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The first step to setting up
your web site is to choose the right domain name.
The last step is to set up your web site monitoring,
to make sure your pages are loading properly, your
forms are working, and your shopping cart is delivering.
This article will help you with the first step. |
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Choosing a domain name can be daunting.
Research the subject (after all, you're the type of
marketer who researches, right?) and you'll be hit with
a landslide of opinions, most contradictory. There is,
however, two points that everyone agrees on:
Pick your domain before you launch your business.
This is especially true if your market niche has lots
of competition. Research your domain before you commit
to a business plan.
Don't wait too long if you like a domain.
While you're researching, you'll likely come across
a couple of domains that attract you. You might be tempted
to wait, since you haven't finalized or refined your
business plan. Don't. A handful of domains isn't going
to cost you much at an affordable registrar like GoDaddy,
and once they're gone, they're gone. Chances are you
can even resell the rejects at cost, if not a profit.
Or "develop" them with unique content and
point them to your main site for extra traffic.
Now that we have the easy part of the way, let's wade
into murkier waters.
Q. Which TLD (top-level domain) is best?
A. If you're a juggernaut in the business world with
a giant ad budget, the answer is dot-com (.com). If
you're a smalltime business struggling for search engine
positioning, the answer is still dot-com.
People do disagree on the value of a dot-com TLD.
Some assert that dot-coms have no particular value in
the search engines, which may be true.
However, the fact is, if you haven't yet seared your
brand on the collective brow of the planet, dot-com
makes you easier to remember. If you eschew dot-coms,
then in some deep dark place inside, people will remember
you as "that hard-to-remember URL with the ending
that isn't dot-com." What's worse, if you pick
an otherwise memorable domain ending in dot-net, -us,
or (God forbid) -tv, some of your traffic will end up
at that competitor who snagged the dot-com version of
your domain. Okay, that's settled. Now for the controversial
stuff. Which is best: the "keyword" domain,
or the "creative-genius, snappy and brandable"
domain?
Keyword Name vs. Creative-Genius Brandable Name
A Keyword Name is the boring, workhorse kind of domain.
You seem them everywhere. They bristle with hyphens:
"best-anchovy-pizza-in-siberia.com." Or "super-labrador-accessories-and-golfballs.biz."
On the face of it, they're hard to brand. They're hard
to fit on business cards. They're really hard to explain
over the phone to Aunt Martha.
On the other hand, a Creative-Genius Brandable Name
is the sexy kind of domain. The successes are sparkling:
Yahoo!, Google, Amazon.com. You can shout these URLs
across the room and the other guy will probably get
it right. But note: the dot-com road is littered with
hip, snappy business who failed to brand their product
successfully, or get listed high in the search engines.
Now their URLs all point to the same page: "server
not found …"
The debate rages on, but the first question you must
ask yourself is:
How will people find YOU?
It was recently reported that "direct navigation"
web traffic has started to outnumber search engine traffic.
In other words, more people visit sites by typing in
the URL directly than they do by combing search engines
for results. So more gurus are recommending ‘brandable'
domains.
But think about this. As a small business owner, how
will people find you? Word of mouth? Billboards on I-95?
"Corporate sponsorships" on hockey arenas?
Probably not: they'll find you through search engines.
They'll type in "cheap purple widgets," and
as a smart marketer, you will offer them a website optimized
for the keywords "cheap purple widgets."
Still, this doesn't imply you should automatically
pick a keyword domain. There are pros and cons to both
types.
BRANDABLE: ADVANTAGES
The brandable domain is great for business cards. In
fact, it's nearly compulsory if you're planning on offline
marketing. In other words, if you're printing up stationary
at Kinkos, you want a brandable domain name.
If you're also a marketing genius, this is a fit challenge
for your talents. Finding a memorable, apt domain to
brand your business is something no software-driven
suggestion tool can do.
Most "hybrid" domains -- ones that are really
crosses between keywords and brandable names -- are
long gone. But if you create a unique idea for your
brand, you can probably snag the dot-com name for yourself.
Now all you have to do is burn that brand onto the world's
collective forehead. If you do, you'll benefit from
type-in traffic. That means that if someone hears about
you, they can probably find you just buy typing in your
domain.
BRANDABLE: DISADVANTAGES
The brandable name requires solid marketing skill,
research and luck. Your name should be so catchy, it's
almost viral. It should also convey your actual business
– or you'll have to work hard (often meaning, spend
money) to associate the two. Your name should be "tested"
on coworkers, cousins and dishwasher repairmen to ensure
it has no undesirable connotations. Finally, your name
should be available as a domain, and not suffer from
competitors with similar domains. Sometimes, pulling
all this off is difficult.
KEYWORD: ADVANTAGES
By keyword names, we're not talking about the glorious
generic keywords – the one-keyword kings such as drugs.com
or business.com. No, we're talking keyword names you
can afford.
This is where you buy the domain name www.cheap-purple-widgets.com
in hopes of getting a top search ranking for cheap purple
widgets.
Advantages are many. First, more keyword names are
available. (They're ugly, and many people feel an aversion
to hyphens.) Also, they do help you place higher in
the search engines. It's true that search engines only
give you a little credit for having a keyword in your
domain, but "a little credit" counts.
Second, keyword domains leave no doubt in the searcher's
mind about what you're selling. If you decided to call
your widget business "Ableeza," a searcher
might not get at a glance what it is you're selling,
even if your rank is high.
Finally, if you can get people to link to you, those
links will be valuable. No matter how Webmaster Joe
describes you, the link part will always say, "cheap-purple-widgets."
This is a powerful search engine strategy for moving
higher.
KEYWORD: DISADVANTAGES
You won't get type-in traffic for a keyword name. You
can't really explain it across a phone. It won't look
pretty on a business card, and it's almost impossible
to pair up with a cute logo. But if search engine traffic
is going to drive your business, the keyword name is
worth a long, hard look.
WRAP-UP
Regardless of which type you choose, don't play guessing
games. If you go with a keyword name, use a search tool
(like http://conversion.7search.com/scripts/
advertisertools/keywordsuggestion.aspx) to determine
what keyword phrases people are searching on.
If you choose a brandable name instead, test it out
on a variety of real people first. Pay attention to
their reactions. Reserve your domain early, since brandable
domains go fast unless they're very unique.
In the long run, both types of domains can work for
you, especially if offline marketing is an option and
you have a knack for branding. Overall, though, the
keyword domain is probably the easiest path to success
for the small-business owner.
About The Author
Blake Kritzberg is a web designer and small business
owner. Find more on domain selection, buying and selling
at www.buy-the-domain-name.com.
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