SEO Benefits

There are many cases when the major search engines will provide higher search engine rankings for web pages that have country-specific TLDs.  For example, if an internet user from Canada is searching for software consulting services in that specific country, the site at mysoftware.ca may rank higher than another website with a .com extension selling the same product.  This type of domain can also help increase your visibility through directories commonly referenced by local web surfers.  Directories make a great way to enhance search engine rankings and build qualities links that lead to more traffic to your website.

Boost Customer Confidence

Having a country-specific domain can help increase confidence in customers as many of them feel more comfortable purchasing from local merchants.  For them, it makes it much easier to track their sales and follow up with any questions or concerns regarding the product.  Even though business is conducted across international borders everyday, some customers would just like to know that they are dealing with someone residing in the same country rather than one operating in a foreign locality.

Better Identify Your Audience

Another benefit to country-specific domain names is that you are better to identify where your customers are actually located.  This makes things more convenient for both you and the customer.  You can easily display products and services targeted at shoppers in that particular region and customers do not have to worry about choosing the geographic area they are located in.  Again, this gives your site that local feel and instills the confidence the customer needs to feel safer doing business with you.

Maximize Your Potential

When factoring in their distinct advantages, you may want to consider registering both a country-specific TLD and a traditional extension such as .com or .net.  This is a simple but strategic move that makes your business appealing to both international and national audiences.  You should never overlook the potential sales and business that can be reaped from a domain name and all it takes is another small investment for an additional name that could result in huge benefits.

Conclusion

There are many domain name extensions available and the ICANN seems to be adding new ones on a regular basis.  The country-specific variation represents a very broad category and as you can see, offers a wealth of benefits.  While you have a vast selection to choose from, you should always keep yourself open to such an excellent opportunity that could help you attract other markets and extend your reach online.

Think SEO and User-friendly Domain - In order to be considered search engine-friendly, your domain name must be preferably short and easy to remember.  This way, users can recall it much faster and the probability of generating quality traffic becomes much greater.  In most cases, a long, complicated name will only work against you and hinder your success.

Focus on Keywords - Keywords add to the success of a domain name because they play such a critical role in the SEO process.  When implementing keywords into your URL, search engines like Google will index it faster, thus increasing the possibility of higher click-through rates and most importantly, more exposure.

Be Cautious of Hyphens - Many SEO experts speak strongly against inserting hyphens in a domain name.  This is because they can lead to complications such as users forgetting where the hyphen is to be positioned within the domain.  Because there could be many similar websites that contain domain names without hyphens, you want to be very careful that you do not direct visitors to your competition.

Optimize for Type-in Traffic – Some internet users have a habit of typing keywords directly into their browser bar instead of a search box.  To leverage this type of traffic, you may want to register a domain that contains your targeted domain in its entirety to increase your traffic through this prevalent market.

Choose a Fitting TLD – There are many top level domain to choose from, but you will likely have more success from SEO standpoint by choosing a .com.

Establish Inbound Links – Inbound links are another part of the SEO process. You certainly want to establish quality links that include your domain.  If your site is devoid of such links, the search engines will conclude that it lacks relative content.  Keep in mind that poor links will negatively effective your optimization efforts.  For this reason, you want to avoid link farms and questionable practices employed by questionable SEO firms.

Choose a Good Domain Name Registrar – The key to obtaining an search engine-friendly domain name is to register the name with a respectable registrar.  There are many registrars on the market but not all can be relied upon.  We recommend sticking with known and trusted brands like GoDaddy and Yahoo or opting for one with your web hosting provider.

Registering a search engine-friendly domain will not guarantee you increased traffic or visibility.  Even SEO itself calls for you to promote your site in traditional ways and most importantly, make sure it contains quality content web surfers will be interested in.   Once you come to realize this, we are confident that these tips will go a long way in helping you achieve the visibility and success you desire online.

The Benefits of .tel Domains

.tel domains are not your ordinary extension.  This new global internet standard allows you to control how and where you connect with your audience.  Below are some of the many benefits internet users are raving about:

Stay in Touch from any Device - A .tel domain enables your brand name or business to be accessible from any client device connected to the internet.  For example, customers can type your website address into their browser, choose their preferred method of contact and simply click a button to initiate the communication process.  Since the TLD is optimized for mobile devices, it allows you to create a strong mobile presence through the increasing large number of compatible devices

Potential Revenue Generator - You could also use a .tel domain for a variety of services based on generic names such as shoes.tel, computers.tel, hosting.tel or whatever you desire.  Just like .coms, each individual domain can easily be configured to have numerous sub-domains in order provide convenient navigation to local vendors or specialists.

Increased Exposure - By registering a .tel domain, you can greatly increase the visibility of your business as it allows you to publish multilingual keywords specific to each department and location associated with your company.  Because these keywords are indexed by the major search engines, this extension can easily improve optimization and exposure for your online business.

