If you’re just setting up the online component of your business and are tasked with the challenge of choosing the best possible domain name, there are countless tips, tools and other resources that you can use to research your options and define your goals. Unfortunately, some business owners dive headfirst into these efforts without understanding which features they should be looking for. If this sounds familiar, then now could be the right time to start shopping for a new domain. Following are four signs that your current selection isn’t working for you.
You’ve Made The Embarrassing Mistake Of Choosing A SlURL
Given the way in which the various words within a domain name will invariably run together, there are a number of unfortunate choices that wind up being surprisingly offensive. Unofficially dubbed slURLs, these not-safe-for-work domains don’t bode well when it comes to creating family-friendly brands, and positive brand reputations. Once you’ve identified a problem like this one or been told about it by one of your more discerning customers, failing to do anything resolve the issues will likely send the wrong message. Investing in a more brand-positive option will put this to a stop and allow you to start the process of revamping your online image.
Your Domain Name Is Too Difficult To Remember Or Spell
You may have thought that throwing in purposeful misspellings would make your domain distinct and more memorable. Sadly, however, the very opposite often proves true instead. If you are constantly having to spell your domain name out to people letter by letter, or if people just can’t seem to remember it after you’ve told them countless times, a simplified URL will prove to be a far more effective choice. You’ll get more traffic and your satisfied customers will find it easy to give referrals.
Another Company Is Getting Your Emails
If you’ve been dealing with a lot of mysterious, missing email, it could be that this correspondence is being sent to another company entirely. Simple misspellings can cause a lot of confusion with common-sounding domain names. Even though these typos are mistakes that your contacts will be making themselves, this is a problem that will still have a negative impact on your sales, and one that can even diminish your goodwill. More importantly, before choosing to buy or reserve domain name options, you should always make sure that your selection is noticeably different from the domains of any close competitors.
Your Mission Has Changed
Companies evolve. You may have decided to whittle your services down to a much more niche-specific range. It could be that the response to your products were overwhelming and now, you’ve decided to double your inventory and to branch out into different forms of merchandise. No matter how your company evolves, you want to make sure that your domain name either remains applicable or evolves with it. In these instances, take the time to look for options that will remain relevant no matter how large your business grows, or how specialized your interests become.
Changing your domain can be a costly and time-consuming endeavor. After all, in addition to updating your URL, you’ll also need to change your business cards, letterhead, and other stationary. If your current domain selection is working against you, however, these are efforts that will definitely prove worthwhile.
