About Alan Dunn

Alan Dunn is Managing Director of NameCorp®. A senior digital naming expert and brand consultant with over 20 years experience. He is the former Managing Director of Domain Holdings and a contributor to TechCrunch, Business Insider, Quartz and other key publications. Alan regularly speaks about the domain name industry, has been interviewed by BBC Radio 1, profiled by DNJournal and is the host of the podcast Domain Stories.

Google Alphabet – A Naming Lesson for Mortals

Alan Dunn2019-10-18T03:40:13+00:00August 11th, 2015|

Google Alphabet – A Naming Lesson for Mortals

When your name is Google, it’s only logical to own the alphabet.

Yesterday, Google announced the consolidation of its companies under a new corporate brand: Alphabet. In reference to the new name, Co-Founder Larry Page said, “We liked the name Alphabet because it means a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity’s most important innovations, and is the core of how we index with Google search! We also like that it means alpha-bet (Alpha is investment return above benchmark).”

Within minutes, the wires were flooded with opinions about this naming choice, especially focused on Google’s choice of using the domain name abc.xyz for the new brand. The Washington Post penned an article titled “Here’s what happens when you try to find Google’s new parent company, Alphabet, on the Internet”.

It describes how Alphabet.com is owned by BMW and the twitter handle @alphabet is owned by one Chris Andrikanich, a self-proclaimed geek in Ohio. Ironically, this brand announcement came the day after Paul Graham, one of the most vocal people in the start-up community, wrote an article stating that, if you have a U.S. start-up called “X” and you don’t own x.com, you should probably change your name.

All of this news has made for an interesting couple of days in the naming space. Why would Google use a .xyz extension? Why not build on a .com domain? Many different answers have been floating around but the answer is a lot easier when you look at the buyer.

Google is the world’s third most-valuable brand, behind Apple and Samsung. This means Google can brand anything. It doesn’t matter if its .xyz, .123 or .supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. You will learn to type in abc.xyz and you will like it. For Google, it doesn’t matter what the extension is—what matters is what the extension represents and, from our perspective, abc.xyz sounds a lot more Google-esqe than abc.com or alphabet.com. Alphabet is also not the consumer brand, but a non-consumer-facing umbrella company for the Google family of brands, which lessens the importance of having a .com domain (if there is any when your name is Google).

Google’s use of abc.xyz is likely the most significant event to date for adoption of the new GTLDs (generic top level domains). Millions of people will visit this site and the .xyz extension will be branded forever as a solid domain name extension. Furthermore, because of Google’s adoption, the automatic trust and credibility will trickle over and make people consider .xyz as a choice in naming.

What does this mean for your company?

Using a new GTLD is certainly enticing, but there is so much more to naming than simply choosing what URL to use. For starters, Google can brand anything and, well, you aren’t Google.

The key takeaways from this new brand announcement are:

Simple is better.

Forget about three-word names and unpronounceable words. Choose a single or two-word combination if at all possible.

You need a story.

Alphabet will forever be a memorable talking point since it doesn’t just stand for letters but also for “alpha-bet (Alpha is investment return above benchmark)” and “a collection of letters that represent language, one of humanity’s most important innovations” that form the core of Google’s business model. What story does your name tell?

Eliminate confusion.

This starts with owning the best version of your domain name and also making sure you own the exact match in social handles. This doesn’t always mean .com—what it does mean is consistency among the URL and social handles. If The Washington Post is confused, then you can bet your customers will be too.

Remember, you are not Google.

It takes millions (and millions) of dollars to brand globally. The .com extension is already branded and remains the dominant extension for now. However, Francois Carrillo of Domaining.com said it best: “Times are changing, slowly but surely, and resistance is futile.”

If your budget allows it, then the cost of acquiring the .com will be worth it to eliminate potential confusion. But it’s not the only option anymore.

At the end of the day, if you build something cool, people will come. The Internet is truly like a Field of Dreams, no matter what your domain name extension is.

