This is one way to look at the process of choosing a domain name for your website. The name of your website may be your business name or something cute you thought up at the time.

When you have a website centered around your business, you want a name that appeals to the audience you are trying to reach. Your name as the domain name won’t be synonymous with gardening, at least not yet. If your name is difficult to spell, it could easily be misspelled and you won’t be found by those trying to reach you.

Humans like to associate things with each other. If your site is about a business in a local area, then a domain name that has “town or city” or some keyword associated with your area in it, your site name will be easier to remember because it makes sense. You can perform a name search to see if your choices have already been taken.

Too many words are a recipe for disaster in a domain name. People can type the wrong letter or use one letter to the left and end up on another site. After a couple of tries, they will give up and you have lost a potential new customer.

Use relevant keywords to make up your domain name. Performing a little keyword research will benefit your website articles and the name of your website. Using words that readers are using in the search engines will help drive traffic in our direction.

Don’t neglect the name of your website. It is a powerful tool to expand your readership and your visibility.

Does your small business website bring customers to your door? Or… is your website old and outdated?

Sending potential customers to a website that isn’t helping to grow your business – is a waste of time, money and branding.

In fact… you might be loosing money that you could be putting directly into your pocket!

What if you don’t have a website that markets your Yuma small business? My first question would be “Why Not”?

How are you spending your advertising dollars? Are you depending on radio, newspaper ads or the good old doorstop called the Yellow Pages? If these are the only marketing options you are using… you might be leaving a bucket of cash on the table.

Websites are your silent marketing machine. If don’t have a website that can be found for local (geo targeted)internet search terms… how will your new potential customers find you?

Maybe they do find your website online – what then? What is your call to action? What do you have on your website to capture leads? Are you building a loyal community of clients that will recommend your business before your competition?

Are you getting the BIG picture? Do you even know how this website optimization works? Did you know that the word “Yuma” is used for online searches over 330 times a day? That number will grow every year – the internet isn’t going anywhere.

My parting question for you is… what internet search phrase is used to find your local Yuma business? If it’s the name of your business… you are allowing potential customers find your competition.

Debra Conrad, an offline business consultant, helps local Yuma businesses move online and get them noticed.

I was reading this great article by Steve Strauss here: Maximizing Your Presence and it hit me that you might want to know “What Is A Web Presence”?

“I think that any small business that is not maximizing its Web presence is missing a golden opportunity.

First, let’s make sure we are on the same page. When discussing Web 2.0, what we are talking about is an era where websites are more interactive, engaging, and interesting than before. They are not static, as they were, say, 10 years ago, where all you could do was read. Instead, a Web 2.0 site is one where visitors can engage with you, your business, and your site by:

• Posting comments on your blog, or articles, or chatting in a forum.

• Re-tweeting your content, sharing it on Facebook, or Digging it.

• Watching a video, listening to a podcast, or participating in a webinar.

• Taking a quiz or responding to a poll.”

You really want to have a website that is engaging and interactive. We call these “sticky sites” because they make people want to stick around – giving someone a chance to connect with you and your business.

There are many reasons to have a great Web 2.0 website, but here are three main ones:

1. Credibility

2. Marketing and branding

3. Additional profit center

The obvious are the Three Big Kahunas -

Video – every site should have video – this keeps the reader engaged and shows of “something” about your business.

Users Can Comment/Rate/Engage - this is powerful. You can see – right in your own playground, just what others are saying about you and your business.

Content – Give the reader something to Read! - Interesting tips and helpful articles will shed a good light and encourage the reader to share. If the reader signs up to your free newsletter they have now given you “permission” to connect with them often. Right in their email box… where your competition “IS NOT”.

“When you get real good at this Web 2.0 stuff (have a web presence), what will happen? People will share it – via email links, tweets, whatever, and that’s the ticket.

It is what I call word of mouth advertising 2.0.”

And do you know what “Word Of Mouth Advertising” costs? Zip – Nadda- Zero- No Moola!