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Other Added - Selecting Your Domain Name
12 Key Steps to Managing Change During the Acquisition Process
When a company is acquired, there are a number of behavior patterns which are wise for managers in the company to adopt. They are helpful not only to the smooth integration of the two businesses, but to the individual executives themselves. Adherence to these standards of conduct and rules of action will assist in identifying those managers whose contribution is likely to be of most value to the organization in the long term.Commonly, managers who ignore, refute or behave counter to these Guidelines are likely to be less successful in the new business combination, both in terms of their own contributions and in terms of the likely development of their future career growth.These Guidelines are the product of a great deal of practical, first-hand experience, as well as being confirmed by various studies of successful post-acquisition management situations. They include contributions from a number of consultants and authors who specialize in this field.Managing ChangeThe
When a company is acquired, there are a number of behavior patterns which are wise for managers in the company to adopt. They are helpful not only to the smooth integration of the two businesses, but to the individual executives themselves. Adherence to these standards of conduct and rules of action will assist in identifying those managers whose contribution is likely to be of most value to the organization in the long term.Commonly, managers who ignore, refute or behave counter to these Guidelines are likely to be less successful in the new business combination, both in terms of their own contributions and in terms of the likely development of their future career growth.These Guidelines are the product of a great deal of practical, first-hand experience, as well as being confirmed by various studies of successful post-acquisition management situations. They include contributions from a number of consultants and authors who specialize in this field.Managing ChangeThe
5. Should I use Plurals and Hyphenations?
Domain registration engines will usually suggest an alternative if the name you are searching for is taken. Sometimes this will include adding a hyphen or even “my” or “the” to the name.
If you wanted the term “design.com” and it was taken, you may find yourself staring at alternatives such as “mydesign.com”, “thedesign.com” or even “designs.com”. Which should you choose?
My rule of thumb for my clients is not to register “designs.com” if they cannot also register “design.com” The reason is that many times buyers may forget to type the “s” at the end of the name and your sale may go to someone else. There are those who will argue that this theory works in reverse, but why take chances? If you decide to register a name as “my…” or “the…” remember to market using your entire domain name.
Hyphens are another popular way to successfully register your name when the non-hyphenated version is no longer available. An advantage is being able to get the name that you want; however, it’s my opinion that the disadvantages far outweigh this.
Hyphens are easy to forget. Users are comfortable with typing phrases like “jarcandles.com” but may have trouble remembering to include a hyphen if you registered “jar-candles.com”. This may result in a sale for your competitor and translates to lost sales for you.
Hyphens are also an issue with verbal recommendations. Consider a
The Importance of Marketing a Carpet Cleaning Business
Once upon a time, all you had to worry about was having your phone book ad submitted in time and you were guaranteed a steady flow of carpet cleaning business. Did you know in today’s market, there are over 200,000 people per month arranging their carpets to be cleaned via online advertisements? Don’t worry that you don’t know a thing about internet advertising, because Bobby Walker has already worked it all out for marketing a carpet cleaning business.While you are reading this article, trying to discover how to take your carpet cleaning business to another level, Bobby Walker is relaxing on over $100K per annual income. This is from his online marketing alone! Imagine all the hassles of run down equipment and paying overhead costs just melting away as you fill your work schedules for months in advance. It can happen, and it will, if you are one of the lucky ones.Marketing a carpet cleaning business is competitive. It is for this reason that Bobby has decided to allow only t
I have been asked many times by new clients how to select a business domain name. I’ve answered some commonly asked questions to assist you with one of the most important purchases you will make for your online business.