NameCorp™ is a boutique digital agency with an insane appetite for naming and more than 20 years of experience. Contact us to learn more about finding a better domain name.

Look Inside Your Brand

Alan Dunn2019-10-18T10:53:46+00:00August 3rd, 2015|

For most entrepreneurs, the idea of having their own business is a primary objective. But for some, building a brand is the ultimate goal.

However, building a brand is very different than building a company. One could even say brand building requires an entirely different sub-set of skills that only a few have ever mastered.

The truth is, you don’t need a company to build a brand: What you need are followers.

Today’s world is very different than yesterday’s. Many personal brands are built on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, some intentionally and some unintentionally. A brand could be a company (AOL), a product (Rubik’s Cube) or even an individual (Kim Kardashian).

No matter how a brand is built there are common elements to successful brands. Some of these elements are created by your marketing team while others are created by employees or followers.

Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, wrote: “Mass advertising can help build brands, but authenticity is what makes them last. If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”

This is one of the greatest quotes about branding and is true today as much as it was when he wrote it in 1997. Why? Because it sums up that great brands are built not just by ads, but from the total experience.

How many times have great brands been tarnished by poor customer service or luxury brands cheapened trying to appeal too widely? And how many times have we fallen in love with a brand, creating a relationship that has stood the test of time?

Building a great brand is not easy. It’s likely the hardest challenge any company has. But when you do it successfully, the rewards are plentiful.

According to Brand Finance®, Apple is the most valuable brand in the world. What is even more interesting is that most consumers will likely feel certain emotions about, and some kind of connection to, almost every brand on this page before thinking about their product. Companies without high brand value do not have this consumer connection.

Having a great product and customers is just not enough. There are several things every brand owner should ask themselves :

Is Your Brand Authentic?

People are collectively smart (excluding those nominees for the Darwin Awards) and authenticity is a key element for a successful brand. Whether it’s a luxury good, an honest review or a promise of a low-cost, high-quality alternative, what people want to know more than anything else is if you’re authentic. No fakes have stood the test of time.

Do You Have Shared Values?

A key extraction from Howard Schulz’s quote is: “If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.” We would like to dissect this a bit deeper and define “people” as all people involved with a company and not just customers. From employees to vendors to competitors—the more a brand authentically shares value with all people, the greater the emotions invoked for the brand.

Are You Integrating Completely?

Having a person at hello is not enough. The greatest brands in the world incorporate their brand into everything, from product packaging to logo silhouettes to a single font. From an outside perspective, what looks relatively simple is often the result of countless hours spent planning a brand’s integration.

Do You Have a Single Voice

Great brands understand the value of a single voice. They also understand how to minimize damage control by not having too many people tell the same story. It’s very rare to hear Google employees discussing the search engine’s future, or Home Depot employees describing the store culture.

A single voice is critical. Otherwise, your brand may never be consistent and this, in turn, will undermine your authenticity.

Are You Consistent?

Consistency is crucial. Imagine if Starbucks baristas didn’t wear green and everyone could choose a different uniform color. Imagine if Apple stopped paying attention to design. What if Tesla tried to sell regular fuel cars at the same time?

Any of these actions would likely result in only negative consequences for the brand. Consistency and Authenticity go hand in hand, and many times the only way to be authentic is to be consistent.

Branding (in theory) is pretty straight forward but in reality, it is far more difficult. After all, the ultimate goal is to earn the love of others and that is something even the best world leaders find hard to do.

NameCorp™ is a boutique digital agency with an insane appetite for naming and more than 20 years of experience. Contact us to learn more about finding a better domain name.

The Real Value of a Domain Name

Alan Dunn2019-10-19T23:26:55+00:00July 29th, 2015|

Nothing in life is free. At one time, however, domain names were. Twenty years ago – in 1995 – Joshua Quittner penned this historic piece for Wired Magazine and registered McDonalds.com for free.

