Should you pay a lot for a domain?

The need for a short, memorable domain was discussed in a previous post. Finding that perfect domain name for your company, however, can prove to be a challenge. Single-word .COMs have long been taken as well as many two-word combinations. Most good .NETs and .ORGs are also unavailable. Some of these names are in use but a good number are currently in the possession of domain speculators who are willing to sell it for a price as a “premium” domain. Should you pay to buy a good domain name or look to register an unused domain? What are some ways to get a good name?

Domain name prices are arbitrary

When looking to buy a “premium” domain from a seller, the first thing you should know is that the price set by the seller is almost entirely arbitrary. The seller determines the price, be it reasonable or outrageous. Do not think that a high-priced domain is worth the price it is listed. Some domain speculators buy what they think is a good domain and set an exorbitant price, hoping someone will pay, and a few actually do.

Is it worth paying a lot of money for one of these so-called “premium” domains? It depends on your needs, your budget, and the domain itself. A good number or domain names for sale are worth the price and some are being sold for less than they are worth. Again, the price is set only by the seller. If you determine the price is reasonable, it is within your budget, and fits the needs of your business, it may well be worth paying a premium price for a good domain.

All top level domains are not the same

Top level domains (TLDs), such as .COM, .NET, .ORG, .US, and .INFO, vary greatly in value. The top level domain .COM remains the most popular choice. The next most popular in the United States are .NET, .ORG, .INFO, and .BIZ. There are many popular country-specific TLDs, such as .CN (China), .DE (Germany), and .UK (United Kingdom).

The price for a good .COM can range from hundreds to over a million dollars on sites such as Sedo.com, depending on the name. Most good two-word .COMs are in the $500-10,000 range. The price of .NETs and .ORGs are usually substantially lower.

Here are some of the top domain sales for 2009, according to SEDO:

1. Russia.com – $1,500,000
2. Call.com – $1,100,000
3. Server.com – $770,000
4. Brazil.com – $500,000
5. Resumes.com – $400,000
6. Software.co.uk – $249,000
7. Hotel-Reservation.com – $211,800
8. NewBrand.de – $177,600
9. Made.com – $130,000
10. Rent.co.uk – $104,000
11. Keyboard.com – $100,000
12. 64.com – $89,000

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a good domain

There are many ways to get a good domain name for your business without spending a lot of money. The domain aftermarket lets you get a used (and therefore more valued) domain after the previous owner let it go. You can also look for alternatives to .COMs for the desired name. There are many programs that help you generate a name for your business as well. Contact me if you would like help in finding a good domain for your business.

Do not feel you need to spend a fortune to get the name that is “just right”. There is a possibility the large investment may not pay off, and you may be out thousands of dollars. The thousands that may be spent to buy the “perfect” domain may be better spent on getting your website in order and running smoothly. Even the most expensive domain would not save a poorly-done site.

Also, do not limit your search to only .COM if you need a particular phrase or wording. Although some will naturally type .COM, the number who do this is minimal, probably around 5%. The unused .COM version will also not rank in search engines, so the only way to lose a customer is if they mistakenly type .COM.

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• Titles (also the title in search results) – Most important
• Description tag (under the title in search results) – Very important
• Headers – Mildly to very important, according to their header number 1-6
• List items, paragraphs – Least important but still affects search results

Business owners can use this simple tool to determine how search engines, like Google, Yahoo, and Bing see their website. Webmasters can use this to refine the wording in their site to improve search engine optimization.

Keyword Extraction Tool

The image above shows a sample keywords results page, this one from DreamWebDesigns.com.  The list at the right shows keyword significance as assessed by Google, which takes the whole site into consideration instead of one page. Although there are differences because of the keyword tools looking at one page and Google’s own method of determining significance, you can see the tool can be a great help in setting up your website and writing content-rich pages to target a specific audience.

Look forward to more tools in the future to help improve your website.

Jing Screencasting Software

Screencasting is an excellent way to communicate to clients, potential customers, or people in general. With many screencast software options available, it is not hard to find one that fits your specific needs. This article will examine various popular screencasting programs currently available for PCs and Macs, as well as their features. While many of the programs listed below have other features, such as the ability to take screenshots and record only audio, I will concentrate only on the screencasting abilities of each of these tools.

Free screencast software

Jing / Jing Pro

Jing, by TechSmith, is a compact tool that docks itself to the side of your screen, making it easy to start a screencast. You can quickly and easily upload files to screencast.com for sharing or save them on your computer. The quality of videos made is high and the player looks sleek. The free version has a branded player as well. For $14.95 a year, the Pro version offers better encoding for smaller files and no branding, as well as the ability to upload to YouTube and save as a MPEG-4 file. The biggest drawback is the 5-minute limit on all screencasts.

