Will plural in GEO's make a difference???

[o7media]

Hey guys, just wanted your opinions on something. Does the plural form of a location (GEO) make a whole lot of difference in value?

For example, let's say there's a domain called NewYorkLawyer.com vs NewYorksLawyer.com (New York's instead of New York - showing posession). Would the alternative (NewYorksLawyer.com) be worth anything?

I'm thinking of getting a similar domain name and I would like to know if it's worth it. Could anyone give me their opinions? Thank ya

 

[Jaco]

Yes, enormous difference.
One, they're confusing at a glance. When people read and comprehend words, a lot of it is 'associative' in nature, that is to say that they see a series of letters and usually assume that the words contained therein are 'the most likely outcome'. This why "tricky" domains are so awful, like domainame.com.
A name like this isn't quite as bad, but almost, as the 'associative comprehension" of newyorkslawyer.com is New York Lawyer.

If you study the evolution of graphic design in advertising- and particularly that in Germany prior to and in between the big wars- you see that the ability to convey a concise trademark or massage in a split second is the ultimate "goal". Domain names are no different.
Early on in the domaining stone age, the reason "short" names were considered the best- even better than richer keyword names that represented superior search terms- was because of this phenomenon. Obviously, we have since learned much since those days, but the general idea still holds true. Your name should be accurately readable- without any potential for confusion or error- by a rider on a passing train who only sees it for a split second.

Secondly, they usually have very poor search volume. Of course, they're brandable names, but don't buy them believing that there's much underlying value there from a keyword perspective just because there's some modicum of cogency there.

 

[o7media]

Thanks for your input! I see your point in it..and you're right. I'm not gonna buy what I had in mind. It was going to be a hand reg anyway though, so the most I would have invested in it was $10. meh.

 

[Jaco]

Thanks for your input! I see your point in it..and you're right. I'm not gonna buy what I had in mind. It was going to be a hand reg anyway though, so the most I would have invested in it was $10. meh.

This isn't to say that they are totally without value as a rule.

Vermonts.com dropped recently. There was value there, but not in the same universe as Vermont.com. Maybe kinda-sorta you could buy them and fish for end-users, but utilizing the basic rules of efficient capital allocation, you're probably better off being a bit more patient and waiting for something with better odds. A name like NewYorksLawyer isn't that great from a "domainers" perspective, but sometimes, names like that can surprise if you get lucky and hit the right end user.