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Why Your Client’s Domain Name Matters
Choosing the right domain name is a crucial decision that can make or break your client’s online brand presence. As a freelancer brought in to advise clients on their website and branding, you have an opportunity to guide them towards a domain name that perfectly represents their business.
A domain name acts like an online storefront – it’s often the first touchpoint between customers and a brand. The domain is included on business cards, marketing materials, social media profiles, and anywhere else the business has an online presence. It becomes intrinsically tied to the brand image.
That’s why it’s so important to pick the perfect domain name from the start. A domain name should be short, memorable, easy to say and spell, and communicate what the brand does. The goal is to choose a name that builds brand awareness and recognition.
With some strategic thinking and research, you can steer your client towards making the right domain choice. This guide will walk through the key steps freelancers should take when advising a client on selecting their ideal domain name. Follow this process, and you’ll be able to provide valuable insight that empowers your client’s brand.
Know the Client’s Business
The first step in choosing the perfect domain name for a client is getting to know their business inside and out. Set up a discovery call or questionnaire to understand the core of their brand, products/services offered, and target customer demographics.
This will help you align potential domain name ideas with their brand identity and messaging. For example, if their brand personality is fun and playful, a domain like games.com may suit them better than info.com. Or if they sell technical products, something with “tech” could be ideal.
It’s also important to research competitor domain names at this stage. Are there any patterns or conventions you notice in the client’s industry? Doing a competitor analysis helps spot opportunities to differentiate or align their domain with leaders in their space. You may find the .com version of their desired name is taken, but discover .io or .co alternatives are still available.
With a solid understanding of the client’s business and market, you’ll have the right context to brainstorm domain names that convey their brand accurately to customers. The goal is to choose a domain name that reinforces its unique identity and competitive position.
Brainstorm Keywords
A domain name should reflect the client’s brand and business. Start the brainstorming process by making a list of relevant keywords.
Think broad to narrow when coming up with keywords. Begin with the overall category or industry, then move to more specific product names, brand names, and locations.
For example, if your client is a restaurant called “Tasty Bites” located in San Francisco, your keyword list may include:
- Food
- Restaurant
- Café
- San Francisco restaurants
- Tasty
- Bites
- Tasty Bites
- Tasty Bites San Francisco
The goal is to identify keywords that are closely aligned with the brand identity and business offerings. Avoid generic terms like “food” or “restaurants” unless combined with unique descriptors.
Focus on words and short phrases that truly exemplify the client’s business. These relevant, brand-connected keywords will guide you in finding an available domain name that resonates with their mission and style.
Check Domain Availability
The domain name is one of the most important branding decisions a business can make. Before recommending domain options to a client, it’s crucial to check if their desired domains are available for registration.
There are a few key steps in checking domain availability:
- Search on domain registrars like GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Domain.com to see if the .com version of the domain is available. The .com top-level domain remains the most popular choice for businesses.
- If the .com is taken, check for availability of the .net and .org versions. While less common than .com, these can still be good options that closely match the brand name.
- Research alternatives like .biz, .info, .company, .solutions, and other newer domain extensions. Expand the search to include relevant industry-specific domain endings.
- Try variations like hyphens, abbreviations, or totally different spellings of the brand name as a domain. Get creative, but make sure any variations still resonate with the brand identity.
- Consider country-specific domain extensions like .ca, .sg, .io, etc. This builds brand localization in markets you serve.
- Search for typosquatters – sites that register common misspellings of domains to steal traffic. Flag these to avoid brand confusion.
Checking availability across the major registrars provides a clear picture of what domains are open for registration. This list then informs the domain recommendations made to a client based on their brand needs. Acting fast to register once a decision is made prevents losing the domain to another entity.
Evaluate Options
When evaluating domain options, think carefully about branding potential, memorability, spelling, and length:
- Branding potential – Does the domain name reinforce or expand upon the brand identity and messaging? For example, if a client wants to establish thought leadership in the industry, a domain with “insights” or “vision” has more branding potential than a generic keyword domain.
- Memorability – Is the name short, simple, and easy to remember or spell? Avoid long domain names with odd spellings. For instance, “visioninsightsmedia.com” is harder to recall than “insightmedia.net.”
- Spelling – Choose a domain name without confusing letter combinations like “ll” or “vv.” Spell out words fully instead of using numbers or abbreviations.
- Length – Shorter domains with a .com extension are best for branding. Long domain names get cut off in search results and are harder to share or remember. If a short .com isn’t available, consider a slightly longer name over a different extension.
In addition, check for unintended meanings or negative connotations in other languages. Google the name and look up the definition. Avoid domains that could be misinterpreted or have multiple meanings.
With branding in mind, identify the 2-3 domains that seem like the best fit for your client’s business. Then move on to the final few checks before making your recommendations.
Run Trademark Searches
When selecting a domain name for a client, it’s important to thoroughly research existing trademarks to avoid potential conflicts. Running searches in the USPTO and WHOIS databases can uncover trademarks that may be too similar to the proposed domain name.
The USPTO, or United States Patent and Trademark Office, provides access to registered trademarks through the Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS). TESS allows you to search for exact phrases, words, classifications, and more. Pay close attention to any active trademarks that contain the keywords or brand name your client intends to use.
