"New Trend Shows Domain Branding More Important Than Ever Before."

On Feb. 6th, 2003, websidestory Inc., [websidestory.com], a
web analyzation company released a report showing that the
majority of websites are now visited by direct navigation,
instead of using search engines and web links.

Direct Web Navigation is when a visitor locates a site by
typing the domain directly into the browser or from a using
a bookmark.

According to websidestory.com, in 2/2001 48.14% of sites
were found through direct navigation and the other 51.85%
through search engines and weblinks.

As of 2/2003 that percentage has risen to 64.43% and only
35.55% were found through search engines and links.

This study however does not diminish the importance of
search engines and links for initially finding a website.

But it does give evidence that a domain and site that a
visitor is able to remember will be returned to directly
in the future.

Note I said ‘able to remember’ and not ‘worth remembering.’
Sure your site should be of such value that it
is worth remembering, but if you don’t have that solid
brandable domain that sticks in the brain like glue than it
won’t matter.

How many times have you wanted to return to a cool site, but
couldn’t remember the domain to get their? Of course you
could search for it at a search engine, but this takes more
time and effort. The more steps you put in front of your
prospects, the less likely your site is to be found.

This is why domain branding is so important. For a very low
investment any online business has the power to intensely
leverage their marketing.

Think about it. Your Domain name is the most important
marketing tool you have. Your domain is the first thing
your audience sees and your first chance to generate a
response from a consumer. Do they visit or move on? This
decision is hugely impacted by the effectiveness of your
domain.

The entire basis of marketing is getting someone's attention
and your domain must do just that. It becomes extremely
powerful to use a brandable domain name to leverage your
marketing to the maximum.

Put simply a quality, short, memorable domain will always
lead to an increase in sales.

Nobody knows this better that large corporations who have
spend millions on solid brandable domain names. In one
famous example venture capitalists in California paid $7.5
million to acquire Business.com. Even forsalebyowner.com
fetched $835,000.

A little off topic but still interesting, is Ex-marine
Darryl Pollock who registered the domain IraqiFreedom.com
and has received offers into the thousands (Note:
He has been qouted saying that if he were contacted by the
pentagon he would 'completely cooperate with them.')

Crazy isn't? But big business knows that these domains are
worth because that domain will bring in sales for years and
years to come. They can build it, promote it, brand it and
it will work for them forever. Even two word, hyphenated
domains are grabbing some pretty prices, checkout these
recent Afternic and Ebay sales:

Internetbank.com $92,800
E-Privacy.com $35,080
eloans.net $6,060
Ez-HomeLoans.com $4,725
venture-capital.net $14,510
officetravel.com $2,625
qalaxycafe.com $1,890

When you are marketing your site, business, product,
service, you must be seen, heard and remembered by your
audience. Consumers are bombarded with messages all day
every where they travel. You must stand out and the most
cost effective way to do this is logical domain branding.

So what domains are memorable and what makes a domain
brandable?

Find out and see examples in Part 2 of our special domain
branding articles series.

Get Part 2 now, by sending a blank email to
mailto:10336@QuickPayPro.com?subject=63