-How to choose the best domain name-
Al Lautenslager - Market-for-Profits.com C 2004
A question in internet marketing often comes up regarding the use of hyphens
in a domain name. Here are a few considerations when planning your sight.
When being interviewed for a local radio show, invariably the host will
entertain questions from the listening audience. Most of the time, the host
will plug your book, your product, your event or your cause. Many times a
website or url is associated with this. Spouting off a long url will annoy
hosts and producers everywhere not to mention scrambling audiences trying to
record what you are saying. If you have a hyphenated url make sure you are
clear as to the hyphen being included and don't make the url too long. Bill
Clinton hyphen my life. Com (www.billclinton-mylife.com) is short enough
that the hyphen can be used, can be emphasized with no traffic risk
occurring.
Using the above example, it is also wise to reverse the wording before and
after the hyphen. Listeners, readers and browsers think what they want in
the order that they want. In the example above, www.billclinton-mylife.com
<http://www.billclinton-mylife.com/> might be remembered by your reader as
www.mylife-billclinton.com <http://www.mylife-billclinton.com/> . When
purchasing domain names it is wise to purchase both just to assure your
targeted traffic.
People make up urls when searching the internet. Stream of consciousness
enters the browsers mind. In other words they they type what they are
thinking at the time. If a browser is looking for The Davinci Code book they
may make up their own url for searching purposes and type in
www.thedavinci-code.com <http://www.thedavinci-code.com/> . In this case
they inserted a hyphen after what they think a main phrase is regarding the
searched subject. While this type of traffic is low compared to the primary
url without the hyphens, the hyphens assures the capture of intended
traffic. With the cost of domain names today, buying variations of your
domain is considered inexpensive "traffic insurance".
Url's without hyphens do look more professional. Hyphens are typically ok in
certain contexts but when you start stringing them out with more than three
words or three phrases it can get cumbersome. And we all know the attention
span of an internet browser. Hyphenated domain names work with targeted key
word campaigns and search engine spiders. If that is the purpose of the
sight or domain then the hyphens are fine. If your marketing intention is to
create a brand, a remembered domain name, top of mind awareness with the
domain then hyphenless domains work best.
Many times it doesn't matter what a domain name is if you are promoting it
with links, and offline promotion. If I have on the back of my business
card, visit www.billclinton-mylife.com <http://www.billclinton-mylife.com/>
then someone who is interested in Clinton's autobiography will literally
read my card and type the name into a browser because I suggested it to
them. This is with or without the hyphens. If I printed on the back of my
card, visit www.hyphen-hyphen-hyphen.com
<http://www.hyphen-hyphen-hyphen.com/> then if there was interested this
suggestion would guide the browser. As these directed domains show up in
offline marketing pieces and promotion, hyphens don't matter.
When it comes to underscores, many times the general public will interpret
them as hyphens. Since hyphenated domain names are becoming more and more
common that is the general notion of the average browser. Underscores also
can get lost when a url or domain is underlined as many hyperlink commands
do in word processor software programs.
The general rule of thumb is to not use hyphens between words if possible. A
domain name with hyphens is harder to describe when said aloud as in our
radio commercial. It is commonly accepted that a domain name with multiple
words does not include hyphens. But there are exceptions to the rule. With
some popular domain names not being available, sometimes a hyphenated url
will be and will be used.
Another reason to use hyphenated domain names is when two words joined
together like in a domain name could imply or even state a different meaning
or unintentional phrases. The following is an example:
<http://www.basketballshopping.com/> www.basketballshopping.com could be
read as basketball shopping or basketballs hopping, two completely different
thoughts and contexts. Avoid confusing phrases altogether or use hyphens to
separate the words.
It all boils down to what your purpose is with your domain name, website and
how you will market it to those interested. Interested parties like to be
marketed to and told where to look; uninterested parties will ignore your
domain with or without hyphens.
Al Lautenslager is a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach and the co-author
with Jay Conrad Levinson, the father of Guerrilla Marketing, of the next
book in the guerrilla marketing series, entitled, "Guerrilla Marketing in 30
Days." He can be reached at al@... or through the
website: http://www.guerrillamarketingin30days.com
<http://www.guerrillamarketingin30days.com/> . Sign up for a free 7 step PR
plan at prplan@....
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