A domain name is your online identity, and you can buy premium domains or acquire trademarks to boost your online presence. Purchasing a premium domain name can benefit your online brand by increasing your performance on search engine rankings. Trademarking can protect your domain from infringement, giving your brand exclusivity. Both options have advantages and drawbacks, so thoroughly review them when looking to establish an online brand.
Buying Premium Domain Names
A premium domain name is short, concise, memorable, and recognizable. People can easily and instantly relate the domain name with the brand or business. Some domains point to specific services or products, while others bear the company name. Premium domains perform highly on search engine result pages and support your branding. When purchasing premium domains, start with .com top-level domains, or TLDs. Most people associate .com sites with the official company.
You can register other generic TLDs, including .org and .net. Purchasing these other top-level domain names is one way to protect your business from potential competitors or identity thefts. Buying these TLDs can help prevent other businesses from achieving better search engine optimization and outperforming you online. Registering all available TLDs isn’t a recommended practice considering the vast number of domain name options. Most companies register with generic and country-code TLDs.
Trademarking Your Domain Name
Some businesses don’t trademark their domain names because it’s unnecessary or impossible. The primary benefit for those considering trademarking their name is legal recourse in the case of infringements. Acquiring a trademark allows you to petition or challenge companies that have copied your idea, brand, or name. A good example of this is the Microsoft case, where a user registered MikeRoweSoft.com and tried to sell the name to Microsoft. The user was sued for infringement and lost the case.
Trademarking a domain name costs more upfront than buying a few top-level domains. Trademarking suits online-only businesses and branded domain names that use the company name. You can also trademark the company name to navigate the challenge of purchasing alternate domain extensions and common misspellings.
Determining the Best Option
A premium domain can be a long-serving address with proven performance on search engine rankings or a unique name like SEO.com, a domain name created specifically for search engine optimization services. Before buying premium domains, consider if you can trademark them. You can’t trademark a generic dictionary term like “eggs,” but you can purchase it as a domain name because of its premium nature.
If the domain name can be trademarked, consider whether it is necessary. Not all businesses need to trademark their domain names, but that option can leave you vulnerable to infringement. Without trademarking, your domain name can also be registered with undesirable TLDs like .adult, .sex, .xxx, and more. If such threats exist in your industry, consider using adult blocking solutions. Below are some tips to help you determine why you should buy premium domains and acquire trademarks:
Why Buy Premium Domain Names
Buying a premium domain name is one of the best things you can do for your brand. Premium domains are highly marketable and brandable, and easily recognizable. Names like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are premium domains. Others like SEO.com, Software.com, and BandCamp.com are also premium and appear at the top of search engine result pages. If you have the option, choose premium domains because they perform better for search engine optimization and can help you establish a successful online business.
Why Trademark Your Domain Name
Premium domains like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are trademarked. This means you can’t copy or use their names illegally. Consider trademarking your domain name if your business identity is online only and you use the company name in your domain. Without a trademark, identity thefts can use similar or misspelled names and TLDs to scam your potential clients, giving you a negative reputation. Trademarking is a good solution for expanding brands and companies.
How to Buy Premium Domains
When you buy premium domains, stick to reputable online stores known for their super-premium names and TLDs. Secure the .com TLD first, then consider purchasing alternative TLDs or trademarking the domain. A domain name is considered premium if it offers more value for branding, marketing, and search engine optimization performance. Purchase a premium domain through a trusted platform today to protect and promote your online presence.
