Your brand is your reputation, and your website domain is a major part of your brand. Think about it: Whenever your customers visit your website, they enter a URL containing your domain. With that level of exposure, it’s important to create a great domain that ties into your brand identity. Custom domains, combined with branded short links, make that possible.
The power of branded links has been proven time and time again. In fact, according to recent data from the Bitly Connections Platform, a custom domain can actually help boost click-throughs by 2.3x. In an online space full of noise, a consistent brand experience is like a lighthouse leading your customers right to you. That means every detail matters—including the links that lead to your website.
These days, custom domains are accessible and affordable for even small businesses. With Bitly, you can create a great, branded short link with a custom domain within minutes. But before we jump into how, let’s explore custom domains and their benefits.
What is a custom domain?
A custom domain or subdomain, also known as a vanity domain, is a unique, branded website address. The domain name will appear in the address bar of each web page under that domain. It identifies those pages as part of the same site.
For example, our custom domain name is bitly.com. The address for each page on our site starts with www.bitly.com.
A custom domain is more than a web address. It tells your audience who you are and what you have to offer.
What is the difference between a domain name and a website?
While it may be confusing, a website is a separate entity from the domain name used to reach it. The term “domain name” refers to the address that defines the location of that content, while the term “website” refers to the content itself.
Benefits of using a custom domain
When was the last time you purchased something from a website without a branded, custom domain? Custom domains have become standard for businesses because they communicate who you are before your audience ever reaches your content. You can use them with almost any website builder or web hosting platform, so you can get one no matter where you host your site.
There are unlimited ways you can use a custom or vanity URL. The presence of a custom domain gives validity and professionalism to your website. Plus, custom domains give you more control over your website.
Professionalism and credibility
Since a custom domain appears on every page of your website, it contributes to your brand’s general identity and credibility. You can even use custom domain names as your business email domain. A custom email address adds another level of professionalism to every online interaction customers have with your business.
Domain names should be instantly recognizable as connected to your business. If the domain name is irrelevant to the landing page, visitors may question whether they’re in the right place.
Choose a custom domain name that makes sense and matches your business—it’s a green flag for website visitors that increases their trust.
Brand identity and awareness
Domain names appear at the top of the browser for every user navigating your website. This makes the domain an important part of your brand. It makes you easy to find on the web and contributes to your brand perception.
Custom domains are so important that companies have paid millions to own specific domains. OpenAI purchased AI.com for $11 million. Famously, the owner of milk.com (which would be a highly desirable domain name in the dairy industry) has repeatedly refused to sell and set a price of $10 million.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Domain names don’t directly impact your SEO. However, a professional, branded, recognizable domain name positively impacts your traffic. A good domain name that seems trustworthy to users is more likely to be clicked on from a search engine results page (SERP)—which can boost those sites’ SERP rankings.
Flexibility and control
We all like to have the flexibility to grow and scale our websites as needed. Custom domains give your business total control over your website. You can put whatever content you like on your website and make whatever changes you need whenever you like.
How to set up a custom domain
Using a custom, branded domain with a URL shortener is a powerful combination. The shortened link makes it easier for your audience to visit your website, and the personal URL communicates what your business does before your customer visits.
Bitly makes it easy to set up a custom domain for your Bitly links. Using a custom domain personalizes your short links to better align with your brand.
1. First, you need a custom domain. You can buy one from a third-party domain registrar like GoDaddy.
The registrar will also assign an IP address on your behalf. Make sure the domain is less than 32 characters so the link is short enough to work with the Bitly system. (Note: Some paid Bitly plans come with a complimentary custom domain.)
2. When logged into your Bitly account, choose Settings and select Custom Domains.
3. Select Add a Domain, then either I want to use my own domain or Get a domain from Bitly, depending on your situation.
4. Enter your new domain.
5. If you plan to use this domain only for Bitly links, select No, this is an unused domain. If you already use this domain for your website, select Yes, I use this for my website, blog, etc…
6. Select which groups on your account will use this domain.
7. Follow the steps to configure your DNS settings for your custom domain.
8. Once Bitly verifies your custom domain and DNS records, you’ll be ready to start making custom domain links within Bitly!
5 tips for selecting a custom domain
For a custom domain to benefit your brand, it should be memorable, easy to use, and instantly recognizable as connected to your business. Let’s look at some key considerations for choosing a successful custom domain name.
Tip 1: Keep it short
We’re all about keeping things short around here. Shorter domain names are easier to remember, which is exactly what you want.
The easier people can recall your domain, the more likely they are to recognize your branded links in your communications. This helps build trust between your brand and its customers, making them more likely to click your links.
Tip 2: Choose something simple
Remember, people won’t just enter your custom domain on a screen—it’ll be said aloud, too, in meetings, casual conversations, and video recordings. Make sure people catch it correctly by not overcomplicating things. This means avoiding dashes, unnecessary letters, and special characters.
Tip 3: Incorporate relevant keywords
Your shortened link performs best when your customers know what you’re selling. Relevant keywords include your business name and the names of the key products you sell.
Your location name is also an important keyword if your business is local. These keywords can make it easier for people who need your product to find your website online.
Tip 4: Make it catchy with the extension
Speaking of being more memorable, the top-level domain (TLD)—the letters after the “.”, also known as the extension—can help make your custom domain even easier to recall. And there are so many to choose from, these don’t even begin to scratch the surface:
- .build
- .buzz
- .education
- .events
- .is
- .link
Here are some brands that leverage their extensions well:
- es.pn (ESPN)
- nyti.ms (New York Times)
- bzfd.it (BuzzFeed)
Tip 5: Connect it to your brand
Your branded short links should be brand assets. You don’t have to include your brand name in the links if it’s not available, too long, or not aesthetically pleasing.
Two questions to consider when choosing a domain name that connects to your brand: Is it intuitive based on what you do? Does it complement your brand? Aim for your custom domain to check at least one of these two boxes.
Boost your credibility with custom domains—and branded short links by Bitly
Custom domains can do wonders for establishing brand credibility. Having an online presence is no longer a luxury for businesses—it’s a must. A custom domain gives your brand a polished, professional online appearance, and when you pair it with trackable branded short links by Bitly, you get valuable insights into your customer behavior.
With branded short links, you communicate what your brand does with every click. They also contribute to a smooth customer experience, making it easy to navigate to your site and convert to sales.
Bitly has everything you need to create, manage, and track custom short links easily. With Bitly, your branded short links will take your brand to the next level and increase your credibility with customers—whether you’re a major enterprise or a small business.
Ready to elevate your brand’s online presence with Bitly? Get started with custom short links today.
