In 2016, automotive and energy company Tesla paid $11m to purchase the domain name Tesla.com. Originally registered as TeslaMotors.com, the company spent over a decade trying to acquire Tesla.com, which had already been registered by an opportunistic third party.
For small to medium-sized business (SMB) owners, registering your company is only the first step towards owning your brand’s identity. In the digital age, SMBs also need to secure a matching domain name to establish credibility and ensure success.
SMB-focused hosting company 1-grid.com has launched a unique feature that allows businesses to register their company and its equivalent website address at the same time. This makes it easy for small businesses to protect their brand identity and ensure consistency both on and offline.
If you don’t secure a domain name for your business right away, competitors or cybercriminals might get there first.
“Every minute, domain grabbers go through worldwide company registrations, which are openly available, and register matching domain names. They make a profit by selling registered domains to businesses who need them, with a huge mark-up. If the businesses don’t pay, these domains can be used to wreak havoc for the brand,” says the head of 1-grid.com, Thomas Vollrath.
To avoid having your domain grabbed, Vollrath recommends registering your domain name as early as possible.
“Even if you’re not ready to build a website just yet, you can ‘park’ your domain name until you’re ready. It’s a smart investment to make for the future of your business”
Registering your business and securing a matching domain name also looks more professional, builds customer trust and drives website traffic. It allows you to market your services across a variety of channels, like email and social media, with the assurance that customers won’t be suspicious of your brand because of mismatched names.
