Domain Name Information

Domain Name - How To Pick One


Picking a domain name should be easy, right? Why, I'll just use my business name. Not so fast, Sparky. A good bit of thought should be given to selecting a domain name.

A Cautionary Note

Picking a domain name is like getting married. You are going to have to stick with it till the bitter end. People that use your site will come to know it by the domain name. Repeat visitors will often simply type in the domain name to get to the site, better known as "type in traffic". As an example, do you search for "Amazon" when you want to buy a book or do simply type in amazon.com? If Amazon were to change its domain name to Desert, there would be a lot of confusion. The same goes with your domain. Once you pick something, stick with it.

Your Choices

Well, the obvious choice is your business name, but it may not be the best. There are four significant issues to consider.

First, is there something about your business name that makes using it as a domain an unwise choice? This situation typically arises if you have a long business name or have plural words. "Halstatt's Rip'n Marketing Campaigns, Inc." is going to be a horrible domain name. Clients are going to find it difficult to type in such a domain name.

Double letter problems are a second issue that is entirely unique to the Internet. What if Sams Salon wants to use its business name as a domain? The "s" at the end of first word and beginning of the second can cause confusion. Is the domain name Samssalon.com or Samsalon.com? Confusing your users is a bad way to run a site.

The third issue concerns the nature of your site and search engine optimization. If you are shooting for a particular keyword phrase, you may be better off using that keyword phrase in your domain name. Google, for instance, looks at the domain name when evaluating a site. If the words in your domain name are spaced with dashes, many believe it will help in the ranking process. This is why you see so many xxx-xxxx-xxx.com domain names on the net. If your business focuses on a very specific area, strong consideration should be given to using relevant keywords in your domain name.

Finally, your domain name should end in ".com" and I don't want to hear any argument or see any rolling of the eyes. The simple fact is that when people think of sites, they always type in .com. Yes, there are other extensions and .us, .net, .biz, etc., may seem unique, but it kills your traffic. Pavlov and his dog experiments had it right. People have been mentally conditioned to type in .com, so don't select any other ending. If you do, a smart competitor will register the .com version of your name to get some free traffic. If you are really lucky, a porn site will do it!

Take a breath before you select a domain name. Like a spouse, it can be either a good or bad choice.

Halstatt Pires is with http://www.marketingtitan.com - an Internet marketing and advertising company comprised of a search engine optimization specialist providing meta tag optimization services and Internet marketing consultant providing internet marketing solutions through integrated design and programming services.


MORE RESOURCES:

Gambling911.com

UltimateBet.com, Cake Poker Domain Names Seized
Gambling911.com, FL - Oct 6, 2008
Gambling911.com has learned that UltimateBet.com, CakePoker.com and DoylesRoom.com were among the online poker room domains that had been seized by the ...
Poker Sites Wait With Baited Breath Gambling911.com
all 3 news articles


Gambling911.com

Kentucky judge mulls online gambling case
PokerListings.com - 4 hours ago
The issue was thrust into the spotlight when the state obtained an order seizing the domain names on Sept. 18, without notice to any of the affected domain ...
Kentucky Internet Gambling Ruling to Occur on October 15th Poker News Daily
PROTECTIONISM CLAIMED IN KENTUCKY ISSUE Online-Casinos.com
Emergency Internet Gambling Summit in Kentucky to Occur Today PocketFives (press release)
Online Casino Advisory - Louisville Courier-Journal
all 19 news articles


What the Economic Meltdown Means for Domain Names
Domain Name Wire, TX - Oct 6, 2008
So what does this mean for your domain names? It depends on if you have a short term or long term view. And if you have a diversified portfolio. ...


Keeping Up With Online Scams and Frauds
North Country Gazette, NY - 10 hours ago
The targeted domain names go well beyond just those that are identical to the brand. For example, suppose my hypothetical company is named PeirceBev and I ...


Man takes on tribe over domain names
United Press International - Oct 4, 2008
MIAMI, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A Florida Indian tribe is considering a lawsuit against a former bodyguard who has staked claims to Web domain names. ...


Online Poker Website

Citizens Reject Seizure of Online Poker Domain Names
Online Poker Website, Florida - Oct 4, 2008
The next court date in the case concerning Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's attempt to seize online poker and Internet casino domain names is Tuesday. ...


Domainmonster.com Announces Cheap Half-Price .asia Domain Names
MarketWatch - Oct 1, 2008
GUILDFORD, England, Oct 01, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Mesh Digital's Domainmonster.com today announced half-price .asia registrations for October only ...


Kentucky Judge to Rule on Oral Arguments in Seven Days
CardPlayer.com, NV - 5 hours ago
A Kentucky judge heard arguments from attorneys who represent companies whose domain names the Commonwealth is attempting to seize today and said he’ll rule ...


Go Daddy Revved & Ready for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Debut
MarketWatch - 11 hours ago
The Go Daddy Group, Inc. has more than 31 million domain names under management. Go Daddy registers, renews or transfers a domain name every second. ...


Kentucky Lawyers Call Online Gambling Domain Names "Devices"
Casino Gambling Web, FL - Oct 3, 2008
The state is trying to seize the domain names of 141 online gambling sites. Lawyers for the state, on Friday, laid out their case in a legal brief, ...

Domain-Names - Google News

home | site map
© 2006