MOST INDIVIDUALS believe that it is important to purchase one or more domain names that either exactly match or capture most of their business’ name. I don’t disagree with this move. It is important to own the rights to your own business’ matching URL. However, once it is in the company’s possession, it’s safe. Other than making sure to renew the domain, an individual or business won’t have to worry about someone trying to build a website that plays off of the business’ name and reputation. Assuming that the individual or business has every intention of growing in size, scope, revenue, popularity and credibility.
Understand that one of the most important factors used by popular search engines to determine a website’s relevancy is to compare the keyword phrases being submitted during a query to the keywords that make up a website’s domain name or URL. In order to best accomplish this, think long and hard about what your target audience will be searching for on the web. If you are an accountant in the Chicago area and your firm is called “Tom’s Bookkeeping,” don’t build a website using the domain name www.TomsBookkeeping.com. The obvious reason being that if you want to acquire new customers via search engines, you will be disappointed by the simple fact that people who have never heard of Tom’s Bookkeeping aren’t going to be searching for “Tom’s Bookkeeping.” Instead, buy the domain name www.chicagolandaccounting.com (or something to that effect) and use that. Why? Because it’s more likely that people in the Chicago area will make general queries for Chicago or Chicago Land Accounting.
Now, before you go out and think you are going to buy every domain name that consists of keywords or keyword phrases related to your business, product, service or industry, remember that registrants already hold most one and two word domain names. The idea of purchasing large volumes of domain names for future resale has been around for over a decade. Most keyword matching or closely matching domain names are probably taken. This doesn’t mean you or your company can’t purchase them; it simply means you may have to negotiate to purchase the desired domain name for a premium.
Don’t worry; if you’re thinking about whether or not to build a website with the business name domain or the product or industry specific URL, remember that you can always set up a permanent 301-redirect that forwards individuals from one domain to another, in the event that someone types in www.yourbusinessname.com. Just make sure that the domain name that you believe will capture more website traffic is the primary associate with your website.
