Choosing the right domain name!
by Karl Moore
White Cliff Computing
In the world of e-commerce, owning a professional sounding domain name
is paramount. Even the smallest of traders recognise the need; it adds
that sparkle of professionalism to your product or service.
And perhaps more importantly, it'll fit snugly on your business card, as
opposed to www.aol.com/members/BobShop/~catalogue/order.html
Yet with the zillions of names already registered, how can you choose a good
one?
I recently attempted to purchase the domain www.BuyABit.com for my new online
gift store. I briefly discussed the plan with our big wigs this end - returning
ten minutes later, credit card in hand, ready to buy the name. And hey nonny
nonny, it'd been taken. Argh!
What else could I use? Certainly, www.buy-a-bit.com - but it sounded too
unprofessional. And our Christmas business couldn't get its hands on www.christmasshop.com,
www.estore.com, www.store2000.com, www.yorkshire.com, www.framed.com, www.landshop.com....
the list goes on. And on.
In the end, I managed to obtain www.ForeverFramed.com -
catchy, don't you think? In English, the use of two words next to one other,
each beginning with the same letter is known as alliteration. But more importantly,
it's a cool memory aid.
The moral of the story? Don't forget that when searching for a domain, explore
the possibilities. Here are my top tips for choosing a unique and memorable
domain, even in today's cluttered Web:
- The "THE" Word - Try adding the word "the" before
object names. For example, www.thepressoffice.com as opposed to www.pressoffice.com
- Buzz Words - Place e-words such as "wired" before
the required name, or perhaps "online" or "hotel" after
it.
- Alliterate! - Using two words beginning with the same
letter aids the memory - ForeverFramed.com is easier to remember than
YorkshireChristmas.com
- The Shorter the Better - Never underestimate the memory
span of the average surfer. RobinLloydAssociates.co.uk ain't a good
choice!
- Swap and Change - If ForeverFramed.com wasn't
available, I could've tried FramedForever.com...
- No-No Characters - Don't use hyphens (-) or underscores
(_) in domain names! It's uncool and unmemorable!
- Dot Com It - Always go for the .com option before trying
.net, .org, or country-specific domains
- Rebrand - If you're launching an online counterpart to
your existing business, why not rebrand to meet the new-age Net? Invent
a fresh, wacky name! Domains such as TheMadCow.com are commonplace
in the wired world...
Happy Registering!
About the Author
KARL MOORE (www.karlmoore.com)
is head honcho of White Cliff Computing, a UK computer consultancy. He
also manages the online division of White Cliff, christened the MP-Network.
Share your knowledge and expertise. Submit a business
to business marketing article or tip for our Web site. Simply send it
to us via E-mail in
Word format.
