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Domains as Website Marketing Tools.

by Rebecca Murtagh, Chief Strategist, Karner Blue Marketing

One of the most important decisions you'll make that related to your website site is the domain(s) you will use. This is often a fun, creative excercise, but it can, and should, be so much more!


So, What is a domain?
Your domain is, in essence, your “address” on the Internet. Each and every website has a unique domain assigned to it.
It could be mycompany.com, widgets.net or even everyone.us . By typing your domain into a web browser, anyone on the world-wide-web is able to pull up your website. Your domain is an asset that can become a very powerful marketing tool.

Did you know that your domain can actually improve (or diminish) your website’s performance?


Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind when choosing your domain.
  • Keep it short and sweet. The shorter it is, and the more it resembles actual words, the easier it will be for your audience to remember.

  • Register more than one. Help your audience find you with your company slogan, keywords, a high-visibility product, or service. Keep in mind that most people conduct searches by keying in topics, items or geographic area, and not by the name of a specific product or business name.

  • Always register .com first, then follow with .net, .org, and others, if necessary to protect a trademark, servicemark or proprietary phrases. Because users typically key in .com domains before any other extension, you are helping them find you, even if you use a .org or .gov as a primary domain.

    The use of domains as marketing tools has increasingly become a desirable tactic to improve website performance on various search engines. Let's take a look at how this might be done.


    How to Market with your Domain.
    Most likely, you are telling everyone how to find your website on your stationery, brochures, media, and advertisements, while linking to and from a variety of websites online. This is terrific! But is there more you can be doing?


    Actually, YES! If your domain relates to words likely to be used to find your site by potential customers, “keywords”, you may gain additional opportunities to expose related audiences to your products.


    For example, if your business is selling winter outerwear (coats, gloves, hats, etc.) from a location in the Northeast and across the country via the web, your target-market consists of people that are likely to be looking for products, services, information or locations related to your business. They may not be looking for your product specifically, but become a prospect by association by searching for something closely related to your product either by subject, geographic area or need.

    Some of the keywords that may be used by your target market might be:
    - coats
    - gloves
    - hats
    - winter coats
    - ski gear
    - ski resorts
    - ski lessons
    - ski gloves
    - skating
    - skating gear
    - snowmobiling
    - winter travel
    - snowboarding
    - snowboarding lessons
    - snowshoes
    - cross-country skiing
    - hockey
    - ice rinks
    - sledding
    - New England skiing
    - Vermont skiing
    - mountain resorts
    - winter weather
    - ski shops
    …the list goes on, but I'm sure you get the idea.


    Using "Keyword" domains.
    If, in addition to your primary domain (mycompany.com) you registered a few additional domains like the ones below, you’re site may gain additional exposure via search engines.
    Winter-coats-hats-gloves.com
    Ski-gear.com
    Winter-sports.com
    New-england-ski-resorts.com
    Ski-coats.com

    By assessing your marketplace and expanding your opportunities to include related industries, you might impact site traffic, number of new visitors and ultimately the bottom line.


    How to search and register domain names.

    Here are the simple steps you can take:
    1. Search and register available domains. Who you register with is not as important as how you manage the domain as a domain is equal, regardless of the registrar used. You can register domains for less than $11 per year, by going to:
    MarketersDomain.com .


    2. Once your domain is registered,“forward” it to your primary domain. This is simple and can even be done invisibly by selecting “masking”as a forwarding option. By doing this, the keyword domain doesn’t show, but your primary domain will (ex: mycompany.com) when they land on the website.
    When selecting your registrar, keep in mind that you will be able to search and register domains, manage your account, hosting, email and much more at some of the most competitive prices.

    Click Here for a price comparison
    to other Registrars such as
  • Network Solutions (Verisign)

  • Register.com

  • Enom.com


    • Click Here to Begin searching for domains .


    A website cannot survive on Domain marketing alone.
    Domain names cannot achieve desired results alone. To maximize your website’s readiness to help prospects find you, you may also need to manage components of your site like:
  • keywords

  • page titles

  • metatags

  • content

  • frequency of hits

  • links from other sites



    • This can be very involved, depending on your ability to manage these components of your website. This is the tip of the iceberg called “Search Engine Optimization” (SEO).


    Search Engine Optimization (SEO), not for the faint of heart.
    SEO can be a very effective, yet time-consuming practice. To be successful in working the search engine system, you must stay abreast of the current protocols and practices. This can be a full-time job. I often use the anology of search engines as sand-boxes. Each search engine has their own rules, there are no standards for them to comply to and quite honestly, they can prevent you from playing in their “sand-box” based on how you present your website in light of their ever-changing and very independent rules.


    Getting Help if you need it.
    If you require assistance in better understanding how to manage your site for optimum performance, Contact Us an evaluation and/or assistance. We will help you assess your current performance, based on your business goals, and make recommendations on how to achieve better results.
    Email: info@karnerbluemarketing.com
    Phone: 518-935-4101
    Website: www.KarnerBlueMarketing.com


    As a strategist, I frequently find that there are often marketing opportunities that are common to my clients, which leads me to believe that that other businesses may also find this information useful.
    Since I started this business to help businesses achieve their goals, I enjoy sharing tips and best practices with others.

    You are welcome to share this page with others, however duplication, distribution or publication without express written consent is prohibited.
    If you received this message in error, or wish to be removed from our e-mail list, please send an email to info@karnerbluemarketing.com with the words "UNSUBSCRIBE KBM" in the subject area and we will remove you from our list.


    © 2003 All Rights Reserved, Rebecca Murtagh, Karner Blue Marketing

    Click, search and register domains for $10.00 per year and lower!