How does it work: Domain

Let Digip help you find the perfect domain name for your business

At first glance, domain names are a string of letters that act as addresses that identifies particular websites on the internet. With the correct domain name you can find any website you’re looking for on the internet.

But domain names now mean more than just a web address, they now act as unique identifiers for businesses online, and they form a brand’s identity online. Almost similar to how a trademark identifies brands offline, your domain name differentiates your brand from competitors online and stands as the mark of your brand on the internet.

For this reason, an ideal domain name for a business looking to build a strong and formidable brand has to be unique, catchy and easy to remember, as opposed to a random string of letters and numbers.

So how do you find the perfect domain name for your business?

Choose which regions and countries you want to protect your brand

Domain names aren’t just website identifiers, they can also be localized. There are top-level domains that are unique to certain locations like countries and other geographical locations. So you’ll have to first decide if you want a domain name that targets a specific region, otherwise you should be looking for a domain name that ends with .com.

If your business is highly localized and targets only people in a certain part of the world, then it makes sense that you have a domain name that’s localized.

TLD’s such as .com, .org, .net, are the most common and are the easiest to remember web users. While TLD’s such as (like .co.uk, .ca, .za, .ph, etc ) are specific to geographical regions, they help Google geotarget websites and direct users from these locations to your website.

Choose your ideal domain name

A domain name is made up of two sections, the first part is called the second-level domain while the ending that comes after the dot is called the top-level domain. For instance, in google.com, “google” is the second-level domain while “.com” is called the top-level domain. Top-level domain (TDL) can be .com, .ca, .org, .site, .online, .fm, etc.

Your ideal domain name will be a combination of a unique second-level domain and the perfect top-level domain

Domain names are usually a string of letters that form a word or a phrase that may seem to have no obvious meaning. This makes choosing the ideal domain name for a brand a bit of a challenge, but if you understand how domain names work then it wouldn’t be so difficult.

First, internet users find websites by entering certain keywords related to what they are looking into their web browser, the search engine then pulls out websites and web pages that contain these keywords on the search engine result pages.

This should give you an understanding of how a search engine optimized domain name will help drive organic traffic to your website. Incorporating rich keywords in your industry into your domain name will mean more visibility and organic traffic for your website. At the same, this internet address should be catchy, easy to remember and spell so your customers don’t misspell and end up on a competitor’s website.

The ultimate goal is to have a domain name that’s concise, memorable and easy to pronounce and spell

If your brand name is not available for registration, try adding a generic keyword to it, for example Uber’s first domain name was uberCAB.com. Adding a generic keyword to your domain name can make it standout.

Finding a domain name that’s easy to read, pronounce and memorize, contributes tremendously to your online success as a brand. This requires serious brainstorming and intense keyword research, because not all keywords are created equal. You have to find keywords that customers are actually using, and at the time, isn’t super-saturated.

Looking for the perfect domain name for your business?

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As you launch a new brand, always register a domain name before applying for trademark protection

With the explosion of the web, a domain name for your business is now an important step before filing for a trademark. The domain name is an online identifier for your brand, same way your mark identifies your brand offline, and clearly differentiate your brand from competitors.

A domain name and a dedicated website also give your brand international visibility, therefore expanding your reach

Domain names may not be recognized as intellectual property and protected by law. However, your main domain name should correspond to the brand name which will be subsequently registered as a trademark, this way, you have your brand protected. Getting your domain name before you complete your trademark is absolutely important because it prevents your unique brand name from being snatched up and registered as a domain name before you get your mark registered and fully protected

Do not only secure your main site domain name, also register domain name in key markets.

Digital marketing strategists and branding experts will tell you that having keywords in your domain name helps your website’s SEO, and it does. While obvious and descriptive names are not ideal brand names due to the difficulty in getting them registered and protected, you can get around this by registering important keywords in your industry as domain names, and pointing them to your major trademarked domain name..

Using various rich keywords, you can build unique sites and control the narrative in these product verticals.

On the internet, keywords are incredible marketing tools as they drive organic traffic to your website. Potential customers type in specific keywords on search queries and then click on domain names containing the keywords they used. This is a very effective way of gaining visibility online and driving free and organic traffic to your website.

