Presentation from Shift Split Conference, Croatia, May 2013. Covers domain names and how to choose a good easy to remember and market domain name. Branding and control of your brand online across social networks and other web presensce

2. Every time you register a domain
name with a hyphen, a puppy dies
Michele Neylon

3. Who am I?
Michele Neylon
- Founder / CEO Blacknight
- http://mneylon.tel
- @mneylon
- http://michele.me/blog
- http://b.log.ie
- On most other social networks ..

4. So you have a great idea!

5. And you want a website…

6. Free options and why they are bad
• mycompanyname@hotmail.com
• Thing.tumblr.com
• Facebook.com/bleurg
• MySite.someserviceorother.xyz
• Other shiny service to promote your business?
• Orkut? MySpace? Bebo? …

7. You are the product!

8. Remember Posterous?

9. You need a domain

10. What do you do?

11. It shouldn’t be complex

12. Hyphens are bad mmmkay?

13. Hyphens are bad mmmkay?
• Who owns the non hyphen domain?
• Probably the competition?
• You just bought your domain and you’re
competing already
• Who gets your email when the hyphen is left
out?
• Trade mark issues / passing off?

14. I could sell using their name…

15. Names and Trademarks?
• Simply put don’t register a domain with a
trademark term
• You can’t be applecroatia.xyz to sell apple
products.
• Companies protect their trademarks

16. How do you spell that?

17. IDNs
• Know your target audience
• The majority of English native speakers won’t
know how to type an accented letter or other
character on their computer.

18. You’re unique … just like everyone else

19. Length / Easy to remember / Spell

20. Be Careful …

21. …because … Ouch!
• Itscrap.com
• Whorepresents.com
• Penisland.net
• Expertsexchange.com
• Speedofart.com
• Teacherstalking.com
• Lesbocages.com
• Choosespain.com
• Americanscrapmetal.com
• Masterbaitonline.com
• Therapistinabox.com
• Therapistfinder.com
• Wintersexpress.com
• Swissbit.ch
• Dicksonweb.com
• Powergenitalia.com

22. Wrong keyword may flag site

23. KISS

24. My options / extensions?
• .com
• .net
• .org
• .me
• .pw
• .biz
• .info
• .eu
• .co
• .co.uk
• .us
• .xxx
• .mobi
• .fm
• .hr
• ….and lots lots more

25. Brand Protection?
• Make sense to register the main gTLDs?
• Make sense to register ccTLDs?

26. Control
• Who is the domain registered to?
• Who gets the renewal notices??
• Is the domain extension “safe” / “stable”?
(think .ly .. )

27. The Future ..

28. Thank You …

29. Credits
• Logos image via
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27845211@N0
2/2616906744/sizes/l/