What's in a name?
The choice of a domain name for a web site can be a critical decision. For companies with a well-known and distinctive brand, this would sensibly be just the name of the company. However, where a company's primary name is a common one, it becomes more difficult to find an available domain name, which is both descriptive and memorable.
For branding and trademark reasons it is important to register a wide variety of domain names. This has the following benefits:
- It stops other, possibly competitive entities, from registering close domain names, thereby hijacking potential traffic
- By taking these actions, it strengthens defence of a trademark (whether registered or claimed) should another entity start using it
- Removes confusion, particularly in the .com name space where another, foreign company could have the same name
- Allows consumers who have seen the domain name in passing to find the site. Where the address has been seen in an advert, ambient or POS advertising, it may not be remembered accurately. Confusion can occur as to whether it should have a hyphen, have plural or singular or is a .com or .co.uk
Domain names are also important for search engine strategies. Search engines will look for keywords in all parts of a web page, including the domain name, which has a higher importance than body copy. Therefore if a composite name is considered, a key word search term could be beneficial.
With a dizzying array of domains now available from .biz to .tv and with .euro on the horizon, making sense of a domain name strategy can be a real headache. experience engine can help you navigate through the domain name jungle, call us on 01992 500990 or e-mail us.
