Too little has been told. The things that I’ve heard make it even worse. Better nothing, then worse.

Tell me your Domain name and I will tell you how successful you are.

For the last couple of months I’ve heard many arguments claiming that my domain name should be based on keywords relevancy, you web-site focused on. Let me ask you why?

The answer is obvious, these SE (Search Engine) “experts” project that this tactic will help to raise your Web-site SE ranking on several positions up. In other words, they advise me to pick up a name for my whole Internet Business as well as my Web-Site, with the only aim to have a chance to suite, trick or cheat SEs. Wow, I must be hating my own business!

Let me ask you another question: why there is Coca-Cola instead of Candy Water or Mercedes Benz instead of Comfortable Car? Do you still want to name your eBook selling Web-Site something similar to eBookSell.com instead of a real Brand name for your business? Don’t you know why there is Google.com, Amazon.com and Yahoo.com instead of GreatSE.com, Bookshop.com or Index.com? Imagine that you are a real car manufacturer. Are you going to name your car “Fast Car” or give some really unique name?

I may guarantee you that these keyword tricks will bring you nowhere. While keyword based domain name or other tactics like expressive use of <h1> tags instead of <p> may raise the relevancy for that particular keyword in the short-term prospective, you cannot rely on these tricks forever, because if you do, other guy will outsmart you simply by having more web-pages with more valuable information and your <h1> tags along with white text on white background tricks won’t help.

Don’t forget also that SE indexing algorithms are constantly changing and what proved to working yesterday, may not work today.

Besides HTML code may be easily changed, bad domain name cannot, at least, for a year, so you had better give your business a domain name it deserves, with a strong Brand and USP from the very beginning! There is no brand in “eBook Selling Site” or “Best Search Engine Traffic”, no one will ever remember you! So be smart and chose the right name for your e-business. Done with that!

2. Next. No arguments that your business name should be relatively short. Your domain name does not differ, it should be the same or even shorter. If your domain consists of three or more words try to use appropriate acronyms or abbreviations. Don’t suggest you to use “hyphens”, “misspellings” or “numbers” (if your official business name doesn’t have them). These “eye-soaping” won’t positively influence your business image also.

Is it difficult to create another “Google”? No. Is it difficult to imagine “Overture” instead of PPC Search Engine? No, billion times "no". What you need is time, wit and imagination. If you don’t have something of the mentioned, then ask someone who has. Tell you the truth, I don’t have very small vocabulary, so for my next project I will search Webster, Latin dictionary or try to ask friends about some useful ideas on that subject. Just make sure your domain wouldn’t be translated as something stupid on the language of the country you are planning to work with. Can it be even easier?

3. Third point. How to check what you domain name is worth? Imagine that your business has reached a billion dollar status, you have a corporate skyscraper with an extremely big corporate flag 100-by-100 meters wide (3,000-3,000 feet wide) that is hanging on the very top of your building with the name of your business on it. So does the name that you have imagined suit that corporate flag of a billion dollar corporation?

The domains like Amazon.com, Overture.com, Google.com, eBay.com or even GoDaddy.com are perfect examples of what direction you should move. My-Cool-PPC-Search-Engine.com or BestOnlineBooks.com are the worst examples of the domain names you can ever imagine.

Answer another question. Does your domain leave some “taste” in the minds of your visitors, or it is “just another one” name? Does your domain as well as WS transfer any hidden or obvious message or is it “flat” and simple as a log? Remember: your branding policy of the WS and Domain name should provoke emotions, thought, curiosity or desire. PayPerClickSearchEngne.com is pay per click search engine. I know that, you know that, what next? Overture.com tries to make your subconscious imagination work. It has unique abstract inner meaning. Wake me up in the middle of the night and I will tell you that Overture is the best PPCSE, despite the fact that Overture’s meaning has very slight connection to what a PPCSEs really are.

4. The domain name you choose shouldn’t offend your auditory and be liked by You. In other words, try to avoid “angels” in dealing with public and make your name you are proud of. The last notice is very important. Everything that is connected with your company even including the look of PC you are working on should arouse positive and pleasant emotions only. You should be proud of your own business like the majority of Americans are proud of The United States.

Well, like I said, your business goes the same way it is called. Are you fond of your name? I hope you are.

Editor's Note:

We want to give you differing viewpoints in this forum. However, I like to point out that you should read all articles and select the best option based on your circumstances rather than blindly following one viewpoint. The selection of domain name is one such issue. What this author is saying that do not just follow the herd in selecting yours.

What the author do not point out is that with names such as yahoo, google, overture, etc.. the companies had spent millions of dollars to make it a "household" name (well, overture is still not a household name.) If a small business takes this approach, its domain name may never be known as they do not have the marketing muscle to get the word out. We, at ICBS, feels that you should select a domain that is easy to remember. Avoid 40 character names, and the names that can be easily mistyped. If it says something about the content, that would make it more relevant. So, do not run and pick all Latin words that is difficult to pronounce. When you have grown your company to a billion dollars, you can hire a media consultant and change the name and back it by promotion. Yes, companies do that all the time.

Dr. J. Mathew, Chief Editor

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