Jamie Herzlich wrote a piece in today’s Newday about “Getting the right domain name for your company’s web site.” In it she outlines various strategies that experts advocate for getting that elusive domain. I noticed a number of naming consultants advocated the use of generic or geographic descriptions in place of the company name. In fact, one of my clients even registered ILoveCrabs.com as their main site vs. HarbourHouseCrabs.com. While I empathize with the challenge of finding an exact matching web site name, I would think twice about going too far from your company’s name online. In essence you are now creating two brands (your company name and your online name) and you lose the synergy that comes with having a unified identity. And that singular identity adds credibility. What do you think about Nissan when you have to type in NissanUSA.com?  That’s why a number of our names are what we call “positive connotation” names. They are ones where you take two existing words, (ideally ones that resonate with your brand’s core message,) and then combine them in a unique way. That can produce names that, while new, are still recognizable and obtainable as domain names. An example of some of these that we’ve done are…

Medal Crest — A high end, custom home builder

Coghead — A do-it-yourself web based application builder

BrightHire — A staffing and temporary placement firm

One Lily — A web design botique known for great design

 Trickle Star — An energy saving IT company

In each of these cases, the client doesn’t have to take the time to explain, or spell out, a separate web site address–it’s the same as the company name. It’s not always possible to do this, but it is advisable. That why it’s important, when naming a new business, to look ahead and anticipate what branding strategies will best suit your needs. Not every company needs an exact matching .com domain name, but it’s becoming increasingly important as more commerce, lead flow and sales generation moves online.