Website domain name

[juliette_de_gersigny]

<p>Hello there!<br>

I'm Juliette de Gersigny an aspirinig photographer.<br>

I am trying to figure out a domain name for my website and have a little difficulty as you can see my name is rather long and un-spellable to some!<br>

I think I am looking to have photography in the name somewhere as I think it's easier to remember? But am struggling with my name ;-)<br>

My nickname is Jules, second names Louise Diana (but not sure I'd use them;-) Most people call me Jules if that if that helps.<br>

Can anyone help with this connundrum? Any help would be so much appreciated.<br>

Thank you in advance everyone.<br>

Cheers<br>

Jules</p>

 

[toddr]

<p>jules-photo.com</p>

[greg_peterson3]

<p>I think Todd's idea is a good one. Very simple -- a good thing in URLs.<br>

FYI: I just checked WhoIs, and "Jules-Photo.com" is available, but JulesPhoto.com (no hyphen) is taken. There might be some confusion.<br>

Both "JuliettePhoto.com" and "Juliette-Photo.com" are available and, if you go with Juliette, it would be a good idea to register both.</p>

<p> </p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>PhotoAndJuliette.com is available. Just sayin'.</p>

[parv]

Joulesography.(com|biz)?

[j_f_ma_on]

<p>Juliette is a beautiful name and if you put Jules people will think you're a guy, so I think Juliette would be an advantage.<br>

Juliettephoto.com appears to be free (be quick), and it works in French too ;)<br>

J-F<br>

--<br>

www.maion.com</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>I agree. juliettephoto.com is worth spending the $9/year on even if you DO go with another name as well. Remember: you get have more than one domain name point to the same one web site. That way you can also get variations on the spelling of your name (since you just KNOW that people will drop out an L or T or an E along the way).</p>

[sknowles]

<p>Why not after something or some place you love to go or photograph instead of your name? I named mine (and the business) after my favorite hiking trail and shortened it to the initials and photo (wsrphoto.com). Easy to remember, find via search engines and tell folks. And I'm always reminded why I like to go there, and hike or photograph. Just a thought.</p>

[erwin paul photography]

<p>I think Juliettephoto.com, like J-F Maïon writes. Or perhaps JGPhotography.com.</p>

<p>My full name is Erwin Paul van Beveren, and I have not found a single American to be able to pronounce my last name correctly, so my business and domain name is ErwinPaulPhotography.com</p>

<p>The only funny thing is a lot of people call me Mr. Paul. :)<br>

Erwin</p>

[Stock-Photos]

<p>If your Web site is just a hobby or an outlet, then maybe the domain name does not matter much.</p>

<p>If you want search engines to drive traffic and potential customers to your site, then the domain name is more important.</p>

<p>Consider, Jules, that words in a domain name are a big factor in search engine ranking/results. Domain name could be one of the most heavily weighted factors, after a large assortment of inbound links from related sites.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>For that reason, if your Web site is for a business, then you'd want the domain name to be the first couple of words potential customers would use when searching for your service or product.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>This is why I chose the name www.SlideScanning123.com for one of my domain names.<br>

Before choosing a domain name, consider what branch if photography you will most likely find your niche in, as an "aspiring photographer."</p>

<p>For example if your nearest large city is Salem, and you offer wedding photography services, the logical choice would be "SalemWeddingPhotographer.com (most likely already taken) You can throw in a digit or two if needed to find a name not taken, like I had to do with mine.</p>

<p>Search Google for "slide scanning", you'll see my page is "currently" in the #3 spot. The domain name is a big factor in those result, among <em>many </em>other factors.</p>

<p>Do you get the picture? No pun intended.</p>

[j_f_ma_on]

<p>That's a good point Jim. And as you said, it depends what you want to do with the website.<br>

URLs like SlideScanning123.com probably work better with Search Engines - but they are weaker in terms of branding.</p>

<p>--<br>

www.maion.com</p>

[976photo]

<p>I liked Greg's idea of using JuliettePhoto.com if you want to include your name.</p>

<p>Another option is to come up with a seperate "company name" if you're looking to do buisness. This can be harder than it sounds, often times you'll think of a name that's a perfect fit, only to discover it's already been taken. But if you can find that rare combination of a name that fits your business and hasn't been taken yet, you can then use that for your domain name.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.fivebyfivephoto.com">www.fivebyfivephoto.com</a></p>

<p>Another tip, be willing to use "photo" instead of "photography" especially if the other name you use is long. It'll be less work for your customers when they have to type in your address. There's nothing more annoying than typing in a really long web address only to find you hit the "y" key instead of the "t" key and you have to double check each letter you typed.</p>

[ianivey]

<p>Using "jules-photo" when someone is already using "julesphoto" for similar services has a very high risk of causing consumer confusion and resulting in a trademark infringement dispute. Choosing a name whose immediate variants are not already in use is a good idea.</p>

<p>J-F is correct about generic terms such as "slide scanning" and "photography" -- alone, they make extremely weak brands and are legally unprotectable. Decide which strategy you wish to pursue: pure search-engine optimization, or broader brand building. J. Harrington's generic-name strategy is suitable for a business whose primary source of customers is search engine hits. It would not be effective for a business whose primary source of business is, say, word of mouth, which requires a more memorable and distinctive name using non-generic terms. </p>

[juliette_de_gersigny]

<p>Thanks very much for all the input folks, food for thought!</p>