Features:

• 5-minute record time limit
• 2 Gigabytes free storage on Screencast.com
• Quickly and easily create screencasts
• Few features
• Good recording quality
• Saves as a Flash SWF file
• Quickly upload and share videos with a link from Screencast.com
• Jing Pro records smaller files and saves as MPEG-4 as well

Screenr

This is a very simple and fast web-based program. Screenr logs into your Twitter account and in this way keeps track of your screencasts. You receive a very short URL to paste wherever you wish or code to add to your website or blog. Although there are few features, the videos it produces are good-quality. The major drawback in this product is the 5-minute time limit.

Features:

• No installation on your computer
• Quickly and easily create a screencast
• 5-minute recording limit
• Good recording quality
• Must sign in to a Twitter account to use
• After upload to server and posting to Twitter, you can download the MP4 file or upload to YouTube

Screencast-o-Matic

Although visually not appealing, Screencast-o-Matic does a good job at creating screencasts. There is a time limit of 15 minutes for the free version, which is branded with the Screencast-o-Matic logo in the lower-left corner. For $5, you can upgrade to Pro and get up to an hour of recording time without branding. Video and audio quality are good. The screencast may be saved on your computer or uploaded to their servers or YouTube. This is a good option for those who need more than 5 minutes.

Features:

• No installation on your computer
• 15-minute limit with free version / 1-hour limit with paid version
• Can be uploaded to Screencast-O-Matic’s servers, to YouTube HD, or downloaded to the computer
• Saves as Quicktime MP4, Windows Media Player AVI, or Flash SWF file
• Emphasizes mouse clicks with a colored dot
• Can be resized when saved, although quality may be reduced

Wink

This program allows users to record at variable rates and add text boxes with buttons to require interaction. Upon recording, you can see each frame and can add more complex controls such as advancement to a certain frame. Wink then renders the frames to a compact file for viewing. This program requires a little more work but is good for certain tutorials, such as those that need on-screen text or require the video to stop.

Features:

• Notes can be added to frames that require clicking
• Frames captured based on mouse and keyboard actions
• Mouse location can be manipulated
• Frames can be removed
• Variable capture rate
• Produces compact files
• Can be saved as a Flash file or Executable (EXE) file

CamStudio

This popular open-source software is not as visually appealing, but offers many audio and video options. The recording may be saved as an AVI or SWF file, and the AVI file may be converted to a Flash SWF file later. The downside is the file size, which may be larger than other programs.

Features:

• File can be saved as Windows Media Player AVI and converted to Flash SWF file
• Looks simple, but CamStudio has many options for recording video and audio
• You can add notes to the video and highlight the cursor
• A popular free choice
• Tends to produce large files

ScreenToaster

This is another web-based program, like Jing and Screenr. It allows limited editing, such as subtitles and changing of the preview image. You must register and log in to use the files produced, which are fairly economically sized. Overall, this is a fairly good option.

Features:

• No installation on your computer
• Subtitles can be added
• Audio can be recorded later or done over
• Can be uploaded to ScreenToaster’s servers or YouTube, and can be downloaded
• Produces relatively smaller files
• You must be logged in to use files
• Saves as a Quicktime MOV file or Flash SWF file (requires signup)

Commercial screencast software

ScreenFlow (Mac)

ScreenFlow is a feature-rich screencast program available only for the Mac. It differs from other programs in that you record the entire screen and edit the screencast with the many editing options on a timeline. Options for video editing include screen rotation, reflection, shadow, and color balance. Audio effects can be added, as well as text and cursor effects. ScreenFlow uses a special algorithm to record only what changes on screen, creating more compact files. This is an excellent program for those who plan on creating professional screencasts and have the time to learn how it works. The software adds a large watermark to the resulting video until the $99 is paid.

Features:

• Records entire screen and then allows editing
• Higher learning curve
• A timeline is used to edit and manipulate video and audio
• Features-rich interface
• 3D and transparency effects
• $99 to buy and remove large watermark from demo
• Can be saved as a Quicktime MOV or M4V file.
• Records only changes on screen, which produces smaller files, saving bandwidth and money

Camtasia Studio (PC)

Recording your screencast is quite simple, after which you can save or edit the file. The editing tool allows great control over exactly what the viewer will see, allowing functions such as a large number of transitions, as well as zoom to selected areas. Camtasia Studio automatically adds zoom effects to selected areas in your video. It has a few audio features, such as noise reduction, which produce higher-quality sound recordings. Files can be uploaded to Screencast.com or YouTube, or can be saved as one of many formats, from Flash to Windows Media Player to Quicktime files. Files are not overly bloated due to the ability to adjust audio and video quality. This program has a higher learning curve as is good for more than a casual screencaster. The price tag is fairly steep, at $299.

