As you navigate today’s digital landscape, how do you stand apart from the crowd? To boost your online presence and leave a lasting impression, you must think outside the box and find innovative ways to differentiate your brand.
An excellent way to do this is with descriptive domains, also known as new top-level domains (TLDs).
This guide will explore insights from Identity Digital’s Chief Marketing Officer, Rachel Sterling. She breaks down key ways descriptive domains can ensure a relevant, cohesive online presence to build business success.
What is a top level domain (TLD)?
Top level domains (TLDs) are extensions that use descriptive keywords after the core domain name. Examples of this would include .TRAVEL, .SOCIAL, .TIPS, or .WORLD. Not only do new TLDs help your brand establish a memorable online presence, but they can also attract a specific audience specific to your industry.
“Descriptive domains make it easier for your customers to remember and share your URL,” says Sterling. “They also help you stand out in search engine result pages and strengthen your offline advertising—print ads, billboards, radio advertising—by providing your audience an easy way to keep your URL in mind.”
Today, there are options for almost every type of business. You can employ one of these unique TLDs to make your URL even more descriptive and relevant.
Sterling says, “From a strategic standpoint, new TLDs broaden the options for anyone looking for a concise, descriptive, branded domain where they can’t find one using ‘.com’. For instance, instead of peterson-legal-denver-co.com, the .LAW TLD makes peterson.law a shorter, more memorable option.”
7 Benefits of Descriptive Domains (TLDs)
Now that you have a clear idea of what new TLDs look like, let’s break down how they can positively impact your brand.
#1 Relevance
Descriptive domain name extensions can provide greater information about your brand and what it brings to the table.
Plus, using a descriptive TLD helps make your products or services easily recognizable to anyone who sees your domain, encouraging them to click on your link. For instance:
- evans.photography
- evanphoto.com
- evan-professional-photography.net
Of these examples, the descriptive TLD at the top expresses the site’s purpose in the most concise way. When potential customers search for photographers in their area, they can feel confident that a .PHOTOGRAPHY website will provide them with what they need.
#2 Targeted messaging
Beyond explaining what your brand does, descriptive TLDs allow you to target a particular audience, honing in on different niches for your brand. Imagine you’re going on a cruise and need to find a budget option. If you search “budget cruises near me” in a search engine, which of the following URLs are you most likely to click?
- oceanvacations.com
- budget.cruises
- Tropicalcruiseline.com
All three URLs above clearly belong to travel companies and cruise lines, but the descriptive TLD .CRUISES perfectly matches what you are seeking. While you might be sure the other sites will have a selection of cruises, you can click budget.cruises confident that their offers align perfectly with your search.
If you’re trying to reach a specific niche, a targeted TLDs can set you apart from competitors using popular keywords for your industry. You can also use a variety of URLs with different domain extensions and redirect them to your main page, allowing you to reach multiple niches.
#3 Cost-effectiveness
In many cases, descriptive TLDs provide a more cost-effective path to a great domain. Descriptive TLD extensions allow you to get creative with your keyword combinations—if your desired domain is out of your budget, you can look through similar TLDs until you find an affordable combination. For example, the domain name “budget.cruises” is priced at $250 on Name.com at the time of this posting, whereas budgetcruises.net is $2,401.20.
So, not only is the .CRUISES domain more concise, but it is also far more affordable!
#4 Branding potential
Branding is at the core of Sterling’s advice for businesses choosing descriptive domain extensions: “Pick a domain and TLD that is short, concise, and aligned with your brand.”
Suppose you run an upscale boutique called Panache. You can combine the power of descriptive domains with your brand name to create a recognizable URL that still embodies your brand: panache.boutique or styledbypanache.clothing all include your brand name while describing your products and portraying the refined image that’s key to your shop’s identity through a descriptive domain extension.
#5 Marketability
Your domain name is a key element of your digital identity – most likely, a critical component of your marketing efforts.
One of the main goals of any marketing campaign is to make an impact on prospective clients: social media users, search engine users, or people who simply walk past your billboard or sign. You can leave a lasting impression on your potential customers by devising a URL with a TLD that’s eye-catching and easy to remember. A descriptive extension can make your URL more memorable by incorporating keywords on one or both sides of the dot.
With hundreds of TLDs to choose from, you can curate your URL to positively impact your marketing and brand awareness. And people who see, remember, and connect with your brand are the ones you’ll find in the sales funnel.
#6 Competitive edge
A TLD that makes your business easy to find on the web, offers credibility, supports your SEO efforts, bolsters your brand, and creates opportunities for digital consistency. A unique TLD makes you a formidable contender in today’s crowded online marketplace.
With a descriptive domain extension, you will be able to stand out from the competition and showcase a truly unique URL.
#7 Memorability
Descriptive domains are easy for prospective customers to remember—after all, it describes exactly what you do.
For instance, if you run an engineering firm for retail businesses, the domain retail.engineering is one that your prospects won’t have to head-scratch to remember when they’re ready to explore your website offerings.
This is a handy feature if you’re using a combination of digital and print advertising. If you need to include your URL on a billboard or a sign that prospects will see while driving, they may be more likely to remember a descriptive URL than an abstract name of a firm.
Launch Your Descriptive Domain with Ease at Name.com
A URL with a descriptive domain extension can help you solidify your identity in the digital marketplace, an effort that can contribute to your marketing efforts and increase your competitiveness in your industry.
Rachel Sterling, Identity Digital’s CMO, sums it up nicely: “Short, descriptive, branded domains are key to success online.”
If you’re ready to create a powerful, innovative domain, you can start the process at Name.com. We’re making finding the perfect domain and integrating it into your digital assets simpler than ever.
No matter your industry, Name.com can help you find the perfect match for your digital identity.
Sources:
LinkedIn. Brandable vs. Descriptive Domain Names, Which Is Better for Your Business?. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/brandable-vs-descriptive-domain-names-which-better-your-ed-keay-smith
Wix. .org vs. .com vs. .net: What Do They Mean and Which is Better?. https://www.wix.com/blog/2020/06/org-vs-com-vs-net-domain-extensions/
Search Engine Journal. Google: No SEO Bonus for Keyword-Based Domains.https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-no-seo-bonus-for-keyword-based-domains/438324/
