There are two obvious reasons for getting a .BIZ domain name. .BIZ brands your website as business-focused (duh) and name.com has .BIZ domain names for the super duper way low extremely awesome price of $4.99 (less than half the cost of a .COM).
But to me, the best thing about a .BIZ domain name is flexibility. It opens up some options that just aren’t available with .COM.
No need to include “store” or “shop” in your domain name
You’re a small business owner named Mike. You’ve got a hardware store named (drum roll) Mike’s Hardware Store, and you want to create a basic website with contact information, directions, hours, etc. mikeshardware.com is already taken. Which of these available domain names is easier for customers to remember and type into an address bar?
Option A: mikeshardwarestore.com (22 characters)
Option B: mikeshardware.biz (17 characters)
Not only is option B shorter, but the .BIZ ending makes it unnecessary to include “store” in your domain name.
Clears up ambiguity
Of course, whether you go with mikeshardwarestore.com, mikeshardware.biz, or some other variation, people will still get the idea that it’s a hardware store run by a dude named Mike. But what if your business name doesn’t convey exactly what your business does, or even that it’s a business at all?
For instance, let’s say you’ve got a dog walking business, but you’re a little more creative than our friend Mike. You’ve named your business Waggy Tails, or Happy Paws, or something else that’s dog-related, but not an obvious business name.*
waggytails.com could be anything dog-related. It could be a free site for dog grooming tips. It could be a community-driven site for cute puppy photos. waggytailsdogwalking.com is more obvious, but the domain name is getting kinda long. And it you want to include a location? waggytailsdogwalkingdenver.com? Forget it.
But waggytails.biz? Or waggytailsdenver.biz? Those domains may not be instantly recognizable as a dog-walking service, but at the very least they make it clear that you’re offering a dog-related service and running a business. Your soon-to-be customers will take note when they see the domain name.
*I didn’t realize it when I first wrote this section, but both of those businesses actually exist, and both use .BIZ domains instead of .COM. Cool!
