How to set up a domain name — and… how not to:

Yesterday, I was driving Sam to school. We made a hard left turn and came up behind a pickup truck towing a trailer.

Across the back of the trainer, fron edge to edge, was a URL that said something like this:

www.pintolawnmaintenanceandhandymantampa.com

Now when you see something like this, especially doing 20 miles an hour down a busy neighborhood street… advertising like this is pretty useless.

It may as well have said adfkapeoria[epa;Lfgkwpogi{EWRPRtew”R;gw. And for all I know, that’s how it’s coming across to lots of people.

I ONLY noticed it because I’m always looking for things like this.

And yet… day after day, you see people doing stuff like this with their domains, in all sorts of industries.

(As a side note, this one that I always see in our local flyer, is priceless: SendOutCards.com/affid=XYZ4a359.php — as if someone’s going to enter all that crap into a browser window.)

Anyway, there are a few different things going on here, so let’s take a look at them.

1. URL trying to do too many things at once:

Look, we all know the guy’s simply trying to sell all his services.

Obviously he owns a landscaping company… but he also does some handyman work.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. I love guys like this – heck, I’m one of them. Hustling (as in working hard, not ‘stealing’) is in my blood.

BUT… the problem is… your brain can’t really process more than one thing at a time. Especially when the two things you’re hocking aren’t necessarily “that” compatible.

I mean, “Shoes and socks?” Yes…. “Booze and snacks?” Definitely. “Sex toys and naughty dvd’s?” For sure.

But lawn maintenance and handy man stuff, just isn’t THAT congruent. You don’t really assume the one goes with the other, like in all the other examples we just went through.

He’d be MUCH better off then, just doing something like this:

PintoLawnCare.com – on one line…

And, PintoHandyMan.com – on the next line below.

I mean, as it is, you’re not really “targeting” anyone here, so it’s just random luck (which, by the way, is NOT a very good marketing strategy, for what it’s worth) if anyone happens to go online and look… and actually hire you.

BUT… the point is, just the same way you wouldn’t try and sell handman and lawn care services in the same face to face conversation… definitely don’t do that in your URL, either.

2. URL is too long:

Yes, this is becoming more and more of a challenge, as more people continue taking up available URL’s.

But if you want to actually sell something, with rare exception it’s gotta be a little shorter, or at least only have 2-3 words in it max.

And don’t worry about “you must have a dot com name.”

Sure, if you ask every genius around, they’ll all tell you non- “.com” names are “no good.”

But is this really true?

I don’t know. I think, faced with www.pintolawnmaintenanceandhandymantampa.com
or this: PintoLawnCare.usa, I’d go with the second one.

I mean, the one that’s going to make you more money is the one you want, no?

3. Get creative with your domain name

Yes, you may want to call your small business “Garber’s Treasures.” But FloridaUniqueAntiques.com is a very cool alternative, and likely to have a much greater appeal to your general customer base.

Think about 2 things besides your “core” desired URL:

First, think about “What are people searching for?” As in, “LutzLandscaping.com” versus Garber Tree Cutting.com

Most of the time, that’s a better name for SEO purposes, anyway.

And second, think about the benefits you’re offering.

CleanGreenGrass.com or “KleenKuts.com” is probably a lot more attractive than PintoLawnCare.com anyway, no?

And lastly, don’t be afraid to fail.

One thing I’ve realized over my career is that changing is a lot easier than you think. The most difficult part of changing is actually believing it’s “OK” to change.

Often, we all stand in our own way for things we don’t need to. Once we get out of our own way — at least for me, anyway — I’ve found progress is a lot easier and a lot more natural and organic.

So don’t be afraid to get creative and get out of your own way. And if you screw up, it’s not a big deal. That’s why they made erasers on pencils.

Comments? Leave ’em below

Now go sell something, Craig Garber

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Blind Prayer – Rod Stewart (1969)