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wizardofsorts Special user Chicago, IL 935 Posts |
I was thinking of using a name company name that a .com domain is already registered to a gentleman in France (ie "companyname.com.") As, I will only be using the name in the US, I don't think we have any legal problems. My question is should I go with "companyname.net," "companyname.biz," or come up with a completely different name in order to get a .com name?
I guess it boils down to, should I insist on a .com domain name only or is .net or .biz going to be viewed as professional by potential clients? (FYI- my goal with this website is to sell variety entertainers to a target audience of catering companies, park districts, and daycares to start with but I'm planning on moving eventually to Country Clubs, banquet halls, and schools.)
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
I would say to get a .com name. Simply because people who book entertainer or buy anything on the internet really do care about image. And the .com is common. If you're somewhere and someone asks your website and you say blahblah.net chances are they might not remember the .net.
Plus, anyone who tells you, "Oh it doesn't matter what it is, etc." turn and run, becuase businesses rely heavily on image. Just take a look at some magician's websites. Do you really think they're getting a lot of work with the websites that look terrible and have Google banner ads all over the place? No! And I'll fight anyone to the death over that. Plus, it's your business and how you want to be perceived. You control how people perceive you and I find it odd to go to an entertainer's website when it's .biz and I think it's because it isn't a .com. Josh London |
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Lyndel Inner circle wrote the theme to the TV show COPS! 1623 Posts |
Josh and I differ on this line of thought...
Domain names were first implemented in 1985 and originally there were only six of them. Today due to the huge demand and traffic on the World Wide Web, there are upwards of twenty different domain names all of which were intended to represent the type of organization to make it easier for people to search for particular topics. I don't think people think any less of a person's magic skill based on what the extension of their domain name is... I do agree with Josh however on the fact that entertainers who use free "build your web site with our banner ads at the top" scream amateur. and that people may sometimes confuse your site with the site that has the .com extension if they are trying to recall it from memory (but - who does that?) Most people are looking at your business card or brochure when they are typing in your web site address. Still the majority of your traffic will probably come from search engines. I can also add that having ran a dot net domain, it hasn't affected my bottom line at all since I have made a decent living from it for over 12 years. I'm not saying that I wouldn't PREFER to have a dot com, it's just unavailable so a .net is the best second choice. Now my .com counterpart is in a different kind of business than I am, so even if people land there by accident, at least I won't lose a gig to them. Plus, search engines don't give a hoot or a holler about what your domain extention is. Your web site title is what will be showing up in the searchs and will be what most people read and click on to get to your site. I guess efforts should be made to try and secure a dot com domain before you give up and move to dot net. For example you can try and search for abandoned domain names. In fact by making an effort to be really creative and not hurrying the process, it is quite possible to secure a reasonably good dot com domain. Of course if you just cannot get a dot com domain, and a company in the same line of work doesn't own the dot com, a dot net is a good second choice and there's nothing wrong with it. Lyndel |
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Jim Snack Inner circle 1338 Posts |
Why not try both. Domain names are inexpensive and you can easily point both to the same website. Then test them to see which one gets the most response.
Jim |
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dearwiseone Inner circle Portland, OR 1143 Posts |
Wizardofsorts,
In my opinion it's best to get a .com, even though you may have to chose a different name. One reason is that many companies who own the .com also own the .net, .biz, .mobi, of that same domain name. So, when you tell someone to check out varietyentertainmentforyou.com (for example) and two days later they're trying to remember your site, I don't think they'll pull up .net or .biz first. They're going to try .com and they'll go there and won't see your sight. Also consider that even .net and .biz aren't anywhere near as popular as .com. I read one article through Yahoo that said .net and .biz account for less than 1% of all domain names in the U.S.! Now, I understand that it might change, and 10 years from now, there might be several dozen domain extensions and another might be more popular. But as of right now, .com is the overwhelming winner with domain extension popularity. Just my thoughts. There are, of course, many factors that might affect your choice, but I'd probably go with .com, especially if you're in the US. Best wishes, Kevin |
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
Lydel,
You and I do disagree, but that's ok. I think that the image of a business is one of the most important things, up there with service and product value. I view .biz .net, etc. domains as an easy way out to get the domain you want and really unprofessional. Knowing hardly anything about the internet I was under the impression that .net .biz, etc. are free domains. In regards to this statement made above: "I don't think people think any less of a person's magic skill based on what the extension of their domain name is..." The point is to not show off their magic skills on a website. That is pretty impossible, even with a video. A video on your website does you no justice and does not accurately show how talented you are. The main purpose of a website is to educate a prospect as to how you can help them make their event memorable by booking you. You are a "memory-maker" and you r website should reflect that. I just realized that with the video on my website, I'm going to take it down and revamp it, by the way. Josh London |
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TheDean Inner circle Reno, Nevada 2164 Posts |
Yep... the "Dot COM" is like an 800 number is to an 877 or other toll free number.
