Google.com vs mykeyword.com Brand Name Recognition Still True?

what about the exceptions to the rule?

[yummybanas]

"B) Domain name:
Easily brandable. You want "google.com" and not "mykeyword.com". Keyword domains are out - branding and name recognition are in - big time in. "

Is that still true? Should you have snappy brandable domain names like "wezebo" as opposed to "weightlosspills"?

Or to take a most recent example, "milliondollarhomepage" as opposed to "example"?

I feel people will instantly understand the concept if the domain name reflects it. For example, if you're on the radio and you're promoting your website as "weightlosspills.com" I think most listeners will remember it. (as opposed to "wezebo.com".)

Additionally, I remember reading a recent news article stating most U.S internet users aren't familiar with internet buzz words such as RSS, blogs, podcasting, and so on. New words and brands are hard to swallow.

But I bet if you'd say podcasting is "internet radio", they'd get it.

I suppose snappy made-up brand names simply doesn't stick to mind. There's too much competition for brand/buzz word attention.

So what do you think?

weightlosspills (easy to understand.)

or wezebo? (hard to grasp, ummemorable.)

[edited by: Webwork at 8:55 pm (utc) on Jan. 22, 2006]

[digicam]

I have been having the same thoughts recently myself.

In theory people say brandable names to build a brand.

Sounds great, I am thinking the reality is with the zilions of sites out there the average webmaster working from home or in a very small team will never in a million years create a brand

The investment alone is way more than most peole can afford, the web initially had low entry barriers, this is still true, but the site will never go anywhere without lots of cash.

Think what it actually means to create a brand, cocacola ect, can you really create that?

My theory is go after domain keywords, build sites and do the best you can.

Any other takers?

[treeline]

The major advantage to Keyword domain names is that people giving you links have a higher tendency to include the keyword in the link text. Some boost in the search engines.

If you've got a competitive area, when competitors arrive in force it can be hard to distinguish yourself.

weightlosspills.com is great until
weightlosspill.com
loseweightpills.com
weightlosspills.net
weight-loss-pills.com
loseweightpills.com
and one hundred variants flood the space. Even though you were first and have arguably the best, you look to potential customers like one more dodgy copycat. Worse, one of the others might get ahead of you on SE rankings and then you're promoting from scratch.

Keyword domains are a little easier to get going, and therefor popular with some short-term planners. A Brand domain has staying power for the long term. Slimfast is easier to remember, very much a Brand, and just as clear as weightlosspills. The trick is in coming up with a clever brand name that's clearly reminiscent of the subject.

[kevinpate]

lemme put it this way
what's gonna get talked about on the street:
weightlossbeverage.tld or SlimFast.tld