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/in General/by StrategyDriven5 Tips for Creating the Best Domain Names for Online Business Entities
/in General, Online Marketing and Website Development/by StrategyDrivenWhether you’re ecommerce, offer an online portal, or something else, you’re online. The best domain names for online business entities are the ones that are easy to spell, easy to say, and are truly memorable. Just as the domain name itself matters, so does the extension you use. These tips will make it easier for you to have a domain name that will help you succeed.
Look at What’s Successful
There are some companies that are killing it with the names of their businesses. They’re memorable, they’re easy to remember, and it shows they know how to be creative. By looking at some of the most successful names out there, you can be inspired.
Think about descriptive words that can be used to explain your online business. You may want to use SEO keywords. You may also want to combine two words to create a completely new meaning.
Keep it Simple
The last thing you want to do is make your business name so complicated that no one remembers it. Just because web browsers give you over 2,000 characters for a URL address doesn’t mean you should use them. Ideally, the character length should be less than 15. Anything over that and you risk people forgetting important details.
The best domain names for an online business are easy. They only contain one to three words, they’re easy to remember, and they can be spelled out phonetically.
Remember that while some people will reach your website organically, others will be typing it in after hearing about it on the radio, from a friend, or even seeing it on the side of your company vehicle. Make it easy for them to remember it long enough to type it into their web browser.
Who are you? What makes you unique within the marketplace? The name you choose is all about the storytelling process. Particularly when you are exclusively online, your business name and your domain name should be one and the same. Otherwise, it’s going to lead to people being confused about who you are.
Be authentic about who you are. Consider what your goals are within your business. There are countless stories of how businesses came to be. The ones that pull at the heartstrings or that make people smile or laugh are going to be the most memorable.
There’s no way that you can come up with the best domain names for your online business until you know who you are and how you came to be. Write out your story. Highlight some of the words that stand out. Those could be used within your business name and domain name.
Maintain Your Identity
Once you set your domain name, you’ve set your brand. This means that you can’t let your identity falter.
If you choose a fun name, people are going to expect you to be fun. The same goes for a name that is serious. And guess what will happen if you choose a boring name?
Additionally, your keywords could lock you into something that’s too specific. You have to consider the potential for growth when you choose your domain name. For example, if you are a wedding photographer and you use ‘wedding photography’ in the domain name, it can limit you to the events that you may photograph in the future. People may never reach out to you for a quinceanera, a bar mitzvah, or any other special event.
It’s best to keep your name a bit broad so that you can expand in the future without scaring off future niches.
Explore Your Options
There are plenty of options for you to consider when choosing a domain name for your online business.
Consider:
- Specific keywords
- A geo tag (city, county, state)
- A fun word
- A word that combines two keywords
Use a name generator to help you come up with some variations of your domain name. Maybe one combination is taken but another three are worth considering. There’s also nothing wrong with breaking out the thesaurus to help you explore word variations. Just don’t get so carried away that you choose a word that no one recognizes.
Your business name is who you are. It’s how people will refer to you. It will be one of the most important marketing tools that you have. Think about the different business names that operate entirely online. You know them by their web address – Google, Amazon, Yahoo. The list goes on and on.
The most successful businesses, online and locally, have brand recognition. You can say the name out loud and everyone knows who you’re talking about. It takes hard work to get to that level, but it all starts with a name. Finding the best domain names for online business entities is easier when you’re not fighting for a .com extension like everyone else. Prove that you’re different by using .ONLINE. It can open up the domain opportunities significantly and give you a name that you can be excited about
Why Adaptability is the Key to Business Success
/in General/by StrategyDrivenIf 2020 has taught us anything, it’s how quickly things can change. Almost overnight, the world was plunged into a new era of lockdown restrictions and social distancing as the COVID-19 spread from one country to another. As well as causing a global health crisis, the on-going pandemic has caused economic instability and turmoil for businesses. However, organizations that have been able and willing to adapt to the necessary changes have been the ones to thrive.
While the COVID-19 pandemic may be an extreme example, it highlights just how important it is for businesses to be adaptable. When you can modify your operations or accommodate changes to your industry, you’re far more likely to survive. To learn more, take a look at these three reasons why adaptability is the key to business success:
Evolution
Industries change over time, which means your business needs to evolve too. With continuous improvement tools, you can ensure that your business continues to evolve in a way that facilitates on-going success. The introduction of technology revolutionized the workplace, for example, but businesses who failed to embrace the changes soon fell by the wayside. Conversely, the organizations that used tech to enhance their processes triumphed.
