Now more than ever, a powerful domain name is key to any new venture. In fact, with the explosion of health-based startups since the pandemic began in 2020 and global health funding now higher than ever it is more important than ever to have a brand name that stands out and a domain name that fits it.
As we continue to do more and more from home – including looking after and improving our health – your online presence as a business has to be on point.
Health and wellness is a particularly tough industry for domain names, as it is closely monitored by Google analytics as well as generally being a highly regulated area.
Don’t let that hold you back, though! As long as you are covering those bases throughout building your business (with legal advice where needed, and science-backed products or services), it’s time to come up with that perfect domain name.
Here’s how to do it without missing a step!
Four things to Think About When Looking for a Domain Name For Your Health or Wellness Startup
Brandable Domain Names Are a Must
In a fast-changing world like health and wellness, brandability is incredibly important. If you look at the top ten most innovative health and wellness companies of 2022, you’ll see that almost all of them are closely connected to brandable trends.
In health and wellness, there are always new frontiers and new breakthroughs, all of which means ongoing shifts in what is ‘brandable’.
Given that 90% of your customer’s purchasing choice is performed subconsciously, showing what you are all about through your name and branding is incredibly important.
Your domain name has to match your brand. They have to be intimately connected. Think of new nonalcoholic drinks brands, Tripp, big players Huell, or even Peloton.
These brandable names immediately bring the product to mind! Of course, they aren’t always easy to come up with. In fact, the easiest method to find a strong brandable domain name is to visit a naming website.
Short Domains Win
What’s the maximum length of domain name you think you can remember?
Maybe if you trained your memory for a bit, you might manage to keep a whole sentence in your head for a week or so. But in the longer term, we only really have the ability to recall 3-10(ish) characters.
Plus, when a brand name is easy to spell, say and remember it’s easy to share. Shouting about your new protein powder at the gym? You’ll need it to have a snappy name, and a snappy domain name.
Aim for TLDs
What do .com, .org, .edu, and .gov have in common? They’re all top level domains, or TLDs. In the last few years, the options for domain names have exploded, but .com still reigns supreme!
Using other extensions is less of an issue now that browsers like Google Chrome remember where we’ve been and search in-browser, but it’s still best to go TLD where possible.
If you can’t find a top level domain name, or simply can’t afford the costs associated with them, a local option like .co.uk or .nz is a good second choice.
Be Careful With Keywords
Keywords get your point across, but they can distract from the other more important rules for a good domain name. They often make a domain overly long, and knock you off your branding game.
Keywords can be generic. And you can always get them into the copy within your site for great SEO results.
Next Moves
Finding a perfect domain name for your new health venture isn’t the be all and end all. It’s the start! Once you’re brandable, online, and ready to sell, the real work begins. But you’re on your way to greatness. The health and wellness worlds are booming – they’re just waiting for your great ideas.
Grant Polachek is the head of branding for Squadhelp.com, 3X Inc 5000 startup and disruptive naming agency. Squadhelp has reviewed more than 1 million names and curated a collection of the best available names on the web today. We are also the world’s leading crowdsource naming platform, supporting clients such as Nestle, Dell, Nuskin, and AutoNation.