Brand Name – Why to Register Website Domain First?
Before deciding, using or registering your chosen brand name, it is wise to check whether the same domain name is available or not? If domain name is available for your chosen business name, then do not delay and immediately register the domain to secure it.
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Why Should You Choose Domain Name First, before Deciding Brand Name?
Reasons for registering website domain first before deciding on a business name.
It is possible that a website domain is either not available or if available then at much higher cost, for your sorted business name. For example, you had registered a business name with government body, few years ago but now you want to have a same website domain name for your brand. But when you search domain directory, your required domain was already purchased by someone else in some part of the world. Such situation would be a great pain for you. Now you have to register exact domain in some low-profile gTLD or country specific ccTLD domain extensions. It is possible that your domain was available in top-level but at premium price. Some people buy good domains and then resell them at expensive rates even in millions of dollars. For example, Bitcoin.com domain was sold in 2022 in USD $33 million. [RD]
Even you should choose domain name first before creating brand pages on social media such as Facebook or Instagram page or YouTube Channel. Register domain name and then align everything else with this website name. Create social media accounts after your acquiring domain name for consistency.
Same business name and domain name incurs trust while discrepancy creates doubts. If your website domain is different from your official business name, it negatively impacts your branding efforts. For example, kitchenware supplier company, Cheaway has a completely different and complex domain name (www.xwhhgs.com).
Therefore, always register domain name first and then make it your brand name and if appropriate register it as trademark.
Please keep in mind that rebranding at late stage can be very expensive. Therefore, align your business name with available domain name from the very inception.
In present digital world, having exact domain for a business is crucial. For example, in 2015, Bravofly Rumbo Group acquired LastMinute.com and renamed its own name to align with the domain name (Lastminute.com Group) – signifying the prioritization of domain name over trade name.
Examples Indicating Importance of Domain Name Prioritization
Many people do not give value to registering same domain name and start using their selected brand name and then repent later. Some people become captivated whether to register trademark first or register website domain name first. It is imperative that you should check the availability of domain name for your chosen business name. If domain name is not available, then choose some other business name as did by founders of Flickr, because ‘flicker.com’ was already taken.
Example of Alphabet Inc.
In 2015, Google rebranded all services under its umbrella conglomerate Alphabet. BMW had already taken the domain for its subsidiary brand name alphabet.com and so Google had no option left except using a new and unknown domain (abc.xyz) for its parent organization, Alphabet.
Therefore, always get domain first before launching any brand in this digital world.
Now, BMW gets a free traffic from online sources and mainly through when users mistakenly and unknowingly enter direct domain address (alphabet.com) in browser. BMW is very clever in this respect as it does not mention any word of BMW on the home, because apparently it wants visitors to read through and explore its services, before finally knowing that they have landed on wrong site. [RD]
On the other hand, Google is tech giant and owner of the search engine. When you search the word ‘Alphabet’ in Google Search, the first result appears about the Alphabet Inc. – the parent company of Google. It also shows you snippet about Alphabet Inc. from the article on Wikipedia. The search also includes alphabet.com (BMW) on the first page but down on the page. Bing search engine even puts BMW Alphabet at further down, at the end of first search results page.
Similarly, Twitter handle @alphabet also belongs to a personal profile of Chris Andrikanich who apparently cashes the traffic by sharing affiliate links. However, he has announced in bio that, “I don’t own @Google. I’m just some dude.” This reflects the inherent power behind a brand name.
However, please do not take some wrong lessons from it and avoid comparing this example with your small business. The name Alphabet Inc has the power of Google behind it which is technology giant and can handle the traffic to point to relevant results. So, when you search the handle @alphabet in Twitter (people section), the top result shows up for profile of Sundar Pichai who use the words, ‘CEO, Google and Alphabet’ in the bio.
Miscellaneous Examples Highlighting Significance of Website Domain for a Brand
Following examples will throw some light on the importance of getting domain name first.
