Could Bad Web Address Choices be Damaging Your Business?
As part of a small
business, you are probably aware of just how
important the internet can be for promoting
your products or services. Yet a surprising
number of small and medium sized businesses
(SME’s) are failing to get the most of the
internet by failing to spend time choosing a
good web domain name.
A survey by web host
Fasthosts has found that small businesses
are rushing their choice of web address,
with 41% of businesses taking less than one
hour to make the decision; while the average
businesses spends only 6-12 hours.
Over half of businesses
(61%) sought no second opinion on their web
address, while just over half (51%) did not
consider options such as .biz .net or .eu
domain names. This is all despite the
majority of businesses recognising that a
good domain name could have a lasting effect
on their business, and even improve revenue.
It is therefore
unsurprising that many British businesses
believe that their choice of domain name
could have been better. 1 in 4 businesses
(26 per cent) admitted to wanting
improvements in either their domain name
wording or suffix (e.g. .co.uk).
Furthermore, a significant one third (33 per
cent) believe that their sales revenue would
improve as a direct result of a change in
web address. Alarmingly, some 1 in 4 of
these businesses (24 per cent) said they
were unwilling to attempt a change in domain
name because they believed it would involve
a lot of work. There is a clear danger that
a number of businesses continue to use an
undesirable domain name whilst recognising
it could be having a negative impact on
their business.
Fasthosts' research
would suggest that the way many businesses
choose their web addresses could be
improved. The survey found that most
business owners were preoccupied with .co.uk
or .com options, with over half (52 per
cent) ruling out completely less obvious
suffixes such as .net, .biz or .eu.
Fasthosts recommends that businesses spend
at least a few days thinking about their
domain name wording and weighing up the pros
and cons of the various suffixes available
to them.
Mark Jeffries, CTO
Fasthosts Internet Ltd, commented,
"Businesses should consider all available
options before purchasing their primary
domain name. It's often the case today that
the best available domains belong to less
obvious suffixes, and it is always advisable
to seek external opinion on what a domain
could suggest about your business".
Whilst most UK small
businesses now recognise the benefits of
having a website, the research would suggest
few are optimising their web presence. Some
5 per cent of business owners surveyed admit
to having themselves forgotten their own
domain name.
Jeffries added, "A web
address is often bought in haste at the
start of a business project. Every UK
business must recognise the lasting impact
that a domain name can have on sales and
image, and business owners shouldn't delay
making necessary changes".
Find out more about web and internet issues
with our Internet and Technology section
here.
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