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Posted By Matt Certo on 08/22 at 12:51 PM
| Comments (3) | TrackBacks (4)

Someone parked their mobile opinion today in our parking lot. This particular individual seems pretty upset at T-Mobile! Goes to show that consumers do have a limit...and a will to get even when they're not happy!

On the flip side, I'm a T-Mobile customer--and a pretty happy one at that...

Filed in: Consumer Behavior

Posted By Matt Certo on 08/21 at 03:08 PM
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I've been knee deep in domain names as of late. A handful of clients I am working with are all wrestling with picking the 'right' domain name(s) for their various projects. This has truly become both an art and a science. And each year, it seems, the situation becomes more complex. Implications extend to trademark law, cybersquatting regulations, and search engine aspirations.

And with .com names being in short supply, it has become increasingly difficult to find a name that really works. Most companies we work with find that their first, second, and third choices for names are already taken. So they're forced to get a bit creative.

While this list could go for miles, here are a couple of things I think about when trying to advise on domain names:

  • Keep it short and sweet--any domain name longer than 10 or 12 characters is pushing it
  • Stick with .com if you can--go to .net if you have to. .tv, .info, and .cc don't carry the same clout
  • Avoid words that are difficult to spell
  • Stay away from special characters like hyphens or dashes--it always introduces confusion
  • Include high value search engine keywords to help with traffic--including heavily searched terms helps your Google rankings
  • On that note, look to register 'pointer' domains with high value keywords (i.e. if you run a law firm in Toronto, try to register torontolaw.com in addition to your proper name)
  • Make the name easy to say (and hear)--make it easy for your company representatives to say in conversation or on the telephone
  • Beware of combining characters that might result in unintended terms (making your brand a punch-line)

    Filed in: Internet Marketing

    • Posted By Matt Certo on 08/08 at 03:41 PM
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    Google is sorry. This message says so.

    For the third time today, I've gotten an error message from Google telling me that my query is suspicious--perhaps eminating from spyware or a virus. It is forcing me to validate that the search is authentic through a simple random character display and dialog box.

    What's peculiar is that all three of my searches were fairly innocuous: one was for a Compaq server model number, another for movie listings, and a third for a piece of software.

    If this is to be the trend, the positive attributes that made Google #1 (simplicity, speed, etc.) will quickly reverse.

    Filed in: Technology

    Posted By Matt Certo on 08/01 at 08:49 AM
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    Joel has some candid comments and thoughts on why working with Dell feels a bit like buying a used car. He also has some interesting thoughts on the notion of segmenting customers within a Web site.

    Filed in: Web Strategy

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