The domain mantra of every savvy entrepreneur contains three words: Get the .com.
Using the globally-recognized TLD for your business needs is unquestionable, and it should always be the primary choice.
In a recent article, I explained why getting the local ccTLD is also a smart move, alongside the .com domain.
Today, I'll tap another marketing angle, using the so-called domain trinity to boost your brand.
What is the domain trinity I'm referencing?
The original 3 top-level domains, .com, .net and .org. For many years, they were the first and only commercially available TLDs to register domains with—we are excluding .edu, .int and .mil for obvious reasons.
On many occasions, it's prudent to get the domain of your choice in all three TLDs, .com, .net and .org. By securing all three, your brand is able to dominate the keywords involved, without threat of dilution from others.
In particular, if you plan to seek a trademark registration, this additional cost to register or acquire the .net and .org makes a lot of sense.
The original function and purpose of .net domains was to identify computer networks, and organizations loved the shorthand provided by .org. Today, these definitions have been widely removed, and anyone can use a .org and .net commercially. However, when aiming for brand protection, each of these extra TLDs is able to target different functions of your brand.
For example, while the .com can handle the commercial aspects of your company, the communication channels, and the product supply, the .org can become a charitable provider gateway—should you decide to sponsor events, or groups. The .net can be used to bundle together and network your online social media presence, or to identify parts of your corporate infrastructure.
When done efficiently, this domain trinity provides a stronger promotion of your brand. Don't forget, that Google loves content, and you should never use those auxiliary domains as mere URL forwarders. Any domain that you add alongside or below your main brand, should be a separate landing page or full web site, allowing you to cross-link and provide "juice" for SEO purposes.
Pro tip: If we have to be satisfying Google's fine requirements, all three domains should be hosted on separate IPs, and their content should be mobile-friendly, cross-linking them for maximum SEO.
Utilizing three domain names to enhance your brand might require additional research before deciding on the name. Having to secure 3 domains instead of one, will put you to the ultimate test: what would happen if a competitor owns or registers the same domain in one of the original TLDs?
Give yourself time to research the options, and if the domain is available in all 3 TLDs, spare a few extra dollars.
If these domains are available to acquire in the domain aftermarket, make a conscious attempt to do so. Sometimes, getting these TLDs can be surprisingly cheap, and while it all depends on the keywords and the age of the domains, they will never be as expensive as the matching .com, which you have already secured.