Increased E-commerce Traffic – A .tel domain can be useful in offering and selling various storefront products and services.  For instance, a music orientated site could provide their users with the latest news or popular downloadable mobile content such as ringtones or MP3 files.  Such exclusive offerings can work wonders at driving traffic to traditional online storefronts.

Is it Time for a .Tel?

Though certainly not as widespread as the more mature options, .tel is catching on quickly as a viable TLD.  The hype and distinct benefits could make this extension just as popular and highly sought after as .com in a few years.  And while still not available at all registrars, .tel is being increasingly adopted and comes at a price that is comparable to traditional extensions.  We don’t encourage you to give up that catchy .com you finally secured, but this new option is definitely one you want to consider.

In the internet world, a domain is equivalent to an address of a store.  If want to visit a website, then you need to type in an address to access it.  The shorter and catchier this address, the more valuable it becomes as it will be easier for people to remember.  Whether you have plans of starting an informative website or an online business, these tips will help you get the most out of your domain name investment.

Think Ahead

Some domain names are more popular than others because of the current trends today.  For this reason, you should think ahead and consider the future trends.  Can you predict what will be en vogue in the next few years?  If you plan on selling your domain name for profit, you may want to secure one that coincides with an emerging trend to encourage top dollar offers.  If you plan to build your presence off the name, choose something that has longevity and will stay relevant regardless of what’s hot.

Determine a Viable TLD

Even people who have never been on a website associate “.com” with the internet.  It is the most popular TLD (top level domain) so securing this extension should be your first move.  Because it is so highly sought after, there is a chance that your first choice for .com may not be available.  Somebody could have beat you to the punch.  While you could go with alternatives such as .org, .net or .info, you should keep in mind that the selling price for these extensions will most likely be incomparable to .com.  However, if you plan to establish your presence with a website, these alternatives could work just fine depending on your promotional efforts.

Carefully Consider the Name

Last but not least, you need to put an emphasis on the actual domain name itself.  Short and sweet usually works best as it generally results in a simple and effective choice.  You may have something unique in mind, but if it is too long or complex, you run the risk of deciding on a name that no one will remember.  Take it from the masters of the web: Google, Yahoo and Flickr have all branded themselves with domain names that are simple, easy to remember and powerful.

Investing in a good domain doesn’t have to be a complicated process.  You just need to be aware of what goes on in the internet world.  After coming up with the right selection, this could turn out to be one of the best investments you ever made.

Standard Features

A quality domain name with a .com extension will cost your around $10 a year.  At the very least, this service should include the following features:

- Free domain forwarding

- Free personalized email address and alias forwarding

- Free domain parking

- Free domain registration privacy

- Full DNS Access

When you purchase a cheap domain name, more than likely, you will be missing out on many of the above features.  This might not be a tremendous deal depending on your specific needs, but if you really want to make the most out of your domain name and web presence, it is definitely better to have them.

Common Tricks

To help ensure that you get the best deal possible, we have listed some of the most common tricks registrars employ when offering cheap domain names.  You may be surprised at how many of the big name companies are involved in the trickery.

Bait and Switch – GoDaddy is well known for its $2.99 special on domain names.  However, most of the time, this deal only applies to .info TLDs, which could be a rather undesirable extension for someone trying to do business online.  Chances are, you are after a .com domain which will cost you about $9.99 per year.

Limited Time Discount - Yahoo is another well known registrar with tricks up its sleeves.  The company recently had a sale for .com domain names at the amazingly low price of $1.99.  The major catch is that the price was only good for the first year and only available to new customers.  Once that year exceeds, the cost goes back up to the regular price of $9.95 per year.

Must-buy Add-ons - When purchasing service from some registrars, that price of $1.99 is only good if you also purchase additional products the company offers.  In most cases, this is a web hosting package.  If you truly need a web hosting service, then look for a provider that will sell you a good plan and provide the domain name absolutely free.

Although the tricks mentioned in this article aren’t necessarily scams, they are very confusing and could spell trouble for the newcomer.  Therefore, you want to conduct solid research because unlike most things you buy, there is no refund on a domain name registration.

Why is it so Important?

Marketing products and services through Pay Per Click campaigns has proven to be effective but these days, almost everyone is doing it.  Because of this, it is important to implement any method you can to lower your cost per click.  One if the best ways to lower your cost per click and increase your click through rate is to enhance your visibility on elite search engines such as Google, Yahoo and MSN.  All throughout the web, successful PPC advocates are raving about the importance of registering a keyword-rich domain name to improve marketing efforts.

