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At the risk of furthering a cliche ...A domain name in the Internet world is like real-estate in the physical "real" world.
. You own it ...(usually as long as you keep it registered)
. It requires some maintenance ...(not necessarily much, depends on the use and your goals)
. You might find you've become attached to it...(happens all the time)
. Generally, it appreciates in value over time ...( this is not always the case, of course)
. And oh yes...the good ones go fast ! ...(many good,short ones are long gone - mainly aftermarket availability now)
It is widely believed that the shorter domain name is the better...but is this really so?
Domain Names for Websites
THE SHORT
While there are instances in which a longer domain names carry more more valuable,
having a short, easy to understand, memorable name almost always ensures a website remains indelibly stamped
in the minds of website visitors.
This makes it more likely that they shall one day return.
THE DESCRIPTIVE KEYWORD
On the other hand, a domain name that EXACTLY describes the website (or business), regardless of how long it is,
almost guarantees targeted traffic (even if the actual traffic numbers are low).
This is not to say that one should merely throw together a bunch of keywords and register them as a domain name.
There has to be a method - a more successful strategy is to seek out exact KEYWORDS that are actually in use in PPC campaigns.
*Targeted traffic on a website with some means of monetization translates to higher sell through or click through ratios.*
Take for instance, a website with a domain name something like StripedTubeSocks(dot)com
(which will probably get registered shortly) - such a niche domain is so targeted that it might get exactly twenty visitors a year from type in type-in traffic (that's just a random guess for arguments sake).
However, it is very UNLIKELY those twenty people arrived there searching for local rock concerts or SUV's or anything other than Striped Socks.
So, if the website is selling striped socks, some sales or clicks are likely to occur.
There are other benefits to having targeted domain names...especially those using the precise keywords you happen to use in your PPC campaign. Such domain names are sometimes referred to as "PPC Busters".
Opinions on this subject vary, so you decide;
If 3 people place campaigns on a keyword, say "Striped Tube Socks"...one being the hypothetical website StripedTubeSocks(dot)com
and the other two being m**locompany(dot).com and cl**kHere(dot)com , which of the three is more likely to get more click through with actual sales?
Bear in mind, the greater advantage of capturing traffic from direct type-ins.
IF the niche is large enough, there may be a significant number of these, perhaps enough to REPLACE any PPC campaign...ultimately saving you money.
All in all, short domain names are great, but targeted domain names might be the more obscure gold mine and should not be ignored.
This is an area more businesses might benefit from exploring, and many are already turning to these domains.
Guide created: 04/29/08 (updated 10/22/09)
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