For smaller businesses, a good domain name is crucial to attracting Web traffic. From choosing a domain name to buying one, expert Douglas Shuman tells bMighty everything smaller businesses should know to get noticed
"What's in a name?" asked William Shakespeare, belittling its import. But in the Web era we all know that what is in a name -- or at least in a domain name -- is vital to smaller business survival. At least that's how Douglas Shuman, senior VP of customer marketing for domain register company Register.com, sees it. Shuman believes that a good domain name is the great equalizer in the Web world. The right one ensures that smaller businesses draw traffic comparable to much larger competitors. At bMighty, we know that getting the right domain name can be tricky. We talked to Shuman about how smaller businesses can get a coveted domain name, how much they should be paying for them, and what are some of the SEO secrets that will help smaller businesses the attract attention they deserve.
bMighty: What is the secret for smaller businesses in choosing a domain name?
Douglas Shuman: Be specific and be simple. Small and midsize businesses have to carve their own niche. There's no sense for a small business that does car detailing to have the domain name car.com. It would be better to have pizzazzcar.com. Go for what's simpler and as short as possible in letters and words. Someone just registered Jerseyboyz.com, which was available. I would say to small and midsize businesses, don't think that all the great names are taken. And there are variations on great names. But be careful "-- weird punctuation and underscores can throw people off. Use simple English, and no punctuation if possible.
One great small business name is 15secondpitch.com. [The owner] is a small to midsize business consultant that helps businesses come up with a short description for what they do. It's a specific need and the Internet allows her to market herself.
bMighty: Should smaller businesses buy domain names?
Shuman: They should consider it. We sold a domain name, chicagolimo.com. [The buyer] paid a little less than $2,000 for it. When the customer service rep spoke to him, he said this was an investment. It made a lot of sense to him to invest in a premium domain name. He said, "I spend $2,000 a week on gas. This is worth it to me."
Sometimes you can find a domain name in the secondary market for about $2,000. If you can compromise, it can be even less than $1,000. In today's market, a good domain name is important. It's a significant cost for a customer to drive from store to store, but there's no cost on the Internet to go from site to site. If a domain name is hard to remember or has a weird character, the chances are customers won't come back to you.
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bMighty: How can smaller businesses get their customers to stay longer on their Web site?
Shuman: The No. 1 reason people leave a home page is confusion. Before they even start processing, they will click away. A [smaller business] needs to think, what is the purpose of my Web site? What action do I want customers to do? Just like a print ad. In a retail store, there is a display right by the door with the best stuff -- design around that concept and keep it simple. For instance, if someone is coming to a consultant on heating and ventilation, a service, the person should give their contact info on the home page. State clearly what you do and what awards you won to establish your credibility. The navigation bar should be prominently displayed with "contact us" in two places. Make it easy for your customer. The home page should be directing customer behavior. They want to learn about you and then take an action to interact with you.
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