Which domain name should I use? (Cheap PPC Market Testing!)

Dear Scott Fox,

I've hit a roadblock in building my new website business. I have 10 domain names registered but do not know which one to choose.

Do I pick the domain name that's the easiest to remember, the easiest to spell, the one that might be the best for SEO, or???

I am at a loss as to which domain name to pick and it's holding things up. Thank you!!

Michael S.
ClickMillionaires.com Member
Escanaba, Michigan

SCOTT FOX'S ANSWER

Hi Michael,

Congrats on the progress with your new web site business!

If you don't have a strong "gut" inclination about which domain name to use, I would let the audience tell you which domain name they like the best. 

A clever way to test domain name popularity like this is by testing with Pay-Per-Click text ads. Here's how to test domain name variations inexpensively:

1. Take $50 or $100 to buy ads on Google Adwords (or Facebook ads might be even better since your new site's services are hobby-related).

2. For each of the domains you can't choose between use the keywords in each domain name to create the headline of a new text ad.

3. Instruct Adwords to display your new ads to Google users who search on keywords related to your new products.

4. Use the URL being tested in each ad to link these ads to a page that says something simple like "Coming soon - leave us your email address for notification when this site launches."  (This helps you begin building an email list of potential customers for later.)

5. Let the ads run for a week or until you get enough clicks to demonstrate which keywords/domain names attract the most clicks from the public.

If the ad using the keywords from one domain name gets a lot more clicks then your choice is easy.  And if they all attract equal clicks (unlikely) you'll know that your choices are all pretty good.

This simple market research and testing exercise will let the audience objectively tell you which domain names and branding are the most catchy and attractive to your target audience BEFORE you launch!

This testing will add a few more days to your timeline, but the results can make a major difference in your web site's long-term ability to attract more customers online profitably.

I look forward to hearing more about your success soon in the ClickMillionaires.com coaching forum!

Best,
Scott Fox

 

What do YOU think of this advice? 
Have you ever used Pay Per Click Ads to test online?

Comments

[Mark Stonham]

Hi,
How about you build the main site on the domain name that is best for SEO, assuming you've done your keyword research and know which terms(s) people search on.
If the other domains are a close match to your main domain and a possible mis-type then do a redirect on them pointing to your main domain and site.

[Tate]

Hi Scott,
Good info.
I'm trying to pick a website name for my contracting business. Would I be better off just using my company name for my web address, which is "my last name" developmentllc OR a name that has my general location and the business I'm in??? In other words a name with words that are WAY more likely to be searched??
Always good info here.

Thanks

[Scott Fox, eRiches 2.0 and Internet Riches Author]

Hi Mark,
Great point about using domain forwarding to get some value out of mis-spellings and other domain name variations. Thanks for the comment!

Hello Tate,
The best domain is a mix between strong search engine terms and something personally identifiable for branding. Of course, that can make the URL really long...
This video might be helpful:
http://www.scottfox.com/2010/06/how-to-pick-the-best-domain-names-for-network-direct-selling-multilevel-marketing-mlm-web-sites.html
I hope that's helpful. Thanks for visiting.

Scott Fox

[David Palmer]

Tate

The Internet is a great leveler, a one man band can look as good as a corporation, so you have to decide what you want to look like.

If your customers typically know they are looking for a contractor then you can choose a personal name but if you want to look bigger than you are then you need to create a brand or trading name.

Registration of domains costs me less than $8, so I would register your name if it is available and any other that is available too. You can even host two different sites with the same content if you want or redirect one to the other.

Registering a name with search terms can be helpful so a name like FloridaTile or DavenportTile will help along with the other SEO tips in Scott's books.

A domain is very easy to redirect to another domain, it takes 30 seconds to setup. Technically you can also keep the URL if you need to, although that may depend on your hosting provider.

From a marketing point of view, I say do both and decide later whether you want to maintain one site or two, you can use Google Analytics to see which one is working best for you.

One word of warning, when you are checking which domains are available be careful which WHOIS service you use. There are those that provide this free service, you key in your name to search on, they register the name and then charge you a fortune for it. (The practice is called Front Running).

You are better to use the service of a registrar you already have an account with but make sure they don't do this practice either (google your registrar and scam or front running to find out).

David