Web Hosts Add Value by Integrating with the Domain Market
While primary registrations of popular .com and .net names continue to increase year
after year, purchases of pre-registered domains is growing twice as fast.
The potential revenue streams within the domain
market can no longer be ignored by Web hosts, registrars
and service providers. At the same time, there is
often concern that working with the domain market
will direct customers to competitor offerings, and result
in loss of customer loyalty and revenue. Fortunately,
there are several innovative ways for registrars to actually
improve customer loyalty and revenue through
new partnerships.
For Web hosting customers, finding the ideal name
for their business is paramount to success. However,
the problem is that domain name value is increasing,
as a result of the scarcity of premium virtual real
estate. Test it for yourself: Go to any typical Web
hosting site and type in your company name or marketplace.
Chances are, the best “.com” domain names
are already registered.
As an added value to businesses, Web host companies
can work with domain brokerage services to help
customers find pre-owned, premium domain name
registrations that are for sale, alongside unregistered
names. This will bring pre-registered domains to a wide
range of consumers and businesses, enabling them to
make a more informed choice from the very start of an
online project.
Investing in a memorable Web address can help
drive tremendous amounts of traffic to a website. By tapping
the domain market, Web hosting companies can
ensure their customers start their businesses off right,
becoming a valued business resource beyond simply
hosting a website. Consider these helpful guidelines:
Country-specific or International: If a business
is only active in a single country, it might be
adequate to use a country-specific extension such as .us,
.co, .uk, or .ca. If the client wants to appeal to a global
audience, it is best to present generic extensions such
as .com, .biz, or .info.
Importance of Keywords: If search engines are
a major source of traffic to a client's site, make sure the
domain portfolio you recommend includes domains
with one or more of their principal keywords to help
with search engine rankings.
Risk for Traffic Diversion:
Choosing the wrong domain name
can result in thousands of lost
visitors due to typos. To reduce this
risk, avoid hyphens, numbers, misspellings,
and exotic extensions. Users
should be able to determine the domain’s
spelling from the way it is pronounced:
e.g., “Yahoo!”
Length: Shorter domain names are
better, if the domain name is going to
be typed-in often. A shorter domain
reduces risks of typo errors, is easier
to remember, and offers more flexibility
in promoting the domain.
Descriptive Factor: Users type
in generic or descriptive domains
expecting to find goods related to
that subject — such as Fly.com or
Toys.com. Securing a short, descriptive
domain name ensures the benefit
of natural, type-in traffic.
By integrating with the domain market,
Web hosting companies can add
value to their services. Premium domains
are becoming rare but remain an essential part of
online success. Present customers with options and a valuable
domain portfolio to go along with their vision and
help them successfully operate in a highly competitive Internet
environment.
About the Author: Jeremiah Johnston is Chief Operating Officer of the online
domain name and website marketplace, Sedo. Johnston
oversees a variety of responsibilities for Sedo including
marketing, legal and strategy. He represents Sedo as a
founding member of the Internet Commerce Association
(ICA) and sits on the Board of Directors in the role of association
President, helping to shape the future of domain
names in the political space.


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