Web Address And Terminology Explained

We identify our real estate web address with a domain name, but computers identify websites through their Internet Protocol address, or IP address. That IP address is a series of numbers unique to that specific computer.

Domain Name System (DNS): This allows the IP address to be translated to words. It is much easier for us to remember a word than a series of numbers. For example, it is much easier for you to remember a domain name such as TodaysHouse.com than it is to remember 130.252.60.31.

Which Web Address Is Right For Your Real Estate Market?

Best practices would suggest you claim your own name as a domain name. However, don't stop there. You can also register other short, relevant and memorable domain names that would reflect the specific real estate niche you are targeting. If you are catering to multiple niches in your real estate market, multiple domain names are a wise investment.

For example, if your niche market is Condos in your community,find a memorable relevant domain name such as NewYorkCondoKing.com or LondonCondoQueen.com or ManhattanCondoMarket.com.com or SearchOrlandoCondos.com . (as of this writing, all four domain names are still available!)

TLD (Top Level Domain): Typically having and registering top-level domains such as those mentioned above, are recommended. Why? It is easier and much more professional to be able to refer to an uncomplicated web address than a long string URL such as www.YourCompanySite.com/VIP_Buyer_Program/page_198893.html.

URL: Is an abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator, the global address of documents and other resources on the World Wide Web. (Your website.)

Domain names are usually purchased a year at a time, and give a user the sole right to create a website under that address. A domain name is essentially your website's personal address on the Internet.

Make sure your domain name is as short as possible:

  The longer your domain name is, the higher the chance of people misspelling it.

  The longer your domain name is, the higher the chance of people forgetting it.

This website's domain name is a good example of what NOT to do. It is too long and it is hyphenated. When I discovered my error, it was too late to change it so, I also bought www.Mtfre.com - the acronym for Marketing-Tools-For-Real-Estate.com which redirects to this site and is easier to key into a browser and remember.

Hyphens are not a great solution: Although it might seem like an easy solution, avoid if possible. First of all, most people will type your address in without a hyphen the first time. This is not ideal on any sort of marketing level. Secondly, whenever you tell someone your web address or email address, you'll have to say "www dot Search hyphen Orlando hyphen Condos dot com ". If you can help it, try not to use a hyphen. (As I referenced above, I speak from the painful experience of making both mistakes.)

There are a number of places to purchase domain names. Godaddy.com and Bluehost.com are two of the 'biggies' for picking up domain names and/or hosting websites or real estate blogs.

Check on a Web address from Bluehost

Check domain names at Godaddy

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