Domain Name Basics

What is a domain name?

Domain names enable people and services to be uniquely identified on the Internet. They can be used to receive email and we can build websites around them. Examples of well known domain names include “google.com” and “yahoo.com”. You can own many domain names and, if you wish, you can point them to the same website. Indeed, there are many advantages for doing this.

What can a domain name do for you?

Your name instantly identifies YOU. Good names will give you a competitive edge:

• Credibility
• Instant recognition and uniqueness
• Convey ideas and concepts
• Bring targeted customers and better conversion rates
• direct traffic; no search engine in the middle
• Squeeze out competitors

An established brand is one of the most valuable yet intangible assets that you’ll ever own. It is your signal to the world and defines the relationship between you and your customers for years to come.

Choosing a name

The methods for choosing a name covers a broad spectrum. Some people take a detailed and statistical approach while others are more analytical. Whatever your approach, there are three very important ingredients:

1. The final decisions for the names you choose should rest in the hands of just a few people. The more people you appease, the more watered down and boring the result will be.

2. A successful name is repeatable. Imagine yourself repeating it all day, every day, to your clients, in emails and on the phone. You must be entirely comfortable with the names you choose.

3. Tread cautiously with gimmicky names unless you can wholeheartedly say it adds value to your products / services.

Your first domain name

Your first domain will usually be the name of your company. After this, you should seriously consider registering similar names under different extensions. Did you register a domain using your country code? Have you got your name with “.com” and “.net” extensions? Will your customers remember if your website is “.com” or “.net”? You don’t want your customers going to your competitors.

If branding is important to you, you should be aware that other people may register, or already own, names similar to your own. Someone may register a name:

• with hyphens eg. ebay.com and e-bay.com
• with or without an “s” eg. amazon.com and amazons.com
• with a spelling mistake eg. amaznon.com and amazom.com

If you register the hyphen version of your name, use the non-hyphen version as your published address. While the hyphen version may be easier to read, it will be more difficult to dictate to others eg. “E hyphen bay dot com”.

More names

Once your primary domains are established, it’s time to broaden your portfolio. Why would we do this? Adding good quality domains to your portfolio increases your chances of being more easily remembered and found. A good name will raise your profile. Try to use widely accepted keywords and phrases revolving around your industry and services. Some excellent examples include Business.com or CreditCrunch.com. There is only one Business.com and it sets the standard for all others to be compared.

Here’s a checklist of the kind of things to look out for. WARNING: Approach this list with caution, rules are for breaking. Great names come from a creative process that is beyond this article:

• Something easy to remember and easy to type will bring you repeat business
• Something short and easy to spell means no loss of potential customers
• When using two or more words, avoid combinations where the last letter of one word is the same as the first letter of the next word eg. “BusinessSuccess”
• Avoid spelling differences between countries eg. “color” vs “colour”
• Avoid conflicts with foreign languages and trademarks

There are several types of names we can choose:

Name of your products / services

Your customers will know exactly what to expect before they enter your site. What will they find at shoes.com?

Actions and descriptions

Again, words such as “buy”, “find” and “guide” tell your customers what they can expect from your site. They are common and easy for your customers to remember.

Very short words / abbreviations

Short domain names are expensive for several reasons. First they are easy to remember and type. Secondly, the meaning of an abbreviations is open to your imagination. Finally, only a small number of combinations exist, making them a scarce resource. For all these reasons, short names hold their value well and are often excellent opportunities to build a strong brand.

Similarly, acronyms allow you to rebrand without changing your web address, thus retaining customers and making any transition to your new brand cheaper and easier. A good example would be the talk radio station “LBC”, formerly known as “London Broadcasting Company” but subsequently rebranded as “London’s Biggest Conversation”. Simple and brilliant marketing.

Choose names using combinations of the above. Doing this will make you easier to find and more memorable. Additionally, you will benefit from direct “type in traffic” - visitors that directly enter your website without the middle step of a search engine.

Words and phrases closely tied to the solutions you provides are likely to improve your sales. A good starting point for generating domain names within different categories is MakeWords.com.

Again, I can not stress this enough.. rules are for breaking! Cute, dynamic or invented words have excellent long term potential. However, do your homework with this option. Market test your ideas and do some checks against potential conflicts with other languages or trademarks. This option usually requires much more attention, time and money.

One last thing, good luck!