Descriptive Domain Name, a New Marketing Tool for Fortune 500 Companies

[NamingJournal.com]

Several years I was watching a golf tournament on CBS, when the station suddenly went on a commercial break. Like most commercials where actors are heavily compensated to talk about the sponsoring company’s product or service. Here was Robert Diniro taking about America Express. What is the big deal about America Express ad you might ask? Fortunately, there nothing wrong with the Ad, but I am talking about their web address which reads MyLifeMyCard.com. For a serious domain investor the above web address is something worth noticing. In case you are still wondering, what a blink I am talking about I am referring to DDN or descriptive domain name.

What is a descriptive domain name? “A descriptive domain name simply means an IP address that qualifies or complements a corporate, organization website. Alternatively, descriptive domain name could serve as a marketing tools used by companies for testing products or services on the internet.

“Descriptive domain name varies in length, which can ranges from two, three, five or nine words. The shorter a descriptive domain name, the better,” said Elie Eweka of NamingJournal.com.

Dave Zan owner of www.DaveZan.com seems to believe that a two or three descriptive worded domain is useful if you are targeting a specific market.

In the last three years, the number of fortune 500 companies using domain name with descriptive IP address has grown immensely. It is not clear the reason behind this trend, but I will there to speculate that the once heavily branded corporate domain names have lost momentum. Okay, may not, but whatever the reasons behind fortune 500 companies interest in descriptive domain names is something worth exploring.

“From a business point of view, the whole concept of promotion and advertising is to convince customers their products are not homogeneous or perfect substitutes for another good. That is, they are different, and have something unique to offer to the customer. We should look at domain names in the same way - as a medium of promotion,” said Thomas White.

Some of the most noticeable fortune 500 companies leading this crusade include Morgan Stanley, IAC/InterActiveCorp, and America Express etc.

Here are some examples of descriptive domain names:

MyLifeMyCard.com
AmericanExpressOfferZone.com
Apply4DiscoverCard.com
BillMeLater.com
LowerMyBill.com
TravelNow.com
1800Flowers.com

Why descriptive domain names may sound like a good idea. Unfortunately, there are those who are against descriptive domain name. Midano who ask that his real name not be reveal, seem to disagree with the whole concept of descriptive domain name. “In my personal opinion, descriptive domains are rather boring; they lack personality, they're too generic, they limit branding possibilities and they leave no room for expansion.”

I am confident that as the demands for descriptive domain names continue to grow so will the number of companies interested in descriptive domain. In addition, I am aware that there is a lot that need to be domain to develop DDN, but is here to stay.


Source: Elie Eweka – www.NamingJournal.com

 

[gazzip]

I think these kinds of descriptive domains will be mainly used in special marketing projects which may change over time - there will always be the need for good short and easy to remember brand names, Midano is right, these kind of domains allow a company to expand more or less in any way it wants to.

One descriptive domain that springs to mind is Hondas - www.thepowerofdreams.com

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[Carlton]

Some of the examples provided above are intuitive/logical and some aren't. "TravelNow" or "1800Flowers" are more suggestive of a function than "MyLifeMyCard". Descriptive names should describe the product or service in clear terms ... that's their value: to eliminate ambiguity and build on clarity.

"Descriptive" domain names exist on a continuum of quality from poor to excellent. Those in the better range will have sustainability whereas the "MyLifeMyCard" is so poor as to be more in the realm of a branded product with little intuitive descriptiveness.

One more example: North Carolina (my home state) has both beaches and mountains in close proximity to one another. Some nimrod with the state picked the domain name EverythingIsCloser.com on which to build the state's travel portal. Stupid name leading to instant failure. So many other 2 or 3-word combinations would have been more intuitive, descriptive. And ultimately successful.

 

[christion123]

CozyDating.com is a great Descriptive Domain Name

CozyDating.com is a great descriptive Domain Name then -Speaks for itself

 

[Anthony]

Those names do seem to have an advertising potential, but they seem really hard to "sight" in advance, don't they?

 

[Domainesia]

Descriptive domain names (DDNs) are domain names that directly describe a business, service, or product, serving both as functional IP addresses and marketing tools. These names are used by companies to improve brand recognition and target specific markets. For example, American Express uses MyLifeMyCard.com as a DDN, reflecting its brand and service. Shorter descriptive domains are typically preferred, as they are easier to remember. Many Fortune 500 companies, like Morgan Stanley and American Express, have adopted these types of domains, possibly due to the shift away from heavily branded corporate names. While some critics argue that descriptive domains lack personality and limit branding, they remain a popular trend for online marketing and promotion, offering a simple, direct connection to the company’s offerings.