Re: UKNM: are .com domains necessary for startups?

[Ray Taylor]

Darren Baxter <

darrentelco4u [dot] net

> ask:


> I believe, ideally you should have a .com, .co.uk and a .net - but does it

> really matter?


Domain names are now inextricably linked to brands, to the point that if you

want to launch a new brand or business, you have to check the domain name

availability, along with the company name, trademarks, etc. Having gone

through the process just over a year ago, I can't see that it's a problem to

anyone prepared to put some work into it.


If you want to launch a football site called Soccer Net, you are a wee bit

late. You could always go for www.welikesocceralot.net , if you want to be

me-too number 9,000,000. Why bother?


I think the best example of me-too-ism was www.trrravel.com which was

advertised about a year ago on rail posters. No prizes for guessing where

they are now.


If you are going to launch a new service, think carefully about the service

you are planning to offer, and try to come up with a name that is brandable

and check as you go along, availability of domain names. It takes a bit of

imagination and a lot of work.


> As dot coms have become established, more being registered daily, it's

> becoming nearly impossible to come up with a snappy, memorable domain

name.


Not so. Only the obvious ones have gone. A bit of imagination will produce

something memorable. As an example, if you wanted to launch a Japanese food

delivery service, a quick search shows that kagamusha.com and .co.uk are

available (though no doubt some film buff will tell me I've spelt it wrong

or that in Japanese it means smelly grub). But the point is, if you can't

think beyond sushi.com or letsbuysushi.com, then you are approaching it the

wrong way.


Don't worry if you can't get your brain cells working the right way. There

is a simple solution to creative block. Get all of the people involved in

the project together in a room, preferably standing up, take a flip chart or

white board and coloured pens, and brainstorm. Ask everyone to think of the

values you are trying to create in the new brand and shout out the words

that spring to mind. Write then ALL down without comment, and don't allow

any discussion. When you have run out of space, or words, then discuss which

words are most apt and circle them. Then narrow down to a smaller number

until you end up with what is, in effect, the essential brand values you are

looking for. Don't do anything else with them yet.


Then do the same thing but this time ask people to come up with actual names

for the new brand (while the values are still fresh in their mind). Again,

just write quickly and make no comment at all. Ask people to shout out the

names however stupid they think the names might be. Again, go through the

narrowing down, crossing out, and drawing connections bit. Only then should

you worry about domain names, and clearly lots of things get ditched at this

stage. But play around with what's left and you should end up with some good

alternatives.


Ideally, you should end up with a word that can generate an image, eg a

close look at www.eyeconomy.com will reveal that the logo consists of a

stylised eye. Whether you like our logo or not (We didn't design it, a

design agency, Antics, did) it is easier to remember the name because of the

image (brand) - that's how human memory works.


Brainstorming is a simple management tool. Costs nothing, guaranteed to

produce results. Only two rules: (1) no comment or discussion, and (2) write

EVERYTHING down (in short). It's sometimes handy to get an outsider in to be

in charge of the pen. Brand consultants charge �100,000s for this service.


Ray Taylor



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 looking for useful books about the new media biz?

 check out the UKNM books page for some suggestions:

 http://www.chinwag.com/uk-netmarketing/books.shtml

 Email suggestions to:

helpchinwag [dot] com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/uk-netmarketing or

helpchinwag [dot] com