But, as the expression goes, today is different. A good domain name is hard to find and, when you find it, can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even bargain hunters are often hard pressed to find anything of superior quality for less than $10,000 USD.

Why are domain names valuable?

If you start by trying to answer this question then you’re already approaching the answer wrong. Before trying to understand the value of domain names it’s critical to understand what your brand means to you. Ask yourself:

Are you building a global or local presence?

Are you planning to conquer the world or looking to serve a section of Utah? For many companies the world is their customer which means a brand name has to be authoritative, memorable and social.

How valuable is your brand name?

Your domain name is the billboard for your brand. It’s how people talk about your brand, how they find you on the Internet and how they remember you. Settling for a second-tier name should never be an option.

Do you want people to remember you?

Of course you do. Consistency is one of the golden keys of advertising. Brand confusion appears when your company name is one thing and your domain name another. Visual.ly is a prime example of a brand where the average Joe will likely remember the brand as visually. But what happens if someone builds a site at visually.com — a lot of brand value may have just disappeared.

Let’s look back at history for a moment.

The most valuable area code in the world is likely New York’s 212. Today it’s almost impossible to get it without paying a tidy fee. So let’s visually look at the authority that a 212 number brings you.

The 212 number shows a certain pedigree which spills over into the expectations people have for your brand. These are good expectations, such as: you are established, experienced, trusted etc. The 646 is just another number. While it does the job it doesn’t have those intangible benefits that a 212 number has.

800 numbers are the same. Let’s compare:

Both numbers work the same. The owner of the 844 number, however, is likely never going to get a call from someone misdialing the 800 number. The 800 number owner should end up getting lots of calls from customers of the 844 number.

Why?

All toll-free numbers are commonly referred to as 800 numbers. Not 866, not 844 – most people collectively group all toll-free numbers into a group called 800 numbers. This is also why 800 numbers are much more expensive than other toll-free extensions. Supply and demand, just like New York’s 212 numbers.

As for Domain Names…

The comparison above still holds true. A higher quality name speaks to a higher quality brand. Take our company name for example. We have more than twenty years of experience but what if we choose to start with namecorpllc.com?

First we certainly wouldn’t have as much brand value. Second, people would email us @namecorp.com instead of @namecorpllc.com. Third, our brand could be exposed to potential dilution from somebody starting a company at namecorp.com. Trademark laws exist but the odds are not always as they seem.

What about New Domain Name Extensions?

This is where branding gets very interesting. In early 2014 hundreds of new domain extensions became available, such as .link, .tattoo, .guru, .photography, .club and more. Some are meant to be generic while others are very industry and/or community specific. Let’s take a look at two domain name examples:

Which one has more authority? It’s a fascinating question if you consider a future perspective.

While .com is king today this doesn’t mean it will be the only extension to provide authority in the marketplace. Over the next couple years many great companies will build on these extensions. Not only do they provide higher relevancy but they also provide at least four fewer characters, which is huge when trying to market within the text limitations of social media. Plus they are memorable — if you know how to choose one. Take the example above. Both domain names have sex appeal: however FlyFishingToday.Fish is just not going to have the same charm.

Building a brand requires a commitment to detail, whether it’s a local phone number, a toll-free number or a domain name. And it’s critical to understand the intangible value before securing a domain name.

What is the Real Value of a Domain Name?

Only you can answer that question.

The price of a domain name can range from $10 to $1,000,000 or more. This all depends on quite a few variables:

Owner Expectations
Demand for the name
Strength of the wholesale market
and more.

However, every domain name is unique and every situation is different.

It’s near impossible to define why domain names are valuable other than simple supply and demand. What makes them unique are owners have an emotional and intangible investment — often the very same reason why a brand wants to acquire a domain. So, you need to understand how valuable a domain name is to your business plan before asking for a price.

Many companies spend tens of thousands on logo designs, advertising, brand consultations, proposals and more. The domain name needs to be part of that conversation.

Only when you can define how much having the very best version of your brand name is worth to you are you ready to buy a domain name.