Working That Domain Name with Radio

I heard an advertisement on a radio station recently for the new up and coming company, Dollar Shave Club, using DollarShaveClub.com for their website. Now, while this is a three word long domain name to type-in, it certainly is memorable and radio-friendly, which is really all that matters at the end of the day. The radio ad is generally funny and certainly grabs your attention. The memorable domain name allowed me to visit their website and check out more about this company, once I got back to a computer. The domain name speaks for itself, as they are selling razors for shaving at a very low cost, compared to the high priced ones you’ll currently find in your local store that vibrate or shoot laser beams. Another humorous pitch for their razors via video can immediately be seen upon logging onto their website. The website overall is very simple and cuts to the chase with very little frills.

You have to give credit where credit is due. Let’s face it, these guys found a niche that was staring at them in the mirror each morning. Who isn’t tired of paying too much for razors, let along everything else. I know when I was a kid, paying for water was a complete foreign concept and now its a billion dollar industry. Anyway, they recognized a need, they secured a memorable and applicable domain name and the developed and implemented a marketing campaign to get the word out. That’s how its done. I predict that this company will do extremely well, growing leaps and bounds in their very first year. I love to see new start-ups come out of the blocks with a bang, like this one did.

Another start-up taking advantage of the internet and using radio advertising to get the word out is DestinationXL.com, a place to find clothing for the heavier among us. The site is run by CMRG Apparel, LLC and is obviously geared towards men’s clothing, interconnecting several XL brand on-line stores such as CasualMale XL, Rochester Big and Tall, Living XL and others. Again, a pretty long domain name, but memorable and descriptive nonetheless. I personally had not heard of the company prior to the radio ad, but once I did, it stuck in my head, so that I could pay them a visit on line and check out what they had to offer.

Now, it is obvious that in these two examples, the amount of type-in traffic received was likely nil prior to radio advertising, as very few would type in these names. It really takes a great marketing plan using a good mix of print, television, internet and radio advertising to get the word out. It also takes a good memorable and descriptive domain name to be the ultimate portal where your eCommerce is done. I am guessing that these names were likely hand registered and not purchased in the aftermarket for big $$$. Today, everywhere you go, you see domain names. Whether it’s a television commercial, in a printed ad or a roadside billboard, somebody is advertising a product or service and broadcasting their domain names to get the best bang for their buck. The majority of magazines, television and radio stations and other news media are all on-line and have their own domains. Most of the retail stores, food chains and many other small businesses are also on-line using their own domains. The number of existing registered domain names out there is mind boggling and it grows almost as fast as the US deficit. However, there is still plenty of room for creativity and with the right plan in place, plenty of room for success.

E-commerce is growing each and every day and so are the number of websites trying to compete for your eyes and wallet. Be a pioneer like these guys and carve out your niche, but remember, before you jump in headfirst, be sure to have a solid plan, part of which should be a marketing plan. Be sure to utilize the older forms of advertising, like radio, to get the word out and give your domain name some momentum. Once that’s going, assuming you have a good product, you’ll experience a snowball effect, just like these guys!