Generic
Dot Com
Dot-com names are based on a
generic word that describes the
site’s focus:
• artdealers.org
• drugstore.com
• efax.com
• weather.com
Benefits
• Customers understand what
you do because your business
focus is communicated with
your name.
• Customers remember your
URL because it’s straightforward
and related to your line of business.
• Search engine rank improves
because name contains important
keywords.
Drawbacks
• They’re very 1999 and may not
age well.
• They aren’t distinctive.
Customers can easily confuse
you with similarly named
competitors.
• They can be limiting if you
plan to expand off the web.
• Dot-corn names don’t exactly
inspire consumer confidence |
Unusual
Names
Unusual names have little or no
intrinsic meaning, so the name
can be defined by the brand:
• Amazon
• Google
• Napster
• Yahoo
Benefits
• They’re distinctive.
Customers are less likely to
confuse you with competitors.
• They lack intrinsic meaning,
so you can “own” the word. You
define its meaning as you define
your brand.
• They’re memorable.
Drawbacks
• They’re vague. Customers may
have a hard time under standing
what you do. You’ll have to work
harder to explain it to them.
• They don’t help you rank well
on search engines, because the
name doesn’t contain relevant
keywords.
• Customers may pass you
by—not realizing you provide a
relevant service. |
Combination
Names
Combination names take the
middle path with names that are
distinctive but clear:
• Ask Dr. Weil
• BabyCenter
• BlackPlanet
• Guru
Benefits
• Customers quickly grasp what
you do even if it wasn’t immediately
clear when they heard the
name.
• They’re distinctive. Customers
can differentiate you from
competitors.
• They’re often memorable.
Drawbacks
• They’re easily mimicked.
Though they’re not entirely
generic, combination names can
often be closely copied by the
competition.
• They don’t usually help you
rank well on search engines,
because the name doesn’t
necessarily contain relevant
keywords. |
