Are you ready to launch your brand? Hold on! Before you take the plunge, make sure you’re prepared. You don’t want to miss any crucial points that could make or break your brand’s success. So ask yourself these seven questions before you leap, and let’s go!
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- Have you checked if the domain is available? This may seem like a ‘duh’ question, but it is one of the biggest blockers when marketing decides to launch a brand. The domain name is overlooked, and when it comes time to take that brand live, the domain isn’t available or doesn’t match the brand. It creates brand inconsistency – If your brand voice isn’t consistent across every platform, it may affect your credibility.
- What countries do you need to target now and in the future? This is another way to limit your brand’s growth. Will you be in one country for five countries? Even if you don’t need those country domains when you launch, you are better off investing in them at launch so you don’t limit your brand’s growth down the road.
- Have you considered using a unique TLD for your website? Think about what Will.i.am did with his domain name – it’s his brand name—Will.i.am.) It’s the perfect time to take advantage of the options available and create a distinctive online presence that matches your brand.
- Have you thought about the different vertical TLDs? Vertical TLDs like .casino or .tech, etc., can add uniqueness to your brand. In 2023, Google announced the availability of eight new Top Level Domains, including ones that are valuable for law firms and dads. Think about how your brand sits in the market and how a vertical TLD could bolster it.
- What are the most common spelling mistakes around the brand name? This is one of the most overlooked aspects when a brand is created. If you are global, you must consider the brand name in different languages and how the brand is spelled. Marketing probably doesn’t look at this because they aren’t thinking about domains. A good exercise is to ask ten company employees from different nationalities to spell the brand name and look at it in other languages. Or, to make it easier, you can tell Okens to create a domain strategy that identifies what they are typing and then secure the right domain for you, including alternative spelling domains so you don’t miss any traffic to your site.
- If you were impersonating your brand, what domain would you use? Domain impersonation is a common phishing technique involving attackers creating “legitimate” “-looking email domains to impersonate specific companies, organizations, or individuals. This is done with the intention of tricking users into giving away personal or sensitive information, data, or money by posing as a trusted figure. This is a great exercise to take before the brand goes live. It helps you create a strong domain strategy before the brand launches so you can eliminate domain impersonation at the start.
- Can you trademark the brand to add protection? Trademarking the brand helps you protect your global brand, including your domain. You can also trademark your domain name, which protects your brand if someone uses your trademarked name. Trademarking your domain name gives you legal protection, which provides you with legal justification to bring suit against the other company and recover financial losses.
Reach out to Alexander Kucherenko or Greta Simanauskiene today, and they can help you create the best domain strategy to protect your domain, brand and business.
