why do you have a domain name?

Everyday I get the chance to speak to small business owners who are looking to ensure that their domain names have been renewed.  There are so many times however that I really ask myself “why do these people even have a domain name?”

See, there are so many small business owners who don’t even have a website attached to their domain name.  Now you are most likely thinking “why would you even need a website name (domain name) if you don’t have a site?  Well the answer that everyone gives me is “Oh I only use it for the email.”

When someone tells me that they are just using it for email, I get them to stop and think about this…

When you send an email from a branded email (not a Gmail, Hotmail or yes even a AOL mail) what type of story are you telling people? 

I know my assumption when I receive an email from someone from a branded mail is that I should be able to go back to their website from that email to either (1) Verify that they are a real business, (2) remind me of what it is that they do or (3) Look for their phone number if I am looking for more information on the company. 
If you have a branded email and you don’t have a website, you could be causing friction for your clients without even knowing it.   If they are looking for more information on you, or if they are trying to find you online and you don’t have a website this could cause you a lot of problems.

You need to realize If you don’t have an active website, there is nothing for Google to grab a hold of other than directory sites, which will have whatever information is out there that may have been crowdsourced.  Your Facebook, your Instagram, your Linkedin profile these all should have a link back to your site. 
If you don’t know what your site should look like or what should be on there, feel free to reach out to me and I would be happy to give you a few ideas. 

​If you have a branded mail, get yourself a website.