needs to go into choosing a domain name, not only in terms of how you present your company to prospective clients but also when it comes to protecting your reputation globally.
Here is a rundown of the best ways to choose a domain name for your business, and why this matters from a brand perspective.
What makes a good domain name?
There are a few facets to a domain name that will make it succeed. First and foremost, it has to be both easy to remember and to offer potential branding opportunities in one fell swoop.
Often this means keeping it short and sweet, which also helps when people come to type it into their browser.
In many cases, that means choosing a domain name that is identical to that of your business. This is why so many modern start-ups pick a moniker with a view to making it SEO and domain-name friendly. If your domain name is too long and convoluted, it will make it less sharable and discoverable.
You can also leverage strategic keywords as part of your domain name, although this has to be done carefully, for the reasons already mentioned. Brevity will be your best friend, and uniqueness is also an asset.
Should I register my domain name worldwide?
When you search for domain names, you might notice that you can see whether it is already in use elsewhere worldwide. This is because there are country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) associated with hundreds of nations and territories, each of which lets you register your own name if you wish.
So why would you want to register your domain internationally? There are a few good reasons to consider this.
Benefits of registering your domain name worldwide
An obvious perk of picking up a domain name with a location-specific TLD attached to it is that you will be able to make your site appealing to customers in this nation or region. A localized TLD will impart trust immediately, which is a great way to build your brand overseas.
Along with this goes additional search optimization. If search engines can see that your site is registered with a domain in a particular country, it will place it higher in the rankings than if you simply had a generic TLD.
You can also preemptively register domains with other country codes in addition to your main site if you plan to enter this market in the future, or simply want to redirect customers from the area to your main site.
In essence, registering your name worldwide gives power to your brand and offers more flexibility to how you manage your presence globally.
How can I protect my brand from copycats and domain squatters?
Registering your domain name in many regions is one of the foremost options for protecting your brand. Most of the biggest companies and corporations choose to buy up domain names related to their branding and trademarks simply because this will stop copycats from getting there first and potentially holding them to ransom.
Domain squatting is still an issue, and the main remedy is to act fast and ideally act first. Even if the cost of registering internationally is a consideration, it is still better than letting fraudsters tarnish your brand through domain name mischief.
How to register a domain name in different countries
The good news is that there are a whole host of reputable registration services which will let you procure a domain name you need in the countries that are necessary to protect your brand.
A quick search will bring up the best options, and this is also a good way to see if anyone is squatting on a sought-after domain.
