A new survey released by GoDaddy reveals that domain names play a critical role in shaping consumer trust and online shopping behavior. The GoDaddy Consumer Pulse survey, conducted in March with 1,500 U.S. consumers, found that 80% of respondents have avoided visiting or purchasing from a website because it had an oddly spelled domain name.
This reaction was most prevalent among younger consumers. According to the findings, 85% of Gen Z and 82% of Millennials reported skipping a business due to its domain’s spelling, while 76% of Gen X and Boomers said the same.
The survey was released in March in recognition of the domain name’s 40th anniversary and explored what consumers consider red and green flags when it comes to online business names. One key insight: spelling and length matter.
“Businesses that don’t take time to choose the right domain name inadvertently put themselves three steps behind,” said Trip Briscoe, a domain name expert at GoDaddy. “It’s worth investing in a quality domain that is spelled correctly and exactly matches your business’s name. It’s the difference between a potential customer finding you effortlessly or getting lost in the vastness of the internet.”
What Makes a Domain Memorable
Consumers cited specific traits that made domain names more appealing. Topping the list were full words spelled correctly (43%), short domains with two words or less (40%), and domains that are easy to pronounce (38%). Additionally, 23% of consumers said they found unique domain extensions like .AI or .shop memorable, while 19% were drawn to humorous domains that rhyme or use puns.
In contrast, several features were identified as red flags. These included misspelled words (56%), domain names that don’t match a business’s name (55%), and domains that contain hyphens or numbers (20%). Another 20% of respondents said they distrusted free domains associated with platforms like Google Sites or Wix.
Typing Still Matters
Despite the prevalence of clicks and swipes in modern browsing, many consumers still manually type domain names into their browsers. Half of those surveyed said they regularly type in a business’s domain name when shopping online, while 27% do so only if they remember the name. The remaining 23% said they rely on search engines, bookmarks, emails, or social media links to navigate to a business website.
Generational trends were also highlighted. Gen Z and Millennials were more likely to type in domain names directly and less likely to depend on alternative browsing methods. Only 16% of Gen Z and 18% of Millennials said they don’t type in domain names, compared to 28% of Gen X and Boomers.
Why Domain Names Matter for Business
GoDaddy’s findings suggest that businesses, particularly new or growing ones, need to give careful consideration to their domain names. According to the survey, 74% of consumers are more comfortable when a domain name matches the brand name exactly.
Additionally, younger consumers were more likely to report halting their online shopping due to a poorly chosen domain. Thirty-nine percent of Gen Z and 35% of Millennials admitted they have stopped shopping at a company online because of the website’s domain name, compared to just 15% of Gen X and Boomers.
Unique and funny domains also appealed more to younger shoppers. Thirty-four percent of Gen Z and 30% of Millennials said they found unique extensions memorable, while 25% of Gen Z and 24% of Millennials found rhyming or punny domains especially noteworthy. Among Gen X and Boomers, only 17% and 15%, respectively, reported the same.
GoDaddy advises that businesses prioritize domain availability when naming a company, whether launching a new venture or expanding online. As the survey shows, a well-chosen domain name can make or break a customer’s decision to engage.
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