<p>The old adage in business books states that when it comes time to start a business, the three most important things are location, location and location. No doubt that's true when you're opening a restaurant or boutique, but what about the rest of us - the web designers, the business coaches, the consultants of one stripe or another? Is location irrelevant? Not at all.</p> <p>But the location that truly matters isn't a street address, but a web address.</p> <p>A well-chosen web address - or "domain name," to use the technical term - can make the difference between a good first impression and a lackluster one. Consider just a few benefits that a good domain name brings:</p> <ul> <li> <strong>It gives an appearance of professionalism to your company.</strong> Who are you more likely to choose to design your website - Designer A at email "iluvdesign394@yahoo.com" or Designer B at "janedoe@creativewebdesigns.com"?</li> <li><strong>It stakes out your "turf" on the Internet. </strong>Your domain name should match your business name, or at least be very similar. (For example, my friend Adrian, who owns a company called "Computer Source", chose "computersourcenw.com" as his Web address because "computersource.com" was already taken.) </li> <li><strong>It gives you a boost on Google.</strong> The main search engines give preferential treatment to words and phrases that are in the domain name of the Website. If you do search Google for "usable web apps", my technical blog comes up as the first result, beating out links from IBM, Amazon and other heavyweights. That's not surprising, given that the domain name is <a href="http://usablewebapps.com">usablewebapps.com</a>.</li> </ul> <p>So, how do you go about choosing the right domain name for your company's online presence? Here are a few pointers to get you started:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Don't delay.</strong> Search engines give extra weight (and thus better placement in results) to domains that have been around for a while. Besides, you never know when someone might beat you to the punch! </li> </ul> <ul> <li> <strong>Get a .COM address.</strong> This applies even if you are a non-profit and qualify for a .ORG domain name. When most people try to find your company on the web, they'll either use Google to find you, or they'll type in your business name followed by ".com." Why make it harder for customers to find you?</li> <li> I<strong>f your domain name matches your business name, buy the .NET, .ORG and .BIZ domains as well.</strong> This will keep other companies from attempting to muscle in on your brand -or damage it. You can set these extra domains to automatically redirect to your .COM web address.</li> <li> <strong>Shorter is better.</strong> This isn't always possible, as available .COM addresses are getting harder to find, but if you have the choice between two available domain names, go with the shorter one.</li> <li><strong>Once your domain is registered, get your website and email online!</strong> Your domain does you little good if you're not using it to attract customers. Find a technology consultant or Web designer you trust to help walk you through this process.</li> </ul> <p>So don't just stand there - fire up your browser, go to the domain registrar of your choice (if you don't have one already, check out <a href="http://www.godaddy.com">GoDaddy</a>), and stake your claim to your own 40 acres of Web real estate!</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> 2008-11-13T06:57:24Z -14.75 300 2204 true 1 19783 your-web-address-the-most-important-address-your-business-has 1 2008-11-15T16:11:23Z 2008-11-15T16:11:23Z

A well-chosen web address can make the difference between a good first impression and a lackluster one. Learn why a good web address is critical to your success and how to pick the perfect web address for your company!

0 2009-02-24T09:47:06Z