Premium domains are short, memorable, and SEO friendly, making them attractive for new and existing businesses. When you decide to buy premium domains, you might wonder how many names and variations are necessary. Purchasing different top-level domain extensions and common misspellings can seem attractive, but having a dozen premium domains can be expensive. Here are three tips to help you determine how many premium domain names your brand needs to succeed:
Pick Your Second-level Domain Name
Before buying premium domains, determine the primary brand/company name and the second-level domain. Premium domains can be tied to your company’s name, products, or services, like in the case of SEO.com or Phone.com. You can purchase premium second-level domains from an online marketplace specializing in custom premium domains. Companies can also have unique domains that don’t immediately reveal their products or services. A successful second-level domain name can make its variations attractive and premium, so you need it first.
The second-level domain is the official name people associate with your home page. Once the primary second-level domain name is secured, the company can research other variations worth purchasing. Domain marketplaces offer a good starting point because companies and marketers can search for undeveloped names. The priority should be to secure the official brand name around which other variations and top-level domains can be built. Below are a few things to consider when choosing the main domain name:
- Choose short, memorable domain names
- Make the second-level domain relatable to the brand, company, products, or services
- Use combinations that are easy to read out aloud
- Use letters or numbers instead of special characters
- Consider how the name will fit into your SEO strategy
Buy A Dot Com Top-level Domain First
Top-level domains are the names that appear after the second-level domain. Popular top-level domains include .com, .org, .net, and .edu. Most people first search for the dot com (.com) domain name because websites have used it for decades. The dot com domain name remains the most popular TLD and go-to URL for your audience. If you have a commercial enterprise, .com is a must-have. The TLD denotes eCommerce websites like dot gov is for government websites. Others, like dot org, are for organizations, while dot edu is for educational websites.
If the dot com TLD is available for the second-level domain you picked, purchase it. Some of the most successful websites aren’t dot com, but the TLD is what most people know. Purchasing a dot com TLD allows you to create a URL widely understood by the general public. The dot com domain name can host your official website in the country you’re headquartered. If your company serves other countries, consider getting the relevant country-specific TLD. Examples of country-specific TLDs include .UK (for the United Kingdom), and .AU (for Australia).
Buy Relevant Extensions & Misspellings
Once you have the dot com domain name secured, you can research other extensions that might present competition. Premium dot com domain names can result in popular brands that competitors try to model against. Another company can purchase your dot net, dot org, and gTLDs like .blog, .shop, and .site. The extension market opened after ICAAN allowed businesses to develop their unique gTLDs. With so many possible options, you won’t need to purchase all existing domain extensions. Research only the relevant ones.
A good starting point is to purchase original TLDs, which include dot com, dot org, dot net, and dot edu. You can also look for other competitive extensions that might rival your dot com websites. Purchasing all relevant domain extensions can help you prevent rival brands from using your brand’s popularity to lure customers. Consider purchasing common misspellings and variations. You can identify variations by researching how users type and search for your website online. Use the misspelled names and variations to redirect traffic to your official page.
Where To Buy Premium Domains
Companies can buy as many premium domain names as they need, so there’s no specific number to aim for. The goal is to secure all relevant domain names and extensions. You can buy premium domains from trustworthy domain marketplaces and brokers. Choose online stores that specialize in selling premium domain names. Leading domain marketplaces feature new underdeveloped domain names and existing brands that have already shown success. Focus on purchasing relevant domain extensions as a placeholder for your ideas and marketing strategy.