A keyword-rich domain name can be a very effective weapon in your SEO arsenal when it focuses on the three critical areas of a PPC campaign: the headline, the ad text and the clickable URL.  Keeping this in mind, here are some factors to consider when choosing a domain name to aid in your Pay Per Click marketing scheme:

.com TLDs are the Best

Whether it is for a PPC campaign or other endeavors, you want to register your domain with a .com extension if at all possible.  It just tends to resonate better with internet users and also makes you look a bit more established.  On the other hand, extensions such as .net and .biz have been doing well as of late with PPC campaigns so these would definitely be your best alternatives.  In the end, choosing a good domain name with relevant keywords is more important than the extension you decide on.

Get Innovative With Your Name

With keyword-rich domains becoming more scarce, you might need to get a little more creative when registering a name.  Something as simple as adding a hyphen in between your keywords could get you that much closer to your ideal domain name.  Although some don’t recommend it, this proves to have little to no negative impact on a PPC campaign.

Capitalize Your PPC Keywords

After settling on a good domain name, you need to optimize your ads in a manner that makes them more attractive in the eyes of the search engines.  When it comes to PPC campaigns, MyProduct.com can be far more effective than myproduct.com.  Check the statistics and you will likely see that you get more clicks by doing this.  Though it seems quite simple, the difference can end up being more than a 300% difference in your click throughs.  In the end, it can raise your PPC quality score and lower your cost per click as well.

Registering a keyword-rich domain is only practical for a Pay Per Click campaign.  When coupling the tricks in this article with a few others, you should notice results in a very short time.  In the highly competitive world of online marketing, one must take advantage of all they possible can.

]]> http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/07/07/choosing-a-keyword-rich-domain-for-your-ppc-campaign/feed/ 0 http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/02/enter-the-world-of-mobile-domains/ http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/2009/04/02/enter-the-world-of-mobile-domains/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:30:43 +0000 CommunicateBetter http://webhostinggeeks.com/blog/?p=270 It seems as if the bar is being raised on technology every year.  Advancements are coming so fast that even the most sophisticated gadgets aren’t as surprising as they should be.  Some of the more notable technological upgrades relate to wireless technology and cellular phones.  The average phone these days is anything but, coming with the ability to play music, surf the web, pull up directions and more.  Even with everything technology has thrown our way, most would probably agree that they didn’t see mobile domain names coming.

What are Mobile Domains?

The mobile domain is a fairly new concept on the domain name market.  As wireless technology becomes more tightly integrated with the internet, webmasters are increasingly trying to target a new audience – mobile web surfers.  If you are looking for innovative ways to increase your visibility, you may want to consider a domain name strategy centered around the fast growing traffic surfing the mobile web.

In 2004, a case was made for adopting DotMobi as a new Top Level Domain.  In 2006 .mobi became a reality, now standing alongside TLDs like .com and .net.  The major difference is that this extension is exclusive to delivering the internet to mobile devices.  This is not to say that .coms and other popular extensions can’t be viewed over a mobile device.  The advancements in web technology essentially means that any website can be developed for mobile browsing.

Interoperability and Usability Problems

While any given domain can be optimized to provide the internet experience via a PC or mobile phone, integrating the technologies isn’t as easy one may think.  Despite all the advancements, most mobile devices do not support key web elements such as Javascript or cookies.  And because 3G is still only present in a small number of devices, the mobile internet as a whole lacks the speed needed to surf the web effectively.  For this reason, the development of mobile websites must be handled on a separate scale for now.

The Bright Side

The issues of incompatibility does not mean that the technologies will never work in perfect harmony.  For now, you may want to consider leaving your existing website as is and then optimizing another for mobile internet traffic, giving yourself the opportunity to embrace audiences on two separate webs.  Now is probably the best time since using the mobile internet to increase visibility is a new strategy altogether.

One should keep in mind that mobile domains and the mobile internet are both such new concepts that they will require some fine tuning in order to catch up to the much more mature internet.   So, even though mobile technology has come a long way, there is still a while to go before we truly enjoy a seamless browsing experience like we do on a PC.

Mobile domains represent an exciting period for the internet world.  Technology has taken us so far yet we have barely even scratched the surface.  When it comes to mobile web surfing, the possibilities are endless.

What is a Domain Name Transfer?

A domain name transfer describes the process of taking the name you registered with one registrar and moving it to another.  This simply means you only want to switch your domain name service provider.  Everything about your website and actual domain name remains the same.  Keep in mind that a domain name transfer isn’t the same as transferring your website from one server to another.

The Transfer Process

The first step in transferring a domain name is initiating the transfer.  While it is up to you to make the request, only the new registrar can initiate the transfer.  After purchasing an account and getting set up with the new registrar, you should see a link or button that reads “transfer domain”.  In most cases, you will be prompted to enter the domain name, confirm and click “OK”.

