Is a Domain Name Worth It? Options

[bwelford]

I believe domain names are the ultimate "vanity plates". Do you agree?

[Eddie]

Not if you are running a business. There is nothing worse imo than seeing an email come from aol, freeserve etc.

[rcjordan]

A type-in can generate a steady 20% of your traffic --that's a nice cushion from the SEs. If it's an authoritative domain, it will also go a long way in getting backlinks without asking.

[Adrian]

It branding as well. Why does McDonalds put a big sign above their doors with the name on, when instead they could just say 42 East Street instead?

Isn't sticking that big McDonalds sign up just being vain?

Which is better of these 2?

"There's a great thread going on over at 161.58.227.150 at the moment"

or

"There's a great thread going on over at www.cre8asiteforums.com at the moment"

?

[bragadocchio]

There is a lot of value to a domain name.

1. Branding - By using your own domain name, you are working towards building an image that applies to your business. It is just one of many indicia that people see of the whole package, from business name, domain name, logo, tagline, mission statement, corporate history, to the more involved aspects of the business relationship with customers, vendors, competitors, and others who might interact with the organization.

2. Portability - you can take a domain name with you if you need to move from one server to another, or one host to another. IP addresses change, as do server names, if you find yourself on a service that provides a directory or a subdomain for your site instead of a domain name.

3. Memorability - a good domain name is easy to remember, and may lead to people not having to look the name up, or search for it amongst bookmarks or favorites.

4. Credibility - a domain name is more credible than just an IP address, or a directory or subdomain that includes the name of an ISP or shared host.

5. Type-in traffic - some domain names have value in that people will just type the address in a browser without knowing what might be on the other side, such as sex.com, or business.com.

6. Matching Offline Branding - branding efforts offline can be reflected on the web by the use of a well known business name or product name, or some other distinction about a business. This is true enough that a well known company will fight others under a trademark theory to take over a domain name that is in commercial use, or that is held by someone only with the intent of selling it to the trademark owner.

7. The appropriate tld - Chances are that if you are a commercial business that operates in a global environment, a name that uses the .com ending may be the most attractive choice for your business. Or, if you are a nonprofit, you would prefer one that ends with a .org. If you want to focus upon business in a country where local business is important, and search engines don't question your place of origin and business, a country specific two-letter tld may be of more value. The tld used in the domain name can be part of the value of a domain name by indicating what type of organization the site is, or where it is located.

Anything that I might have skipped over?

[McFox]

I have a huuuuge domain name :twisted: or should I be saying I have a really short one? :shock:

Which has more kudos?

<edited to add: this seemed much funnier before braggadochio and I cross-posted>

[bragadocchio]

Which one might people be more likely to remember?

Which one might be easier to tell someone over the phone so that they spell it correctly, and is more likely that they will type it into an address bar right?

Shortest might not always be the best.

<edited to add - I can delete mine, and then re-add it >

[McFox]

Which one might be easier to tell someone over the phone so that they spell it correctly, and is more likely that they will type it into an address bar right?

Good point. I know of a site which has lots and lots of backlinks that should be going elsewhere because of a simple typo

[Adrian]

And we're a pain in the *** for that with our weird spelling here

If someones never heard of cre8asite, spelling it out isn't even that easy.

c-r-e-8, thats the number 8, not word eight-a-s-i-t-e etc...

[DianeV]

Right. I had the same typing/remembering problems. That's why I did the logo as it is -- to highlight the 8, and to help differentiate the 8 from the rest of the letters. I'm hoping it's been of help.

[thirstymoose_2000]

.... and at $40/year I am sure it is more than worth it.

[DianeV]

thirstymoose, are you saying $40 a year for a domain name? There are many registrars who charge far less. GoDaddy is one.