No business remains static, so changing in positive ways is always going to be better than the alternative. As your business evolves, you have the opportunity to expand your operations and increase your profitability. Without being adaptable, you’ll never grow your business successfully, which means evolution is critical to long-term commercial success.
Fast Responses
Being able to respond to things quickly means you can minimize losses, protect your enterprise, and capitalize on new areas of profit. Similarly, a sudden surge in demand for products or services won’t throw you off your stride. Instead, you can adapt your operations to respond to the demand and enjoy the unexpected increase in your profits.
There are numerous factors that can affect business performance, such as environmental disasters and economic downturns. Often, you’ll need to make strategic decisions swiftly, if you want to avoid unnecessary financial losses. When you can scale your business swiftly in response to external factors, you can ensure that you’re operating efficiently, productivity, and with minimal waste.
Effective Teams
An adaptable business recognizes the need for varied skills and talents. As such, you’ll be eager to hire personnel who can drive your business forward and facilitate growth. Similarly, you won’t be afraid to make changes to the workforce when the need arises. Currently, we’re seeing a shift away from static work environments to remote, distributed teams. Unsurprisingly, it’s the businesses that can adapt to this way of working that will benefit the most from the global talent pool and the reduced cost of maintaining a distributed staff.
Being More Adaptable
With so much of your success depending on your adaptability, it’s vital to incorporate this attribute into as many areas of your business as possible. By making adaptability a core tenant of every business decision, you can create an enterprise that’s inherently adaptable and primed for commercial success.
StrategyDriven Podcast – Special Edition
/in General/by Nathan IvesThe StrategyDriven Podcast – Special Edition series introduces listeners to today’s top business leaders. Through our special edition podcasts, these highly successful authors share their insights on management and leadership effectiveness and achieving increased levels of business success.
StrategyDriven Podcast – Special Edition Episodes
- Special Edition 1 – An Interview with Robert Thompson, author of The Offsite: A Leadership Challenge Fable
- Special Edition 2 – An Interview with Diana McLain Smith, author of Divide or Conquer: How Great Teams Turn Conflict into Strength
- Special Edition 3 – An Interview with Forrest Breyfogle, author of Integrated Enterprise Excellence, Volume I – The Basics
- Special Edition 4a – An Interview with Tony Simons, author of The Integrity Dividend: Leading by the Power of Your Word, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 4b – An Interview with Tony Simons, author of The Integrity Dividend: Leading by the Power of Your Word, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 5 – An Interview with Michael Gurian, author of Leadership and the Sexes
- Special Edition 6a – An Interview with Gregory Berns, author of Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 6b – An Interview with Gregory Berns, author of Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 7a – An Interview with John Leonetti, author of Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 7b – An Interview with John Leonetti, author of Exiting Your Business, Protecting Your Wealth, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 8 – An Interview with Steve Steinhilber, author of Strategic Alliances
- Special Edition 9 – An Interview with Steve Kerr, author of Reward Systems
- Special Edition 10 – An Interview with Don Schmincke, co-author of High Altitude Leadership
- Special Edition 11 – An Interview with Marshall Goldsmith, author of Succession
- Special Edition 12 – An Interview with Nat Stoddard, author of The Right Leader
- Special Edition 13 – An Interview with Michael Dunn, author of The Marketing Accountability Imperative
- Special Edition 14 – An Interview with Duane Sparks, author of Sales Strategy from the Inside Out
- Special Edition 15 – An Interview with Susan Bloch and Philip Whiteley, authors of How to Manage in a Flat World
- Special Edition 16a – An Interview with Scott Davis, author of The Shift, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 16b – An Interview with Scott Davis, author of The Shift, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 17 – An Interview with Garry Ridge, co-author of Helping People Win at Work
- Special Edition 18 – An Interview with Roxanne Emmerich, author of Thank God It’s Monday!
- Special Edition 19 – An Interview with Arlene Johnson, author of Success Mapping
- Special Edition 20a – An Interview with Gary Cohen, author of Just Ask Leadership, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 20b – An Interview with Gary Cohen, author of Just Ask Leadership, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 21a – An Interview with Duane Sparks, author of Action Selling
- Special Edition 21b – An Interview with Duane Sparks, author of Selling Your Price
- Special Edition 21c – An Interview with Duane Sparks, author of Questions: The Answer to Sales
- Special Edition 21d – An Interview with Duane Sparks, author of Masters of Loyalty
- Special Edition 21e – An Interview with Duane Sparks, author of Sales Strategy from the Inside Out
- Special Edition 22 – An Interview with Michael Bender, author of A Manager’s Guide to Project Management
- Special Edition 23 – An Interview with Susan Scott, author of Fierce Leadership
- Special Edition 24 – An Interview with Jim Champy, author of INSPIRE!
