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Testing
corporate names on the Web
By Naseem Javed
Special to the
Tribune
Published February 26,
2002
If you’re going to go through the trouble
of maintaining a corporate Web site, you better make sure people can find
it.
Here are some fast and easy ways to determine if your business’
Internet presence needs a push:
First, look up your Web site address in google.com, widely considered
the Internet’s most robust search engine. If the results turn up more than
100 other sites using your corporate name or portions of it, rest assured
that consumers won’t find your site unless it lands at the top of the
results page. There are ways to stay
on top of your site’s ranking, and you would be smart to learn more
about them.
Second, check your site’s name on domainsurfer.com. Enter your domain
name here, and all other registered domain names using all or portions of
your name will pop up. The number of look-and-sound-alikes might surprise
you. Consider this a reality check because at the end of the day, your
domain name must be a unique, one-of-a-kind title that is also easy to
remember. Otherwise, you may as well write blank checks to your
competitors.
Third, check your domain name on networksolutions.com. Look for the
“ID Names” link. The site conducts a search in up to 40 countries so that
you can see how many others are using your name overseas. You can also
check other suffixes such as .biz, .info and .net to see if there are
opportunities to expand your Web presence –- or if, perhaps, it would be
prudent to try to buy someone else’s license.
If problems –-
including duplication, a lack of clarity, an overwhelming number of
look-alike businesses –- crop up, your first priority should be to fix the
name of your business. Perhaps another name for your company or product
really is in order. Face it: No amount of fancy jargon or branding
maneuvers will solve your problem, and no amount of advertising dollars
will generate extra hits if your company or product has a lousy name. So,
hang onto your marketing budget and change the name
first.
Unfortunately, domain names are often the most neglected and
misunderstood components of the corporate communication strategy. Too
often they are left at the discretion of a Webmaster or trademark clerk.
To properly organize domain name structure, one needs an internal mandate
under a corporate communications strategy and the right budget -- rather
than a mere $30 registration fee.
Remember that hits are created
only when somebody simply remembers a name, keys it in and gets right to
the Web site.
Naseem Javed, founder of ABC Namebank
International, specializes in corporate nomenclature. He is also the
author of Naming for Power.
Copyright © 2002, Chicago Tribune
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