Features:

• Many options to save screencast
• Files produced are more streamlined than average
• Ability to add graphics and text, zoom, and other effects available
• A few audio effects available
• Files can be saved in almost any format: AVI, MOV, SWF, and others
• $299 to purchase
• Higher learning curve, more complicated for a beginner
• Camtasia Studio is not as user-friendly as Camtasia for Mac

Camtasia (Mac)

This screencasting software is similar to ScreenFlow. It offers preset video actions, such as zoom in and fade out, as well as the ability to rotate the screencast along any axis. Camtasia for Mac may be somewhat easier to learn than ScreenFlow but may lack a few features. It automatically creates a Flash file to play the MP4 file where the video resides. The resulting file can be a little bloated in size as well. This is an overall good program for recording screencasts.

Features:

• Records entire screen and then allows editing
• Higher learning curve
• A timeline is used to edit and manipulate video and audio
• Feature-rich interface
• 3D and transparency effects
• $99-149 to purchase
• More choices to save the screencast, such as Quicktime MOV, Windows Media Player AVI, and MPEG-4
• Can create a Flash file to play the MP4 file
• Resulting file sizes are larger than average
• Easier to learn than Camtasia Studio
• Similar to ScreenFlow (with more user-friendly options)

Apple Quicktime

Newer versions of Quicktime now allow screencasting. Much like many of Apple’s software, the Quicktime screencast interface is simple and streamlined. On the downside, there are few options to optimize your screencasts. The software allows you to quickly save your file or upload your screencast to YouTube. It can be purchased separately as Quicktime 7 Pro or as Quicktime X with Snow Leopard OS. It is saved as a Quicktime MOV file.

Features:

• Simple, streamlined
• Less options but very simple
• Quickly upload files to YouTube
• $29.99 to purchase Quicktime 7 or $29 to purchase Snow Leopard OS with Quicktime X
• Records screencast as a Quicktime MOV file

Adobe Captivate

Captivate is not screencast software per se, although it has the capabilities. It is akin to Flash, only easier, complete with a timeline and many other functions. If you are just going to screencast, it may not be necessary to invest in such a robust program that is meant for complex presentations. The high learning curve makes it a poor option for the occasional screencaster. The main drawback is the price: $799 to purchase.

Features:

• Not a screencasting program per se, although it is fully capable of producing screencasts
• High learning curve, for those who wish to take advantage of the programs other features
• Can record tutorials efficiently with a series of screenshots
• Many options for producing high-quality tutorials and presentations
• Saves as an Adobe Flash (SWF) file
• $799 to purchase

SnapzProX (Mac)

SnapProX for Mac offers many features for reducing the file size of your screencast. You can reduce the screen capture size to 10% and enlarge it up to 400%. There are many options to adjust video and audio quality as well, including adjustable frame rate and number of colors. You can preview how the video may look before you begin to record. All this results in an ability to create more streamlined files, saving bandwidth and money. This biggest drawback to Snapz is that it only saves as a Quicktime MOV file.

Features:

• $69 to purchase
• Screencast may be scaled from 10% to 400%
• Frames per second can be set from 1-30
• Many options for adjusting video and audio settings
• Allows preview of recording quality
• Saves as a QuickTime MOV file

iShowU (Mac)

iShowU has a good number of presets for recording, with the ability to add your own. You can adjust audio and video settings to fine-tune your screencast. Frame rate can be set from 1-40. Mouse clicks may also be highlighted and the recording may be set to follow the mouse. At $20, the price is not expensive. The drawbacks to iShowU is that is creates somewhat bloated files and saves only as Quicktime MOV files.

Features:

• Many recording presets
• Many options for adjusting audio and video
• May follow the mouse and highlight clicks
• Screencast may be scaled from 1% to 100%
• Files produced are larger than those produced by other screencast programs
• Saves as a QuickTime MOV file
• Economically priced at $20

ALLCapture

Similar to Captivate, ALLCapture records screen changes and records these as frames, which appear on the timeline. There are many options for adding graphics, effects, and text. This software has a higher learning curve, but may be rewarding to those who want more control over their screencasts. ALLCapture does an excellent job at producing streamlined files. The software, however, is rather pricey at a minimum of $199.

