Rebranding brings a lot of change. A new logo, new vehicle wraps, new collateral and even sometimes a new name. When you rename your business, you’re going to need a new domain to match.
A branded domain is, of course, an important part of your future. It’s going to appear on all of your collateral, support a more professional first impression and give potential customers a clear, credible place to learn more about your company online.
So, this is an important step in the process! You’ve chosen the perfect new name for your company, and you’re ready to build up your web presence. But wait…you go to purchase “YourNewName.com”, and it’s not available! You might have these questions:
Don’t panic! We’re here to go through your options with you and set you up for website success.
We know how difficult it is to choose a new name. It’s often the hardest part of the rebranding process for clients! Once you’ve selected one, and your vision for your new brand is starting to come together, you don’t want to give that up over domain availability.
The cleanest domain is, of course, “YourName.com.” However, there are a lot of websites out in the World Wide Web! That means a lot of domains have already been purchased. But if yours is unavailable, that doesn’t always mean that your name is off-limits, too.
It’s possible that your preferred domain name—because it’s a great name—has been purchased by an investor hoping to make money off of it through “domain parking.” Domain parking is when an entrepreneur purchases domains that can then be set up as landing pages with ads, giving them the potential for passive income and the possibility of selling the domains at a later time. That means this domain may still be available to purchase through another route, such as a domain broker. If you have your heart set on it, you’re welcome to explore that option!
But since there are no guarantees with a broker, a much easier direction is to slightly tweak your domain name to something a little more ownable. And we’re here to help you pick the right one!
We do recommend choosing a website domain that ends in .com. It’s the most familiar and widely recognized top-level domain (TLD), which helps your business look more established and signals to potential customers that your website is legitimate. With that being said, if you aren’t able to acquire “YourName.com”, don’t worry! Many of our clients have taken a different route with their domain to ensure ownability.
One option is to add a call to action before your name. For example, Teal Seal added “call” to their domain—calltealseal.com—which is a common choice for home service brands. “Call” positions you as an accessible service provider who’s ready and available when customers need you. The majority of companies that have renamed with us have also taken this direction. It’s clean, direct and doesn’t add a lot of length to your URL. “Choose” or “go” are other options companies have utilized to create a more ownable, but still easy-to-remember domain name.
We even use this approach for some of our Fully Charged brands! These ready-made brands are created by our team and sold as complete, off-the-shelf packages, giving companies a strong brand foundation without the longer timeline of a custom rebrand. We purchase the domains ourselves and transfer them to the new owners when the time comes—and many of them begin with “call.” It’s a strong direction that we know works well and stand behind.
The most important thing to consider when choosing a domain is that it’s clear, easy to spell and connected to your brand. A strong way to accomplish this is by combining your name with a simple call to action.
When you rename, our team always does preliminary domain research to see what’s currently available, though it’s an ever-changing marketplace. Once you choose a name, we recommend purchasing your domain right away, so you can acquire the one you want.
But don’t let the available domains determine your name choice! If you’ve found the perfect name that’s going to kick off an amazing rebrand—we’ll find a great domain to match. And we’ll help you build up your online presence from there!
If you’re in the process of renaming with us, or you’re about to begin your project, you can reach out to your CSM with any domain-related questions! You can also contact us online or call 908.835.9000 to connect directly with our team. Together, we’ll make sure your domain is clear, memorable and ready to help your brand win online from day one!
When the time comes to purchase your new domain, your team will be responsible for securing it directly. We’re here to offer guidance and recommendations throughout the process, including where to buy. While there are several domain registrars available, we typically recommend GoDaddy as a reliable option.
As soon as possible! Once you have decided on your name, you should purchase your chosen domain as soon as you can to prevent it from becoming unavailable while you wait.
Domain parking is when someone owns a domain but hasn’t used it to build a full website. You might see a placeholder page with ads, a “coming soon” message or a “for sale” notice. This can be a completely legitimate reason why your chosen domain name is not available for purchase.
Domain front running is when someone monitors domain searches or interest in a particular name and then registers or acquires it before the interested party can, usually to resell it at a higher price. This is considered a predatory practice.
Absolutely! Our skilled team can help design your site and craft branded, SEO-optimized content to help you get seen by potential customers. Learn more here!
Meghan Coates