4 Reasons to Consider a Domain Name Change for Your Startup New top-level domains are going to be the digital real estate of the future.

By Robert Bruce

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Shutterstock.com

I remember back in 1994 when a friend asked if I'd like to buy a domain name. I had no idea what that meant, so I turned down his offer. And that turned out to be a big mistake. The domain offered (www.dog.com) is probably worth $2 million now. Later, I worked for Hotels.com when that company purchased its iconic domain name for a reported $11 million; and that's when it became very clear to me that an incredibly brandable domain is one of the keys to a successful business.

Related: 12 Domain-Name Debacles: 'Hillary Potter' for President and More

That's now so much the case that, these days, the best keyword domains in .COM are sold out, and that's why I believe that new top-level domains (TLDs, meaning the last part of the website name, like .COM) are going to be the digital real estate of the future.

I'm not a domain investor myself, but, after spending 10 years in internet marketing working for companies like Expedia, the travel company, and Partner Fusion, a leading marketing and technology incubator, I've seen many signs pointing to the value of new exact-match domains.

For instance, a recent study found that choosing a relevant domain extension can potentially help a website rank well for specific keywords, resulting in dollars saved on paid marketing.

Ultimately, whether domains end in .COM, .INFO,.FORSALE, or .LIVE, they all stand on equal ground when it comes to SEO performance. I have to believe that Google's search results will always value high-quality domain names because of someone like me. Specifically, I'm investing a lot in a domain name and am also likely to invest in developing a high-quality website that will be relevant to users.

The startup I'm currently building aims to modernize real estate marketing, and is scheduled to launch this summer. To position myself in the market, I opted for the exact-match domains www.homes.forsale and www.houses.forsale. They weren't cheap, either: I worked with Name.com and purchased the domains for $90,000.

But I'm hardly alone in paying a premium for an exact-match new domain; others are being sold for five or six figures each, including www.video.games for $183,000, and www.personalinjury.attorney for $60,000. Companies like Stream.Live have even gone through a complete rebranding, with StreamLive spending $20,000 on its new .LIVE domain. These figures come from the domain company Rightside, which recently released a snapshot of many of its $10,000-plus "Platinum Domain" sales.

Our expectations of the online user experience are changing as we get savvier about navigating to exactly the things we want; and relevant TLDs are going to be a big part of that. People will see my Houses.forsale domain name and say, "Oh, that's exactly what I'm looking for." Of course, you can always pay for online advertising and search-engine placement, but we exact-match domain owners will have a huge advantage over the competition.

Related: How to Find the Perfect Domain Name, Create Infographics and More

The reason: A high-quality, exact-match domain means we won't have to pay to get as many clicks. We saw some early evidence of this when one of our pages accidentally got indexed by a search engine while it was still in development. Within a day, we already had a potential client find us organically!

What I don't think people realize is that there's an entire world out there of domain investing going on behind the scenes; and it's been going on for 30 years, back to the time when the first .COMs started popping up.

The most perceptive of those early domain investors made millions merely by identifying the highest-quality domains. And there's still a tremendous opportunity to invest in TLDs, as the world moves beyond .COM. That said, I'm not just looking to buy low and sell high, although that option has been tempting. I feel that building-out a business on top of a brandable domain is where the real value is right now, and the right domain name can represent a huge amount of the equity in your particular business.

Overall, brandable new domains confer some amazing advantages to successful businesses, including:

1. Flexibility in choosing a name

The pool of short, memorable .COM domains is shrinking rapidly, but that doesn't mean that you can't secure an amazing name for your business. Overnight, new domains have increased the availability of possible names a hundredfold.

2. More memorable names

The potential uses for meaningful new domains, like .FORSALE, .SOCIAL, and .MARKET, are virtually limitless. Every word in your domain can and should be relevant to your brand.

3. Increased web traffic

When you use meaningful, relevant terms in a domain, people will be more engaged with your brand. That's going to help drive more traffic to your site, and will boost your search result rankings.

Related: The Psychology Behind Choosing a Killer Domain Name

4. Reduced online marketing costs

Because new domains drive organic web traffic to your site, you'll be less reliant on expensive search engine placement and other online ads.

Wavy Line
Robert Bruce

Online Marketing Strategist

Robert Bruce, based in Salt Lake City, is an expert in online marketing strategies, with specialities in real estate marketing and online travel. Bruce was a part owner of two successful travel websites before selling to a competitor in 2016. He lived overseas for 18 years (mainly Papua New Guinea), and has a passion for the South Pacific region.

Editor's Pick

'Catastrophic': Here's What You Should Know About the Debt Ceiling Crisis — And How a Default Could Impact Your Business
Lock
I Helped Grow 4 Unicorns Over 10 Years That Generated $18 Billion in Online Revenues. Here's What I've Learned.
Lock
Want to Break Bad Habits and Supercharge Your Business? Use This Technique.
Lock
Don't Have Any Clients But Need Customer Testimonials? Follow These 3 Tricks To Boost Your Rep.
Why Are Some Wines More Expensive Than Others? A Top Winemaker Gives a Full-Bodied Explanation.

Related Topics

Business News

'All Hell Is Going to Break Loose': Barbara Corcoran Issues Warning About Real Estate Market, Interest Rates

The "Shark Tank" star appeared on FOX Business' "The Clayman Countdown" this week.

Business News

7 of the 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live in the U.S. Are in One State

A new report by U.S. News found that San Diego is the most expensive city to live in for 2023-2024, followed by Los Angeles. New York City didn't even rank in the top 10.

Business News

Roman Roy's 'Succession' T-Shirt Is a $7 Boys Shirt From Walmart — And Now It's Sold Out

Eagle-eyed fans noticed the uncharacteristic wardrobe choice in the series finale.

Money & Finance

3 Ways to Create Multiple (Big) Streams of Income

Here are three ways to create multiple streams of income. These strategies require effort and resources but offer significant financial potential.

Science & Technology

She's Been Coding Since Age 7 and Presented Her Life-Saving App to Tim Cook Last Year. Now 17, She's on Track to Solve Even Bigger Problems.

Angelina Tsuboi, a full-stack mobile and web developer who also happens to be a pilot, has always been solution-oriented.

Leadership

The Real Reason Why The Return to Office Movement is Failing is Revealed in New Study

There is a vivid sign of the disconnect between employees and their workplace, a glaring indication that companies need to revise their scripts to improve their hybrid and remote work policies.