Companies That Understand The Value Of A Great Domain
1-800-flowers.com, Inc. – Flowers.com
1-800-Wheelchair.com Inc. – Wheelchair.com
A&E Networks (The History Channel) – History.com
American Express – Open.com
Answers Corporation – Answers.com, Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, Reference.com
AOL – When.com, Games.com, Love.com
Bank of America – Loans.com
Barnes and Noble – Books.com
Bass Pro Outdoors LLC – Hunting.com
Bayer – Aspirin.com
Brown Shoe Company – Shoes.com
Burlington Coat Factory – Coat.com
Calvin Klein – Bras.com, Underwear.com
Carl’s Jr. – Burgers.com
Citibank – StudentLoan.com
CNET – News.com, Radio.com, TV.com, Kids.com, Help.com, Computers.com, Gaming.com, Auctions.com, Download.com, Online.com, Upload.com, Search.com, Store.com, Builder.com, Shopper.com, Marketplace.com, Updates.com, Buying.com, Chat.com, Welcome.com, Browser.com, Silicon.com , Shareware.com, Freeware.com, Labs.com, Community.com
CNN – Money.com
Conde Nast Publications – Gourmet.com
Country Buffet – Buffet.com
Diago – Malts.com, Rum.com, Scotch.com
Disney – Movies.com, Video.com, Family.com, 101.com, Go.com
Ebay (PayPal) – X.com
Enterprise Rent a Car– RentalCar.com
Fidelity – Retire.com
Fixodent (Procter & Gamble) – Dentures.com
Food Network – Food.com
Foxy Fresh Vegetables – Salads.com
Google – Hello.com
Honda – Scooters.com, Motorcycles.com
JC Penny – Gift.com
Johnson and Johnson – Baby.com
Kay Jewelers – Gold.com
Kraft – CreamCheese.com
K-Swiss – TennisShoes.com
Mannington – Floors.com
Map and Globe LLC – Worldmaps.com
Marchex – Debts.com, Remodeling.com, Beijing.com, Cuisine.com, Motherboard.com
MasterCard – Priceless.com
Melville Candy Co. – Candy.com
Merriam-Webster Inc. – Word.com
Microsoft – Live.com, Surface.com, Investor.com, TV.net, Start.com
National Geographic – Documentary.com
National Pen Co. – Pens.com
Nestle – Meals.com
Nissan – Z.com
Old Country Buffet – Buffet.com
PetSmart – Pets.com
Procter and Gamble – Laundry.com, Toothpaste.com
Puritan’s Pride – Vitamins.com
Qwest – Q.com, FastLane.com, FogLight.com
R.H. Donnelley – Work.com, Business.com
Ragu – Sauce.com, Eat.com
Ralph Lauren – Polo.com, Rugby.com
Rocky Mountain Bicycles – Bikes.com
Roto-Rooter – Plumber.com
Sports Endeavors – Lacrosse.com, Soccer.com
Sylvan Learning – Educate.com, Ivy.com, Hop.com
The Weather Channel – Weather.com
The Knot Inc. – Weddings.com
Travelocity – Vacations.com
U-Haul – Trailer.com
Unilever (Products include: Knorr, Slim Fast, Vaseline) – Soup.com, PeanutButter.com
Viking – OfficeSupplies.com
Visit Technology Group – Visit.com
Woodway USA– Treadmills.com
Yahoo! Inc. – Contests.com, Broadcast.com
Many businesses do not fully understand the impact that the right domain name can have. The domains above are examples of high quality generic names that are being put to excellent use. The majority of the companies above own dozens if not hundreds or even thousands of domains to support their businesses. Some, like Microsoft, own tens of thousands of domains to drive targeted traffic to their websites as well as to protect their brands.
The companies above not only own great generic / keyword domains that define their businesses but nearly all of them had to reach out to the prior owner to acquire them. While most of the domains listed are very broad and even define an entire category of products or services it’s important to realize the power of a domain that includes targeted keywords which would be more cost effective for a smaller business. It simply isn’t feasible for most businesses to purchase a $100,000 domain let alone a Million+ dollar domain name like many of those above. However, there is currently a tremendous opportunity to invest in domains priced below $25,000 which can still be very beneficial to your business.
Many of the most successful small to medium sized businesses are actively making their presence known by utilizing targeted domains that exactly match their product or service. By doing so, they are simultaneously decreasing or even eliminating expensive print advertising.
Several years ago if someone wanted to find a local business they would look to the yellow pages. Today most go online for a faster and easier search. 70% the US population under the age of 65 uses the internet to find local businesses. However, only about 40% of the world’s population use the internet, so the impact of a great domain will continue to increase.