New Choices for Domain Names for Your Website

Choices for Domain Names Infographic

In the spring of 2014 a vast range of new domain name extensions are going to open up, with industry specific extensions becoming available after the dot, such as .photography, .london and .wedding.

It's likely that in time what's after the dot could become as important as what's before the dot and it allows for the whole of your domain name to have meaning.  Some of the most popular domain extensions that will be available are:
  • .photography
  • .london
  • .web
  • .services
  • .ltd
  • .blog
  • .hotels
  • .football
  • .wedding
  • .training
  • .media
  • .holiday
The Business Week article - New Domain Names are in the Works has more information on the latest domain names.

This gives you a wealth of extra choice in deciding what you want to name your website and it's likely that these extensions will be become important for SEO (appearing high with search engines) too.

Given that there's more choice in what to call your website, how do you go about deciding on your domain name?  The infographic gives some suggestions that are important to consider when deciding what to name it, both from a user-friendliness perspective and from an SEO perspective, whether you're looking to launch your website locally, nationally or internationally.

The "New choices for domain names for your website" infographic was designed by Allison Carmichael at Indigoextra Ltd, a creative multilingual web design and SEO company.  Allison has 2 boys and created the infographic to compare naming a new baby with choosing the name of your website.  It wouldn't surprise me if people put as much thought into both!

Allison lives in Montpellier, South France and is a film fanatic of all genres (although there's only a few French films she likes) and is home educating her two boys.  For work, Allison is the Art Director of Indigoextra Ltd and runs the graphic design team.

Does Online Advertising Really Work?

Online Advertising

Does online advertising really work? Yes it does.
A lot of people still doubt whether online advertising really works and whether it is of any benefit to their business. Some still opt for old school methods placing adverts in the yellow pages or by relying on word of mouth. Although beneficial to some degree, it's not as effective or cost effective as advertising online. Besides with the growth of the internet and the worlds heavy dependence on it, it makes sense to be where everyone is searching for their solutions.

Unfortunately for the people who have yet to venture down this path, with this current economy where word of mouth and the yellow pages just aren’t enough, they are being forced (positively) to consider alternatives.

Why doesn't it work?
Of course there are people who have tried online advertising and concluded it doesn’t work. This is probably due to a lack of knowledge and expertise when it comes to online advertising. To get the best from your advertising it takes a trained professional to manage your account, although the idea sounds costly, it would save you a lot of money in the long run.

Where to advertise?
Of course advertising will not work if you are advertising in the wrong place. There are a vast amount of platforms to advertise through but the for runner is Google. It makes sense when millions of people take to google daily looking for products, solutions and businesses. Google operates on two networks, the search network (where people are looking for your product or service by googling keyword terms) and the display network (ads and banners that appear on websites, related to your business). There are clearly obvious differences. Firstly, the search network is full of people actively searching for what your business offers, whether that be a solution to a problem or a particular product. the display network is considered interruption marketing because you are displaying ads to people on other websites who may not be interested in your products or service at all. The hope is you grab their attention and they decide you have something to potentially offer.

Be specific
Advertising will also not work if you are general. On the search network (keyword based) if you are not specific enough with your keywords, likely-hood is you will pay a lot of money for traffic (clicks) which may be of no value to you at all. For example, advertising that you sell cheese by using the keyword cheese is far too general. However advertising that you sell Stilton cheese is more specific. The more specific you can be the more reliable your traffic will be and you increase your chances of qualifying leads more often. On the display network aim for high volume traffic websites again will only be detrimental. Advertising that you sell cheese on a garden furniture website is probably not going to benefit your business, rather choose food related websites or recipe blogs.

With that said, if your product is considered an impulse buy, you can do very well from advertising in irrelevant places but there is no guarantee.

The solution and answer is pretty simple. Online advertising does work, if, you advertise in the right place and in the right manner. According to Sound Solutions Internet online advertising can help increase your revenue 10 fold. Investing into the right market place can be very benefical for your business.

Mike Lewis - I'm a retail business owner who uses Google Ad words. I have had a lot of success and would highly recommend it.

The Heart Of Successful Entrepreneurship

The Heart Of Successful Entrepreneurship
Love your consumers and they will definitely love you back. In the world of entrepreneurship, there is no other way to be successful and to stay ahead than to captivate not only the eyes and the hearts of clients, but to also win over their trust. Your business may be wrapped up in gold and silver and the packaging may be perfect, but what determines the longevity of your business is your capability to respond to what your consumers need and want.

Surely, there are millions of online giants out there, but never should you think that you are not capable of reaching their position. Like you, they have started small once and one thing you should do is learn from their mistakes and triumphs because if life is a continuous process of growth and learning, so is entrepreneurship. It is never stagnant and you must never be complacent. Your main goal should be to properly deliver what your clients want and keep them happy. Your clients are the mirror of your business. If you are doing great, your clients are satisfied, but if it is the other way around, prepare for their frowns and grumps of dissatisfaction.

Online Engagement
The best thing about social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter is that they can be your channels and they can be your bridge to a better and brighter future. But first, you must also determine the goals and the target of your business before you choose a site that can be the best marketing strategy for your company. A lot of people have been successful because of these and all you have to do is strategize. Instagram, for example, is the major reason behind the success of many online clothing shops. Since a lot of Instagram users are engaged in looking for stuffs that can be bought online, a lot have taken this as an opportunity and created their own online clothing accounts.So if you are planningto create a web page of your own, look for a way to have a strong presence in the Internet, and make sure that the channels you’ll use are appropriate.

Reviews
The review of your online visitors/clients is a very important factor in determining your chances of succeeding online. Of course, no one wants a negative review, especially if there are comments from clients infuriated by your lousy service. This bad publicity could be a major factor that can bring your business down. In the first place, you should never give your consumers reason to despise your web page. Instead, you must provide them the best service you can offer and never forget to listen to what they have to say. Through this, you will be able to improve your company and maintain loyalty from your consumers. Also, once you here negative comments from them, you should not respond angrily because you must maintain professionalism at all times.
Listening is the heart of any successful relationship and it is your key to the longevity of your business. Through listening and giving the best of what you can offer, you’d get so much more in return—the trust and loyalty of your consumers. 

Dorothy Matthews is one of the people behind Big Drop, a responsive web design company  that will meet your expectations and suit your originality.