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B2BM
April 2009
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Digital
31
Can a call-to-
action be a URL?
An alternative URL option is to use a call-to-
action-line instead of a brand – but in what
circumstances is this a realistic proposition?
Duncan Parry, co-founder of Steak, says the
following should be considered:
• Assess how you are driving people to your
website in your existing advertising. Is your
domain name too long or hard to remember?
Do your products stand out in search results?
A ‘yes’ to either of these suggests a
phrase that might be more memorable could
help to drive more traffic to the brand’s
website. If the advertising campaign has a
anecdotal level there appears to be a particularly strong concept or idea that lends
certain amount of caution about ICANN’s itself to an obvious phase – even better.
plans, with many brands adopting a wait- • Check the phrases that you are considering
and-see approach. Duncan Parry, Steak aren’t in use. Do searches on Google and
Digital’s deputy managing director, check the natural and paid search results for
suggests that “some of the newer domain any brands (not just competitors). Review the
name endings don’t have a lot of consumer UK trademark database at www.ipo.gov.uk. If
recognition and trust”. either of these show other companies, think of
Illustrating his point, Parry says the a different idea. Then use the Google keyword
.travel domain name was launched a few tool to see if there is any search volume on
years ago, adding, “I can’t think of any the phrase – in case nobody was listed at the
company that uses .travel.” moment of the initial search.
Much of the reservation expressed by
“Imagine the power of
• Are you happy risking a competitor piggy-
B2B marketers centres on the issue of
having your brand at the
backing the phrase? Remember there is
change. Put simply, changing domain another option – buying a shorter URL, which
names is time consuming, expensive and
top level of the Internet”
can be used in adverts with web traffic
not for the faint hearted. redirected to a landing page that matches the
Speaking generally about changing
Paul Levins, executive officer and vice president
campaign creative. There’s no risk of a
domains, Lisa Ditlefsen, a director at Verve corporate affairs, ICANN competitor piggy backing that; although it’s not
Search says, “If your domain is older than so good for Google and Yahoo’s bottom lines!
five years I would just say don’t do it. It is can be useful to match your domain to
too important from an SEO and branding search demand in competitive arenas, include the increasingly popular use of
point of view. If you have a big site this is certainly it is not so important that SEO is mobile domain names.
going to cost you a lot of money, not just to the only consideration when buying a Andrew Stout, managing director at
transfer the domain, but also to buy the domain name. This is particularly true with digital agency Dolphin, argues that, “all
new domain and redirect all the old pages B2B where there is (generally) not much organisations should be looking to register
to new pages.” Ditlefsen suggests such a search volume, so if you try and match a a mobile domain name and ensure their
task is a monumental undertaking, chiefly domain name to search demand the gains websites are mobile compatible.”
for technical reasons. will be small. There is also not a great deal Stout also suggests that microsites are
Shifting away from ICANN’s far- of competition, so ranks are easier to come another invaluable tool for those who want
reaching proposals and looking more by even if your domain has nothing to do to get more mileage out of their existing
generally at domain names and the with the search term.” domain.
associated marketing issues that go with It is also worth mentioning in the He proposes that microsites have a
them, some B2B marketers suggest there context of SEO that a number of people personalised domain name to allow a
are numerous, easier to implement, tactical have questioned whether proposed new campaign to be tracked more accurately.
initiatives that brands could think about gTLDs by ICANN would be ‘trusted’ by Finally, a note of caution – if going down
vis-à-vis their website. search engines. the microsite route, make sure you don’t
Richard Sunderland, managing director leave it languishing in cyberspace when
SEO is not the only issue of Heavenly, also suggests the domain you’ve finished with it.
Before addressing a couple of these, it is name itself is not overly important. He “I have seen businesses launch
worth considering the unavoidable issue of says, “Having a more distinctive name campaign sites that last a few weeks or
SEO and the relationship between this and would make it far more likely to secure a months and leave them up,” says Parry.
domain names. Adam Bunn, senior SEO URL and trademark for your brand than “They have content on about products
consultant with Greenlight, says, “The having something generic. Meanwhile, or brands that they have spent time and
domain name is one factor search engines SEO is more important than what your money on which is out of date. The best
look at out of many.” brand is called.” thing to do is either re-direct the site so
Asked about the importance of the More practical steps that brands can that the email traffic is linked to go to your
domain name itself, Bunn says, “While it carry out in relation to their domain main site, or keep it up to date.”
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