It's no secret that I often tell developers to stick with geo-targeted domain names as an investment. There's a good reason that I make this suggestion. It’s because I have found them to convert better, compared to a national or international generalized brand.
Let me begin by touching a few bases on why I love geo-targeted domains.
Local Comforts:
I think that it's human nature to feel more comfortable doing business with thy neighbor than an outsider. In short, many consumers prefer to do business with local establishments that they can walk or drive to and shake hands with a person rather than handling issues over the phone with someone else in another state, region, or even country. The comfort factor of a localized development can increase the conversion rate on even the most overlooked micro-niches.
Wouldn't you feel more at ease knowing that if anything went wrong with your purchase, you could go a few blocks down the road in order to speak with a representative in person?
Geo Conversions:
In my experience, I have found that the smaller the niche, the better the conversion ratio. It's no different for geo-targeted domains, especially if they are a long tail keyword phrase micro-niche. With local comforts in mind that increase trust factors, it's a no-brainer that your sales are going to increase locally.
Geo-Targeted Traffic:
As expected, the traffic a geo domain receives will be much less than what a national or international name receives. This is actually better for you for a couple of reasons. For one, there will be less server load due to less traffic. Secondly, there will be higher conversion rates due to better geo-targeting and trust factors.
Geo SEO/SEM:
Frankly, it's ten times easier to optimize your on- and off- site campaigns for a local market than it is for a global market. We all want to be in the top search engine results, but not many can achieve this with low budgets. For those struggling to compete with the big boys of the industry, it's smarter to start smaller in a targeted area where there is less competition and then slowly expand outward rather than trying to tackle the whole world at the same time.
Geo Extensions:
With all the new gTLD-based geos flooding the market, it’s easier than ever to grab a local keyword or phrase for development. Don't be afraid of them; embrace them. There's already signs of big search engines indexing new gTLD's on the first page for geo search terms. So, don't rule the new gTLD’s out of your test development process.
In Conclusion:
Over the years, my personal geo-targeted campaigns on assorted cc/TLD’s have proven time and time again that once developed, they pay off. Whilst none of them generated immense traffic, they all converted the traffic they do receive at ten to fifty-five percent, which is unheard of in most markets.
An example of one of my lead generator long tail geo + service sites would be
Remember, it's not always about size. Sometimes it's simply about the road less travelled.
Let me begin by touching a few bases on why I love geo-targeted domains.
Local Comforts:
I think that it's human nature to feel more comfortable doing business with thy neighbor than an outsider. In short, many consumers prefer to do business with local establishments that they can walk or drive to and shake hands with a person rather than handling issues over the phone with someone else in another state, region, or even country. The comfort factor of a localized development can increase the conversion rate on even the most overlooked micro-niches.
Wouldn't you feel more at ease knowing that if anything went wrong with your purchase, you could go a few blocks down the road in order to speak with a representative in person?
Geo Conversions:
In my experience, I have found that the smaller the niche, the better the conversion ratio. It's no different for geo-targeted domains, especially if they are a long tail keyword phrase micro-niche. With local comforts in mind that increase trust factors, it's a no-brainer that your sales are going to increase locally.
Geo-Targeted Traffic:
As expected, the traffic a geo domain receives will be much less than what a national or international name receives. This is actually better for you for a couple of reasons. For one, there will be less server load due to less traffic. Secondly, there will be higher conversion rates due to better geo-targeting and trust factors.
Geo SEO/SEM:
Frankly, it's ten times easier to optimize your on- and off- site campaigns for a local market than it is for a global market. We all want to be in the top search engine results, but not many can achieve this with low budgets. For those struggling to compete with the big boys of the industry, it's smarter to start smaller in a targeted area where there is less competition and then slowly expand outward rather than trying to tackle the whole world at the same time.
Geo Extensions:
With all the new gTLD-based geos flooding the market, it’s easier than ever to grab a local keyword or phrase for development. Don't be afraid of them; embrace them. There's already signs of big search engines indexing new gTLD's on the first page for geo search terms. So, don't rule the new gTLD’s out of your test development process.
In Conclusion:
Over the years, my personal geo-targeted campaigns on assorted cc/TLD’s have proven time and time again that once developed, they pay off. Whilst none of them generated immense traffic, they all converted the traffic they do receive at ten to fifty-five percent, which is unheard of in most markets.
An example of one of my lead generator long tail geo + service sites would be
SanAntonioLogoDesigner.com and SanAntonioLogo.com, the latter of which is used as a redirect to the former. This long tail geo + service domain is simply a lead generator to feed my primary brand. It only pulls between twenty to fifty visitors per month; however, it converts at upwards of 55% on good months and as low as 24% on bad months. These are still outstanding conversion ratios. Breaking that down with a service that averages $100 to $500 per sale and converting an example of ten out of twenty visitors, that's $1000+ per month in revenue.Remember, it's not always about size. Sometimes it's simply about the road less travelled.
