How to Choose Domain Names that Attract Local Customers?

Written on 05 April, 2022 by Melissa Toh
Categories Domains

How to Choose Domain Names that Attract Local Customers

So, you have a great business idea, and you now want to tell the world or, in some cases, the people in your local area.

 

Guide to Domain Names for Local Businesses in Australia

  1. What is the best domain name for a new business?
  2. Use the new .au domain name in Australia
  3. Which domain works best to target local customers?
  4. Include the city in your domain name
  5. Use a city-specific domain extension

 

Let’s talk about some of the things you should consider when selecting the best domain name for small businesses and, in particular, how to engage your local audience.

What is the best domain name for a new business?

When identifying the best domain for small business, many business owners do not spend sufficient time considering what and how their potential customers may search for the product. They simply look at a list of business domain name examples and pick the one they like best.

Let’s illustrate this with an example:

Consider Abe; he builds wooden nursery furniture for young families. He’s trying to understand what is the best domain for a new business. His products are sturdy, sustainable and competitively priced. The sort of furniture a family might use child after child.

Introducing your local business to customers online

Now Abe is not well known, so it is unlikely that potential customers will be searching for Abe’s Nursery Furniture. Also, Abe should consider that young families are unlikely to want to pay for expensive long-distance shipping of these pieces. So, Abe needs a domain customers can find that describes what he delivers and where they are located.

Before searching Google domains, any small business start-up needs to understand how people search for their product or service. They must also understand how important it is for the potential customer to know where the business is located. This is very much the case if the company is delivering a service.

So, what can we do to locate our business with our domain name?

 

what is the best domain name for your business

 

It all comes down to your location

Most of us will know that we can show we are Australian by using a domain extension such as .com.au. Just recently, a new domain extension became available in Australia, .au. So, Abe can append .au to his domain name and inform prospects that he is in Australia.

Use the new .au domain name in Australia

The .au extension is great because it’s short, easy to remember and enables Abe’s brand to shine. The new .au domains are perfect for establishing your Australian identity. Learn how to promote your business with a .au domain here, or simply register your interest in securing a .au. (The last link will need to be changed later in the year)

 

Which domain works best to target local customers?

Like Abe’s Nursery Furniture, sometimes a business needs to identify with a more local region. It might be unreasonable to expect a company to be relevant to customers outside your local town or city. Those customers want to know the businesses they find are in their vicinity. There are a couple of ways to localise your domain further.

 

Include the city in your domain name

For example, Abe might decide to include the region in his registered domain name, such as AbesNurseryFurnitureMelbourne. It does make for an inconveniently long domain name with more opportunities for misspells. Imagine trying to add that website to all of Abe’s marketing collateral.

 

use a city specific domain extension

Use a city-specific domain extension

Businesses in Melbourne or Sydney can use a .melbourne or .sydney domain extension which aligns their domain name to the specific city. Simply search for a domain name local business Melbourne or a domain name local business Sydney. In Abe’s case, his business is in Melbourne, and he would select the domain and extension AbesNurseryFurniture.melbourne. Localising the domain also makes it easier to run locally targeted online ads directed at users in your catchment.

Once you have your domain right, the hard work begins

The location of your business is not your only cause for concern when you are selecting a domain name for your business. Things to consider include length of domain, consistency, use of special characters and, of course, availability. Read here to get a few valuable tips.

Determining the need for a local domain is probably one of the less complicated decisions to address. Even when you have that foundation strategy in place, you will need to consider how you will continue to drive traffic to your digital presence, using digital marketing, paid ads or social media advertising.

Looking for some help with domains, hosting, web design or digital marketing?
 

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