Personal Brand, Biz Brand or Course Brand?

When you build a website for your online, service-based business, the first decision you need to make is what website address you will choose (a.k.a. URL, or Domain Name). After all, this is is the link you will use in all your marketing, your conversations and your emails.
 
It will also determine your brand logos, colours and how you think and feel about your business.

No pressure!
 
In this episode I walk you through the decision pros and cons of 4 different options and some ideas to mix and match if the decision seems impossible to make.


I've also included a quick summary below for you.

4 Brand Options
In this episode I'm going to start with a few assumptions.


Firstly I'm going to assume you are either an existing or future customer of mine.

This means:

  • You are in a service based business (so you don't sell widgets via e-commerce)
  • You know who your ideal client is
  • You have, or are in the process of developing, a Flagship Framework so you can help clients get great results either working with them personally, or in a 1 to many program or course
If you haven't made the above decisions yet, then only one of the options below is a sensible thing for you choose (Personal Name). Otherwise you're wasting your time and resources, and very likely will need to renovate your brand when you get greater clarity.

If you need help, my Attract Your Tribe Academy has been designed specifically for you.


Personal Brand

This is your name. If you can't get your name as a URL (like www.janetbeckers.com) then try something like YourNameCoach.com or YourNameAuthor.com or similar.

Pros:
  • Always grab your name if you can get it. You never know if you want to use it in the future
  • Instant authority
  • If your courses and services feature you as the authority, this can work well
  • If you change your offerings or expand your market, you don't need to start a new website
Cons:
  • If you are multi-passionate, you may want to have multiple brands over time and you may feel restricted only using your name for your business
  • You need to sell YOU on your website, not just your solution
Mix and Match:

You can always own your name Domain Name and when your business website is complete, redirect your www.YourName.com to your About Me page on your new website.
Existing Business Brand

If you already have a business with a website or even just a name you have been using for quite a while you may want to use this. For example something like www.YourSuburbCounselling.com or www.GenericUmbrellaServices.com.
Pros:
  • If your business name is well known and people will search for it online, then this is already an asset
  • If the name relates closely to your niche and / or Flagship Framework then this is an easier option to use
Cons:
  • If it's too general, it can be a waste of a branding opportunity and the other options will be better
Mix and Match:

You can always own your existing business name Domain Name and when your business website is complete, redirect your www.YourGeneralExistingBusinessName.com to your Contact page or a specific business information page on your new website.
Your Niche / Ideal Client Name Brand

If you work with people in a specific niche or who have a specific problem you can claim a domain with that title in it. For example www.BounceBackFromBreastCancer.com or www.MoneyMindsetSolutions or similar.com.

Pros:
  • Claim leadership in that space
  • Potential clients know immediately they are in a place with solutions for them
  • Easier to be found in search engines
Cons:
  • If you expand your services to include another niche it can be confusing if you still use the same domain name
  • If your existing business services are broader market, but your Flagship Framework is only for a subset of your business, it may confuse your other clients.
Mix and Match:

You can always register a niche Domain Name and when your business website is complete, redirect this URL to a specific page on your website where you outline your services and expertise for this specific market.
Course / Flagship Framework Brand

If you intend for your Flagship Framework to be the entire brand of your business, then you would register the name of the course as your domain name

Pros:
  • The Course Is the hero and so branding continually reinforces this
  • Great if you are not the only person creating content for your course and website. In other words, the person behind the brand is not visible
  • If you want to sell the course, website and brand to someone else in the future, this is the easiest option
Cons:
  • If you choose to create other courses in the future, it can be confusing for customers
  • If you choose to change the name of the program (there can be lots of reasons to do this), then you need to change your website and domain name
  • If you do not own the trademark for the course name, and someone else registers the name, you may be asked to stop using the URL or face legal action (so make sure you register the trademark - we have a lesson on this in The Attract Your Tribe Academy)
Mix and Match:

You can always register a Domain Name with your Flagship Course as the name, and when your business website is complete, redirect this URL to the sales page for the program on your new website.
Decision Time

I really don't want you to get lost in Analysis Paralysis with this decision, but do take the time to think about your future plans for your business and your online marketing.

If you get absolutely stuck and can't choose, then going with your name will most likely give you the greatest flexibility.

Use the mix and match ideas as this will help you cover all your bases. For example, see where www.JanetBeckers.com goes.
You can also see where my previous business URL goes at www.WonderfulWebWomen.com.
Scarecited Challenge
Scarecited: That feeling you get when you are stepping out of your comfort zone, you are scared but feel the buzz of opportunity and excitement...
  • Share your ah-ha's from today's episode below, or on socials, or privately with a friend. Why was that ah-ha important to you?.
  • Choose ONE thing from your ah-ha and schedule now to take action on that THIS WEEK.
  • Hey you can tag me @janetbeckers on all socials. If you share a great ah-ha I'll repost in my stories and shine the light on you. Scarecited?
Free Training
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