Re: Brand domain names

From: David Yancey <dyancey_at_adjunction.com>
Date: Tue 08 Apr 2003 10:15:59 -0600

In the discussion as to whether a domain name can serve as a brand, Keith
Pieper advised:

"My point for those looking at getting a domain name...
--Option 1: buy a "generic" domain name WITH instant product
benefit/feature associations (i.e. batteries.com)
--Option 2: buy a "generic" or other name WITHOUT instant product
benefit/feature associations (i.e. yahoo.com)"


I agree with this dichotomy, and also with Keith's point that even a
"generic" type domain can be successfully differentiated, and hence, become
the foundation for branding.

I suggest that Keith's advice is even more sound when one considers both
the content and the target audience for the website. If most of the
expected users will be younger, or general audience, and the content is
more or less casual or transitory in nature, a fun, quirky, non-generic or
descriptive name seems suitable. In this industry, content sites need to be
able to evolve or adapt their persona and substance constantly to stay
fresh and relevant; a huge advantage of a non-generic/descriptive name is
to leave open the nature of the content over time. Not easy for
Batteries.com to start specializing in gardening tools, for example.

But note Keith's implicit caveat: acquiring a clever, short name will cost
serious money these days, money that could probably be better spent
building site asserts and promoting them under a less sexy name.

For an individual user or customer, branding is, along with all the things
debated here, the accumulated experience the customer has with the product
or service associated with the brand. We should pay attention to all the
proven techniques of branding, but realize especially that branding
*online* presents certain unique opportunities - and risks - namely, that
the website can begin building the "brand" even before the customer has
"experienced" the actual product or service. The website can channel and
modify the customer's expectations in a way that greatly increases the odds
that the brand will "take" in the customer's mind, once she or he has
actual experience with the product or service.

What does this have to do with domain names?

Well, if the name is generic or descriptive, the customer's perceptions of
what the site is *probably* about is being channeled before she or he even
visits the site! Does this mean that many may not visit, based on this
preliminary peek into probable content? Sure, but most of us know that
converting these would be a steep uphill, anyway; better, perhaps, to
attract them another way.

In starting up our new search tool, we faced the choice of trying to
acquire a clever, short, hopefully memorable name, something like, say,
"Zoogle"? - :) - or going for a descriptive name that would, like a generic
one, instantly convey what sort of searching we do, and for which intended
user audience.

Our new PPC directory is expressly designed for those websites who serve
the Internet professional, webmaster, and online business communities - as
opposed to the general consumer, casual surfer, or academic research
segments. Our mission is to deliver markedly superior relevance in a
limited number of related topics, to busy business and professional people
who need product info, Internet-related or online services or other online
resources, fast.

We therefore settled on the mundane "prowebguide.com". At once, it says (I
hope!) we are a "finding service" for busy professionals. I doubt the
general consumer or the youngsters will visit us much - and that is fine,
since, as a PPC, we want to deliver traffic to our listing clients that is
targeted, not general or casual interest.

Any business or service that looks to the web for its primary source of
leads should make its domain name work toward building the total
brand. But acquiring, then establishing, a non-generic/descriptive domain
name that people will instantly associate with the total user experience is
no small or quick undertaking. At least, with a more descriptive domain
name, most of your energy and budget can go into making the total
experience more satisfying, as opposed to explaining what you are all about.

David Yancey
http://www.prowebguide.com
"THE place to be found"






Received on Tue Apr 08 2003 - 11:15:59 CDT