How to Choose Between a Personal or Brand Domain Name

If you are in the process of launching a brand-new company, one of your top priorities is probably to find the right domain name for your website. Now, a common problem among aspiring entrepreneurs with great business ideas is which way to go: should you put your name in the domain name, or should you put the name of your company in there? The answer is definitely not a simple one, as both options have their unique advantages and disadvantages, so you need to choose wisely, and you need to think ahead.

While a branded domain name might be easier to sell if you ever decide to get rid of it, a personal domain name might be more memorable and relevant to your target audience, which will help with digital marketing. Essentially, there is always a trade-off, which is why you need to prioritize. Let’s take a look at the best tips that will help you decide, so that you can launch a winning online presence from the very start.

Consider the focus of your venture

When deciding whether to use a personal domain name or a branded domain, you have to consider the key focus of your business venture. Should the focus be on your personal success and your years or decades of experience in the field (Neil Patel would be a great example here), or should the key focus be on your company and what this startup has to offer to the public? Of course, you can weave the former into the latter, and vice versa, but that takes some fine copywriting and it can be confusing for your audience. Plus, you still have to choose the main domain name.

Sometimes, people will respond better to the individual and their experience, and sometimes they will want to see that there’s an entire company at their disposal. Once you know your focus, you need make a choice between brand stickiness and name recognition.

Name recognition vs brand stickiness

There is no denying that a personal domain name will make you more memorable in the oversaturated online world. That said, you have to be careful and still make your personal domain stand out, especially if you don’t have a unique name to begin with. If you do choose to use your name in your domain, and it’s not quite as unique as you would like it to be, then be sure to use your middle name, or your nickname in the URL as well.

On the other hand, a branded domain might not make you personally famous, but it will definitely make your brand more memorable and recognizable as a whole. This can make it easier to sell your brand to the public, and improve organic traffic because contemporary brand names are easier to remember and type into the search box than personal names.

Adding another layer of personalization with your TLD

No matter if you choose to weave your name into the domain or if you choose to grow your brand with your name serving a supporting role, it’s important that you use every part of the domain to enhance the personalization. As the pillar of your own business, establishing your personal brand through the usage of a TDL such as .me helps enhance the authority of your identity and it builds up your reputation over time.

In such instances, your name can be in the spotlight, but your brand name can become some form of wordplay on your name and your expertise and still evoke the same authentic impression. Simply put, personalization doesn’t end or begin with your first and last name, nor does it become impossible with your brand name. It’s about striking a balance that fits your identity and your business.

Fitting the right keywords into the domain name

Although some day your name will hopefully be synonymous with your profession, search engines cannot possibly recognize your business value or your core purpose based on your name. That’s one key reason why so many business owners still go with the brand name, as it naturally incorporates some of the most vital keywords for the industry, which will organically bring more traffic to your website. In case your brand doesn’t include some keyword variant that contributes to your ranking, then there’s an even chance for SEO benefits with both personal and brand domains.

Consider the resale value

As we’ve mentioned earlier, your online presence may not be the end of your professional journey, but you could someday decide to sell it and move on to something else. How would you evaluate the chances of someone purchasing the domain name containing your favorite childhood nickname or your first and last name? Low, and many will agree. Sure, if your name does become the personification of the profession, you might not have that issue, but contemporary brand names and keyword-infused domain names can still have a greater resale value.

Wrapping up

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution when choosing your domain name, but you should certainly evaluate your unique situation before you make your decision. Keep these factors in mind, and you’ll be able to choose the right domain to serve your purpose.