Question about a domain name

by iPete

Posted: 11 years ago 17 replies

INTERNET MARKETING

Hi,

We have developed an online service for sports teams, on the domain name Free Sport Sites.com. Basically if a sports team needs a website they can come to us, sign up and instantly get a free website which they can update themselves in our custom-made CMS.

We do offer premium design services and other add-ons for anyone wishing to take their website to the next level such as logo design, banner design, domain name, live scoring, SMS and others, but this is completely optional.

Even though 'Free' in the domain quickly advertises the product, do you think we would be better in the long run to have a name which can be more brandable without the 'Free' so it appears more premium and doesn't hold us back with new addon releases?

We are concerned that the domain name detracts from the quality of our product. We originally thought the domain would be useful for SEO purposes but practically all our signups are referrals from other teams. We also want to promote our other design services and addons but don't want to seem as though we've enticed them in for free, as the name suggests, then appear to sell everything else.

This is literally driving us mad so if anyone wants to help and let us know their opinion we'd love to hear it

Cheers,

iPete

#domain #question

neilshearing 11 years ago

If in doubt, keep it simple.

You're offering free sport sites, so Free Sport Sites.com is perfect.
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- iPete 11 years ago
  
  Thanks, we got some feedback from a signup who said he was disappointed that there were paid add-ons when the name of the business is 'Free' Sport Sites.
  
  The free software is more than adequate but we need to offer to premium services to make it worth our while. We weren't sure if a more generic name would have been better like Angel Sports or something which doesn't refer to the price.
  
  iPete
  
  Thanks
  
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- iPete 11 years ago
  
  Thanks atomiccloud, I think we're starting to realise this as well. I'm not sure if we could adapt the current name to accommodate the 'Pro' services or whether we should just move before it's too late.
  
  Cheers,
  
  Pete
  
  Thanks
  
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atomiccloud 11 years ago

I actually think it would be better in the long run without Free in the name.
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John Romaine 11 years ago

I would replace the domain with something highly brandable.

Keyword rich domains targeted specifically for search engine traffic is a short sighted strategy. I would agree that having "free" in the domain may detract from the services you provide, and quite possibly attract the wrong type of customers.

Your business model seems sound. Get them in with a free site, then upsell them related services.

Perfect.
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iPete 11 years ago

Thanks henryw1981 and John. It's great to hear someone else's first impressions of our business.

Do you think it would work to have the free version on one domain and then a 'Pro' version on another domain?
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- John Romaine 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by iPete
  
  Do you think it would work to have the free version on one domain and then a 'Pro' version on another domain?
  
  No.
  
  Build out one site and do it well. Be the authority in the marketplace.
  
  Having multiple sites will confuse your customers and make your workload more complicated than it needs to be.
  
  I would register a brandable domain, then 301 redirect everything over.
  
  Be sure to back everything up before you start applying changes.
  
  (keep the old domain until such time as you think you no longer need it)
  
  Thanks
  
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iPete 11 years ago

Thanks John for the advice, much appreciated.
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- John Romaine 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by iPete
  
  Thanks John for the advice, much appreciated.
  
  No worries, good luck.
  
  Thanks
  
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iPete 11 years ago

We're good at the coding side of things but when it comes to marketing we aren't the best, but we're learning all the time and we'll get there, I hope!
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Pete Lauder 11 years ago

Hi iPete, nice name

The term free would tend to contradict the service you offer, even though your initial offering is free.

There will always be people, (most, with zero knowledge of the costs involved) that will bemoan your operation for not complying with what the domain reads.

Not that the domain name interpretation legally affects the contents of your website.

When did last look for a jungle, or rainforest on Amazon.com?

I would bite the bullet now, and buy customsportsites.com it's available now.

And I think it sounds a little better too, your thoughts?

Develop both sites together at first, so not to slow down business, then, use a redirect to filter all your old traffic, and pagerank to your new site.

Pete Lauder
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iPete 11 years ago

I think you're right, even though our domain is quite a good name it may be steering the customer in slightly the wrong direction with regards to the kind of services we wish to offer them. Thanks for researching a domain btw, it is definitely a broader name which has scope for all kinds of services.

Pete
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- John Romaine 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by iPete
  
  Thanks for researching a domain btw, it is definitely a broader name which has scope for all kinds of services.
  
  What you've just said here is quite important.
  
  A common mistake that many online business owners make is that they register domain names that “tie” them to a specific marketplace or industry. For example, let’s say that I was providing web design as a service, and I registered johnswebdesign.com. Seems practical right?
  
  But what about say, after having provided web design for 5 years, I make the decision that I no longer want to provide web design, and that I want to shift into the SEO industry. As you can see, I now have a domain that doesn’t reflect my services.
  
  A great way to avoid this problem from the outset is to register a domain that allows you to change your business model without the need of having to change your domain name.
  
  So in this case, a much better domain might be something like worksmedia.com or bluesolutions.com. As you can see, the domains are generic and will virtually cater for any business model.
  
  I did this when I registered bringthedonuts.com
  
  Its generic, and it allows me to shift in any direction I choose.
  
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  Pete Lauder 11 years ago
  
  I agree John that this is one way to go, but branding yourself can be very expensive to set up, and to keep going.
  
  Your johnswebdesign.com could be sold, as a going concern on flippa, giving you a return for your hard work from the previous years.
  
  I respect your choice of Domain name, but would not personally click on it, to see what it was all about, unless I was looking for a donut.
  
  Pete
  
  Thanks
  
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  John Romaine 11 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Pete Lauder
  
  I respect your choice of Domain name, but would not personally click on it, to see what it was all about, unless I was looking for a donut
  
  Everyone loves Donuts, Pete.
  
  I wonder if you'll remember it?
  
  Thanks
  
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iPete 11 years ago

Thanks John,

Excellent point. I think your example described a situation we recently encountered with our software and it made us think, 'hang on we might not just provide sport sites forever'. I suppose it's better to happen now while it's in its infancy.

Thanks again, Pete.
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Pete Lauder 11 years ago

Oh, I won't forget that name for a while John, mmm
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