I love domain names for many reasons but there are some things that really nothing can match the power of a domain name. Simply providing a domain name gives anybody in the world a place they can visit day or night. A domain name becomes an instant "brand". Just like brand names of some of the largest companies in the world are known for what they offer, a domain name can simply show that in a few short words, yet at the same time, direct somebody where to go and find more info or make a purchase.
Today I was reading Yahoo.com news and stumbled across an article about a group of a dozen Air Comet flight attendants became Calendar Girls and decided to pose nude to help raise some funds because they had not seen a pay check for about 8-9 months because of the Spanish airline is grounded. The story grabbed headline news all around the world with the very short article about the calendar.
A limited supply of 1,200 calendars were printed and are for sale. So what is the problem? The article made mainstream press but did not include a "location" to purchase these calendars. Some of the stories had a Gmail email address but that was all I could find and who really purchases something based on an email address.
What a mistake and one that could hinder the sale of these calendars and likely prevented them from selling out today like they could have. If a simple domain name was included in with this little article that is spreading around the web, nearly everybody that read the story would know where to get it. Not only would they know where to get it, many would have likely purchased it.
A calendar is just a calendar without a "name". A calendar that is spoke about with a domain name, gives people direction!
Many will read the story and "would" purchase it at that point but by not providing a location to purchase by including a domain name in the story, those readers are just that, readers and not buyers!
Often times you may only get one chance and this article was their chance to provide a location to purchase this calendar that many are talking about and all that would have needed to be done was to include a domain name in the story! A simple mini-site to purchase showing a couple images and order form and boom, they likely would be ordering more prints to fill the orders.
Domain names are very powerful but you have to be wise to use one in the first place and every chance you get, promote it because you never know where it may show up!
blonditis strikes again
April 2nd, 2010