The importance of choosing a domain name (URL) for your website.

It would be pointless to inundate you with facts about online advertising, or the fact that having a website in today's market will increase a businesses' sales and bottom line. By now you are aware that having a website is a must.

But just in case you have been living under a rock for the past 10 years, here are some statistics you might want to take one more look at.

• 83% of North Americans have shopped online.
• Consumers spent $194 billion online in 2011, says the U.S. Commerce Department
• 78% of Internet users conduct product research online.

What all that means is more consumers are using the Internet than any other advertising source; consumers are researching businesses, products, and services online; and consumers are spending money online "“ massive amounts of money.

Are you still on the fence, or did you finally just fall off?

If you're ready, here's a look at the first step to getting your business started on the web:

Selecting a URL

When deciding to purchase a URL (also called a domain name), most companies look for an available domain name (URL) that matches the name of the business. That allows the customers you already do business with to easily remember the site's domain name. What many business owners do not understand is the importance and value that search engines attach to a domain name.

[For this post, let's say your business is a Used Car Dealership]

Choose a key term for a domain

If, for example, the name of your business is "ABC Dealership" and your domain name is www.ABCDealership.com, it is very likely that when a potential customer types that information into a search engine such as Google, Bing or Yahoo!, that your website will be included on the first page of search results, probably even in the top position.

That's great if the consumer already knows the name of your company, but it doesn't do you any good if you're trying to showcase your business to potential customers who have never heard of your business before. The chances that a potential customer who has never heard of you is going to type in your exact website address is about as unlikely as randomly meeting a person on the street for the first time and guessing his or her phone number.

If you can think like the consumer and select a domain name that would match what the potential consumer is looking for, it will in effect allow your domain name to drive online traffic to your website by showcasing your business under the results for general searches a consumer is most likely to conduct.

Let's just say ABC Dealership is located in Anywhere, USA. You might want to select a domain name of www.UsedCarsAnywhereUSA.com. That's a domain name that includes what potential customers will be searching for within your area, rather than just the name of your dealership.

Consider multiple domain names

It is still a good idea to own a URL with the name of your company "“ you can have multiple domain names pointing to the same website, just as you can forward your office line to your cellphone.

But remember that the additional domain names will not have the same effect on search engines. To Google and the others, the only URL that matters in the search is the one the website is actually published on. So purchasing a variety of domain names containing strong search keywords won't help your site show up in searches.
           
Instead, publish the site on a URL that will show up in a common search and set up an additional domain name using your actual business name. That will allow consumers who don't know you to find your website with ease in an online search while your regular customers can get to you by simply typing your store's name into the address bar "“ and you can use that URL in your advertising.