Think for a moment what happens when your phone number or address changes.
You've got to:
- toss out all your stationery
- notify a ton of people and businesses
- divert your attention from important things like making money to urgent things that are much less productive.
It becomes a nuisance, costs money, and consumes valuable time. It's not always something you can control. For instance, I remember when I was living in Phoenix, AZ several years ago and the phone company changed my area code because they were running out of numbers with the current one and had to add an additional one.
Sometimes you do have control. For instance when you use a free e-mail service or a cheap hosting company in an attempt to save money, you end up with more headaches than you every dreamed.
Rules For Online Business Success
1. Get Yourself A Permanent Domain Name and a Permanent E-Mail Address
There are businesses which are planning for long-term growth. They know where they are headed. There are other businesses that are just floating along with no serious long-term business intentions. Which one describes you and your business?
If your objective is long-term, you've got to act like, and look like, it in every way. This means getting your own domain name and your own e-mail account.
Select your domain name carefully.
2. Be Smart and Don't Get Cute
All things being equal, from which email address would you be more likely to read and take seriously regarding a business you were considering investing $5-10,000 in? One from billyjoe2451@yahoo.com or from webmaster@widgets.com? It's pretty obvious, isn't it? Like any reasonable person you would read the one from the person that appeared to be most professional and made you feel comfortable about doing business with them. The person at webmaster@widgets.com suggests responsibility and commitment while the person at billyjoe2451@yahoo.com suggests someone who's not sure about their business. It doesn't mean they aren't serious but appearance is everything.
When choosing a domain name for your business, remember this; your domain name should help a customer make a purchase decision, not make them wonder if you're viable, responsible, and able to handle your business.
Don't even think of giving yourself some cute name. It can be fatal!
By the same token, don't give yourself a name that limits. Many people are both egotistical and need to reinforce their ego so they choose a domain name that bears their own name instead of giving it a name that their business can grow with. A domain name, remember, should make the customer feel comfortable. It should be a name which enables your business to comfortably add new products and services. It should be a forward-looking name, not one that screams, "Hey, world, look at me!"
Which of these names better positions a company for future growth and is more likely to give the customer the feeling that they are dealing with a real, substantial entity: "http://www.fredsmith.com" or "http://www.fedex.com"? It's obvious, isn't it? By the way, Fred Smith founded Federal Express.
3. Your domain name should not be:
- personal to you (like yourname.com)
- cute (something "cute" easily dismisses seriousness)
- slang (nothing changes faster than slang)
- geographically limiting ("www.phoenixservices.com" becomes a potential handicap when you're selling outside of Phoenix)
- too long (domain names should be as short as possible without compromising customer understanding and business clarity)
- focused on one kind of business (unless you are absolutely sure that your business will never grow and branch out in other areas)
- limited by regional spellings. (the Internet is global so you need to go with words that are used globally by using "favor", instead of, "favour.")
- difficult to say or difficult to print names are also a no-no. Simplicity is power. Think of Microsoft!
4. Your domain name should be:
- broad enough that you can grow your business without making that name obsolete
- as descriptive as possible of the business you conduct
- short (the best domain names are just a word or two in length. In just a few letters, they convey strength, purpose, and institutional clarity; while, at the same time being easy to remember. (http://www.wal-mart.com is a very good illustration of a domain name which meets these criteria)
- one that ends in .com because this is the ending that is most used by business people for commercial/business purposes. You should choose a domain name with a .com ending if at all possible.
5. Brainstorm Your Name
Because of the importance of the name, many new domain owners get hung up on it. Be willing to select the name and get on with the real business of growing and making money. Sit down alone, with your spouse or business partner, or with some friends. Tell them what your business is about and make sure they understand. Then, brainstorm possible names. Write down everything you think of no matter how crazy it seems.
When you're finished, go back and review them. Ask yourself if the name meets your criteria. Does it make sense? Is it something that you can live with for years to come? Does it describe or make someone think of your business? If so, choose at least three or four and then check to see if any are available.
Go to http://www.marketworx-domains.com or click here.
The fact is that hundreds of thousands of domain names are registered annually so there is an excellent chance your first choice will not be available. That's why you should select at least three choices from the list you compiled and reviewed. Check them all for availability. If your first choice isn't available but your third one is, see if you can take an element from your first choice and combine it with the third to make a stronger name. It doesn't always work but when it does, it's awesome (Wal-Mart instead of Walton's).
6. Once You've Got Your Domain Name abandon your Free E-Mail Account
When you have a good, solid, business domain name but continue to use a free e-mail account to transmit e-mail, you're telling everyone that you aren't serious. It's OK if you don't have your website built and published yet. Begin immediately to use your business email address like webmaster@yourdomain.com or support@yourdomain.com or even yourname@yourdomain.com .
How can you make this change? Easy! Just follow the guidelines in your favorite email program. Many hosting companies now have web-based email too so you can access and use your email wherever you go. Do it as soon as your domain name is confirmed and resolves on the Internet to your hosting provider.
7. Your Domain Name And E-Mail Address Are Yours Permanently (as long as you renew them when they become due)
Few things in this life are permanent. Your domain domain and the e-mail address associated with it are. This permanence is, and can be, very valuable because:
a) Your domain name is transportable. You can take it wherever you go. It's yours permanently. You may decide to change domain hosting companies but your domain name remains yours.
b) It's a fixed entity. This is the name that gets indexed in search engines and linked to other sites. Over time, there are enourmous opportunites to get return visitors, grow your traffic, and get new customers.
c) Your customers will like the fact that they'll always know where your business is and can always find it. Permanent domain and e-mail account addresses reduce anxiety and make it easy to find.
Conclusion
The Internet is fast-becoming institutionalized. The "Wild West" feeling that existed three or four years ago is gone. The net's getting civilized, and in civilization people value predictability, permanence, professionalism, certainty, security, and reliability. This is how your customers want you to be... and they start evaluating whether you are the very first time they see your name... or your e-mail address. Don't let them experience caution, hesitation, or mistrust for a moment because you will probably never get them back. Let them see, from your domain name and e-mail address, that you are a solid, responsible, rock-solid, worthy business entity; the kind of business they feel comfortable spending their money with.