Once upon a time, all you had to worry about was having your phone book ad submitted in time and you were guaranteed a steady flow of carpet cleaning business. Did you know in today’s market, there are over 200,000 people per month arranging their carpets to be cleaned via online advertisements? Don’t worry that you don’t know a thing about internet advertising, because Bobby Walker has already worked it all out for marketing a carpet cleaning business.While you are reading this article, trying to discover how to take your carpet cleaning business to another level, Bobby Walker is relaxing on over $100K per annual income. This is from his online marketing alone! Imagine all the hassles of run down equipment and paying overhead costs just melting away as you fill your work schedules for months in advance. It can happen, and it will, if you are one of the lucky ones.Marketing a carpet cleaning business is competitive. It is for this reason that Bobby has decided to allow only t
1. Should Your Business Name Be Your Domain Name?
99.9% of the time, the answer to this question is Yes. We are living in the Internet age, and consumers are becoming savvier at purchasing goods and services online. When people think of your product (or service) they’ll connect it with your website, which makes repeated visits to your site easier for your customers.
What if the domain name is already taken? All is not lost. You have some options:
• Offer To Purchase - If you are connected with a brand name then you may want to pursue purchasing this name from its current owner. The domain contact information can be obtained in the form of a “Whois” lookup. Inquire as to whether they are open to selling the domain name, but be aware they’ll likely charge a higher fee for it than you would normally pay.
• Back Order – This is becoming a very popular trend. Domains can now be “back ordered”; meaning simply that when the current owner’s domain registration expires, should they not renew, the domain will become available for you to purchase. This may also carry a higher fee than a normal registration.
• Alternate Ideas – If your business is relatively new, it may be wise to consider alternative extensions. For example, mybusiness.com may not be available, but “mybusiness.net” or “mybussines.biz” might be. The Internet has exploded in the last year with alternate extensions and there are plenty to choose from.
2. Should My Domain Name Include Keywords?
This is an excellent idea! Consider for a moment that you are a candle maker whose business name is “Amy’s Jar Candles”. Your business name already uses “jar candles” as key product branding. Registering “amysjarcandles.com” is a terrific way to target your incoming audience which results in a better chance for sales. For example, chances are that anyone shopping for candles would have a general idea of what type of candle they need, such as a jar candle, or pillar candle. Buyers are far more likely to try out phrases like “jar candles” or “pillar candles” in the search engine rather than just “candles” because it will produce relevant results quicker. Having a domain name that matches your product or service branding is crucial because the easier it is to remember, the more likely it will be tried in a browser and/or search engines.
3. What Extension….com, .net, .org?
Domain names have been disappearing at a rapid rate and new extensions have been introduced to keep the pool of available names flowing. What if the “.com” extension for your domain name is not available? In this instance it’s likely that you can register the “.net” or “.org” (or other) variation of your business name. Which do you choose? Should you select a “.net” or “.org” extension, or consider a country specific alternative such as “.ru” or “.co.uk”?
Does your business cater to the local community? If so, then it might be wise to consider searching for a country specific domain extension for your area first. For example, .com is universally regarded as a US or international extension, while .co.uk refers to the United Kingdom. Should a UK buyer be looking for car parts in his neighborhood “mikescarparts.co.uk” is more likely to be a local websites than “mikescarparts.com”.
Businesses with an International audience can benefit from registering their name with the “.net” extension while “.org” can be useful for identifying a non-profit organization. Since the registration restrictions for “.org” have been removed however, this extension is open to anyone.
There are no rules on which extension to register, but should you decide to register a .com alternative, be very sure you market your company using the entire domain name. Most buyers assume a “.com” extension and without specific information may be unable to locate your site.
4. Long Domain Names…Good or Bad?
This is a topic on which you will find wide variation on opinions. Your domain name can be up to 67 characters in length, that’s a lot of space!
The argument for a longer domain name is mainly that it’s easier for the human mind to recall later. If your business name is “I Design and Host Websites” you probably wouldn’t want to register “idahw.com” with the hope that someone would associate this with your company, product or service by remembering what that stands for.
For example, “gacwh.com” is a sequence of unrelated letters that could be difficult to type correctly; whereas if it that is registered as “getacheapwebhost.com” it is more likely to be remembered. Long domain names also have the added advantage of having room for your keywords. For example, if you have a site listed on Google with a domain name like “jansartsupplies” it may do better in a search for “art supplies” than a name such as “mikesartstuff.com.”
