IMPOTENT DOMAIN Easy-to-remember domain names are a vanishing breed. Most business owners are inclined to use their business name, and settle for awkward spellings and hyphenated alternatives when it isn’t available. You have to ask yourself if ‘www [dot] my [underscore] business [underscore] name [dot] com is really the best URL to drive customers to your website. Undoubtedly, some of them will end up at the real ‘MyBusinessName.com’. Not good.
THE NAME OF THE GAME Even the big dogs have used slogans and catchphrases for their marketing websites. Care to guess who owns ‘Priceless.com’? What about ‘JustDoIt.com’? ‘MickeyMouse.com’? ‘IcedTea.com’? ‘KingOfBeers.com’? You can play the same game … and win. Web addresses that are easy to spell and memorable attract more hits. More hits equals more exposure, which generally means more customers. Isn’t that the point?
PIC AND CHOOSE A picture is worth a thousand words. Just make sure your picture represents the right words. Carefully select the images for your website so they underscore the message you are trying to express. A few well-chosen photos can speak volumes about your business and make a memorable impression on first-time and repeat visitors to your website. Links to pages with additional information and pictures can offer extra details to those who want them.
BULLSEYE Target the specific audience you want to reach with multiple landing pages. By securing domain names with focused demographic appeal, you can customize the introduction to your business the each market segment. Bumper stickers, billboards and t-shirts emblazoned with one of these web addresses are more likely to get a response than a generic [and often difficult to spell] ‘MatilasRestaurant.com’ or ‘KorvacheksMarket.com’. Ready? Aim. Fire!
THE BOTTOM LINE One simple web address can add big dollars to your business. Several creative websites can generate even more customers. No matter what you spend on developing your internet presence, the cost is nominal and the potential rewards are huge. The end result is greater awareness of your business, and more money in your pocket. That’s the bottom line.
Team ThinkTank.org