What you don’t see behind the scenes is the email exchange between the new registrar and the WHOIS database regarding your domain.  The transfer process moves along once the WHOIS administrative contact accepts the transfer by clicking on a link in the email.  Once the transfer has been approved, the new registrar sends notification to the TLD Registry (Top Level Domain) for further approval.

In order for your domain name to work, it be must active.  If it is inactive, pending, or locked, you will not be able to make the transfer.  This is why it is recommended to transfer your domain name well before the expiration date to avoid such issues.  If your domain is active and registered for 60 days or more, the TLD registry will inform the new registrar that the transfer can continue.   From there, the registry lets the old registrar known that a transfer request has been made.  The old registrar generally has about five days to respond to the TLD registry.  If they do not respond in the given amount of time, the registry will automatically assume approval by default.  While this helps you make a transfer from a hesitant registrar, it also increases the potential of domain theft.  For this reason, it is advisable to sign up with a registrar that offers domain locking and other protective features.

If the registrar actively approves the transfer, they will do so by responding to the TLD registry.  The registry then takes the name from the old registrar, notifies the new registrar and adds it to their account.  That is the domain name transfer process in a nutshell.  As long as you know what to expect, it can all be a painless task.  Although most support staff members are more than willingly to walk you through the process, it is always good to understand what goes on for yourself.

To the current day, well over 128 million domain names have been registered throughout the world.  Research shows that thousands of new registrations are being purchased on a daily basis.  The crave of domain names is what makes it so much harder for the newbie to acquire the name they truly want for their website.  If you came up with something simple and catchy such as Buy.com or Fixit.com, forget about it – those domains were gone a long time ago.   The sad part of it all is that many domains are just sitting there inactive, waiting for someone to come through and make a bid.  It’s a crazy game but no need to fret.  Instead of getting frustrated about the domain name shortage, get creative.

Keep it Short …

Even though you get up to 57 characters, using the maximum amount for your domain just isn’t practical.  In fact, anything over 10 characters is actually pushing it.  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that shorter names are simply easier to remember.  They are also less vulnerable to typing errors.  There are however, exceptions to this rule.  Let’s say the name of your business is sort of long and you want to shorten it up with MWWF.  In this example,

Midwestwritersfoundation.com could be easier to remember than the abbreviated version.

Keep it Simple

If you find that your domain name isn’t available, you may be tempted to get clever and come up with a neat variation.  Let’s say Midwestwritersfoundation.com isn’t available.  In this case, you could decide to go with midwest-writers-foundation.com.  Although symbols can help you get closer to the name you actually want, there are some drawbacks.  For one, symbols hardly ever resonate with internet users. If anything, they will omit the symbols and end up at the site of the website owner who beat you to the original domain. Secondly, your potential visitors could easily forget exactly where the symbols are to be placed in the URL, especially if you use more than one.   If at all possible, refrain from symbols.

Be Unique

Sometimes, finding a good domain is simply all about thinking in ways others don’t.  This means coming up with different combinations of your ideal name, adding or subtracting words like “the” and focusing solely on your business.  The market you’re involved in may consist of thousands of businesses but only few, if any, will have the same name as your company.

What makes a good domain?  The following tips should sum it all up for you.

Memorable

A domain name isn’t serving its purpose if no one can remember it.  Sure, it would be ideal if everyone bookmarked their favorite websites, but the fact is that most people do not.  For this reason, it is best to choose a domain that resonates and makes an impact.  Avoid complexity by keeping the name straightforward and easy to remember.

Short and Sweet

While the experts say that a good domain should be no more than 20 characters long, 10 is even better.  Having a long domain name will only complicate matters.  Short and sweet is the key here because if you go over the 20 character mark, you could end up burying yourself in the deep dark corners of the web.

A Good Extension

Extensions or TLDs (Top Level Domains) represents the three letters that come after your primary name.  There are several extensions available including .com, .net, .biz, .org and the list goes on.  Keep in mind that some extensions are reserved for certain entities.  For example, .gov is reserved for government sites will .mil is for the military.  As the most popular extension, .com is what you should strive for.  If you can’t find this TLD, then .net would be the next best alternative.

Spelling

When choosing a domain, try to stay away from names that are difficult to spell.  Many people are not good at spelling, thus, if you pick something more complex, your potential visitors could end up at a competitor’s site.

Avoid the Flash

One of the worst things you can do is try to glamorize your domain with fancy symbols.  After all, most web surfers don’t pay attention to symbols anyway, so even if you do pick something that is memorable, your over zealousness could still lead them to another site.

Be Unique

A good domain name is one that is unique, very descriptive and tells a story in just a few characters.  What this means is that the name should instantly strike a cord with visitors and potential customers by giving them an idea of what to expect.  For example, if the website revolves around your business, using your business name for the domain would be a good idea.  If you are marketing yourself rather than a brand, don’t hesitate to go with your given name.  Besides, you have a much better chance of securing a domain under your own name than anything else.