The other side of this argument is that shorter names are easier to remember and type, and thus less prone to errors. For example, “websitedesign.com” is less susceptible to typos than “Icanbuildyourwebsiteaffordably.com”
The issue with shorter or more general names is that ones like “candles.com” and “tires.com” are generally not going to be available. If you Sdecide to register a short name, possibly your company’s acronym, be sure it’s a meaningful combination of characters that is easy to remember. I would recommend finding a domain name which represents your products in the shortest and most meaningful way possible. Businesses with long names may need to shorten their domain name down to assist users with remembering and typing long names; shorter names are also easier to fit in the title bar.
5. Should I use Plurals and Hyphenations?
Domain registration engines will usually suggest an alternative if the name you are searching for is taken. Sometimes this will include adding a hyphen or even “my” or “the” to the name.
If you wanted the term “design.com” and it was taken, you may find yourself staring at alternatives such as “mydesign.com”, “thedesign.com” or even “designs.com”. Which should you choose?
My rule of thumb for my clients is not to register “designs.com” if they cannot also register “design.com” The reason is that many times buyers may forget to type the “s” at the end of the name and your sale may go to someone else. There are those who will argue that this theory works in reverse, but why take chances? If you decide to register a name as “my…” or “the…” remember to market using your entire domain name.
Hyphens are another popular way to successfully register your name when the non-hyphenated version is no longer available. An advantage is being able to get the name that you want; however, it’s my opinion that the disadvantages far outweigh this.
Hyphens are easy to forget. Users are comfortable with typing phrases like “jarcandles.com” but may have trouble remembering to include a hyphen if you registered “jar-candles.com”. This may result in a sale for your competitor and translates to lost sales for you.
Hyphens are also an issue with verbal recommendations. Consider a v
Job Interviews: Six Steps to Acing a Telephone Interview
Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's good or bad depends on how you handle them!Sometimes telephone interviews are used as a pre-screening technique for all candidates. Other times they are reserved for candidates who live far away.Regardless of the reason, you must take them as seriously as an in-person interview.In other words, you must be prepared if you're going to ace the test. Here are six steps that will help you do just that:#1. Take the call when you’re ready. If an employer calls and wants to do the interview when you’re not expecting it (instead of setting up an appointment), excuse yourself politely (“I’m in the middle of something right now…”) and offer to call back in ten minutes. This will give you time to prepare.#2. Get rid of distractions. Take the call on a phone in a quiet room — away from co-workers, radio, television, family, roommates, or anything else that may make noise or take your att
, mybusiness.com may not be available, but “mybusiness.net” or “mybussines.biz” might be. The Internet has exploded in the last year with alternate extensions and there are plenty to choose from.
Telephone interviews are becoming more popular these days. Whether that's good or bad depends on how you handle them!Sometimes telephone interviews are used as a pre-screening technique for all candidates. Other times they are reserved for candidates who live far away.Regardless of the reason, you must take them as seriously as an in-person interview.In other words, you must be prepared if you're going to ace the test. Here are six steps that will help you do just that:#1. Take the call when you’re ready. If an employer calls and wants to do the interview when you’re not expecting it (instead of setting up an appointment), excuse yourself politely (“I’m in the middle of something right now…”) and offer to call back in ten minutes. This will give you time to prepare.#2. Get rid of distractions. Take the call on a phone in a quiet room — away from co-workers, radio, television, family, roommates, or anything else that may make noise or take your att
2. Should My Domain Name Include Keywords?
This is an excellent idea! Consider for a moment that you are a candle maker whose business name is “Amy’s Jar Candles”. Your business name already uses “jar candles” as key product branding. Registering “amysjarcandles.com” is a terrific way to target your incoming audience which results in a better chance for sales. For example, chances are that anyone shopping for candles would have a general idea of what type of candle they need, such as a jar candle, or pillar candle. Buyers are far more likely to try out phrases like “jar candles” or “pillar candles” in the search engine rather than just “candles” because it will produce relevant results quicker. Having a domain name that matches your product or service branding is crucial because the easier it is to remember, the more likely it will be tried in a browser and/or search engines.
