Why Domains are like Real Estate
Why are Domains Important?
I am now convinced more than ever, domains are like real estate. While the housing market is collapsing, real estate on the Web is booming. All current indicators point to further growth, making domain names a highly attractive addition to an investment portfolio and demonstrating they are assets that require effective management. This story chronicles a valuable domain some company let get lost in the fray.
How Does Domain Choice Affect My Business?
I have been tasked with building out micro-sites, focused around the health and pharmacy verticals, based on offers our company is running for our advertisers. I decided to start my research for available domains in the dropped space for several reasons. The biggest reason, I am watching many people drop parts of their portfolios from rising domain registration fees and then as in this case there is always the lucky catch.
This past month I purchased a dropped domai PregnancyHeartburn.com. The previous owners (registered the domain in 2001) still had their AdWords campaign running. (thank you very much) Almost as if, I had moved into the house and the utilities were paid for a year in advance. The month that they continued to pay for the AdWords campaign help me determine what keywords were the best converting, most popular and what campaigns were effective.
We took a strategic approach to development of this domain with a methodology that incorporated the AdWords campaign, previous domain history, and velocity enhancements that generated superior returns, all thanks to the previous domain owner.
As a provider of market information, analysis and customized business solutions to the domain development industry, I new we had hit the lottery.
What Should I Consider When Choosing a Domain Name?
There are many factors that go into choosing a good domain name. What is right for each business depends on the branding strategy and industry specifics, but some things for all businesses to consider are listed here:
Characteristics to Consider
- Does the domain name include a popular keyword or keyword phrase?
- Is the domain unique and brand-able?
- Is it available with the dot-com suffix?
- Will people be able to remember and type it?
- Are there any shorter domain names that still accomplish your online goals?
- Does the domain have any copyright issues?
Characteristics to Avoid
- Confusing Acronyms and Long Words
- Hyphens and Numbers
