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URL's, What's in a name?
by Todd Levi
Google? What kinda name is this? Of
course it brings to mind googolplex but
how could one branding mean so much to a
company? We all know what it means
though, it's the featured search engine
used more than any other at this point.
When it comes to naming your URL it is
important to be catchy, but is it more
important to be relative? This is a
question we all must face when we name
our web site. Sometimes this is easy,
for instance if you have a business
names "Flowers-a-Plenty" then it's a no
brainer what you will name your site. At
this point if www.flowers-a-plenty.com
is not taken then of course this is the
optimal decision. However, if your
looking to start a flower business
online is it very important to come up
with a name that is both catchy and
relevant? YES! Many of us don't have the
starting capital to make the brand name
so we look for something that will be
both specific for rankings, and catch
the millions of web users attention. The
name of your website will be something
you have to live with, not just a page
of hundreds that might end up on your
site.
There are many names that just won't be
accessible or worthwhile for your online
campaign. These are names that have
already been taken or have an obvious
conflict with current businesses. For
instance, to name your new car
dealership "Chevie" instead of the
currently wide used name Chevy just
isn't gonna cut it if your truly want
your name to stand out. While
registering the name Chivie.com might be
helpful in getting traffic off of
misspellings during searching, its not a
feasible name to use for your branding.
There are many aspects that go into
branding and naming your URL. We must
look at advertisability, relevance and
intractability. For instance to name
your search engine marketing firm
"Search Engine Marketing Firm" might be
nice and relevant, what's going to make
you stand out from the rest? While there
are obvious barriers here, the fact that
names like these are likely to be
registered, you must also consider how
you are going to distinguish yourself
from the competition. If you have a
company that specializes in this area,
then getting this name and forwarding it
to your business web site might be the
ideal solution, but it still might not
be an ideal name for your company.
Some important points to look at:
Domain Name: Your domain name will be
the name of your web presence and is
many times used for an effective online
branding strategy. Choose a name that is
unique, easy to remember and, if
possible, highlights the type of
products services you wish to portray.
If however your budget allows, it is
more important that your name be unique.
If Google had gone with a name more
relevant say, InternetCrawler.com would
they be who they are today? If you have
a selling point that out-smarts your
competitors, you may add a word or two
about it in the URL to take advantage of
this unique portion of the branding
strategy.
Logo: When we think of windows operating
system, we are reminded of its logo
before everything else. Sometimes the
logo will be the lasting memory in the
eye of the visitor that makes you
memorable, if so, then this is your
unique take on the market. Tips for
branding your URL on the Web
Be Consistent: Branding on the web would
requires making sure you know your
audience. You should be consistent in
terms of your approach, your message and
your treatment given to the viewers
through and through.
Be Innovative: Branding your URL is all
about being innovative. Understand the
likes and dislikes of your target
audience before you begin to even think
of ideas for branding yourself on the
web.
Appeal to the Target Market: Let me
restate: Entire branding efforts should
be focused on a SECTION of the consumer
segment you wish to appeal to. Your
brand should appeal to your customer and
instill confidence with your viewership
in which you are trying to promote to.
The web is unlike any other
communications or marketing medium, your
web presence is the one place where the
entire identity of your company (its
products, image, reputation and quality)
are viewed in a matter of seconds and a
few mouse clicks. Either the entire
experience comes together or it doesn't.
For this reason alone it is important to
make your brand worthwhile to the
audience in which it is intended for.
In my particular instance, I have used
the name Grapester.com to promote a web
site about wine, offering knowledge,
articles and insight on "How to Drink
Grapes". While Grapester is a catchy
name, the slogan also makes the site
more relative as the tag "How to Drink
Grapes" is all throughout the website
and is something that the visitors that
come there will remember. Remember: The
brand of your presence online is a
foundational building block that will
stick with you throughout your online
campaign and is not to be taken lightly!
About the Author
Todd Levi is a current Web Design and
Marketing contributor with over 5 years
experience in the field of web design
and promotion. His website http://www.LeviSolutions.com
is his current business that helps all
sorts of companies get online! He also
conducts a blog entitled SEO-Marketing
where useful information can be found
about creating, maintaining and applying
strategies for bettering your online
presence at http://seo-marketing.levisolutions.com |