- Special Edition 25 – An Interview with John Kennedy, author of The 15 Minute Heart Cure
- Special Edition 26 – An Interview with Omar Khan, author of Liberating Passion
- Special Edition 27 – An Interview with Chris Edgar, author of Inner Productivity
- Special Edition 28 – An Interview with Ken Blanchard, author of Leading at a Higher Level
- Special Edition 29 – An Interview with Tammy Erickson, author of What’s Next, Gen X?
- Special Edition 30a – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 30b – An Interview with Lynne Lancaster and David Stillman, authors of The M-Factor, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 31a – An Interview with Stacey Hanke, author of Yes You Can!, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 31b – An Interview with Stacey Hanke, author of Yes You Can!, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 32 – An Interview with Nilofer Merchant, author of The New How
- Special Edition 33 – An Interview with Larry Myler, author of Indispensable by Monday
- Special Edition 34a – An Interview with Dave Esler, co-author of The Pursuit of Something Better, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 34b – An Interview with Dave Esler, co-author of The Pursuit of Something Better, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 35 – An Interview with Robert Kolb, co-author of Corporate Boards
- Special Edition 36 – An Interview with Robert Wysocki, author of Adaptive Project Framework
- Special Edition 37 – An Interview with Ann Marie Sabath, author of Business Etiquette
- Special Edition 38 – An Interview with Robert Morison, co-author of Analytics at Work
- Special Edition 39a – An Interview with Sharon Drew Morgen, author of Dirty Little Secrets, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 39b – An Interview with Sharon Drew Morgen, author of Dirty Little Secrets, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 40a – An Interview with Frank McIntosh, author of The Relational Leader, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 40b – An Interview with Frank McIntosh, author of The Relational Leader, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 41 – An Interview with Susan Bagyura, author of The Visionary Leader
- Special Edition 42a – An Interview with Geoff Loftus, author of Lead Like Ike, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 42b – An Interview with Geoff Loftus, author of Lead Like Ike, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 43a – An Interview with Diane Katz, author of Win at Work!, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 43b – An Interview with Diane Katz, author of Win at Work!, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 44a – An Interview with David Parmenter, author of Key Performance Indicators, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 44b – An Interview with David Parmenter, author of Key Performance Indicators, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 45 – An Interview with Sharon Armstrong, author of The Essential Performance Review Handbook
- Special Edition 46 – An Interview with David Axson, author of The Management Mythbuster
- Special Edition 47 – An Interview with Rick Maurer, author of Beyond the Wall of Resistance
- Special Edition 48 – An Interview with Wendy Powell, author of Management Experience Acquired
- Special Edition 49 – An Interview with Kathryn Ullrich, author of Getting to the Top
- Special Edition 50 – An Interview with Marshall Fisher, co-author of The New Science of Retailing
- Special Edition 51 – An Interview with Priscilla Nelson and Ed Cohen, co-authors of Riding the Tiger
- Special Edition 52a – An Interview with Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus, part 1 of 2
- Special Edition 52b – An Interview with Ken Ball and Gina Gotsill, co-authors of Surviving the Baby Boomer Exodus, part 2 of 2
- Special Edition 53 – An Interview with Randy Dobbs, author of Transformational Leadership
- Special Edition 54 – An Interview with Gail Martin, author of 30 Days to Social Media Success
- Special Edition 55 – An Interview with Adrian Ott, author of The 24 Hour Customer
- Special Edition 56 – An Interview with Andy Kanefield, co-author of Uncommon Sense
- Special Edition 57 – An Interview with Robert Simons, author of Seven Strategy Questions
- Special Edition 58 – An Interview with Steve Boehlke, author of 50 Lessons on Leading
- Special Edition 59 – An Interview with David Aaker, author of Brand Relevance
- Special Edition 60 – An Interview with Doug Moran, author of If You Will Lead
- Special Edition 61 – An Interview with John Maxwell, author of The 5 Levels of Leadership
- Special Edition 62 – An Interview with Mark Sanborn, author of Up, Down, or Sideways
- Special Edition 63 – An Interview with Victoria Grady, author of The Pivot Point
- Special Edition 64 – An Interview with Jason Jennings, author of The Reinventors
- Special Edition 65 – An Interview with Ed Reilly, editor of AMA Business Boot Camp
- Special Edition 66 – An Interview with Mark Sanborn, author of Fred 2.0
- Special Edition 67 – An Interview with Jeffrey Gitomer, author of 21.5 Unbreakable Laws of Selling