Studies
& Opinions
Reinforcing Brand Names With
Typo Domains
Alex Tajirian
December
18, 2007
While trying to reach Motorola.com, I accidentally
typed Motorolla.com in the browser. To my surprise, no site turned
up. When I refreshed, the browser defaulted to
Google with a message saying, “Did you mean: Motorola.com.”
Of course, having no site is one option for the
owner of a typo domain name. But users without a site to find tend
to become frustrated, with negative results for online brand image.
Another approach, of course, would be to have an instantaneous forward
to Motorola.com’s home page. A third would be to set up a page that
indicates the correct brand name and then, within a reasonable time,
automatically refreshes to the correct site.
The first option is the least desirable, the second
does no harm. It’s the third that adds positive value. By flagging
the user’s error and showing the correct logo, the third approach
bolsters the brand name and alleviates any concerns about the missing
Web site. |
