Why Your Small Business May Need A Vanity Domain Name

If you're looking for another low-cost way to boost traffic and guide visitors to your site, investing in a secondary domain name may prove to be worthwhile. A vanity domain name is an easy way to lure visitors to your site without the direct approach of linking to your main URL; the idea behind it is to use keywords and subjects that many people look for on the average search engine. All results after the search will redirect the link to your main webpage.

For example, if you own a website that sells iPod Accessories at ‘ipodaccessories.com', you may choose to register other domains with similar context. These might include ‘ipod-accessories.com' , or simply ‘ipodgoods.com.' The can help make sure any visitors that might mistype your URL, or simply type in something different (but still relevant to your site) will see your site first.

A vanity domain name may not help you improve search engine rankings directly, but it does provide some new channels where visitors can link up to you directly. This idea also works well if you have a large inventory of goods. You are taking a big risk when you think visitors will simply jump to your site to find what they need; most people don't have the patience to track down something specific, and you will need to guide them through your online store. One way to overcome this challenge is to create re-direct pages through a landing site.

The vanity domain name provides just enough information to show up in results of a specific search request, and may even feature an attractive retail page as the user clicks on it. After that, you can set up a ‘timed' redirect to your website homepage, or simply provide a link for the visitor to click on as they move on through.

Vanity domains are listed in sub-directories all over the web, and can make it much easier to extend your brand image. Ellis Verdi, the president of the National Retail Advertisers Council identified the importance of ‘top of mind awareness.' In today's competitive online marketplace, this is easier to track and monitor with the help of keywords, tag clouds, and other search engine optimization tools that literally ‘show' us what people are searching for. Increasing your top-of-mind awareness is much easier when you have multiple domains and links directing visitors to the site itself.

Thousands of large-scale retail businesses and shopping sites do this online already by leveraging e-mail links and other marketing materials. However, showing up on the top rankings of most searches on your topic or keywords can be very challenging, especially when you are competing with well-established sites. A vanity domain name can be just what you need to create additional exposure for your website, even if you only purchase 2-3 different domains and redirect them to various parts of your site.

Setting up a redirect is relatively simple; most domain name registrars will help you implement your redirecting system, and you can work with the company to find out what your options are-in most cases, an upgrade isn't even necessary. The simpler your domain name is, the easier it will be to remember. However, if you did not register with something that seems marketable, seeking out some vanity domain name alternatives can help you generate fresh traffic with ease.