3. What Extension….com, .net, .org?
Domain names have been disappearing at a rapid rate and new extensions have been introduced to keep the pool of available names flowing. What if the “.com” extension for your domain name is not available? In this instance it’s likely that you can register the “.net” or “.org” (or other) variation of your business name. Which do you choose? Should you select a “.net” or “.org” extension, or consider a country specific alternative such as “.ru” or “.co.uk”?
Does your business cater to the local community? If so, then it might be wise to consider searching for a country specific domain extension for your area first. For example, .com is universally regarded as a US or international extension, while .co.uk refers to the United Kingdom. Should a UK buyer be looking for car parts in his neighborhood “mikescarparts.co.uk” is more likely to be a local websites than “mikescarparts.com”.
Businesses with an International audience can benefit from registering their name with the “.net” extension while “.org” can be useful for identifying a non-profit organization. Since the registration restrictions for “.org” have been removed however, this extension is open to anyone.
There are no rules on which extension to register, but should you decide to register a .com alternative, be very sure you market your company using the entire domain name. Most buyers assume a “.com” extension and without specific information may be unable to locate your site.
4. Long Domain Names…Good or Bad?
This is a topic on which you will find wide variation on opinions. Your domain name can be up to 67 characters in length, that’s a lot of space!
The argument for a longer domain name is mainly that it’s easier for the human mind to recall later. If your business name is “I Design and Host Websites” you probably wouldn’t want to register “idahw.com” with the hope that someone would associate this with your company, product or service by remembering what that stands for.
For example, “gacwh.com” is a sequence of unrelated letters that could be difficult to type correctly; whereas if it that is registered as “getacheapwebhost.com” it is more likely to be remembered. Long domain names also have the added advantage of having room for your keywords. For example, if you have a site listed on Google with a domain name like “jansartsupplies” it may do better in a search for “art supplies” than a name such as “mikesartstuff.com.”
The other side of this argument is that shorter names are easier to remember and type, and thus less prone to errors. For example, “websitedesign.com” is less susceptible to typos than “Icanbuildyourwebsiteaffordably.com”
The issue with shorter or more general names is that ones like “candles.com” and “tires.com” are generally not going to be available. If you Sdecide to register a short name, possibly your company’s acronym, be sure it’s a meaningful combination of characters that is easy to remember. I would recommend finding a domain name which represents your products in the shortest and most meaningful way possible. Businesses with long names may need to shorten their domain name down to assist users with remembering and typing long names; shorter names are also easier to fit in the title bar.
5. Should I use Plurals and Hyphenations?
Domain registration engines will usually suggest an alternative if the name you are searching for is taken. Sometimes this will include adding a hyphen or even “my” or “the” to the name.
If you wanted the term “design.com” and it was taken, you may find yourself staring at alternatives such as “mydesign.com”, “thedesign.com” or even “designs.com”. Which should you choose?
My rule of thumb for my clients is not to register “designs.com” if they cannot also register “design.com” The reason is that many times buyers may forget to type the “s” at the end of the name and your sale may go to someone else. There are those who will argue that this theory works in reverse, but why take chances? If you decide to register a name as “my…” or “the…” remember to market using your entire domain name.
Hyphens are another popular way to successfully register your name when the non-hyphenated version is no longer available. An advantage is being able to get the name that you want; however, it’s my opinion that the disadvantages far outweigh this.
Hyphens are easy to forget. Users are comfortable with typing phrases like “jarcandles.com” but may have trouble remembering to include a hyphen if you registered “jar-candles.com”. This may result in a sale for your competitor and translates to lost sales for you.
