The domain rebranding of Snapchat to Snap, along with the acquisition of Snap.com has been deemed unfortunate; the generic nature of the word makes it shared among numerous companies worldwide.
As seen in the case of Sumo.com, without a secondary identifier or a truly “fancy mark” element, such ultra-generic words become problematic to promote via SEO.
SnapChat reportedly paid $5 million dollars to acquire the domain Snap.com, and now random companies that share the same name reap some unexpected benefits.
In Australia, for example, local Google.com.au users find a web design company’s result at the top: Snap.com.au. Other results include a fitness center and Snap(Chat) is nowhere to be seen on the first page.
Now, in a new twist, stock market investors wanting a piece of Snap Inc.’s impending IPO, sent shares of another company called Snap Interactive up as much as 164%.
One can clearly see the importance of utilizing generic domains for their appropriate meaning; it takes years of consumer exposure to a brand, to be associated with a secondary meaning.
When in doubt, and before spending a large sum on an ultra-generic domain name, seek an appropriate keyword that identifies the industry and the focus of the brand and its intended products.
The “wrong” snap company’s stock shot up the other day.
Snapchat should have purchased Chat.com instead of Snap.com.