DESCRIPTIVE DOMAIN NAMES ARE MARKETING GOLD
Why are Descriptive Domain Names so important?
Regardless of the trading name of any business, when it comes to descriptive domain names, customers identify with them across an entire business sector. Your trading name may no longer be enough, securing descriptive domain names that capture key aspects of your market is becoming vital to protect your future business prospects.
Customers find it much easier to remember descriptive domain names, as they clearly represent the products or services they are looking for. As every descriptive domain name is unique, then owning them becomes a key marketing advantage over your competitors. Even if you don't have web sites at your descriptive domain names, you've at least prevented your competitors from owning them, which means you have protected your future internet business strategy, and in a way which cannot easily be challenged.
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to think that the .co.uk extension has a greater appeal for use than a .org.uk extension as part of your online business strategy. Not true, the important factor is the .uk extension. Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc will see all the sites on these extensions. If you take a look at the example tables below of both extension types, you'll quickly notice how important 'virtual real estate' is to the businesses owning these domain names!
Companies who re-direct descriptives to their own sites:
| Descriptive | Extension | Re-Directs To.. | Registrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| auto | .co.uk | www.auto.de | Unister GmbH |
| .co.uk | www.teleperformance.com | MM Teleperformance Ltd | |
| flooring | .co.uk | www.polyflor.com | James Halstead Ltd |
| gas | .co.uk | www.britishgas.co.uk | British Gas Trading Ltd |
| house | .co.uk | www.britishgas.co.uk | British Gas Trading Ltd |
| job | .co.uk | www.jobsearch.co.uk | The Hotgroup plc |
| camping | .org.uk | www.ukparks.com | British Holiday & Home Parks Association |
| gap | .org.uk | www.latitude.org.uk | GAP Year Travelling |
| lighting | .org.uk | www.display-lighting.com | Display Lighting Ltd |
| match | .co.uk | www.match.com | Meetic |
| monopoly | .co.uk | www.hasbro.com | Hasbro, Inc. |
| pregnancy | .org.uk | www.careconfidential.com | Care Confidential |
| sims | .co.uk | www.capita-cs.co.uk | Capita Business Services Ltd |
| tigers | .co.uk | www.leicestertigers.com | Leicester Football Club |
| toys | .co.uk | www.toysrus.co.uk | Geoffrey, Inc. |
| wiggle | .org.uk | www.bellydance.org.uk | Dance |
Companies who use descriptives as a main web site:
| Descriptive | Extension | Re-Directs To.. | Registrant |
|---|---|---|---|
| camping | .co.uk | www.camping.co.uk | Sports plc |
| cats | .org.uk | www.cats.org.uk | The Cats Protection League |
| cosmetics | .co.uk | www.cosmetics.co.uk | Swallowfield plc |
| diabetes | .org.uk | www.diabetes.org.uk | British Diabetic Association |
| dispensers | .co.uk | www.dispensers.co.uk | Rainbow Cleaning Ltd |
| earth | .org.uk | www.earth.org.uk | ExNet Ltd |
| elephant | .co.uk | www.elephant.co.uk | Admiral Insurance Services Ltd |
| extensions | .co.uk | www.extensions.co.uk | Hair Extensions Solutions Ltd |
| flowers | .org.uk | www.flowers.org.uk | Flowers & Plants Association |
| jewellery | .org.uk | www.jewellery.org.uk | The British Jewellers' Association |
| job | .org.uk | www.job.org.uk | Localjobs.co.uk |
| laser | .org.uk | www.laser.org.uk | UKLA |
| massage | .org.uk | www.massage.org.uk | Academy of Natural Health |
| music | .org.uk | www.music.org.uk | Music Festival Information |
| stickers | .co.uk | www.stickers.co.uk | Mercian Labels Ltd |