Domain branding is the process of using a domain name that includes the name of your brand, company, or business. A domain branded name can also be a customized short URL that you use for your shared links, such as rebrand.ly/content-curation or bit.ly/branded-domain.
Using domain branding is important for online branding and marketing because it can help you create a memorable and consistent online identity, boost your SEO and click-through rates (CTR), and enhance your marketing campaigns.
In this article, we will explain the benefits of domain branding, how to choose a premium domain, how to set up a custom domain, and best practices for domain branding.
Benefits of Branded Domain
Domain branding can help you stand out from the crowd and create a strong online presence for your brand. Here are some of the benefits of using domain branding:
- Brand awareness: Domain branding can increase your brand recognition and recall by making your links more memorable and recognizable. According to Rebrandly, domain branding can increase link trust by 39% and brand recognition by 34%.
- Brand trust: Domain branding can also increase your brand credibility and authority by showing that you are professional and legitimate. Domain branding can also protect your links from phishing and spamming by making them more transparent and trustworthy.
- Brand engagement: Domain branding can also increase your brand engagement by making your links more appealing and inviting. Domain branding can also help you create a consistent and cohesive brand image across different channels and platforms.
- SEO: Domain branding can also boost your SEO and organic traffic by making your links more relevant and optimized for your keywords. Domain branding can also help you rank higher on search engines by increasing your domain authority and backlinks.
- Click-through rate: Domain branding can also improve your click-through rate by making your links more attractive and clickable. According to Rebrandly, brand domain links can increase click-through rate by up to 39% compared to generic or long URLs.
Read also: Dropshipping Amazon Reddit
- It helps you enhance your brand identity and recognition by making your domain name memorable and distinctive.
- It helps you build trust with prospects by showing that you are a legitimate and professional business, rather than a spammy or low-quality website.
- It helps you improve search engine discoverability by avoiding keyword-stuffing penalties and creating branded links that increase click-through rates and user engagement.
- It helps you interact with a niche market by targeting a specific audience that resonates with your brand values and personality.
- It helps you establish the business identity and communicate your unique selling proposition to potential customers.
- A branded domain can also give you more flexibility and creativity in choosing a domain name that suits your brand, rather than being limited by the availability of generic domains. You can also use new domain extensions, such as .online, .tech, .store, etc., to create more relevant and catchy domain names for your digital marketing campaigns. For example, www.flutelessons.online is a better domain name than www.learnflutelessonsonline.com.
How to Choose a Premium Branded Domain
Choosing a premium branded domain is not as easy as it sounds. You need to consider several factors, such as your brand personality, target audience, and marketing goals. Here are some tips and criteria for selecting a premium domain that suits your needs:
- Keep it short, simple, catchy, and relevant: A good premium domain should be easy to remember, spell, pronounce, and type. It should also reflect your brand name, message, or niche. Avoid using hyphens, numbers, or misspellings that can confuse or distract your audience.
- Use a suitable level domain: A level domain is part of the domain name that comes after the dot, such as .com, .net, or .org. Choosing the right level domain can help you convey your brand identity, target market, or industry. For example, .com is the most popular and universal-level domain, while .co is often used for startups or e-commerce sites.
- Find an available and relevant domain name: Finding a premium domain name that is not already taken can be challenging. You need to do some research and brainstorming to come up with unique and creative ideas. You can also use some tools and resources to help you find available and relevant domain names, such as GoDaddy Domain Search, Rebrandly Domain Finder, or Fudomains Domain Generator.
How to Set Up a Custom Domain
To set up a custom domain, you need to register the domain name with a domain registrar, such as GoDaddy, Rebrandly, or Namecheap. Then, you need to verify and connect the domain name with a link shortening service, such as ShortStack, Rebrandly, or Droplr. Finally, you need to create and share your custom links using the link shortening service.
Here are some steps to set up a custom domain:
- Register the domain name: Choose a premium domain name that suits your brand and register it with a domain registrar. You will need to pay an annual fee for the domain registration.
- Verify the domain name: After registering the domain name, you will need to verify it with the link shortening service that you want to use. You will need to add some DNS records to your domain settings to prove that you own the domain name.
- Connect the domain name: After verifying the domain name, you will need to connect it with the link shortening service. You will need to choose an API (application programming interface) key or token that will allow you to access the link shortening service’s features and functions.
- Create and share custom links: After connecting the domain name, you can start creating and sharing custom links using the link shortening service. You can customize the URL slug, add tracking parameters, and monitor the link performance.
How to Use Branded Domains for Marketing Campaigns
Using branded domains can enhance your marketing campaigns by creating a consistent and professional image across different channels and platforms. Here are some examples of how to use branded domains for different types of marketing campaigns:
Email marketing: Using branded domains for your email marketing can help you increase your open rate, click-through rate, and conversions by making your emails more personalized, trustworthy, and relevant. You can also use branded domains to track and measure your email performance by using analytics tools such as ShortStack, Rebrandly, or Droplr.
Social media marketing: Using branded domains for your social media marketing can help you increase your reach, engagement, and virality by making your posts more shareable, clickable, and memorable. You can also use branded domains to create a consistent and cohesive brand image across different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
Content marketing: Using branded domains for your content marketing can help you increase your traffic, authority, and loyalty by making your content more valuable, relevant, and optimized for your keywords. You can also use branded domains to create a strong call to action and drive your audience to your landing pages, website, or blog.
