Joseph Peterson Names, Domains, Sentences and Strategies

For a decade, domain names and the domain industry have been my full time focus. Specifically: - Operating a domain registrar as a senior exec - Writing over 200 articles on the domain market - Brokering, buying, selling, and consulting on domains for startups, NGOs, established companies, and investment funds - Managing a personal domain portfolio that has encompassed more than 20,000 domains such as American.org, MarketingConsultat.com, UKProperty.com, Psychedelic.com, Slanted.com, Overtone.com, etc. - Building databases to study domain market behavior Prior to entering the domain industry, I was a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. I won't steer you the wrong direction, and I won't waste your time. You'll get good advice from me.

A great name advances your cause. It saves you money too. And the opposite does the opposite. Most people feel so comfortable naming a business or product that they've never stopped to think whether they can even make a mistake. The worst thing is not knowing what you don't know, wouldn't you say? Because names are small, entrepreneurs -- who know they need professional help with programming, legal agreements, SEO, graphic design, content writing, etc. -- assume that they can dispense with professional advice when it comes to their brand name. Yet the name has serious consequences for audience perception and online performance. A name is like a novel compressed into a word or two. Even if you feel that you can write that "novel" (i.e. come up with the right name) yourself, it's still a good idea to seek advice from someone who works in the field professionally. Politicians and CEOs have their ghost writers. Writers have their editors. And entrepreneurs with a project in need of the perfect brand name ... have me. Naming in a digital age requires a diverse skill set. Some people are artistic and appreciate a good name. Others are analytical and can crunch the numbers for SEM / SEO. A third group can navigate the domain industry in professional fashion. But I do all three. I've studied poetry in three languages; have technical experience in electrical / nuclear engineering; and work full time as an independent analyst, writer, consultant, buyer's broker, and investor within the domain industry. So I understand what goes into naming, in a practical way, from 3 very different angles. If you're going to spend a portion of your LIFE being known by 1 naming decision you make today, then you may as well spend little bit of time talking through your naming options with someone who knows his way around.

Best to start with an analogy ... When you buy a home, you employ a real estate agent, right? That person researches available properties for you, summarizes the local market conditions, guides you on a tour through each property, answers questions, evaluates prices, points out problems, assists with inspections and due diligence, negotiates the sale price on your behalf, and helps monitor payment and transfer of the property. This person saves you time, provides critical expertise, keeps things safe, and saves you money. I do that for domain names. Unless you've bought dozens of homes / domains and are familiar with the neighborhood / domain market, buying a house / domain without an agent is usually unwise. And you'd be even worse off if you mistake the seller's agent for someone who represents your interests. As a broker, I ONLY represent buyers. Conflict of interest would undermine my reputation. Unlike most brokers within the domain industry (who work for the seller), my incentive is to reduce buyer costs. Most people (unfortunately) buy their domain without even thinking about asking for domain advice. More often than not, I see people purchase the wrong thing or else pay more than they should. And all too frequently, a company or person hoping to buy a domain pays extra for advice from the seller's agent, believing that they are getting unbiased help with their purchase! Don't be that person! Why not talk to a specialist first?

Take aim before you fire. Domain names are crucial to branding. You may not think so, but I can convince you otherwise. There are plenty of branding specialists who will give you great advice for a broad range of issues, but NOBODY who advertises full-service branding consultations will be able to give you the focused domain name advice that I offer. They're experts in what they do, but they just don't know the domain topic very well. You'll be missing a whole dimension of branding, unless you talk to an expert. Questions? Ask them. No questions? Ask what your questions ought to be.

Domain names aren't simply about putting up a home page or choosing a brand name. They're a major component of SEM and lead generation strategies. If you'd like to get more leads, then let's work on a plan. Between what you know and what I know, there are tactics and solutions worth exploring. Every single day, I see SEM campaigns operating very inefficiently, flushing their money down the toilet. My perspective on SEM is a bit different from what you'll find anywhere else. Large-scale domain investing is also about conversion optimization; so I've spent a lot of time analyzing cost-per-click and click-through rates. Packing a maximum of meaning into a minimum of space -- that's what I do every single day. The same principles apply to naming, domain investing, copy editing, and SEM. So if you want a fresh perspective, I'm it.