Does Your Company Have a Domain Strategy?

Today most businesses have domain names. Over the last ten years, businesses large and small have recognized the “need” to have a domain name (website name). So, does your company have a domain strategy?

Some businesses got their actual names as their domain name – the XYZ Company got www.xyz.com. Some business got domains close to their names, for example, the Melbourne Steel Company got www.melbsteel.com. Even Walmart started out with www.wal-mart.com before the “dash” was considered confusing and ultimately www.walmart.com was settled on. And then there were the businesses that got a descriptive name (versus their corporate name), such as www.myrealtysells.com, which was a descriptive slogan used by a realtor as their primary domain name. No matter the industry or the method, most organizations have ended up with a domain name one way or another.

Ok – So Most Domain Names are Pretty Much Set?

GGG (that is text for Good Golly Gosh) – you could not be SO wrong about the address system of the internet. It is pretty much recognized that we are now in “Web 2.0” – the second generation of the internet. The premise with Web 2.0 is things are much better than the first generation of the World Wide Web. (and Web 3.0 is just around the corner).

Things are making a lot more sense to folks today than they did 5 or 10 years ago – but in terms of domain names, I am not sure the learning curve ever really happened. Most business folks would have had their computer guys (or their webmasters) register their domain names. And to many, the domain name is just an administrative internet name that is by all rights the company’s, being used every day with e-mail, business literature, and website activity…

Not Sure the Learning Curve Ever Really Happened?

Based on the industrial age, the internet is basically in the early 1800s. In other words, it is still “BRAND SPANKING NEW” – and there is so much learning (and changing) still going on in this industry. I know this because every single day I learn more about this industry and also realize how much I still don’t understand. But to me, the most basic building block on the internet is the domain name. And one of the keys to understanding the value of a domain name is to understand how people get to a domain name, which in essence is your website’s address.

How Visitors Reach Your Website

In short – you get to a website through a web browser – you type in the URL www.takemethere.com – or you get there through a search engine where you type your keyword search – or the visitor is delivered through a referring link (advertising or strategic link exchange). That is it! Your web visitor has three ways of getting to you – Domain Name, Search Engine, and Referring Link.

The better your domain name, the better shape you are in. If people remember your domain name, they can go directly to your website – GREAT. If not, they will look for you on a search engine. Pending “their” search keywords (not yours) and the search engine’s algorithms, the results for finding you may vary. And lastly, there are referring links through strategic links and advertising which can be very effective and of course come with cost.

No Worries – They Will Find Us on Google!

Oh YEH – No worries! If you know of a formula to guarantee your ranking (positioning) in Google in the short term, please let me know. If not, then I think maybe we are starting to see the importance of the domain name. First and foremost, your domain name is your primary web brand and one of the most significant extensions of your corporate brand.

Frankly, it is it and a bit from my point of view. Certainly not anything that I would leave to chance, such as hoping the webmaster keeps the registration up to date. And that is probably one of the basics to start with in understanding your domain name. It is up for registration annually and it can be lost around 30 days after registration has not been paid for (It can also be registered up to 10 years). I cannot tell you how many companies have lost their brand domains by not understanding the importance and the process and/or relying heavily on a webmaster who probably didn’t get it either (or didn’t care). Having a good understanding of domain names is good corporate practice – end of story!

Ok – So Once a Domain Name Becomes Available Again – Can You Re-register It?

Here’s hoping – GOOD LUCK! Many things change quickly on the internet and the laws governing domain names are probably due to change one day (but currently it is so WIDE OPEN right now so possession is 100% of the law). The registrars that you have the domain name registered with have first right to do whatever they like with your domain name once it expires. That includes selling it to a higher (and eager) bidder – and don’t ever be fooled – registrars are out to make as much money as they can. There are several companies that now offer a service to back order a domain name when and if the domain owner forgets or decides not to re-register.

Usually in this case, the domain name is sold to the highest bidder. The registrar HAS NO responsibility to inform the owner that their name is expiring. They will attempt to contact the primary contact (the Registrant) via e-mail but I would estimate that many owners simply are not listed correctly on their domain registration information. The registrar will send a renewal notification to the “registrant’s email” – and that is it. IMAGINE LOSING YOUR DOMAIN through not understanding this process – you just wouldn’t believe how many companies have done this!