Influencer marketing: Using branded domains for your influencer marketing can help you increase your exposure, trust, and conversions by making your links more appealing and credible to your influencer’s audience. You can also use branded domains to track and measure your influencer performance by using analytics tools such as ShortStack, Rebrandly, or Droplr.
Best Practices for Branded Domain
Using domain branding is not enough to ensure your online branding and marketing success. You also need to follow some best practices and avoid some common mistakes when using domain branding. Here are some dos and don’ts for using domain branding:
- Do use them consistently across all your online channels: Using domain branding consistently can help you create a strong and unified online identity for your brand. It can also help you increase your brand recognition, recall, and loyalty among your audience.
- Don’t use them for spamming or misleading purposes: Using domain branding for spamming or misleading purposes can damage your brand reputation and trust. It can also result in penalties or bans from search engines or social media platforms. Make sure your brandable domain links are relevant, transparent, and ethical.
- Do monitor and analyze your link performance: Monitoring and analyzing your link performance can help you measure the effectiveness of your domain branding and marketing campaigns. It can also help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your links and optimize them accordingly.
- Don’t forget to renew your domain registration: Renewing your domain registration is crucial to maintain your online presence and avoid losing your premium domain name. Make sure you renew your domain registration before it expires or set up an auto-renewal option.
Branded Domain FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about domain branding:
What is the difference between a domain name and a domain branded name?
A domain name is the web address that identifies a website or web page on the internet, such as google.com or wikipedia.org. A branded domain is a domain name that includes the name of your brand, company, or organization, such as rebrandly.com or godaddy.com.
How much does it cost to buy a premium domain name?
The cost of buying a premium domain name depends on several factors, such as the availability, popularity, and level of the domain name. The average cost of a .com domain name is around $10-$15 per year, while other levels may vary in price. You can use tools such as GoDaddy Domain Search, Rebrandly Domain Finder, or Namecheap Domain Generator to compare prices and find the best deals.
How do I set up a custom domain name?
To setup custom domain, you need to register the domain name with a domain registrar, such as GoDaddy, Rebrandly, or Namecheap. Then, you need to verify and connect the domain name with a link shortening service, such as ShortStack, Rebrandly, or Droplr. Finally, you need to create and share your custom links using the link shortening service.
What are some examples of good premium domain names?
Some examples of good premium domain names are:
rebrand.ly: A short and catchy domain name that reflects the brand name and message of Rebrandly, a link branding service.
linkye.net: A short and simple domain name that reflects the brand name and niche of Linkye, a link shortening service.
shortstack.com: A memorable and relevant domain name that reflects the brand name and value proposition of ShortStack, a landing page builder.
What is a branded link?
A branded link is a short URL that contains a brand name or a related term that helps to associate the company with the links, content, and information they share online. For example, rebrand.ly/content-curation or bit.ly/branded-domain are branded links. Branded links are different from generic or long URLs, such as https://www.rebrandly.com/domain-registration or https://bit.ly/3jZw1mF, which do not reflect the brand name or message.
Branded links can help with online branding and marketing by increasing brand awareness, trust, and engagement. They can also boost SEO and click-through rates by making the links more relevant, optimized, and attractive. Branded links can also help with tracking and measuring link performance by using analytics tools and UTM parameters.
To create a branded link, you need to choose a branded domain name, a domain extension, and a URL slug that suit your brand personality, target audience, and marketing goals. You also need to register the domain name with a domain registrar and connect it with a link shortening service. Then, you can customize and share your branded links using the link shortening service.
Branded links are also known as vanity URLs or custom short URLs. They are used by many brands and companies to enhance their online presence and reputation. Some examples of branded links are rebrand.ly, godaddy.com, and shortstack.com.
What is brand heritage?
Brand heritage is the history of a brand that shows how long it has been in business, the journey it has taken, and the values, philosophy, and reputation it has developed along the way. Brand heritage can be a source of competitive advantage for older brands, as it can increase trust, emotional connection, and loyalty among consumers. Brand heritage can also evoke nostalgia, authenticity, and identity for consumers who associate themselves with the brand's story.
Brand heritage can be distinguished from related concepts such as inheritance, retro, nostalgia, and authenticity. Inheritance is the legacy or assets that a brand receives from its founders or predecessors. Retro is the revival or imitation of past styles or trends. Nostalgia is the sentimental longing for the past. Authenticity is the perception of being genuine or original. Brand heritage encompasses all these aspects, but also implies a dynamic and forward-looking perspective that aims to support brand identity and transmit it to future generations.
Brand heritage can be communicated and leveraged through various marketing strategies, such as storytelling, visual identity, packaging, advertising, events, or co-branding. Brand heritage can also be influenced by external factors, such as consumer culture, social movements, or technological changes. Brand heritage requires constant management and adaptation to maintain its relevance and appeal in the changing market environment.
Conclusion
Using domain branding is a smart and effective way to boost your online branding and marketing. Domain branding can help you create a memorable and consistent online identity, increase your brand awareness, trust, and engagement, improve your SEO and click-through rate, and enhance your marketing campaigns. To use domain branding successfully, you need to choose a premium domain name, set up a custom domain name, and follow some best practices. If you want to take your online branding and marketing to the next level, start using domain branding today.
