pageoneresults - 1:55 pm on Feb 20, 2011 (gmt 0)

If the word started with an ascender, like ehow, we would have gone with non-hyphenated, but since we can't capitalize the first letter of the word in a domain name we decided host it on the hyphenated version.

Only from a technical perspective. When it comes to the visual e.g. in print, you can case your heart away.

I'm a little confused here. I see that eBrand is your primary focus but yet you fragment that e-Brand with a hyphenated domain. Your eBrand does not have a naturally occurring hyphen so why use one in the domain? It may look better when displayed as a URI in the SERPs but that's where it ends.

Hyphenated domains are always a little more involved from a branding perspective. That hyphen should only occur if it happens naturally. And of course you MUST have the non-hyphenated version or else you're DIW (dead in the water). Yes, I know, you have both. :)

Every other reference in that document does not use a hyphen, its only in the TLD. You're using camelCasing e.g. eBrand which is just fine. But since this whole eBrand thing is the primary focus, that hyphen in the domain sort of fragments the e-Brand name for me.

Its more of a personal preference. When you have both, it doesn't matter which one you use as long as you pick one or the other and stick with it. But, I wouldn't want to be the one that has to remember to always use a hyphen when displaying the TLD, especially when the eBrand name does not have a naturally occurring hyphen in it...

e-brand.com

If I were to follow your eBrand use in the document, that domain when displayed visually e.g. in print, would be...

e-Brand.com

Hmmm, see the potential fragmentation and separation there? Wouldn't that just be better if it read...

eBrand.com

TLDs are case insensitive. While they are forced lower case when being displayed as a URI in the SERPs, you can use case everywhere else for the visual.

We actually had it on the non-hyphenated version for about 24 hours and looked at it for a bit, then registered the hyphenated version to host it on.

What's it gonna be?

e-brand.com
e-Brand.com
eBrand.com

You've already chosen the TLD. Are you sure you don't want to go through and update all of the eBrand references to e-Brand so that you are consistent with the use of the e-Brand.com TLD?

And tell me, what is wrong with...

eBrand™ | Three Word Tagline

Note: The insertion of the hyphen in e-Brand was just for demonstration purposes to show the potential for eBrand fragmentation.