Why a .design Domain Name Is Ideal For Designers

Finding the right name for your portfolio or website can be tough. The good .com names are taken, or cost too much money, and employers won’t take you seriously without a professional website. Back in 1995, people could only choose from website names that ended in .com, .net, .org. But now, there are other options, and there is one that is especially relevant to designers: .design. The .design domain name is becoming popular among designers because it serves the dual purpose of communicating what you do and helping you position yourself as an authority on design. Read on to learn seven more reasons why a .design domain is ideal for designers.

1. Branding

The first reason a .design domain name is perfect for designers is business-related: it helps with your branding. Whether you’re using your first and last name to brand yourself or a unique business name, adding a .design to the end of your website URL helps keep your audience focused on what you do: design. It makes it easy for people to arrive at that “aha moment” when their brain is deciphering what your area of expertise is.

2. A .design domain name shortens your URL

If you already have a .com name with the word design in it, you can easily rename it to [YourWebsiteName].design. Your website name will be shorter than before and easier to remember. It is an elegant solution to the ever-too-common problem of people forgetting what your website URL is. For example, www.toaddesign.com became toad.design. You can update your name and not worry about changing your website. Most website hosting providers make it easy for you to change your domain name and keep the same website you already have. Your website content stays the same, and you get a shorter domain name.

3. Availability

That unique name you wanted on .com might not be available, but chances are it’s still up for grabs under .design. The first year and renewal prices for .design are reasonable, depending on which registrar you go with. Search for the name you want and see what comes up.

4. The .design is an unexpected source of inspiration

Owning a .design domain name for your website serves as an impetus to add content that is dynamic and engaging. It gets people excited that they’re not going to a standard, run-of-the-mill website that they’ve seen many times before. .design is both a motivator to share your design projects and a reminder to focus on your objectives.

5. Relevance

The .design domain name acts like a sidewalk sign, instantly identifying yourself to customers before they enter your store. More importantly, this concept aligns with how Google provides search results. A Google search connects people who are searching for your type of design service to your website. In most cases, your visitors will be potential clients or future employers, so the easier you make it for them to connect their searches with your website, the better their overall experience will be. And the more likely it is that they will take the actions on your website that you want them to take, like contacting you.

6. Boost SEO rankings

Google has spent years refining its algorithms on how it displays search results and websites. While it’s not as easy as simply purchasing a domain name and waiting for clients to magically roll in, a .design domain name does help with standing out in search engine results. For example, Google will bold search results that have the right keywords that the user typed in. If your website name were madridgraphic.design and someone typed in “ graphic design services in Madrid,” there’s a high chance your site would rank on the first page with the results being bolded by Google. That simple act of highlighting your website name to match the user’s search dramatically increases your visibility.

7. Inclusive

The .design applies to all types of designers: web, graphic, product, motion, industrial, architectural, and more. On one side, .design is specific enough to let people know what you do. On the other side, it is general enough to include all different types of designers. Plus, even companies that don’t primarily focus on design as their core service or product can use a .design domain name. Several companies, including Facebook and Airbnb, have started housing their design-centric content under .design (facebook.design, airbnb.design).

As part of the Adobe MAX design conference, we will be hosting a booth on the exhibit floor where you can get a free .design domain name for your website. Stop by our booth and you can search for your free .design domain name. Looking forward to connecting with you.