WHOIS databases also allow you to look up domain registration details and see if a domain is already taken. WHOIS records include the domain’s registrant contact information. Be sure to check WHOIS for the .com and other top-level domains, not just .com availability.
If your research uncovers trademarks or domains too similar to your client’s proposed name, you’ll need to revisit other options or modify the name to avoid conflicts. Even minor changes like adding a location or descriptive term can usually differentiate a brand name enough to pass review.
Doing due diligence to clear trademark hurdles upfront will ensure your client’s brand launches with the strongest possible domain name. Failing to thoroughly vet domains can lead to costly rebranding if conflicts arise after launching.
Consider SEO Factors
A domain name with relevant keywords can give a slight boost to search engine rankings, but avoid going overboard. Keyword-stuffed domains like bestchicagopizzaspecials.com are spammy and can actually hurt SEO. Here are some tips:
- Include 1-2 primary keywords that describe the business – like “chicago” and “pizza” in the example above.
- Don’t worry about optimizing for every related keyword. Search engines look at the overall relevance of the domain, not keyword density.
- Keep it simple and readable. Domains with multiple hyphens and numbers like chicago-pizza-delivery-123.com hurt the user experience.
- Avoid unrelated keywords that have nothing to do with the brand – like adding “seo” or “marketing” to a pizza company’s domain.
The domain name itself is just one small ranking factor for search engines. Focus on choosing a domain that’s brandable, memorable, and describes the business. SEO keywords in the domain can help but aren’t necessary for good rankings.
Check Social Media Handles
When choosing a domain name, it’s important to check if matching social media handles are available on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. You want the branding to be consistent across websites, domains, and social media profiles.
For example, if the client’s business name is “Sunshine Bakery”, you’d want to see if you can register @sunshinebakery usernames on the major social platforms. If not, you may need to get creative with variations like @sunshinebakes or @sunshinebakeryco.
Some tips when checking social media handle availability:
- Search for the exact business name first. If taken, try common variations.
- Check both usernames and actual business page names. For example, @sunshinebakery could be taken but “Sunshine Bakery” may still be open as a Facebook Page name.
- Look at both primary social platforms like Facebook and Twitter, but also consider emerging ones like TikTok and Instagram. You want to stake the brand name claim across as many channels as possible for future growth.
- Alternative options if desired names are taken: Change wording slightly (bakery -> bakes), abbreviate (sunshinebakery -> sunbakes), or add location or company descriptors (sunshinebakeryatl).
- Be sure the altered name still aligns with the company’s brand and messaging.
Locking in branded social media handles will allow the client to have a consistent image across their online platforms. This is an important step not to miss when selecting the perfect domain!
Make Recommendations
After researching domain name options and evaluating the pros and cons of each potential name, it’s time to present your top recommendations to the client. When making your recommendations, provide 2-3 of the best options, along with an objective overview of the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
For example, you may recommend:
- acmewidgets.com
- Pros: Exact match domain for their business name. Strong branding potential.
- Cons: Common and generic. Could get lost among competitors.
- widgetsinc.com
- Pros: Keyword-rich domain containing “widgets”. Available across social media.
- Cons: Doesn’t contain their business name.
- widgetcompany.co
- Pros: Contains keyword “widget”. “.co” extension lends some uniqueness.
- Cons: Doesn’t have their business name. Not a “.com”.
After weighing the pros and cons, provide a final, objective recommendation for the best domain name option for their brand and explain your rationale. For example:
“Based on your business goals, competitive landscape, and our brainstormed keywords, I recommend securing acmewidgets.com as your primary domain. Though generic, it aligns perfectly with your company name and will help strengthen brand association and recognition. The exact match is worth prioritizing over keyword targeting in this instance.”
Presenting thoughtful recommendations backed by reasoned logic will demonstrate your expertise in choosing the ideal domain for their unique needs. This will provide immense value as they solidify their online presence.
Next Steps for Registration
Once you’ve settled on the perfect available domain name for your client, it’s time to walk through the registration process. This ensures they officially own the domain name and can start using it for their brand.
The domain registration process is quite straightforward. You’ll need to go through a domain name registrar, which acts as the intermediary between you and the organization that maintains the global domain name system (like Verisign for .com domains).
Popular registrars include GoDaddy, Namecheap, BigRock, and Google Domains. You simply search for the domain on their website, add it to your cart, and checkout. The registration is usually around $10-15 per year.
During checkout, you’ll need to enter registrant contact information on behalf of your client. This includes their name, physical mailing address, phone number, and email. Many registrars now also require a registered agent service to mask the client’s personal address.
The registration process only takes about 24 hours, at which point your client will receive a confirmation email and officially own the rights to the domain name.
It’s important to note that domain registrations must be renewed yearly to retain ownership. Most registrars will automatically renew for you unless the client specifically cancels, so be sure to set calendar reminders as a backup.
Domain transfers between registrars are also possible, which you may need to do in the future if your client switches web hosts or if you can find cheaper renewal rates elsewhere. This process can take 5-10 days for all the technical changes to fully propagate across global DNS servers.
Overall, domain name registration and management do require some ongoing attention. However, the initial process is quick and seamless, allowing you to rapidly secure the perfect brand name for your client’s business.
If you want to know more about Domain Names then connect with DesiredDomainName.com.