Hyphens are also an issue with verbal recommendations. Consider a
Trade Show Promotional Products - Boosting Booth Traffic
I was about seven or eight years old when I learned the value of promotional items at trade shows. I just didn’t know it yet. I was at a home show with my parents. As we walked through the hall it was held in, I noticed people walking around with yardsticks. I really had no need for a yardstick, but seeing them made me want one. So, to make me happy, my parents kept an eye out for the booth passing out the yardsticks. I got my yardstick, and my dad got a deck from the contractor who was passing them out. I use that example to paint a picture that promotional items can and do work at trade shows- although the target audience usually isn’t a third-grader with a $10/week allowance!The whole idea of a trade show or seminar booth is to gain new customers and perhaps repeat business from past customers. The whole idea of using a promotional item at your booth is to attract people to your table, generate interest and hopefully provoke questions. However, promotional items can also be dan
oose? Should you select a “.net” or “.org” extension, or consider a country specific alternative such as “.ru” or “.co.uk”?
I was about seven or eight years old when I learned the value of promotional items at trade shows. I just didn’t know it yet. I was at a home show with my parents. As we walked through the hall it was held in, I noticed people walking around with yardsticks. I really had no need for a yardstick, but seeing them made me want one. So, to make me happy, my parents kept an eye out for the booth passing out the yardsticks. I got my yardstick, and my dad got a deck from the contractor who was passing them out. I use that example to paint a picture that promotional items can and do work at trade shows- although the target audience usually isn’t a third-grader with a $10/week allowance!The whole idea of a trade show or seminar booth is to gain new customers and perhaps repeat business from past customers. The whole idea of using a promotional item at your booth is to attract people to your table, generate interest and hopefully provoke questions. However, promotional items can also be dan
Does your business cater to the local community? If so, then it might be wise to consider searching for a country specific domain extension for your area first. For example, .com is universally regarded as a US or international extension, while .co.uk refers to the United Kingdom. Should a UK buyer be looking for car parts in his neighborhood “mikescarparts.co.uk” is more likely to be a local websites than “mikescarparts.com”.
Businesses with an International audience can benefit from registering their name with the “.net” extension while “.org” can be useful for identifying a non-profit organization. Since the registration restrictions for “.org” have been removed however, this extension is open to anyone.
There are no rules on which extension to register, but should you decide to register a .com alternative, be very sure you market your company using the entire domain name. Most buyers assume a “.com” extension and without specific information may be unable to locate your site.
4. Long Domain Names…Good or Bad?
This is a topic on which you will find wide variation on opinions. Your domain name can be up to 67 characters in length, that’s a lot of space!
The argument for a longer domain name is mainly that it’s easier for the human mind to recall later. If your business name is “I Design and Host Websites” you probably wouldn’t want to register “idahw.com” with the hope that someone would associate this with your company, product or service by remembering what that stands for.
For example, “gacwh.com” is a sequence of unrelated letters that could be difficult to type correctly; whereas if it that is registered as “getacheapwebhost.com” it is more likely to be remembered. Long domain names also have the added advantage of having room for your keywords. For example, if you have a site listed on Google with a domain name like “jansartsupplies” it may do better in a search for “art supplies” than a name such as “mikesartstuff.com.”
The other side of this argument is that shorter names are easier to remember and type, and thus less prone to errors. For example, “websitedesign.com” is less susceptible to typos than “Icanbuildyourwebsiteaffordably.com”
The issue with shorter or more general names is that ones like “candles.com” and “tires.com” are generally not going to be available. If you Sdecide to register a short name, possibly your company’s acronym, be sure it’s a meaningful combination of characters that is easy to remember. I would recommend finding a domain name which represents your products in the shortest and most meaningful way possible. Businesses with long names may need to shorten their domain name down to assist users with remembering and typing long names; shorter names are also easier to fit in the title bar.
