The biggest misconception we dispel here at Eat My Words on a daily basis is a client's belief that they need to own the exact dot com of their business name. Not true. Even if you are a pure online business. (When you are shopping online and, for example, Google "lemongrass candle," do you really care what the domain names are in the companies in the search results?) We recently named a company Wavelength. They "connect the leaders of the world's most visionary, successful companies and pioneering social entrepreneurs." (In other words, people on the same wavelength.) The domain wavelength.com was taken, so they got www.thesamewavelength.com, which is even better because it reinforces the brand - and it was $9.95 on GoDaddy. Another example is one we did for a new "s-e-x for midlife and beyond" business named Second Wind. They just secured getasecondwind.com. (If you're curious and over 18, here's a spicy article by the founder, midlife sex relationship coach, Katherine Forsythe.)
10 more domain naming tips that will save you time and Tums:
1. Don't give up on a great brand name if the domain is out of reach. For instance, the PR firm we just named Potion secured potionpublicrelations.com and they won't lose any business or credibility because of it. Why? No one expects a company to have the exact dot com any more. Just as we ran out of 800#s for toll-free calls, everyone knows the free-and-clear dot coms are a thing of the past. You do not have to put your dot com name in your logo - put it in your email address or link to your site. Lastly, your customers will still be able to find you. Think of how many times you've typed in the wrong domain name - oops! Do you give up? No, you simply go to Google find it in two seconds.
2. Don't give up on a great brand name even when the domain appears to be in use. Tricky cyber squatters often disguise "parked" sites as real businesses. Do a little clicking and you may find it's a pay-per-click website. The sneakiest one we've seen is, ironically, www.sneakers.com. Click through any of the sneaker brand logos and you'll discover it's a slick pay-per-click site.
3. Don't think just because a site is "parked" that the price is astronomical. Spoon Me negotiated SpoonMe.com for $5000. EatMyWords.com was a bargain at $1200.
4. Don't think "not for sale" is written in stone. If you pony up enough cash, some people will sell a domain, even if it's an existing business. We named a "luxury on the installment plan" shopping website Venue. Even though Venue.com was in use by another company and there was a notice on the site that said the domain wasn't for sale, our client persisted and got it. (It sure beats their old name, Peach Direct.) On the other hand, the company we wanted to name The Gravy could not get the guy to sell thegravy.com, despite the fact that his band, The Gravy, has disbanded. He had dreams that they might make a comeback one day.
5. Don't name your company something just because the domain name is available on GoDaddy for $9.95. While we do occasionally find these names for our clients, for the most part, every whole word name and name combination are taken. Welcome to our world.
6. Don't get a domain name that is spelled differently than it sounds like Naymz or Takkle. Besides constantly having to spell it for people, everyone types the name they hear into their web browser and ends up at places that are spelled the way they sound - like Names and Tackle.
7. Don't leave out vowels ala Flickr. Unless you have a million dollar ad budget or the next Pet Rock, you can't afford to leave out letters. This is so dated and in 5 years will look as ridiculous as eHarmony and iMotors sounds today.
8. Don't put dots in your name like del.icio.us. This silly technique is dated, annoying and impossible to remember. Del.icio.us regrets this mistake and was forced to buy delicious.com for $100K.
9. Don't come up with your name over a bottle of wine. Some people we really like did this and almost named their social networking site for investors Portfolia. Yikes! Luckily, we renamed them Cake. The domain squatter wanted an insane price for Cake.com, so our client got cakefinancial.com for $9.95. The word "financial adds instant credibility to the name.
10. Don't go bald pulling your hair out trying to come up with a domain name. To get a powerful, unforgettable name, contact the experts at Eat My Words.
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