Digg is a US based news publisher. In fact, its founder (Kevin) wanted dig.com but that was already registered by someone else. [RD]
Parsons wanted to name his business as Big Daddy but the domain for the name was already purchased. So, instead the company was named GoDaddy because that domain was available.
According to Stewart Butterfield, the co-founder of Flickr, the founders loved the ‘Flicker’ name for their company but the flicker.com domain was already taken, so they removed the ‘e’ letter to decide for Flickr. [RD]
Pierre Omidyar, the founder of Echo Bay Technology Group wished for echobay.com but the domain was already taken by someone else. So, he shortened Echo Bay to form eBay. [RD]
Stoats apparently branded the name without considering the importance of website. Stoats.com was already registered by someone else in year 2000, before the launch of the company in 2004. So, the owners, Tony Stone and Bob Arnott should have used some other brand name with available domain – they did not. So, due to their mistake, in 2008 the company registered the domain eatstoats.com. which is not matching with brand name.
According to WHOIS data, the domain www.google.com was registered one year earlier (September 1997) than incorporation of Google business name in September 1998. It reflects the wisdom and business acumen of Larry Page and Sergey Brin – the founders of Google.
Analyzing Names of Pet Businesses in New York
If we search ‘pets’ on Google Maps in NY city, we find that Petsmart and Petco are apparently successful companies, and their business volume can be guessed from their overwhelming number of reviews on Google Maps. Both Petsmart and Petco are unique, single worded and easy to speak.
Pet and Smart are two generic words and the pet selling business in New York has beautifully coined both words to make it a single worded brand name, Petsmart. It also owns the same domain name for website.
Similarly, Petco also has the domain name with exact brand name matching.
On the other hand, ‘Pamper Ur Pets’ is a business in New York about pet supplies but without a proper brand name. Their business name is long, descriptive (not unique) – It looks like a sentence rather than a brand name. Above all, they do not own a domain name. Although, they have mentioned domain name- pamperurpets.com- on the shop signboard but in my research, I found that the domain is owned by some other domain reseller Alpha Domains.
So, we can conclude that purchasing website domain is necessary before finalizing a business name. Another conclusion is that domain name should be unique and short.
Precautions and Tips Before Choosing Domain Name
Please consider following precautions and tips before deciding on a domain name for your business.
Do not decide a domain name identical or confusingly similar to established and distinctive brand names of others. On complaint of Michelin, in May 2022, the domain name “michelintyres.xyz”, registered by another party, was transferred (handed over) to Michelin even though it had added descriptive word of tyres. [RD]
You should avoid registering and using a domain name (and brand name) in bad faith – drawing benefits from the reputation of another established brand. Your domain registered and used in bad faith, will be confiscated and transferred to the real owner. For example, carrefouroffer.com was registered in bad faith (cybersquatting) so the judges ordered to transfer it to famous retail brand Carrefour in April 2022, because Carrefour is a distinctive brand name, and the registrant person (infringer) was using it in bad faith. [RD]
Merely adding ‘LLC’, ‘Inc’, or ‘CO’ with business name of a well-known brand does not confer any rights or ownership. For example, a person registered a domain name by adding ‘llc’ next to ‘Credible’ a well-known name in USA. Therefore, <crediblellc.com> was transferred to the real owner, Fox Media LLC – the company owns credible.com domain. [RD]
Avoid domain names based on personal names such as Dennis.com, Cecia.com, Jacob.net, Pamela.com, Rebecca.us. Brand names selected based on person’s name are difficult to protect from trademark infringement – especially when it is not the legal name of a registrant. [RD]
Use a single business name as main domain name and list all other services as subdomains, as Google does, for example meet.google.com for Google Meet. Do not use many different names as Tucows does in shape of Tucows.com, OpenSRS.com, TucowDomains.com because distinctively different domains create mistrust. In fact, multiple domains of Tucows created mistrust and prevented me to host my domain at one of their resellers.
In nutshell, always choose a domain name first before you decide brand name of your business.
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