With the new gTLDs most brands have a whole new clean slate and platform to plan their branding strategy on. If you are still wondering why you should consider getting a gTLD for your website, just think about the search algorithm. The new top level domain acts like a signal to the algorithm that it is authentic, legitimate and actually belonging to that brand.
According to Matt Cutts from Google, once an algorithm recognizes a top domain name as valid, it will consider everything to the left of it to be valid as well. The possibilities that something like this brings to your brand strategy are endless. In this article we will explore some of the new gTLDs and how they can be beneficial for your brand name and visibility.
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Making the right choice
Yes, a lot of new gTLDs have been introduced and yes, they can serve your marketing strategy in a great way, but be careful, not all TLDs are on the radar of the average internet user. We can go even further as to say that 55% of web users are clueless when it comes to the newly introduced domain names. So it is still the importance of the content on a website that the average users search for.
A recent study has shown that some of the new domain name extensions can be as significant and as successful as .com. For example, a lot of educational institutions, startups and even healthcare providers are opting for domain names that act as a part of their whole name. A teaching facility, lionsgate.academy, a link prospecting tool dibz.me, a domain hacking tool domainhack.me, for all these businesses their domain name not only complements their business name but in some cases more closely explains them.
All of these and many more successful businesses have chosen their gTLDs based on their personal brand needs but also based on the visibility of the domain name itself. So before choosing your own, taking these two parameters into consideration can be crucial for your brand’s success.
Determining factors for your gTLD
First we decide what the new website is going to be used for. Naturally you have the freedom to choose and new top domain name that you want, but a more natural one will definitely affect your rating and visibility. There are two major aspects to consider when choosing a TLD, the targeted location and search engine optimization, both of which are crucial for your domain’s success.
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Consider Local Targeting
The first step is deciding if you want your website to attract local visitors in the geographic proximity of your company or do you want to have a worldwide presence. Depending on your target audience you can opt for industry branches TLDs like .realestate, a country domain name like. au, or even a city name like .london or .nyc. The possibilities are endless.
Currently there are over 200 country code TLDs so finding the one for your area is quite easy. Also keep in mind that the cost of a country code is similar to the .com code, so there will be no additional costs in this respect.
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Consider Search Engine Optimization
The SEO aspect of your future TLD is something worth considering. Research has shown that some domain names rank higher than others, which is why .com has kept its ruling position for such a long time. However, many other domain names are gaining momentum, for example .info, .me and .net are becoming strong contenders to the domain name throne.
Conclusions
Online branding is one of the most important factors when it comes to business success. Increasing one’s internet presence and visibility has never been more important than it is in today’s market.
With the arrival of new gTLDs the offer has significantly increased but so have the risks and possibilities for making a mistake. Having too many options can sometimes be misleading and even fatal for a branding strategy. This is why it is important to have an understanding of the market which you want to offer your products to, as well as the overall process of boosting the domain’s visibility online. With careful branding strategy and research, the right gTLD can be your company’s ticket to success, bringing your product closer to their intended users, while boosting your brand’s recognisability on the web.