The Naming
Game: Choosing Effective Domain Names
by Boris
Mordkovich, contributing writer for Ping!Zine
Web Hosting Magazine
Domain names are no longer a web address these days. Many profitable
companies have been built around their domain names, making
the domain name also the brand and the company name. Choosing
the right domain should be as important as naming your product.
Given that status, here are some pointers on how to find a name
that will see you through it all.
Branding
vs. Keywords
This is probably the most difficult to determine. Yet, it should
be the first place to start because the rest of the considerations
will one way or another relate to this. There are two schools
of thought. One group believes you should have your keywords
in the domain so that search engines pick up on the keywords
and rank you better. To what extent this really affects you
search engine ranking is not clearly known or proven. Consider
why you are putting the Website up in the first place. Most
likely it's for your customers or visitors. So choose a domain
that puts your audience first.
The other group believes a Webmaster should go for brand. Most
successful companies start off with a brand, including online
companies. Brands make the products memorable, create differentiation
and encourage loyalty. In the early days of the Internet, everyone
wanted a generic domain like searchengine.com, books.com, auctions.com
and the like. Today, very few of those are truly successful
sites that rival Google, Amazon and eBay.
A branded domain also ensures consistency throughout your marketing
efforts. As one web user describes "Every time the company
tells me to visit their generic Website, they lose the opportunity
to reinforce their brand name in my mind."
Whether you use keywords or brand for your domain depends mainly
on what you aim to do. If you plan to build a business or Website
that is going to have staying power, branded domains are a better
choice. It might not be easy or cheap to build a brand, but
there are no shortcuts when it comes to branding either. It's
a slow process that can be very rewarding if done right. Don't
choose a domain simply because of its keywords. First-class
content, links in, and clever optimization are more important
to good ranking than anything else. Having said that, a brand
name made up of keywords would give you the best of both worlds
- literally. Take CancerComforts.com. Owner Kathy Browning chose
the domain because of its keywords. But apart from being keyword
rich, CancerComforts.com is also very marketable and can be
a strong brand.
If you are building resource Website, a Website for affiliate
programs or one that's temporary in nature, keyword-rich generic
domains would be a better choice. Finally, there is no harm
in buying both branded and keyword domains that point to the
same site. Just make sure you only use one for submissions,
directory listings, link exchanges and promotion. This way you
build your link popularity.
You should also make sure the site title or name matches your
domain. If your domain is ExtremeBiking.com and your site name
is Smith Brothers Biking Tours, this makes visitors and directory
editors wonder if they have reached the correct Website. It
also causes confusion. People who are familiar with your company
would tend to look for a domain that reflects your brand and
not extreme biking. If you have yet to establish a company name
or a site name, it might be a good idea to name it after you
find a domain name. This is sensible, consistent marketing.
Register
or transfer a domain name for just $11.95 per year!
Company
Name
This is the most commonly used domain name because
in toady's increasingly small and competitive world, businesses
tend to have rather creative and catchy names. On the other
hand, if your business name is very nondescript, such as The
Smith Brothers, you might want to take the approach that combines
part of your company name and a keyword. Although the importance
of brand name was emphasized earlier, here the situation is
slightly different. Non-descriptive company names aren't particularly
helpful to audiences. Someone looking for you would find it
difficult to differentiate your company from another company
with a similar name. In this case, keywords tied to your name
are worth considering.
Domain
Length
Short domains are supposed to be best, but it's increasingly
difficult to find one without paying someone a lot of money
to take over the domain. There are alternatives though, such
as expires domains, which we will explore a little later on.
Just because a domain is a little longer doesn't make it bad.
For example, TrashToTreasure.com is meaningful, to the point,
and memorable, even though it is rather long. On the other hand,
ThisIsAnExampleOfAVeryLongDomain.com is too long, difficult
to remember and prone to errors. The other extreme is needless
abbreviation. TTT.com is meaningless because TrashToTreasure.com
works much better. Aim for some balance, while taking into account
ease of use.
.Com,
.Net, .Info
Most people will agree a .com is best. A web user told us, "Whenever
I can't remember the domain name, but I know the site name,
brand name or company, I'll try for a .com first." If you
have no good .com alternative, start with .net or .org first.
Also, be sure to consistently promote your Website as a .net
or .org if that is what you choose.
Register
or transfer a domain name for just $11.95 per year!
Hyphens,
Suffixes, and Prefixes
Hyphens aren't necessarily evil, especially if it's in your
brand name or is the correct way to write a word. However, they
are difficult to remember, and are prone to user input mistakes.
Avoid them as much as you can.
Suffixes and prefixes are i's, e's, the's and numbers usually
suggested by domain search tools when your desired domain is
unavailable. If you choose such a domain, be very consistent
in your promotion. Promote the domain as a whole. Do not leave
out the suffix or prefix. You might also want to avoid domains
with very little difference between them. These are usually
between plurals and singulars. Aim for singular names whenever
possible. For example, petfood.com and petfoods.com If petfood.com
is taken, resist the temptation to opt for petfoods.com because
people tend to leave out the 's'.
Can You
Say It?
This isn't always a top consideration, but it makes sense that
you should have a domain name that can be verbally communicated.
Take your list of possible domains and read it aloud to someone.
Does any domain name confuse them? Do you find yourself having
to constantly repeat it or spell it? Is so, discard that one
and move on to the next. You may find yourself going back to
the drawing board.
Copyrights
and Trademarks
In this day and age, many companies, particularly those with
strong brand names, are increasingly protective of their trademarks.
Avoid the trouble and expense of a lawsuit by spending some
time researching your chosen name. Start by looking up the name
with the United
States Patent and Trademark Office and your state's
trademark database. A more in-depth look at this issue can be
found at http://www.bcentral.com/articles/legal/109.asp.
Expiring
Domains
Anyone who has looked for a domain name finds out soon enough
that more than half the desired names are taken. If you cannot
find a suitable one despite numerous searches, why not explore
expired domains? Expired domains are those that were not renewed
by the original registrant. This is commonly due to Website
closings or companies going out of business. Within the list
of expired domains are some real gems. There are many services
that allow you to monitor expired and soon-to-expire domains
for a fee. Before you sign up for them, a good place to start
researching for free is DeletedDomains.com.
Some believe recently expired domains with good traffic and
rankings allow you to benefit from someone else's hard work
and give your site a head start. Theoretically, that may be
true. Realistically, you shouldn't expect that to last. People
consistently return to a Website for a reason. If you topic
is very different from that of the original site, visitors will
stop coming back because the information or resource they previously
had access to is no longer there. If you assume such a domain
and want to convert as many visitors as possible, make sure
your content is very closely related or similar to that of the
old site. You might want to also check that the old site has
completely ceased operations. If the previous site still exists
under a different domain, loyalists eventually find their way
back there. Word gets around and could create a negative image
of the domain that is now yours.
Ownership
When you do register a domain, have it registered under your
name or your company name. If you are registering through your
host, remember a lot can happen within a short space of time.
Companies go out of business or you might change hosts. Not
to mention any scams or scandals that may arise. Owning the
domain name reduces your risk of losing the name in the future.
Check you host's domain registration policy. If there are unnecessary
expenses involved in transferring your domain, try to register
it yourself instead. Registering a domain is a very simple and
straightforward affair...
Finally, when you do find the best available domain, get it
immediately. Any delays, no matter how minor, may cost you.
Finding the right domain is not easy. It takes a lot of brainstorming,
patience, and creativity. Once you find it, don't let it slip
away.
Register
or transfer a domain name for just $11.95 per year!
Contact us today to speak with a professional or to schedule
a consultation.
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