thrashiedean.com

With the meteoric rise of Internet use in the past 5 years, the importance of a \’good\’ domain name has also increased. Domain names have become an essential component in the marketing arsenal of every business, & as such deserve more than just a passing consideration.

Think about how long you pondered over the perfect business name ? your business\’ domain name is just as important (if not more so). And while your company name may be the obvious choice, it pays to consider other available options, especially as so many prospects & clients will refer to your business\’ website prior to making a purchase or for further information.

So, even if you already have the best website AND the best product or service, if people do not know your web address or can not find you quickly, your site is like having a billboard in a desert – a waste of time. That same advice can also be applied even if your website needs an upgrade or overhaul ? it\’s still important that your site is found.

Below we have included some useful strategies for choosing a \’good\’ domain name, & why your business may benefit from having multiple domain names pointing to your website:

1. Consider your target market
Ask yourself the following questions:

? How will they find your website? From memory or search engines? Could they misspell it?

? Are there common words that your target market may type in for your business?

? What domain suffix (.com; .com.au; .co.uk) would they assume your business will have?

These are the questions you really need to ask yourself before you decide to register ® your domain names.

2. Protect your business
Purchasing variations on your main domain name & your future countries of trade domains are important. There\’re companies who trade in popular domain names & waiting could mean that you either miss out when another company has the same idea as you (which means it is unavailable), or have to purchase the domain from another company at a highly inflated price.

3. Are you being too clever?
While they\’re cute, overly clever domain names are usually just too hard for people to remember. Names like \’jewelery4u.com\’ will only work if your on & offline branding is very strong. Instead, stick to the obvious, make it memorable & ensure that all your marketing supports the domain.

4. Is it too long?
Remember the key with domain names is ease of use, so if your business name is long consider purchasing a shorter, easier to remember version (as well as the long version) for your site & email use. By example, a domain name such as \’www.jonesautoelectricalandairconditioning.com\’ is too long for every day use & is also likely to be misspelled by your customers & prospects. Instead purchase something like \’www.jonesautoelec.com\’ as well.

5. Is there a generic term that customers know your product/service by?
This is a great way to generate new leads for your business. By owning the domain name for the generic term, your business becomes known as the expert or \’source\’ for information about your product or service. Remember, purchasing multiple domain names is an inexpensive way to cover your bases & get the end results you want from your website.

6. Have you considered a hyphenated domain name?
Hyphenated domain names such as \’www.Maritime-Stainless.com.au\’ are easily found by some search engines which may increase your search engine ranking. However – before you rush out to purchase – they\’re also hard for people to remember, & are often misspelled in viral marketing. Do you follow? This means that your site may miss out on the word of mouth advertising that often happens when people talk about sites that they have used, enjoyed or find useful.

7. When to register ® your domain name?
Most businesses will register ® their base domain at start-up. Your domain may be registered ® for use in email addresses, even if you do not have a website at this stage. If you do not have your domain as part of your email address, we strongly advise that you do so immediately. It is a fact that a company with their business name in their email address adds more credibility than one with an ISP address e.g. maritime@bigpond.com.au.

Along those lines, it\’s our recommendation that you purchase your main domain name & any associated variations NOW (if not sooner.) There\’re companies who trade in popular domain names & waiting could mean that you either miss out when another company has the same idea as you (which means it is unavailable), or have to purchase the domain from another company at a highly inflated price.

Choosing a domain name will be one of your most important business decisions, so make certain you do your research.

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