5. Should I use Plurals and Hyphenations?
Domain registration engines will usually suggest an alternative if the name you are searching for is taken. Sometimes this will include adding a hyphen or even “my” or “the” to the name.
If you wanted the term “design.com” and it was taken, you may find yourself staring at alternatives such as “mydesign.com”, “thedesign.com” or even “designs.com”. Which should you choose?
My rule of thumb for my clients is not to register “designs.com” if they cannot also register “design.com” The reason is that many times buyers may forget to type the “s” at the end of the name and your sale may go to someone else. There are those who will argue that this theory works in reverse, but why take chances? If you decide to register a name as “my…” or “the…” remember to market using your entire domain name.
Hyphens are another popular way to successfully register your name when the non-hyphenated version is no longer available. An advantage is being able to get the name that you want; however, it’s my opinion that the disadvantages far outweigh this.
Hyphens are easy to forget. Users are comfortable with typing phrases like “jarcandles.com” but may have trouble remembering to include a hyphen if you registered “jar-candles.com”. This may result in a sale for your competitor and translates to lost sales for you.
Hyphens are also an issue with verbal recommendations. Consider a
Own and Operate Your Own Directory
Own and operate your own directory. Earn money as a webmaster.There are two basic types of directory.1. Website Directory - A website that provides categorized listings of other websites.Are you familiar with web directories? Web directories are a great way to earn extra money. Simply put, you build a nice looking and useful directory and other webmasters submit their sites to be listed by you. They do this so they can get more potential traffic and to get an inbound link to help with their search engine rankings.THIS IS IMPORTANT - If you are only interested in making money without effort don't do this. Running a directory does take time and dedication.Yes, there is money to be made here, provided that you observe the following:You should be interested in providing a useful and informative site and you need to practice applicable search engine optimization methods. Specifically, you must be aware of your keyword density, proper coding, and the building
Design and Host Websites” you probably wouldn’t want to register “idahw.com” with the hope that someone would associate this with your company, product or service by remembering what that stands for.
Own and operate your own directory. Earn money as a webmaster.There are two basic types of directory.1. Website Directory - A website that provides categorized listings of other websites.Are you familiar with web directories? Web directories are a great way to earn extra money. Simply put, you build a nice looking and useful directory and other webmasters submit their sites to be listed by you. They do this so they can get more potential traffic and to get an inbound link to help with their search engine rankings.THIS IS IMPORTANT - If you are only interested in making money without effort don't do this. Running a directory does take time and dedication.Yes, there is money to be made here, provided that you observe the following:You should be interested in providing a useful and informative site and you need to practice applicable search engine optimization methods. Specifically, you must be aware of your keyword density, proper coding, and the building
For example, “gacwh.com” is a sequence of unrelated letters that could be difficult to type correctly; whereas if it that is registered as “getacheapwebhost.com” it is more likely to be remembered. Long domain names also have the added advantage of having room for your keywords. For example, if you have a site listed on Google with a domain name like “jansartsupplies” it may do better in a search for “art supplies” than a name such as “mikesartstuff.com.”
The other side of this argument is that shorter names are easier to remember and type, and thus less prone to errors. For example, “websitedesign.com” is less susceptible to typos than “Icanbuildyourwebsiteaffordably.com”
The issue with shorter or more general names is that ones like “candles.com” and “tires.com” are generally not going to be available. If you Sdecide to register a short name, possibly your company’s acronym, be sure it’s a meaningful combination of characters that is easy to remember. I would recommend finding a domain name which represents your products in the shortest and most meaningful way possible. Businesses with long names may need to shorten their domain name down to assist users with remembering and typing long names; shorter names are also easier to fit in the title bar.
5. Should I use Plurals and Hyphenations?
Domain registration engines will usually suggest an alternative if the name you are searching for is taken. Sometimes this will include adding a hyphen or even “my” or “the” to the name.
If you wanted the term “design.com” and it was taken, you may find yourself staring at alternatives such as “mydesign.com”, “thedesign.com” or even “designs.com”. Which should you choose?
