Acquiring a domain name is the first step in building a successful online business. Below are the most popular reasons why individuals and businesses own domain names.

1. Improve Your Marketing and Visibility
The right domain name allows customers an easy way to remember and find you. It's your location on the web. It's also your email address.

2. Build Credibility
Using your domain for your website and to personalize your email helps establish credibility and professionalism. For instance, an email address such as jen@todayisp.com is more professional than jen127@freeemailservice.com.

3. Protect Your Brand
Purchase the domain name that best represents your business name. Domains are valuable online real estate. Secure the right name and keep it out of the hands of your competitors.

You may also find additional attractive domains for your business. Securing more than one helps protect your brand and increase your reach. You can easily direct as many domains as you want to a single website.

4. Acquire More Traffic
Some domains already receive traffic. This traffic principally comes from direct type-in or referral traffic. Direct type-in is when an internet user types the domain directly into her browser, such as typing 'www.photography.com.' Referral traffic typically comes from links on other websites.

5. As an Investment
Similar to real estate, domain names are investments. Domain values increase daily. You yourself can make your domain name more valuable by building and marketing your website.