You ‘can’ get creative with your Dot COM like: MyCompanyName.com YourCompanyName.com CompanyNameOnline.com TourTownCompanyName.com ...etc I have multiples of some of my domains as well as various common possible mis-spellings of the names I use. Happy New Year! - Make It GREAT in 2008! Deano (on my gig) in Reno <><
Dean Hankey, *M.D. - The Dean of Success Solutions!
Serving & Supporting YOU and Your Success! "Book More Shows... Make More Money... SERVE MORE PEOPLE! - Not Necessarily In That Order…" (*Marketing Doctor) |
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wizardofsorts Special user Chicago, IL 935 Posts |
I've made an offer to the gentleman that owns the .com name I want. Does anyone know how to proceed if he accepts this (or a future) offer?
How do I assure he is the true owner? How does the transfer take place? If we can't agree on a price I think I will use Dean's "companynameonline.com" option. Thanks Dean! Edd
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
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magicofCurtis Inner circle Los Angeles 2545 Posts |
Go through godaddy.com they have a system set up to make offers and to buy domain names already registered.
I would use a .com.... People are custom to .com and will type in .com if they go home and try to remember the name!!!
Curtis Lovell II
http://www.CurtisLovell.com http://www.MagicofCurtis.com www.facebook.com/curtislovellii Los Angeles, California - U.S.A. |
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Magic Enhancer Inner circle Robert Haas 1805 Posts |
I'd have to agree with the likes of Josh, Jim, Deano and Curtis. It seems much more "professioanl"to have a dot com name. It isn' that much more xpensive as Jim said. In this day and age, image is everything. A nice web site with a dot com suffix, and it will look more professional than a .net. Just my opinion though.
For the record, I have never had a .net before. Only my web sites which are both dot com's Robert Haas PS- Oh yeah, Happy New Year everyone!
Robert Haas
Magic Enhancer Quality magic products for the working professional. www.MagicEnhancer.com |
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magicofCurtis Inner circle Los Angeles 2545 Posts |
Well, I have .info, BUT!!!!!!!! it is not a site that is promoted. It is for special projects for clients...
Curtis Lovell II
http://www.CurtisLovell.com http://www.MagicofCurtis.com www.facebook.com/curtislovellii Los Angeles, California - U.S.A. |
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Christopher Starr Inner circle Heart of America 1850 Posts |
I wanted to second what Curtis brought up about tying to get the domain name that you want. I used a domain registration monitoring service at snapnames.com, and after a 2 year wait, got the rights to christopherstarr.com
This service costs you nothing until such time as a domain becomes available for bidding, so I encourage anyone that would like to aquire an unavailable domain to make use of this service. Chris |
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ScottRSullivan Special user 874 Posts |
I'm with everyone so far. .com means business. But if possible, grab the .net and other abbreviations. They are cheap. And once you lose them, they are pretty much gone forever.
I would also recommend purchasing a .tv domain. The .tv is becoming the "new" .com, believe it or not. Why? You may not think it important now, but as more and more people are getting podcasts and as more and more people are posting video online, the .tv domain is being used more and more as an "online television" extention. And this would be a great place to keep a video blog or a weekly/monthly "show" that you can keep your clients informed with. Set them up with an RSS feed and you've got a private TV channel onto their computer! Of course, technically, .tv is the domain used for the country Tuvalu. But most are using it for media. Scott |
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Tom Riddle Special user Chelsea, UK 507 Posts |
Why not try .US.COM There are some great names still available with this. A friend of mine has just registerd this:
http://www.magician.us.com
"Yes, Virginia, there really are people named Riddle...isn't that AMAZING! And to think of all the royalties I'm missing out on! SCANDALOUS!"
Thomas Williamson Riddle III Chelsea, UK |
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wizardofsorts Special user Chicago, IL 935 Posts |
It's an interesting idea, Tom. I wonder if it will catch on in the US. I know in the UK, you us .co.uk for business things. No matter what I settle on, I think I will register the same name in all of it's .extension forms.
Edd
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
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Gordon Special user Chicago 692 Posts |
If the name you want is available in other TLDs (top-level domains, ie: .com, .net. biz, etc) then buy all of them you can.
Similarly, if the name you're registering is easily misspelled, register the variants. |
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wizardofsorts Special user Chicago, IL 935 Posts |
Here is my thought, I'm going to go with "company-name.com." (as an example http://www.quick-printers.com) What do you all think of this name? And if I am saying the name to someone do I say "www dot quick dash printers dot com?"
Edd
Edd Fairman, Wizard of Sorts is a corporate magician available for your next trade show, hospitality suite, client luncheon, or company event. http://www.wizardofsorts.com
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jkvand Special user Johnstown, PA 658 Posts |
I would avoid the hyphen if you can. I had a domain name with a hyphen in it, and it's MUCH easier to just have a simple name like http://www.quickprinters.com.
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joshlondon17 Special user San Diego, CA 685 Posts |
I used to have a hyphen in my domain, gave me no problems.
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Magic Enhancer Inner circle Robert Haas 1805 Posts |
Unless your Hocus-Pocus.com, then you can get away with it.
Robert Haas
Robert Haas
Magic Enhancer Quality magic products for the working professional. www.MagicEnhancer.com |
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