Let’s talk about branding your business with a domain name!
Branding your business is one of the most important steps you will ever make in your business.
What does branding mean?
Branding means you’re creating an expectation in your business. Your customers know what to expect from you. It’s the who, what, why, when, how…of your business. There me be thousands of consultants in your company or industry, but branding is what will set you apart from all of them. It can be anything from color palettes, fonts, graphics, and visual materials…to a wide stream of platforms and concepts you use in your business.
But the most important thing about branding, is that it simply sets you apart and your customers immediately know YOU when they see your branding. Branding is something you want to think about when you’re ready to kick your business up a notch.
And a domain name, is one simple (and inexpensive) part of that plan.
Check out this video to learn all about a domain name for your website: (https://youtu.be/ffWl68atNpY)
Some simple truths about a domain name:
Keep it simple:
It has to be short! In order for people to remember your website name, keep it short and simple. You also want to keep it short so it fits nicely on business cards and marketing materials. If it gets too long, people won’t remember it and you’re going to have a hard time fitting it onto marketing materials.
2nd grade reading level:
Make sure the words you use are EASY TO SPELL. Not everyone could win a spelling bee. And you want to send them to the right site. So don’t put words that can be easily misspelled. For example, mine is BUYMYBAGS. Kind of hard to get that one wrong. So really take a moment to find something catchy and SO EASY that it can’t be mistaken.
Locations and names:
Stay away from locations and names! Locations LIMIT you. You don’t want someone to see “Ohio” and think you only service people in Ohio. Think bigger and leave out those locations. With names…those are probably the most COMMONLY misspelled words. Even a name like mine, Melissa…there are 15 different ways to spell it. So stay away from it altogether.
Numbers:
Stay away from numbers in your domain name. People will transverse them, mix them up, and simply forget the number. So don’t use them! My brain goes all fuzzy if I hear numbers or directions. Don’t even risk it!
Policy and procedures:
Each company is different. So make sure before you set this up, you check with your company to make sure you’re allowed to set this up. There are certain companies that allow this…and some do not. So always make sure it’s within your guidelines first.
Branding across the board:
Once you have identified what you want your domain name to be, brand yourself across the board. Pinterest, Twitter, customer group, Facebook business page, Instagram…make it all MATCH. Make sure your customers can easily find and identify your personal brand anywhere they go. That’s the most important thing!
Mission statement:
And last but not least, think about your mission statement. What do you want your business to be known for? What do you want YOU to be known for? Who is your target market and what can your business do for them? These are all questions that your domain name should answer. Create a voice for your brand and then learn how to integrate that into every single social media platform you have. Branding is FUN! I promise. And it will breathe new life into your business when you “own it”. Time to level up my friends!
Happy branding!
Melissa Fietsam
Directly Social 