But It’s Not All Bad News – There Is LOTS of Opportunity with Domain Names

I think I have at least proven that the domain name is not to be put too far to the side of your business administrative tasks. But more importantly, domain name(s) should not be an administrative task that “has” to be done once a year – but frankly, domain names should be on your company’s business development brains all of the time. Why? Because domain names bring web traffic. And from what we understand, domain names with keywords as part of that domain name may get up to 25% higher search engine ranking. That’s right – the better domain names your company has, the more traffic that will come to your website, and generally the more “qualified” traffic produces the best conversions and results for your website.

So Why Would You Need More Than One Domain Name?

That is a great question. Let’s start with the basics…

(continues in next message — too long for a single reply)

Why Multiple Domain Names Make Sense

Your company name is XYZ Company – so you’ve got your company domain name: www.xyz.com. It’s on your letterhead, business cards, and used for employee emails. Your main website is www.xyz.com.

Now let’s say XYZ owns and distributes a product called Magic Brew. With people drinking Magic Brew and stores carrying it, a smart move would be to register the product brand domain name: www.magicbrew.com. This allows people searching “Magic Brew” to find you directly.

Let’s go further – register www.drinkmagicbrew.com. It includes keywords (“drink” + “magic brew”) and is memorable. This could double as an advertising slogan.

Now you have a new summer campaign focused on Magic Brew’s health benefits. Instead of using www.magicbrew.com/healthbenefits, you register a simpler domain: www.healthybrew.com. That domain routes to a subpage targeting health-conscious consumers while still linking to your main site.

What Your Domain Portfolio Looks Like

Now your company has:

1. Primary – www.xyz.com – For customers and prospective outlets
2. Brand – www.magicbrew.com – For product marketing and awareness
3. Slogan – www.drinkmagicbrew.com – To drive product demand
4. Advertising – www.healthybrew.com – Campaign-specific with SEO-friendly benefits

At an average cost of $8.60 per domain per year (or $35 if managed), this is a small investment with big potential.

The Power of Data

Let’s look at estimated traffic and conversions:

This example shows how specific domain names can target different market segments and drive consumer traffic. Each domain adds a layer to your web presence—boosting visibility and engagement.

Have a Domain Strategy – And Make It Count

If we had listed all three product-oriented domains simply as links or tabs on www.xyz.com, we likely wouldn’t have seen nearly the same traffic. Why? Because visitors aren’t going to dig around a distributor site to find a product. They’ll search the product name, a campaign, or slogan.

The additional domains help capture:

• Brand searchers (magicbrew.com)
• Lifestyle buyers (drinkmagicbrew.com)
• Health-conscious users (healthybrew.com)

All paths can ultimately lead to more distributor interest and product demand. Each domain can be a simple landing page or a full subdomain—whatever works best for your goals.

Start Small – Look to the Future

Some small businesses may say, “We don’t have the budget to build out extra sites now.” That’s okay. But that shouldn’t stop you from securing the domain names.

Waiting to register until you’re ready to use them is a mistake. They may be gone by then—owned by someone overseas, sitting on them and charging thousands to sell back. Worse, you may face legal issues trying to recover your brand name.

Secure Your Internet Real Estate

Get ahead by protecting your digital brand now. With a registrar account and a domain planning strategy, you can lock down your web presence for the next 10 years.

Launch the content and campaigns when the time is right—but don’t wait to claim your domain names. Your domains may last a century. Your website may change 20 times. But your domain should always lead the way.

So next time you sit down in a business development meeting, ask the question:

“Do We Have a Domain Strategy?”

And let the planning begin.

Cheers Mate,

Peter Beare – Webmaster

Peter Beare is CEO of BeareWare, a Website Design & Development Company located just outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Since building his first website for a local sports club in 1998 Peter has been a webmaster. Over the last 10 years Peter’s duties with BeareWare have included website planning, design and development, website marketing and sales, as well as database application programming & project management. But when all is said and done, Peter is still a webmaster and this is “Interview with a Webmaster“.