Due to the growing overload of information on the Web, people no longer have the
time to search the Internet let alone search engine results in order to find exactly what
they want. More and more people would love to skip search engines and their plethora of
irrelevant, or misleading, links. And many attempt to reach Web sites directly by typing
plausible URLs into their browsers.
Beyond generic names, domain names that are short, easy to pronounce and easy to remember
have considerable mnemonic value. A mnemonic is a device (such as a word, symbol or sound)
intended to assist in recall. If a domain name carries some mnemonic value, it will
increase traffic on its own. The more generic or mnemonic a name is, the more valuable it
is.
Several interesting case studies include the acquisition of the domain name
"art.com" by an online lithograph seller, originally named
"art-u-frame-it.com," for a whopping $450,000 USD. Rumor has it that traffic and
sales have soared almost immediately. But another case is the domain name
"business.com," which recently sold for an incredible $7.5 million. And that's
not a rumor!
Nevertheless, while the availability of domain names let alone good ones is shrinking,
here are five basic guidelines to follow when registering yours. Try to follow these as
much as you can and your chances of creating instant traffic will be multiplied -- I call
them the "5 S's:"
1.Suggestive
2.Spelling
3.Suffix
4.Size
5.Singsong
First, choose a suggestive name, one that communicates the main benefit if not at least
the nature of the Web site. Benefit-based domain names have a multitude of advantages
beyond ease-of-recall, including credibility. For example, if you sought a financial
planner and were given a bunch of URLs, would you choose http://www.nafep.com? Or
http://www.investright.com? A perfect example of ease of recall is All about South Africa!
Second, make it easy to pronounce and hard to misspell. Don't forget this number one rule
in choosing names: "If you have to spell, say farewell!" Think of the people
trying to find the Web site. Make it easy for them to do so and avoid anything that
impedes the proper spelling of the domain name.
For instance, avoid hyphens (like http://lets-make-a-deal.com), numbers (like
http://www.4you.com), hard-to-pronounce words (like http://www.akamai.com or
http://www.heitml.com) or acronyms (like http://dfps.com). Unless you are IBM, AOL, CNN,
BMW or some other, already well-known brand, avoid acronyms or initials at all costs --
they are probably the worst of the bunch.
In short, make the name intuitive. Words that are easily or commonly misspelled will
impede traffic. For example, take these simple spelling tests: One is available at
http://www.sentex.net/~mmcadams/spelling.html and the other at
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/16sp.html. Now, how many words did you misspell?
Chances are at least one. If a name contains any such words then the chances of losing
potential traffic are significant.
On the other hand, if an acronym makes a name easy to pronounce, easy to remember and
shorter, then go for it. In fact, this is the third guideline: The shorter it is the
better. For example, which one would you remember the most and have the least amount of
trouble (or potential for error) in typing into your browser:
YetAnotherHierarchicallyOrganizedOracle.com? Or Yahoo.com?
Next, "dot-com" it. Being the most popular suffix, its mnemonic value is as
great as that of short domain names. Actually, more and more companies are dropping the
"http://" and "www" from their URLs, particularly in advertising. And
it will be soon, "As society embraces the Internet," says Martin Lindstrom in
"Brandbuilding on the Internet," that the "dot com will disappear too"
(for more, see http://gt.clickz.com/cgi-bin/gt/wi/bm/bm.html?article=1073).
Finally, the fifth guideline is to use repetition. Repetitious sounds are pleasing to the
ear and add a singsong quality. As the adage goes, "Repetition is the parent of
learning." By making the pronunciation simpler, repetition, such as with rhymes and
alliteration, helps to turn names into "hooks."
For example, http://www.nobrainerblinds.com, http://cocacola.com and
http://www.sitesell.com have that pleasing, singsong quality. Also, strong-sounding or
"choppy" consonants (like the sound of "P," "D,"
"T" and "K"), used particularly at the beginning, help recall by
adding emphasis. They are called plosives. And according to naming guru Steve Rivkin,
"It makes linguistic sense to start a brand name with a strong-sounding consonant or
a plosive" (see http://www.namingnewsletter.com/Plosives.html).
Ultimately, if you already possess a domain name that breaks any of the above rules,
register a second one and point it to your Web site's IP address, which is your site's
Internet location. Many Web sites have two, three or even more names pointing to the same
IP for increased visibility.
It is unclear if this is true, but hyphens can be used in this case to maximize search
results. A good strategy is to register both versions (such as one with the hyphen and one
without it), and point both of them to the same IP address. The added advantage is that
keyword-based domain names often rank higher on most search engines. With a name such as
"stock-tips.com," the keywords "stock" and "tips" may cause
the site to be ranked higher.
Language can make a big difference. Recently I found a adult site - which may not be
anything new to us - but this, the only Afrikaans adult site in the world - as far as I
know. There are 20-30 000 000 Afrikaans speaking adults in the world, why in the world
could they not have an adult site? Visit What
Men Want or Free
Screensaver to see what I mean. (Obviously adults only)..
-- Michel Fortin is an internationally acclaimed and highly sought-after consultant whose
marketing advice has helped countless clients earn millions of dollars in record time. He
is also senior editor of Internet Marketing Chronicles, a weekly newsletter with 125,000
subscribers, as well as the author of four books. His latest book, "Power Positioning
Dot Com" reveals how to keep your product or service indelibly carved into your
prospects' uppermost consciousness at all times. |
