4 ways to fuel positioning for your startup with New Domains

By: Swati Maheshwari, Content Marketing Manager, Radix

There are two types of entrepreneurs—those who choose their startup’s brand name based on the availability of a corresponding domain and those who do the exact opposite. But you can break the mold and be the third kind: the one who chooses both the domain name and the business name without compromising on either.

A few years ago, it would have been difficult to register a two-word, meaningful domain name. Today, things are quite different. With New Domain extensions, startup founders have access to shorter, more memorable domain names of their preference and liking. Not only that, but New Domain extensions offer a fantastic opportunity for startups to choose domain names that empower them to build a stronger, more distinct brand positioning right from the start.

A few examples of startups that have used New Domains to fuel their positioning are:

• Threadly Store – www.threadly.store
• Break Into Tech – www.breakinto.tech
• Direct Pay – www.directpay.online
• DevTeamSpace – www.devteam.space
• Real Media – www.realmedia.press
• LouderOnline –www.louder.online

Each of these enterprises has used a short, memorable domain name that enhances their business positioning because of what the domain extension means linguistically. In each of these examples, the business name and the domain name are in sync with each other and that’s something you can achieve for your startup too.

It’s all about the meaning

Have you ever forgotten someone’s name but remembered what they did for a living or where they lived? The reason we often find ourselves in this situation is because we tend to remember stories and meaningful messages but forget the not so meaningful information such as the name of the person. In fact, there have been research studies that prove this very phenomenon. Findings reveal that “the most popular explanation (why people forget names) is that names are essentially arbitrary and meaningless.”

So, the key to creating strong positioning for your startup is to choose a name that drives home a memorable message. New Domain extensions work brilliantly for this very purpose by owing to their unique meaning linguistically.

Just as .ORG is for organization, .COM is for commercial, .EDU is for education; New Domains offer extensions like .TECH for technology, .STORE for retail and eCommerce, .FUN for entertainment, etc. With access to these new extensions, you can choose a business name and a domain name that are meaningful, such as www.lovable.tech. It’s unlikely that you’d forget this startup’s name!

Now that you know what makes a name memorable, here are four different creative routes to help you get started. These tips will help you choose the name and domain name of your startup in a way that serves your business positioning goals:

Make a statement

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to build a brand name that communicates your brand’s vision or organizational philosophy? The more powerful the message, the more memorable it will be. Some of the thought starters are:

• buildfuture.tech
• givesome.space
• findeverything.online
• timetohave.fun

The best way to go about this route is to think of what your brand’s long-term vision is and how you can communicate it in the least number of words (max 2-3). Then, pick the New Domain extension that fits in.

Include product keywords

Brand positioning is all about telling a story. If you want to create impactful positioning with your domain name, tell a story about your product. This is a great way for you to focus on what you sell while creating a memorable brand. Some of the ideas are:

• worldfood.store
• clothesforkids.online
• liquortea.site
• silverware.website

This naming route works well when you are sure about your product focus will be in the long run.

Put the spotlight on your industry

If a product-based name seems limiting for your startup, choose an industry-specific name that aligns with your business objective. This route is great for you to ‘own’ the industry on the Internet. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• onlinesales.tech
• familywellness.space
• pharmainfo.tech
• organicskincare.store

With names such as these, you would be able to use valuable industry keywords as part of your domain name. This is a smart way to get an edge over your competitors!

Define your geography

If you want to reach a specific geography with your startup, including location-specific keywords in the domain name is a fantastic idea. This will help you establish an association between your business name and the location right from the start. Here’s how you can do this:

• chicagosmartcity.tech
• bostongrocery.store
• austinrealty.site
• clevelandhealth.tech

This is another way to strategically use important industry keywords and localize them by including the city name.

Now, it’s your turn! If you already have a startup, check out an alternate domain name that would serve you strategically in your business positioning. If you are launching a startup soon, register your perfect domain name right away. Head to the domain search page on Name.com to see what’s available.

Swati Maheshwari leads Content Marketing at Radix, the registry behind some of the most successful new domain extensions such as .TECH, .STORE, .ONLINE, .SPACE, .PRESS, .SITE, .WEBSITE, .FUN and .HOST. Connect with her on Twitter and LinkedIn.