A well known hardware store in the northeastern US shows how important a generic domain name can be to a company’s web presence. On the way back from a trip to Newburyport yesterday, I was listening to the Red Sox game on the radio (Sox won), and I heard a commercial for Aubuchon Hardware. Aubuchon is clearly not an easy name to spell for many, especially those who are driving and need to remember it when they get back to their computers.
However, as the commercial was playing, I realized that I had seen their domain name before. I was looking into a domain name Rick Latona sold a few months ago, HardwareStores.com, and I came across the singular, which is owned by Aubuchon Hardware, and instead of forwarding to AubuchonHardware.com, HardwareStore.com is its own standalone website, with the brand website forwarding to it.
As I anticipated, the radio announcer directed listeners to HardwareStore.com, which is a smart decision. These days, if people can’t spell a company’s name or remember their website, they could be dead in the water. A generic domain name makes it easy for consumers to remember the website.
some people do it!
Elliot:
You should contact the people at HardwareStore.com and ask them how much their radio spots have effected their traffic (especially if they’ve been using a different domain like AubuchonHardware.com name in the past). My theory has always been that the true branding power behind dotcom generic domain names lies in their high listener/viewer memory retention factor when paired with traditional media. There’s been very little research done about this and it would make for a compelling story if, as I suspect, HardwareStore.com had a high retention factor with those radio listeners.
Great example of a business realizing AND utilizing the power of a generic domain. Examples like this only confirm the value of these generic business names.
Cheers!
thanks for sharing this Elliot and..
Well said mr Costello!
“the true branding power behind dotcom generic domain names lies in their high listener/viewer memory retention factor when paired with traditional media.”
can you forget ‘the best HOLIDAYS in the world’ (.com)
or ‘the best VACATION in the world’ as you guys call it over there 😉
nope.. because you use these in your everyday life. No effort at all needed to memorize or recall!
best,
Ritz
oh.. try VODKA 😉
David … I agree completely with you … the radio/tv/print retention factor is an important determinant of domain value.
is that why the chart looks like this ?
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/hardwarestore.com/
Anthony:
Thanks for posting the link. Interesting to note their traffic spikes in February and April. The true test would be to do the exact same radio advertising campaign 90 days later with a name like AubuchonHardware.com to see if the traffic spikes the same as it did with HardwareStore.com. I have no doubt there would a huge difference and hard evidence like this has the power to shake Madison Avenue out of their treehouse.
El, these types of stories should be reported by all of us bloggers WEEKLY.
I reported several stories like this on my blog about some small businesses in Oregon who “got it” about domains, and bought the right generic descriptive (even geo) domains.
This is what our business is all about, you guys. End users “getting it” about domain values. Big, medium or small, domains can be the lifeline ONLINE for any business.
This company you reported on should be talked about, commended, promoted, and embraced by EVERYONE READING THIS ARTICLE by you. We should promote “Hardwarestore.com”, all of us.
Anyone who thinks my idea is a good one, I suggest that every domainer with a blog writes a quick article about this company, if it’s okay with El-Silver, and just promote them by saying “THIS COMPANY IS A WINNER” because of their online marketing smarts buying this domain.
Come on, my good buddies! Comment here and say you will. I will be the first (second to El) blogger to followup on promoting Aubuchon Hardware’s purchase of Hardwarestore.com.
It can be a grassroots (sorry M Mann) movement to start rewarding businesses that buy generic descriptive domains. Maybe someone will listen to us about the appreciable marketing assets that are domains.
Keep this up, El. I’m inspired! (now if I can only get David C to post a comment on my blog articles!)