A brand’s domain name is its chance to make a strong first impression on its audience. This research aims to increase understanding about how consumers use domain names as a trust signal when encountering a brand for the first time, and identify which domain characteristics most strongly influence credibility and first impressions. Our results help brands to determine the significance of domain names in trust-building exercises and to tailor their choices to target demographic expectations.

By Thom Davies

Our past research has revealed that founders think strong brand names and domains impact revenue in a wide range of ways, from customer recall to word-of-mouth recommendations. To explore this connection between name and revenue, we asked our audience of founders whether they think strong names and domains impact marketing spend, and, if so, how much more weakly-named brands must spend to compensate. This data should help entrepreneurs calculate further the potential return on investment of a strong domain, as it leads to greater revenues and more impactful marketing spend.

By Thom Davies

Companies rebrand for many reasons, including unpredictable pivots as well as predictable failures of names or domains to have the necessary impact. We ran this research to understand why companies choose to rebrand, how important domain names are within that process, and the level of investment founders and C-suite leaders are willing to make to secure the right domain for their new brand. Founders can use the results to align their naming and domain choices with a long-term, strategic vision.

By Thom Davies