Domain confusion

We learned this week that the police inadvertently tried to launch a new service under a domain name that already exists.

The news does not really surprise us. As the Internet constantly proliferates, the fact is that simple or obvious domain names will have been snapped up. That’s bad news for those who wish to use them, and good news for those who bought them and stand to make a profit if they decide to sell.

You may wish to consider purchasing variants of your company name before anyone else does – be that a competitor who wants to divert your business, or simply an unknowing business with a similar name.

Don’t forget that for your customers, it is not always easy to remember whether they should put a .com, .co.uk, .org, or .biz at the end of your URL. You can help them out by buying all of the options and redirecting them to your site. It needn’t be expensive, and many would consider it a valid business cost.

If it sounds a bit complicated, we here at Notting Hill Web Design can help both with the domain purchasing and the redirects. Just don’t find yourself in the position of the police, having to decide whether to change your website’s name altogether, or buy out someone who got there first.