Intro
Our guest today is Michael Santiago, an experienced founder skilled in SaaS businesses, Online Business Growth strategies, Domain names, Team Building and more. With nearly two decades of experience, he has a strong background in the development and marketing sides of the online media and news industry.
Meet our guest
Name: Michael Santiago
What they do: Michael Santiago is the founder of OnlineBusiness.com, a company dedicated to helping businesses recognise the important role of domain names in capturing their target audience and driving growth.
Interesting fact: In 2003, Micheal registered the domain Myblog.com when blogging was just emerging as a trend. Upon selling it for six figures in 2005, he realised how valuable assets domain names could be, sparking his interest in the domain name market.
Where to reach them:
- Michael’s LinkedIn
- Michael’s X
- OnlineBusiness.com’s website
- OnlineBusiness.com’s LinkedIn
- OnlineBusiness.com’s X
Quote
When someone hears a domain name, they’re judging the business without even realising it. I’ve spoken to many founders recently who’ve heard my story. They often ask, ‘Do you think you would have succeeded without Newswire.com?’ My answer is always a firm no. Many entrepreneurs underestimate the value of a good domain, reluctant to invest and often don’t realise the immense impact it can have on their business
Michael Santiago
Imagine two companies where everything is equal across the board—the product is great, customer support is excellent, everything is great. But their domain names are different. One has a one-word domain, and the other has something like domain.io. Not to knock .io, but we know .com is king. When everything is equal, if you run ads with the same text but with different domains, nine out of ten times, if not ten out of ten, the company with the one-word domain will always convert better.
Michael Santiago
Short overview
Michael shares his journey in the online media industry, highlighting his successes with affiliate programs, domain sales, and AdSense sites. He details how upgrading to an Exact Brand Match domain Newswire.com, significantly increased Newsiwre’s revenue and appeal to investors. Michael emphasises that a premium domain enhances a business’s credibility and scalability and makes employees proud to be associated with a respected brand.
He points out that many founders fail to recognise the importance of investing in a high-quality domain, despite its clear benefits for business growth and securing funding. Michael also notes that top-tier domains significantly improve ad conversions, facilitate word-of-mouth marketing, and simplify internal communications, markedly enhancing a business’s market performance and reputation over alternatives like .io or .net. He highlights how a robust domain can protect against Google penalties and the risks associated with reliance on paid traffic and algorithm-dependent strategies.
Michael is currently focused on leveraging OnlineBusiness.com to assist entrepreneurs in realising the full potential of premium domain names. Michael aims to help founders acquire their ideal domain names, as a well-chosen domain can be a game-changer for any business. With his experience and OnlineBusiness.com, he is dedicated to proving how the right domain name can make business operations smoother and more successful.
Key moments
- Entrepreneurship, domain names, and making money online. (0:05)
- Domain names’ impact on business success. (9:48)
- Domain names’ impact on business growth and branding. (19:42)
- Building a strong brand with a premium domain name to avoid Google penalties. (27:29)
We host engaging conversations about naming, branding, and entrepreneurship, exploring everything from initial triumphs to the hurdles along the way. If you’ve got insights on innovative branding strategies, lessons learned from entrepreneurial ventures, or thoughts on the significance of a solid domain name strategy, and you’re keen to chat about them, we’d love to hear from you!
A premium domain name is a valuable asset that can help your business stand out from the competition. Contact us today to learn more about premium domain names and how they can help your business succeed.
Other resources
branding business domain domain name domain names domains Michael Santiago naming Newswire.com OnlineBusiness.com
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