--- title: "Your Domain Name Is Your Brand Online | Grit Brokerage" description: "Why growing companies upgrade to brand matching one word .com domains, with Discord.com, Surprise.com and Sumo.com bought for $1.5M after near seven years." url: https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/your-domain-name-is-your-brand-online publisher: Grit Brokerage contact: https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/contact offer: https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/inquiry --- [Market insights](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/blog?topic=market-insights) # Your Domain Name Is Your Brand Online Growing companies are upgrading to exact brand matching .com domains. Discord bought Discord.com and SurpriseHR moved to Surprise.com. Noah Kagan negotiated almost seven years and paid $1.5M for Sumo.com, starting from a $50k offer. Sumo now reports annual revenue over $70M. By Grit BrokerageMay 7, 20203 min read ![Company upgrading to a brand matching .com domain such as Discord.com and Sumo.com](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/_astro/a53ed9_4c41f48c60284a699c6ecbddec786621.C5kleW5A_1qkUYi.webp) As the old adage goes - You only get one chance to make a first impression! That certainly rings true in today’s digital world as well. So many growing companies are making moves and upgrading to their exact brand matching .COM. It is almost daily that I see announcements of domain name acquisitions from businesses themselves or others researching these trends. For example, just this week there were two huge domain upgrades shared on Twitter. The first one is Discord.com, a leading chat app for communities and friends. From [@Discord on Twitter](https://twitter.com/discord/status/1257401032189018113): > _we bought_ [_discord.com_](http://discord.com/) _don’t worry_ [_discordapp.com_](http://discordapp.com/) _still works_ _yes we’re still an app_ Another big domain name upgrade that was uncovered this week was [SurpriseHR.com moving to Surprise.com](https://twitter.com/DInvesting/status/1257986700292378629?s=20). The sale prices paid for Discord.com and Surprise.com were not announced publicly, but it is safe to say that the companies paid a pretty penny to acquire such premium one word .coms. If they are both already successful businesses, many folks may ask why did they feel the need to spend so much just to acquire the one word .COM? There are many answers to this question. Ultimately though, it comes down to branding, long term vision and authority. If you look at the [top 100 brands](https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/) in the world today, how many do you see using a prefix or suffix like ‘get’ or ‘app’ in their domain? That’s right…ZERO. If you have aspirations for your company to become a huge brand, you need to have your online business built on the best possible domain name. Can you imagine a company like Nike using WearNike.com instead of Nike.com or Nestle going with EatNestle.com for their main web presence? When a company utilizes a one words .com that exactly matches their brand name, this signals to their clients, competitors and the rest of the world that they are in it for the long haul and are an authority in their industry or niche. It is not to say that these brands should only own one premium domain name. For example, Disney who operates many brands also owns several generic one word domains like Family.com and Video.com which redirect to specific pages on their website that relate to those keywords. Of course, not every small business with big goals have the capital to go out and acquire a one word .com domain at this very moment. So, naturally businesses will need a web presence and have to launch and grow on two word variations, an acronym or maybe on a different extension like a .net, .org or .co, etc. However, it should be addressed very early on if and when a business will consider going for the upgrade. [Here’s a great interview](https://www.domainsherpa.com/noah-kagan-sumo/) with an entrepreneur who negotiated for almost 7 years to get the domain name he and his company really wanted and why he ultimately paid $1.5M for the domain. It started out with a $50k offer and years later they finally landed the domain. It is a long interview but really goes in depth on the negotiation and why he is so happy with the acquisition. Noah explains in the DomainSherpa interview that their brand is Sumo, not SumoMe which was the domain they were using. He and his cofounder felt it necessary to be THE Sumo online, so in his eyes they absolutely had to secure Sumo.com. They wanted to go big and there was no other alternative. Since the acquisition, Sumo has grown substantially and now does annual revenue over $70M/year. This is just one of many examples out there demonstrating how upgrading to the brand matching one word .com turned out to be the best and most important investments for their company and brand. ! ## Questions this post answers ### Why do successful companies pay for one word .com domains? The post says it comes down to branding, long term vision and authority. A one word .com that exactly matches the brand signals commitment and authority. It notes none of the top 100 brands uses a prefix or suffix like get or app in its domain. ### Which companies upgraded domains in the post? Discord announced it bought discord.com while discordapp.com still works. SurpriseHR moved to Surprise.com. Neither price was announced publicly. Noah Kagan's company moved from SumoMe to Sumo.com after paying $1.5M, as told in a DomainSherpa interview. ### How long did the Sumo.com negotiation take? Noah Kagan negotiated for almost seven years. It started with a $50k offer and ended at $1.5M. He said the brand is Sumo, not SumoMe, and they had to secure Sumo.com. Sumo now does annual revenue over $70M per year. ### What if a small business cannot afford a one word .com yet? The post says such businesses can launch on two word variations, an acronym or another extension like .net, .org or .co. It advises deciding early on if and when to go for the upgrade. ## Terms in this post - [Premium domain](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/premium-domain) - [Domain name](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/domain-name) - [Brand name](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/brand-name) - [.com](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/glossary/dot-com) ## Keep reading - [When Should a Startup Upgrade to a Better Domain Name?Upgrade when the weak domain costs you more than the better one would: customers mistype it, investors or partners question it, or you are about to spend on brand and marketing. Most startups do it right after a funding round or before a major launch, using a broker so the owner does not see a funded buyer.](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/guides/startup-domain-upgrade) - [35 Recent Premium Domain Acquisitions & UpgradesThis post lists 35 domains that recently changed hands, mostly one word .COMs now used as the buyer's permanent brand. Examples include Cal.com, upgraded from Calendso.com, and Deel.com, which came from LetsDeel.com. Grit Brokerage compiled the list from James Iles of JamesNames.com and his Twitter feed.](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/35-recent-premium-domain-acquisitions-upgrades) - [Business Names Trending Back to ConventionalStudies cited in this post show startups are moving away from misspelled and made-up names toward recognized words. A Crunchbase article by Joanna Glasner says straightforward and evocative names are most popular. Grit Brokerage adds that it still sees fast growth in one word .coms being purchased and branded on.](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/business-names-trending-back-to-conventional) - [Domain Assets - Shifting End User PerspectiveDomain broker Michael Law explains how Grit Brokerage responds when buyers say a premium domain does not fit their budget. The post argues a premium domain is an appreciating asset with lifetime utility, SEO, security and brand alignment, not a recurring expense like a web hosting bill.](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/domain-assets-shifting-end-user-perspective) - [Do Domain Names Still Matter When People Search With AI?Yes, domain names still matter, but the reason has shifted. AI answers cut clicks to keyword and content sites, while they recommend brands by name. A short, easy to spell brand .com is simple to say, remember and type. Keyword-only value is weaker. Brand value is stronger.](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/domain-names-ai-search-2026) - [Omorpho Discusses Domain Upgrade from .fit to .com with Grit BrokerageIn this Grit.org podcast episode, Grit Brokerage interviews Brandon Burroughs, Head of Digital at Omorpho, about upgrading from .fit to a .com. He covers spam filter problems with the non-.com name, the negotiation, and the lift in credibility and conversion rates after the move.](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/post/omorpho-discusses-domain-upgrade-from-fit-to-com-with-grit-brokerage) ## Buying or selling a domain? Call, text or email. Responsiveness is our trademark, and a broker answers, not a form robot. [Talk to a broker](https://gritbrokerage.preview.multisites.ai/contact) [Call (442) 500-GRIT](tel:+1-442-500-4748)