Do You Have More Than One Name?

Do You Have More Than One Name?

When looking for a Web site, many of us simply enter the name of a company or product followed by .com. We assume that will get us to the site we want. How will your customers look for you online? Will they all enter the same thing, or are there several 'identities' they make try?

Do you know that you can have several domain names all pointing to the same Web site? For example, the URL for my site is http://www.idealady.com/. But you can also get to the same site by entering http://www.cathystucker.com/. 

There are several reasons you may want to have multiple URLs pointing to one site. For example, when I chose my site name I wanted a name easier to remember and spell than my own name. Now that more people know who I am, some of them may look for me on the Web by simply typing my name followed by .com. I wanted both my original domain name and my own name to point to my Web site.

You may want to register misspellings of your name or business name, so that people who enter the wrong spelling of your company name, for example, still reach your site. Or, you may want domain names representing your company name and the name of your most popular product. If you have changed Web URLs, you could have both the old and the new names pointing to the new site.

The mechanics of this are simple. One way is to ask your Web hosting company (the company that owns the computers where your Web site is stored) about adding an alias or redirect. There is typically a one-time charge to set this up, although some may also charge a monthly fee. An even easier way is to set it up with the domain registrar. That's the place where you selected and registered the domain name. Some will allow you to redirect the domain name you registered to any URL. The one I use is http://www.000domains.com/, and they include this service in the $13.50 per year registration fee.

Make it easy for customers to find you on the Web by using simple, descriptive URLs--and use more than one, if that will help customers remember you.

You'll find lots of great information on managing and promoting your web site, growing your business and more at http://www.freearticles.biz/. Most articles may be freely reproduced at your web site or in your print or online newsletter.

Reprint policy: This article may be freely reproduced in print and online publications provided the following conditions are met:

It must be reproduced in full, with no changes or omissions, including the author information and web site in the last paragraph. Cathy Stucker's copyright notice must be included. The copyright notice may be at the beginning or the end of the article. 

Advance permission is not required, but a copy of your publication is appreciated. Please send ezines or web links to cathy(at)idealady.com. (Substitute the @ for (at).) Print publications may be mailed to 4646 Hwy 6, #123, Sugar Land, TX  77478.  Thank you!