Choose the Right Domain Name Without Sweating It Out
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Why do you need good domain name? Your domain is like your ID on the internet. It's how people will find you. It's what people type on the address
bar (aka URL bar; location bar) in your browser (like Microsoft Explorer or Firefox) when they are looking for something. It's your web address. Now, why do you
need a good domain name? Because like any of your marketing tactics, you want to make an impact. You want people to remember it the first time they use it. And
of course, you want the search engine to like it and index it for the top rank list.
Working out a domain name is practically easy though a little tricky. And you can have not just one or two, but as many domains as there are useful to your marketing
campaign – all in one site. Here's a short lowdown how to come up with the right domain name:
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It doesn't have to be your name
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Having your name advertised in marketing tools is a good branding strategy. But in the case of naming a domain, save putting your name in the home page where
it can be seen in the best light. A domain name such as JohnDoelist.com is not marketable. Or pleasing to the search engine. It doesn't say clearly anything about your website.
It centers around the agent, not what the customer is looking for. Remember this is real estate marketing. A dull or gawky address or self-titled domain will not be taken
seriously by a serious prospect. Keep in mind that a typical online real estate consumer is 45 years old with almost one-half of them between the ages of 35-54. It better
be good.
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So what's a good domain name?
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Keywords. Remember, searchers do not hit the keys with a random person's name. They think up keywords like 'real estate listings';
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KISS. Keep it short and simple. It has to be easily remembered;
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Easy to spell. No cryptic words or symbols;
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Descriptive. A hint of what's your business about, your product - condo or homes for example. The name should relate to the content of your
site for easy search engine recognition;
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Include your town or area where you do business. This is very important when a prospect narrows down his search;
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Good extension. Users almost always type “.com” when they launch a search. So if possible get a dot-com name. If your desired domain name
is already taken, you can search if the .net or .org is still available. Check the Whois database if someone owns a similar name. Get your domain registered
immediately. They are used on a first-come-first-served basis.
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You can have multiple domains
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Well you don't have to battle with which extension to use, you can use each for every domain you wish to link to your site. You can register your .org and
.net domain variations and point it to your main website address. With annual registration costs now running under $20, you can use multiple domains for your individual marketing
campaigns. You can target a specific aspect of your business to be marketed on a second domain and another area on a third domain. For example, you have a new condo for sale;
you can include that in your Condo related domain. This will allow your visitors to go directly to the listing or information specific to their purpose. This will also afford
you more chances of landing in a good search engine placement.
And, with multiples you can now have one carry your First and/or Last Name as an alternative domain.
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What characters are allowed?
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Regulatory standards require that .com, .net and .org domain names must not exceed 67 characters, including the characters in the suffix (63 characters plus
the 4 character .xyz). Only letters, numbers, or hyphens are permitted. A domain name may not begin or end with a hyphen.
To create unique domain names, you may use hyphens like smallville-homes-listings.com. However, this is good for search engine optimization rather than for users' convenience.
So, no hyphens please for your main domain.
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