As online businesses are gathering tremendous momentum, choosing a name for a company is getting more and more tough. There used to be a time when you picked a business name and used it for creating a domain name along with a similar line. But with countless business entities crowding the internet it is not just enough to be creative in naming companies unless you are sure that you can use it as a domain name too and register it. Since 220 million domain names are already registered, you should be lucky if you can get your name added to the list in the first attempt.
Business name and domain name matching
Now, the question might arise, why is it necessary to match the business name with the domain name. What can go wrong if the business name and domain names are different? The norm of online business is to go for an exact match domain name that features the name of business like what you see with Google, Spotify, Yelp, Netflix, etc. Therefore, if your business model revolves around the web, it becomes almost mandatory to follow this line. By default, people would know that the name of your company is the URL name and vice versa and if they ever happen to reach some other website by clicking on the URL, it would be a loss for your business. Moreover, an exact match URL name makes it easy for getting found by search engines without the fear of search engines mistaking your identity and leading to some other website.
Exact match domain names become more important for B2C companies than B2B companies because the latter has a smaller customer segment which means less crowd, less noise and less chances of missed business prospects. But for B2C businesses, not only there are more consumers, but they are likely to have less patience and would not spend much time to locate your business that can hamper your business prospects. The story is entirely different if your business operations are completely offline in which case it does not matter whether you have an exact match domain name or not.
Choosing a domain name aka business name
When naming a business with an eye on gaining traction from its online existence, you must keep a few things in mind that takes care of online etiquettes and best business practices. The name must be catchy and appealing, so that generates a rhythmic effect in the mind that makes it easy to remember and recollect. It should be easy to pronounce and more importantly spelled in the way you pronounce it. Word of mouth is the best vehicle for spreading the name for which it must be easy to pronounce that makes it more attractive to pass on to others. Avoid using names that have complicated spelling and try to keep it simple yet attractive so that it encourages people to utter it frequently. Even if they do it just for fun, the name registers deeply in their minds.
Keep it short
Domain names must be short, crisp and easy to pronounce and spell so that people can type it quickly. This is the reason why 4 letter domain names are in high demand as it minimizes the chances of people typing it wrong. However, 8 letter domain names are the most befitting ones, but there is no harm to in being creative and choosing slightly longer names provided it does not fall foul of the basic guidelines. To make names memorable, you can repeat letters but do not make the mistake of using special characters or numeric in the name.
Easy to recall
The name must be so catchy that it remains etched in the minds of the audience and at the same time becomes easy to remember it. Recalling names is very important from a business perspective because it helps to connect intimately with the brand and generate business opportunities. To understand the value of recall, think about Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. that conjures up the picture of the businesses that it upholds despite the names not having any hint about the nature of the business.
Acquiring a domain name
It is not enough to choose a domain name, and you must register it so that you can protect trademarks and copyrights besides building credibility. ISPs and internet hosting service providers facilitate customers in registering a domain, or you can even do it on your own. ICANN (Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers) is a registrar for domain names, and there are many others too. You can purchase domain names by paying a yearly fee by using the services of companies like Brandroot that specializes in the business of selling domain names.
Renewing the registration of domain names every year on time is critical to ensure that the ownership stays with you.
