Business Domain Names

Q:I apologize for not being as active in this newsgroup as I had been in the past. I have been devoting the majority of my time putting together my new web page, and putting a postcard mailing together to get the word out on my new page.

A:I would agree that in the grand scheme of things, the domain name is not a vital component. I will say this, in cases where you are taking orders online, *quite a few* people would think twice before submitting to an AOL subdomain or www.thisplace.com/~joesmall/tinystore. Now, many people still will, however it is an extra bump which needs to be overcome. Granted, that is an exaggerated example, however, I *have* heard this as a complaint. Considering how touchy the subject of security on the net is, and that *trust* and *faith* in the merchant is of paramount importance...the extra *hint* or lack thereof can be very important. A domain name is a $100 investment, and net-saavy individuals tend to associate it with professionalism...the image of or the real thing. Depends on the use. For a huge compnay, maybe important. Certainly important for people who sell domain registry and promotion services. And yes, it can be useful. I just think it's way overblown in terms of the small business. Which, of course, is the area I originally referred to. Agreed. I don't think that it is so tough to maintain consistency without a domain name. The url for my site is simple enough. eplex.com/go. The rest is in every URL, so people will get used to remembering the last parts. Do I need a domain? Would it really help? Depends again on where they see it. If it's online, they don't even usually SEE the url. It's a link. Offline, yeah, for a big company it's better. For a smaller firm whose customers are going to make the effort of typing it in, probably not a big deal. They know the businessperson, so they go a step further. Why overblown? Why should I as a small business owner, use strategies any less efficient than the big boys? It is just as important for me to maintain consistency as it is for them, yes even with the URL. Many small businesses don't place enough importance on consistent marketing and PR strategies, but they are just as important for the small guy as the big guy. And the same rules apply. The Internet can be the great equalizer for the small business and your URL is part of that equalization process. Although it's becoming more difficult as names are being taken. (Hence the push for InterNic to expand top level domains)