And lastly, register your domain name with a good hosting service provider.

Registering your domain name goes beyond deciding on what names and keywords that will make up the domain name, it also involves finding the ideal domain name registrar and web hosting service provider. Among the many factors that make a domain registrar ideal is the number of top-level domains they have access to. All domain registrars do not have access to the same TLD’s: .com, .co, .net, .io, .org, .biz, etc.

So, does the registrar offer your desired top-level domain name?

Be sure your domain registrar is authorized to register domain names, has a good reputation, excellent customer service and support. Do not register your domain name with the cheapest deals you come across, chances are they do not offer all services you need to scale and grow your business.

Register your domain name with the best domain name advisor, let’s go!

Want a seamless domain name registration? Let the digip platform handle your domain registrations

Finding the perfect name for your business can be a challenge on its own, and once you find a name that works for you, don’t hesitate to register it as a domain name. Even as you don’t want to register dozens of domain names that you may end up not using, it’s always better to have at least one registered and secured while you brainstorm for other brilliant ideas. Plus, you’ll certainly need these domains for landing pages that will capture visitors and direct them to your main website.

Register some of the most common keywords in your industry as catchy domain names for driving organic traffic to your main trademarked domain name.

Since domain names are assigned on a first come, first served basis, the first applicant to request for a given name as a domain name gets it and there is no way of reserving a name you want as a domain name for future use. If you don’t get it registered soon enough, someone else will. However, if your desired domain name has already been registered, our Digip team will help you come up with alternative names to pick from or contact the current owner of your desired domain name to negotiate with them to let go of it.

All domain names on our platform are auto-renewed and you can easily manage your portfolio in your customer zone.

When we register domain names for our clients, we also monitor the new domain registrations to flag domain names that conflict with theirs, and advise them on the best course of action. Especially, if your domain name is also a trademarked brand name. Digip also monitors your domain name to ensure they are automatically renewed promptly to prevent cancellations.

Look beyond the price point to find the best domain registrar; one that’s trustworthy, delivers good service and offers plenty of customer support

As a business owner faced with the daily challenge of running and growing a business, the hassles that come with choosing the ideal domain registrar and monitoring domain names is a distraction that can be outsourced, and we are here to gladly lift the burden off your shoulders. While you focus on building and growing your business, we focus on keeping your online brand identifier safe and secure and your website up and running.

Want a seamless domain name registration? Let’s go!

Secure your domain name from cyber fraud with digip

Cybercriminals are real and domain name hijacking is an actual thing. Without adequate domain protection and security, your domain name will be at risk of being hijacked. This is a cybercrime where criminals access the domain and change the registration information and make it theirs. When this happens, the original owner of the domain will be locked out and unable to access their domain. These criminals usually sell the stolen domain. Cyber crimes are on the rise thus making domain security and protection an absolute necessity.

First, redirect all domain names to your main website

When you register different keywords in your industry as domain names, you will need to direct all of them to your main trademarked domain name. Multiple domain names containing targeted keywords directed to your main website will send in more organic traffic and boost interaction on your main website. And this doesn’t require that you make any changes to your website.

Setup DNSSEC, HTTPS (SSL) and DMARC for your domain name portfolio for optimal security

Domain name system security extensions (DNSSEC) is a domain name system that translates domain names into numeric internet addresses. Domain names originally weren’t secure and DNSSEC was created to add an extra layer of protection to make them secure against attackers.

Implement domain security to protect your domain from phishing emails, scams, cyber frauds and other cyber criminal activities

DNSSEC protect domains against cybercriminal activities such as name spoofing, where cybercriminals intercept the communication between your customers and you with the intention of defrauding the customer and discrediting your business.

Another common criminal activity is email spoofing, this is used by hackers to send unsuspecting persons emails that mirror the ones they get from their domain registrar, these emails contain clickable links. Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance (DMARC) is an email authentication protocol designed to help domain owners secure their domains from unscrupulous individuals “email spoofing” on the internet.

Digip platform monitors domain name registration against infringements and fraud.

With your domain name in place and properly secure, it’s also important to monitor new domain registrations and act fast to prevent any registrations that may conflict with your domain.

We help you protect your domain from cyberattack and monitor your domain name against infringements. Let’s talk!