EverybodyGets1.com : Domain Marketing Mistake To Avoid

Here is a marketing mistake that would be wise if you didn’t make! When you are known for a term like Everybody Gets One™ as Doctor Gadget® is but your domain name you use for marketing is EverybodyGets1.com, it is confusing! Known or not know for a term, it makes sense to match your domain name with your marketing message is, your company name etc! Not only is it a bit odd when you type to include numbers with letters, it is very likely people will forget the ONE is a 1.

The term when "heard" can clearly sound that One is One and not the number 1. It looks CHEAP and is not very professional either IMO! You really could have a second marketing campaign to get people to remember the 1 is not One!!! An extra marketing cost nobody needs if you make the correct choice from the start.

All this is a problem because it will result in lost traffic to your site you are trying so hard to promote! Your domain name can hurt you from the simple aspect of people looking at it and not feeling safe visiting it as it may look "spammy", all the way to people mistyping because of a number in your domain name and you do not own bother versions that the domain name could be.

If you are using a term like Everybody Gets One and you have a trademark for it, you should own the matching term as a domain! Although the site states a ™ by the term, I did a search and the term does not show in the USPTO database currently that there is one but one could be filed. The domain name EverybodyGetsOne.com was first registered back in 2007 so it wouldn’t fit the bill of the current owner infringing by owning it. If you do not own the domain to match your marketing message, BUY IT! Yes, you can buy a domain name that is already owned. If you really feel you have legal rights to the domain and somebody else owns it (it may be cheaper and faster to simply buy it) you can use WIPO if need to, which is a legal process and will take time and money! In this case, I checked and EverybodyGetsOne.com is registered to somebody but is for sale for around $1,800. This domain would likely be cheaper to buy then filing a WIPO case.

Since I saw the domain name on a NASCAR® race car this weekend in the Nationwide Series®, spending $1,800 on the exact match domain, should fit your budget and would easily pay for itself. "Changing" things later get costly and can become even more confusing to your market you are trying to reach.

Add in things like a "crazy" social networking name that is even crazier….. every1gets1 and you may end up with a similar following as they do!

4 Followers? Ouch. OK, the first tweet was 2/17/2010 and today is the 22nd, but I think most people have at least 4 people in there family they can ask to follow them! Since when is Everybody all of a sudden every1? Not as big of a deal as the domain used but again, doesn’t look very professional and makes it harder for people to find you!

The EverybodyGets1.com domain may have been a late change, as it appears Dr. Gadget® had intended to use the domain name DrGMall.com as the campaign name based on press release designs of the race car that I could find and now DrGMall.com forwards to EverybodyGets1.com . A tweet at @drgmall (10 followers) confirms this that the account is moving over to every1gets1 twitter account.

Doctor Gadget® has a similar branding issue when it comes to his main site as well for his domain name. He owns and uses the domain name DoctorGadget.com , but you can see by this screen shot, he often goes by Dr. Gadget!

(sorry, couldn’t resist showing the above from DoctorGadget.com and the backwards Dr. Gadget on his jacket! Oops, he must of looked better "reversed") The problem, he does not own DrGadget.com . Somebody else has owned DrGadget.com since around 1998, so the Trademark in 2001 he has for Dr Gadget would very likely not hold up in a WIPO case if this Dr. Gadget tried to get it that way. Since the term "Doctor" is often used as an abbreviation, it is always best for you own both ways the domain name could be spelled. Many people will visit DrGadget.com simply hearing "Doctor Gadget Dot Com" and many will visit the abbreviated version "Dr Gadget Dot Com". Then you have the visual aspect that people will visit DrGadget.com because they see it on his coat, the seal badge etc. It is not the end of the world if you do not own both, but you WILL lose traffic to the other domain name!

Keep in mind that Money Talks, if the current owner doesn’t want to sell! You have to be the judge if the traffic you are losing is important to you or not! If you are not sure how to obtain a domain name that is owned by somebody already, visit the Resources tab here on DotWeekly.com and then click on Domain Names!

Always try to be as clear as you can with your marketing message and the attached domain to continue your message online. Confusing your customers will often lead into them not finding the site you have created.

On a positive note, at least Dr G included a domain name! Many companies fail to do so, but why would you want to leave out a place you could be reached 24/7, 365 any place in the world… where you can allow people to BUY, watch video, interact, learn more about your products or services and much, much more! Always include your domain name when you can.