Dedicated microsites and landing pages are very popular for various marketing campaigns, and now with new domain extensions catching on, your web destinations can be even more effective. With more and more domains — from .blog to .coffee to .club to .rocks — becoming available all the time, options for creating useful and playful web addresses abound.
And companies are rushing to stake their digital real-estate claims in order to create more intuitive and memorable experiences for their customers. In addition to microsites and landing pages, unique domain names work great as shortcuts to deep links within your main site. Use a clever, logical domain to tempt and intrigue users, driving them to sub-pages to explore other parts of your business. Watchmaker Swatch uses the domain Swatch.club as a shortcut to the section of Swatch.com that is all about the Swatch Club. It makes good sense.
Not only is a creative domain extension more attention-grabbing and fun, but the SEO implications can also be substantial — especially given the fact that, over time, Google search results will likely begin to favor domains that more accurately describe their site’s content.
PerryMasonLA.lawyer is clear and concise as compared to PerryMasonLALawyer.com, for example, and that specificity could lead to higher search rankings. Some worry that Google might prefer the standard .com over a .lawyer domain, but more concise, more relevant domains may actually fare better with search engine algorithms.
Take a shortcut to a better user experience.
Shortcuts and microsites not only allow for creativity and whimsy, but they can also make it easier for users to navigate and access all the cool content you have in store for them.
If you’re considering adding a microsite or shortcut, here are a few ways to get started, using a variety of unique domain names for inspiration:
1. Point site visitors in the right direction. When searching, users don’t want to click through countless pages to locate your blog, news page, or loyalty program.
Simplify their travels by using shortcuts such as YourBrandName.blog to redirect them to your company blog, or YourBrandName.news to redirect to recent press releases. The .shop and .store domains are no-brainers for e-commerce sites, as they provide a clear path to purchase.
Businesses can even use creative domain names to redirect to their brand on other platforms. AshleyBridget.club, for instance, points to the jewelry company’s Facebook page. Ashley Bridget makes it easy for fans to find them on Facebook in a single click.
With a .club extension, you too can create a virtual fan club where your followers can meet and spread the love — and awareness of your brand.
2. First come, first served — make the leap soon. Domain extensions like .blog are going to go fast, so if you have a blog, now is the time to strike.
The parent company of WordPress recently purchased rights to the .blog extension and will open up sales later this year. Keep an eye on the availability here, and read up on how to move your existing site over to a .blog domain. Doing so won’t damage the integrity of your site and could give your SEO a boost.
3. Make it memorable and engaging. While it’s important to improve the user experience when developing microsites, don’t forget to let your hair down and get creative.
McDonalds created a memorable experience by launching BigMac.rocks, which directs users in Germany and Austria to special promotions. And Wendy’s made it easy to recruit talent by redirecting job seekers to its careers page with Wendys.jobs.
With all of the attention on the upcoming Summer Olympics, an ideal domain for a microsite for what to do in Rio de Janeiro is, of course, Visit.Rio.
Don’t limit yourself to a mundane generic domain — explore the “Wild West” of domain extensions that add meaning. Be a pioneer in the digital land rush of 2016, and claim a valuable new piece of internet real estate.
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