My rule of thumb for my clients is not to register “designs.com” if they cannot also register “design.com” The reason is that many times buyers may forget to type the “s” at the end of the name and your sale may go to someone else. There are those who will argue that this theory works in reverse, but why take chances? If you decide to register a name as “my…” or “the…” remember to market using your entire domain name.
Hyphens are another popular way to successfully register your name when the non-hyphenated version is no longer available. An advantage is being able to get the name that you want; however, it’s my opinion that the disadvantages far outweigh this.
Hyphens are easy to forget. Users are comfortable with typing phrases like “jarcandles.com” but may have trouble remembering to include a hyphen if you registered “jar-candles.com”. This may result in a sale for your competitor and translates to lost sales for you.
Hyphens are also an issue with verbal recommendations. Consider a
Creative Emulation
In business we have a number of ways or tools that we use to stimulate improvement. Most of us could recite these in our sleep:• Brainstorming• Benchmarking• Problem solvingWhen these things fail, or we realize that perhaps there are better ways to do these approaches, we do the next likely thing and hire a consultant. (As a consultant, I am glad that people sometimes take this step).Each of these steps can be very valuable and powerful when done correctly. There are methods, approaches and steps that you can take to make each of these things (including hiring the consultant) more effective.The ProblemThe problem is the first three items on the list suffer from a similar problem – they all become too introspective.Brainstorming too often becomes a short list of ideas that people have considered in the past, or things people tried at their last job.Benchmarking ends up being too incestuous. If you are benchmarking within you
In business we have a number of ways or tools that we use to stimulate improvement. Most of us could recite these in our sleep:• Brainstorming• Benchmarking• Problem solvingWhen these things fail, or we realize that perhaps there are better ways to do these approaches, we do the next likely thing and hire a consultant. (As a consultant, I am glad that people sometimes take this step).Each of these steps can be very valuable and powerful when done correctly. There are methods, approaches and steps that you can take to make each of these things (including hiring the consultant) more effective.The ProblemThe problem is the first three items on the list suffer from a similar problem – they all become too introspective.Brainstorming too often becomes a short list of ideas that people have considered in the past, or things people tried at their last job.Benchmarking ends up being too incestuous. If you are benchmarking within you
5. Should I use Plurals and Hyphenations?
Domain registration engines will usually suggest an alternative if the name you are searching for is taken. Sometimes this will include adding a hyphen or even “my” or “the” to the name.
If you wanted the term “design.com” and it was taken, you may find yourself staring at alternatives such as “mydesign.com”, “thedesign.com” or even “designs.com”. Which should you choose?
My rule of thumb for my clients is not to register “designs.com” if they cannot also register “design.com” The reason is that many times buyers may forget to type the “s” at the end of the name and your sale may go to someone else. There are those who will argue that this theory works in reverse, but why take chances? If you decide to register a name as “my…” or “the…” remember to market using your entire domain name.
Hyphens are another popular way to successfully register your name when the non-hyphenated version is no longer available. An advantage is being able to get the name that you want; however, it’s my opinion that the disadvantages far outweigh this.
Hyphens are easy to forget. Users are comfortable with typing phrases like “jarcandles.com” but may have trouble remembering to include a hyphen if you registered “jar-candles.com”. This may result in a sale for your competitor and translates to lost sales for you.
Hyphens are also an issue with verbal recommendations. Consider a verbal recommendation for a store named “anas-jar-candles.com.” This may translate at some point to: “Wow, I visited Ana’s Jar Candles dot com today and saw some really neat stuff.” Later, you would probably type “anasjarcandles.com” into your browser hoping to visit. Ouch.
Prior to purchasing your domain name it’s important to carefully consider your business community, target market, and keywords. Just ten minutes spent jotting down ideas can mean the world of difference when it comes to success with your online business.
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Reduce Cold Call Frustration By Reengineering Your Attitude!
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