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Domain Help. This domain or That - a best fit for marketing/business?

by jenkumar
5 replies
Hi,

I need your expert suggestions on the following topic:

Recently I acquired 2 different domain names for my future online & offline business. the domains are as follows:

aTop.org (Info: PR3 domain Reg: 1998)
Top-Direct.com (Info: PR0 domain Reg: 2011)

At the moment this domains are not developed. Out of the above 2, I'm planning to use only 1 domain. (And I'm not going to sell the other )

Here are my plans:
  • I will be using 'Top' as the brand name for any one of the above domain which i chose to develop. As my brick-n-mortar business is registered with a name 'Top (some word) Pvt. Ltd.'
  • The domain's website will cover products and services related to hosting/servers, as well as will contain niche-mini-sites on topics like tech, software downloads, (example: something like a Portal sort of)
  • My method of advertising will be online as well as offline (print ads and billboards).
Considering the above domains and my development plans, I'll like some input from you guys: Which domain name should I choose for development? both brandable-wise and SEO-wise which one is the best fit for business/online information site.

After reading various marketing, domain and webmaster forums I came to know that:
  1. TOP-DIRECT.COM Advantages:
    • Webmasters and mostly Domainers luv .COMs
    • People are more familiar with .COM
    • .COM perfect fit for commercial business.
  2. TOP-DIRECT.COM Disadvantages:
    • It is hyphenated domain.
    • 9 characters domain.
    • Hard to remember the hyphen.
    • Hard to type hyphen on mobile device.
    • Brand-new domain with PR0.

  1. aTop.org Advantages:
    • No Hyphenated domain.
    • 4 characters domain.
    • Easy to remember, spell, memorable and brandable.
    • 13 years old domain
    • PR3 domain.
    • .ORG means trust. (as the registry markets it.)
    • ATOP is a dictionary word. (I'll be only using 'TOP' from it in Anchor text)
  2. aTop.org Disadvantages:
    • It will be used for my online/offline commercial business.
    • Not a .COM

Note:
1. I own another domain related to keyword TOP. it is TopInstant.com
2. I also own a domain TOP.COM.BZ (but it's ccTLD. so I'm not interested to develop it.)
3. I'm not buying topdirect.com domain as I don't have that budget.
4. I'm not buying aTop.com domain as it is not for sale.
#domain #fit #marketing or business
  • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
    To be honest, I wouldn't use either. This is your own brand we're talking about. Get creative and find a .COM that is not hyphenated. It's not hard. Keep in mind that if you use a domain that is not a .COM, you're going to lose traffic, and potentially clients to whoever owns the .COM version.
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    • Profile picture of the author jenkumar
      Originally Posted by Gene Pimentel View Post

      To be honest, I wouldn't use either. Get creative and find a .COM that is not hyphenated.
      Thanks Gene for your inputs. I own another keyword domain related to TOP. it is TopInstant.com How would that fit? It's not hyphenated.
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      • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
        Originally Posted by jenkumar View Post

        Thanks Gene for your inputs. I own another keyword domain related to TOP. it is TopInstant.com How would that fit? It's not hyphenated.
        Better than the other choices, but it says absolutely nothing about what the site is about. Based on the description you gave in your OP, your business is related to hosting/tech/software etc., so the domain should relate to that somehow.

        Yes, some of the biggest businesses out there use branded domains that have nothing to do with what they're offering, but they relied mostly on massive funding and campaigning to get to where they are. Unless you have massive promotional resources, you're much better off choosing a domain name that gives a clue about what you're offering.
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        • Profile picture of the author Steve B
          I have to agree with Gene.

          I try to purchase only dot com domains unless a dot org or dot net are available for a moderate to heavily searched exact match phrase (and the dot com isn't).

          My logic is ... I want a domain that expresses what the web site is going to be about. I think you want to brand your site with a name that is descriptive and totally relevant.

          There is certainly debate about the SEO effectiveness of keyword domains, but everything else being equal, I think a keyword domain is a better alternative than a generic, non-related domain name.

          Steve
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          Steve Browne, online business strategies, tips, guidance, and resources
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  • Profile picture of the author Gene Pimentel
    exact keyword domains are a valuable asset - however the best way to use them is for secondary websites that point to your main money site.
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