There are a lot of considerations before finally choosing a domain name, including whether you need extra ones. In many cases, adding more domains is a wise move for branding, marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and legalities.
Before you go shopping for domain names from top registrars, several important factors need to be considered.
You need to assess real benefits for your business if you get more domains, as well as the types you look to get along with strategies to maximize its potential.
Reasons businesses get multiple domains
May be losing business with only one domain
Many businesses think having one domain name is enough – it could be for a while, but not owning multiple domains can be costly for business traffic and customers, plus you may be leaving your brand vulnerable to the competition.
Minimize user error
Another crucial reason to acquire multiple domains is to secure your business against user error since there’s a potential for people to misunderstand what your domain is when they hear and type it in. It’s a priority to own all common misspellings of your company’s domain name.
Brand poaching security
Buying multiple domains closes off the chance for competitors to poach your business. Brand poaching is a prevalent issue for even major businesses. Competitors with a similar name can be confused, so having a similar or related domain name can help protect your brand.
Trademark protection
A trademark doesn’t automatically secure you that domain name, and it won’t prevent others from acquiring domain names that have your trademark. Therefore, getting multiple domain names can help further secure any trademarks you own.
Additional domains to purchase
If your business only has one domain name, you might wonder exactly what other types of domains you should consider purchasing. As mentioned, it’s crucial to get alternative spellings as security against user error and brand confusion. If you have an extra budget or you’re a larger company, get more alternate spellings.
If your business name is York Bakery and your primary domain is yorkbakery.com, you should also consider purchasing yourbakery.com, newyorkbakery.com, yorkbaker.com, and other common variations.
Multiple Top-Level Domains (TLDs)
There are over 1,000 extensions currently available, and while you don’t need to have all of them, it’s recommended to get at least the common ones. If your main website is a .com, consider getting .co, .net, .org, or .guru.
Other possibilities include the newer alternative TLDs that serve as an effective way to own a memorable domain that fits your company name. Instead of yorkbakery.com, you could purchase yourbakery.uk., yourbakery.us, etc., that works if you have offices in different parts of the world.
Before purchasing multiple domains, know if it has an actual purpose for your business. From branding and marketing to SEO and legal considerations, there are good reasons to acquire multiple domains. The key is a clear-cut plan for each one. Having a good strategy in place will give your business a good position to make multiple domains work for you.
Buying your additional domain names from one registrar and on the same purchase date will make renewal easier, plus you’ll be keeping your invoices in one place for simpler cost and tax tracking.
