Domain name tips: What does yours say about you?

Advisor Websites blog writer and CFP(TM) Joel Ohman says choosing the best possible domain name is important for any business. Here are some of his examples of domain names a financial advisor may likely choose and his critique for each:

• JosephRobinson.com. “It’s short, easy to remember, but one downside to using full names is that the message conveyed is “one-man shop,” which might not be a bad thing, but if you ever want to expand or sell your business, the domain name may not transition as nicely as a more broad domain,” Ohman says.
• JosephRobinsonFinancial.com. Ohman says unless your name is uncommon, then the above example of just your first and last name plus .com is likely already taken. A first and last name plus financial and .com domain is more likely to be available or possible to buy for cheap. Adding “financial” to the end also increases your credibility and gives a hint to what your site is about.
• ChicagoFinancial.com. Ohman liked this one because it smartly uses keywords and is memorable. “One major downside is that if you attempt to broaden your geographic target market to somewhere outside of Chicago, then the domain name doesn’t look so hot to a potential client who lives in Peoria,” Ohman says.

Now here are some basic rules for choosing the best domain name Ohman shares from an article seen on Domain Superstar.

• .com. Ohman says using an extension other than .com can hurt your credibility (with the exception of .org sometimes). He says, “If you see the domain name JosephRobinsonFinancial.net, then [the prospect] will wonder, “Why doesn’t he have the .com? Can’t he afford the .com? Who has the .com already?”‘
• Professional. Does your domain name pass the business card test? “If your domain name looks out of place on your business cards, then it’s probably time to go back to the drawing board,” Ohman says.
• Fit corporate culture. Ohman says if your niche is senior planning, aim to work that into your domain name. If your main focus is insurance, then maybe it makes more sense to choose a name that ends in “insurance.”
• Memorable. Ohman advises to avoid getting too cute or clever. Substituting numbers for letters (i.e. “4? instead of “for,” “2? instead of “to,” etc.) is rarely a good idea.
• Short. Can your URL fit on your business card? Additionally, shorter almost always means easier to remember.

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