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How To Pick A Web Site Domain Name For Your Company Or Law Firm
our web site is located by there. You can have multiple
an IP (Internet Protocol) domain names pointing to the same
address such as 67.15.4.94 web site. For instance, I also
and is accessible on the Internet registered
by typing http://67.15.4.94. LawyerAdvertisingBlog.com
Instead of typing a series of (without hyphens) which is used
numbers which are difficult to for branding because people never
remember, you can register an type hyphens. Because some people
easier to remember domain name may remember the name
which becomes associated with incorrectly, I also registered
your IP address. Visitors typing many other domain names such as
an easy to remember domain name AttorneyAdvertisingBlog.com,
will be pointed to your IP LawFirmAdvertisingBlog.com and
address. Similar to a 1-800 others, all of which will bring
vanity phone number, some domain the visitor to
names pertain to the subject of Lawyer-Advertising-Blog.com.
the web site, while others may
simply be the name or an Tips to help you pick a domain
abbreviation of your firm. name:
Lawyer-Advertising-Blog.com is 1) Choosing: Choosing a domain
the primary domain name for my name is a lot like choosing a
blog, which is instantly obvious name for your company or law
that it is a blog concerning firm. Ideally the name should be
lawyer advertising. When you type consistent with your branding.
that domain name into the address Determine whether you are
bar of your browser, the domain branding the name of your
name servers on the Internet know company, product or service. Your
that you're looking for domain name should be good for
http://67.15.4.94 and take you branding - short, easy to
remember, and has a "ring" to it 8.95Domains.com or GoDaddy.com.
or creates an image in the mind
of the consumer. 4) Hyphens: There have been
misunderstandings about whether
2) Trademark: Before registering to use hyphens in a domain name.
your domain name, be sure to First of all, the domain name you
check the U.S. Patent and give out to the public must not
Trademark Office to make sure have hyphens. The domain name
that the name has not been without hyphens is the domain
trademarked. You can check at name that everyone will type in
www.uspto.gov, click on Search the address bar of their Internet
under Trademarks. Assuming that browser.
your choice has not been
trademarked and you have now The reason that some people say
registered a non-generic domain that you should have a domain
name, you may want to protect name with hyphens is to force the
your name by filing a Trademark search engines to see keywords in
or Service mark application. your domain name so that your web
site does better in search engine
3) Ownership: When you register a results. The bigger search
domain name, make sure that you engines can now see individual
are the registrant of your domain words without hyphens, however,
name. Some web site design firms smaller search engines may not
will register your domain name and even the bigger ones may see
with their name as the a word differently than you want.
registrant. This will give them
ownership of your name keeping
you hostage. You can easily Thus, the importance of using a
register your domain name hyphenated domain name has
yourself for $8.95 per year at diminished. If you wish to use a
hyphenated domain name as I did the domain name without
with Lawyer-Advertising-Blog.com, http://www. or .com and press
you should also register the "Control, Enter". Pressing
unhyphenated domain name which "Control, Enter" will type
you will forward to the http://www. and .com for you,
hyphenated domain name. Use the automatically taking you to a web
unhyphenated domain name in print site with .com.
and advertising.
6) Top Level Domain vs. Sub-Level
5) Extensions: Domain names are Domains: A sub level domain is a
available with various second level domain under a first
extensions, such as .com, .net, level domain name and can look
.org and many other extensions. like yourfirm.freehosting.com.
If it's really important to you, You must have your own domain
you can register domain names in name. Do not under any
several extensions, however, for circumstances use a free hosting
most firms only the .com service, since free hosting
extension is important. If you services will only give you a sub
feel that you need to use .org, level domain. No one will ever
you should also register your remember it and it's sort of like
name in the .com extension. handwriting your own letterhead.
The .com extension is similar to 7) Ethics for Law Firm Domain
1-800 for telephone numbers. Most Names: A website name should be
people automatically dial 1-800 used as an address, not a trade
even when they see 1-888. name which is prohibited.
Likewise, most people will type Advertise your web site name as
.com even when they see .net or an address, a means for people to
.org. Additionally, many people find your web site, not a trade
including myself simply type in name. Like a vanity telephone
number, some web site domain WinningCase.com may be better for
names can violate legal ethics. a casino, because it will imply
Make sure that your web site name that the person who becomes a
avoids use of certain words which client of the firm will win money
could create a potentially when, that may not happen and
incorrect expectation in the mind even if it does, it's an award
of the consumer or violate one of for just compensation, not
the other ethics rules. gambling.
Your domain name should not imply Laura Hodes in her article for
that you are better than another the ABA Journal entitled Vanity
lawyer or that you can accomplish Phone Numbers Make Your Firm Less
something that may not actually Forgettable, at
occur. Use of words such as http://www.hurt911.org/hurt-911-a
"BEST", "TOP", "FOREMOST, rticles/ABAJournal.htm, quoted
"LEADING", "WIN" and similar Will Hornsby, an expert on lawyer
words in a web site domain name advertising and staff counsel in
could create a misleading the ABA Division for Legal
expectation in the mind of the Services, who said that while
consumer and will violate ethics there is nothing unethical about
rules in most states. vanity numbers,
"1-800-I-WIN-CASES would be
For instance, LeadingLawyer.com unethical because it is making an
or BestLawyer.com will likely unsubstantiated claim, creating
violate lawyer ethics rules by unjustified expectations that can
implying that you are a leading be true but still be misleading."
lawyer or the best lawyer. The The same can be said about domain
question is by what standards are names.
you leading or the best and in
what? WinningLawyer.com or 8) Advertising Your Domain Name:
Be sure to include your domain domain name on the Internet, you
name on your business cards, may sometimes want to use http://
letterhead, and all advertising. to ensure that you create a link
When advertising in off-line back to your web site. When
media, always advertise your advertising in off-line media,
domain name with www. and without always advertise a domain name
http://, such as without hyphens.
www.LawyerAdvertisingBlog.com.
Note that when publishing your
About the Author:
Philip L. Franckel, Esq., publishes articles on Lawyer Advertising at http://www.Lawyer-Advertising-Blog.com and created http://www.HURT911.org an accident and injury research web site for people hurt in an accident and personal injury lawyers.
Read more articles by: Philip L. Franckel, Esq.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
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