Page 171 - Social Media Marketing

156 Walk Like a Giant, Sell Like a Madman

offers some tips to help you maximize the effectiveness of your web
site for e-commerce.

Securing Your Own Domain

Many salespeople make the mistake of placing their web page under
the umbrella of a larger organization, such as a national sales group
or a local chamber of commerce. They end up with a web site address
that consists of their company name with their name tacked on at
the end, such as www.bigcompany.com/ralphroberts/. You'll get
lost that way.

Having your own address on the Internet where people know
they can always find you is essential to your long-term Internet
success. I always encourage the salespeople I coach to register
their own, recognizable domain name, like www.ralphroberts.com.
By having your own domain name, you can build a following
that travels with you, regardless of which company you work for
and what you selL You can use your domain name for your web
site and your e-mail address (for example, my e-mail address is
ralphroberts@ralphroberts.com).

If you have a unique name, consider registering your name as
your domain name. If prospective clients are likely to search for a
particular product you sell, consider using the produd name as part
of your domain name, such as "autosales" or "roofing" or "jewelry."
If people are likely to search for you by location, consider build-
ing your domain name around your location, such as "chicago,"
"sanfrancisco," or "newyorkcity."

Tip: You can register multiple domain names that all point to
the same web site. Your hosting service should be able to provide
you with instructions on how to set up redirects that point domain
names to the same domain.

To check whether a domain name is already taken, visit www.
internic.net/whois.htmL