Importance of a Domain Name

A successful real estate agent once said that the most important thing to consider in buying a house is "location, location, location." Your domain name is your Web site's "house," the place where it handles its e-mail and other e-commerce transactions. It will appear in your newspaper ads, on business cards, and on your company stationery. All employees will learn it, hopefully with pride. Every time you advertise, you're effectively communicating your presence or location to the public at large. Your Web URL should be easy to remember and should represent what your company is all about. If it is not found or remembered quickly, visitors will surf elsewhere and find your competition. It is as simple as that.

As noted before, ensure that the domain name is officially in your name. You don't want visitors to go through your ISP to get to your Web site. There is a difference between www.isp.com/yourpoorcompany and www.diamondjeweler.com. The first choice shows you have an inexpensive presence and that your fees are low. It is as bad for the company's image as handwriting your e-mail address on existing stationery or business cards rather than printing a new batch.

Choose a good domain name or one that an average visitor will find easy to guess. Sometimes the best names are taken, which means you will need to think a bit harder to find an alternate name that will be a good fit. Consider registering the following kinds of domain names:

One or two close names. Think of one or two close alternative domain names for your company or names that visitors might think of. If available, register them as alternatives. The problem with so many alternative names is that look alike Web addresses could funnel your Web traffic to the wrong place. The Internet is awash in Web sites that trick people into visiting by using addresses that vary by one or more characters, a hyphen, and the like.

Unique product domain name. If a company has a product under development or a new product about to be released on the market, it is helpful to register a domain name that is the best fit for that product. Doing this should be part of strategic planning.

Ideal company domain name. Think of the ideal representation of your company for a company domain name and then don't wait: Register it at once. Remember, though, your domain name is not a chance to rename your company or to be funny or interesting. The focus is on a name that is easy to guess.

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