Features:

• Higher learning curve
• Offers many options, such as graphics, text, and transition effects
• Compact file sizes due to recording method
• Frame rate can be set from 1-30 frames a second
• Saves as Flash SWF, Executable EXE, MPEG, andWindows Media Player files
• Purchase price steep at $199-398 and higher for the enterprise version

Conclusion

For the amateur or occasional screencaster, I would recommend such web-based programs as Jing, Screenr, and ScreenToaster. For a person planning to use screencasting extensively, a more robust solution would be required, such as ScreenFlow or SnapzProX for Mac, and Camtasia for the PC. Good free programs would be CamStudio and Screencast-o-Matic.

In conclusion, it all depends on your specific needs. Think of the following:

• Am I going to be screencasting often, or occasionally?
• Am I ready to pay $100 or more for a robust screencasting solution?
• Am I willing to invest time to learn how to use the software? Or do I need a simple solution?
• Do I need to add graphics and text? Or simple record my activity onscreen?
• Is file size important?
• Do I want to host the videos on my site or an external site, such as YouTube?
• Do I need a specific file type, such as Quicktime or Flash files?

Other resources

• Smashing Magazine – Screencasting: How To Start, Tools and Guidelines
• Lifehacker – Five Best Screencasting Tools
• Mashable – 12 Screencasting Tools

Did you get the website?

Now more than ever, every successful business that advertises needs an easy-to-read, memorable name. The reason is simple: People are bombarded by myriad ads from all sources and the only way to get customers is if your ad stands out, or is easily memorable. Something unique may make the potential customer notice your business, but if they forget the domain how will they find your website? Where does this apply? Everywhere. Your domain is displayed on billboards, television, car and truck graphics, newspaper and magazine ads, business cards, and anywhere else you write your contact information, as well as heard through various media. The last thing you want is for a potential client to forget your website and go to a competitor. What can help with this?

Shorten your domain name

Finding a good short domain name can be quite a challenge, especially for one and two-word .com domains. Some have, therefore, decided to use domains with an unnecessarily high number of words for their website. The domain name may be keyword-rich (www.autoimportsautoexports.com) or contain the entire business name (www.atlantaautoimportcompanyinc.com). While this may work, there are some pitfalls. A long domain will almost certainly be forgotten because of there being too many words. In addition, many words tend to run together and make it difficult to even read. How short should your domain be?

Unless two of the words are a phrase (“web designs” in dreamwebdesigns.com) you should try to keep the domain under three words, if possible. You may be able to abbreviate your words (Federal Express to “FedEx”) or remove unnecessary endings, like “inc”, “company”, “solutions”, and “group”. You may have to search to find the right domain or even buy the domain from a reseller, but it may pay you back many times. Long domains also have a small chance at true success. Case in point, out of the Alexa top websites by traffic, only about a third have more than one word and the average length of the domain without the top-level domain (.com, .net, etc.) is about 6 letters.

Remove the “www”

As was discussed in the previous post, the “www” is entirely optional for the domain name on the Internet. The same applies to ads, and even more so because of the need to economize advertising space. Do not worry about your site not being found. All webmasters should have a system in place to redirect all “non-www” requests to the “www” version, if you wish to keep this in your domain. Not having the “www.” at the beginning of your domain advertisement let’s the potential customer focus on the domain name, and not the extra 10-syllable “du-bu-yoo du-bu-yoo du-bu-yoo dot” phrase.

Capitalize the first letters or words

Having all lowercase letters, as well as the “www.” prefix, makes the domain more difficult to read in many ads. A very simple way to make the words stand out is to capitalize the first letters of all words in the domain name. For example, “AtlantaAutoGroup.com” is easier to read and more memorable than “www.atlantaautogroup.com”.

Do not forget typography

Having proper typography will also make the difference in a memorable domain. The font chosen has to be readable and simple. Contrast has to be great enough to see the letters clearly. Proper use of white space, or negative space, can make the words more readable as well. Care must be taken when advertising on a surface that is slanted, such as a rear car window. Normal text can be so distorted by the angled surface that it can be impossible to read.

Join Dream Web Designs in coming articles as I discuss more on how to improve you online business.

World Wide Web

Everyone who uses the Internet is familiar with the letters “www”, which prefix most websites. An increasing number of sites, however, have chosen to go without the prefix, along with the extra dot. Whether to use this or not is purely a matter of choice, although because of a longstanding tradition, many still include it in their domain. It comes from when the World Wide Web was just starting and the “www” prefix was used to differentiate it from other Internet protocols, like mail and file transfer protocol (ftp). As it turns out, the World Wide Web (www) and websites became the most popular use of the Internet, and the “www” stuck. But what are the pros and cons of using “www” before your domain?

Pros of using “www”:

• The domain looks more balanced
• People are used to it
• Some browsers may default to the “www” version (not a problem if you use a redirect)

Pros of leaving out “www”:

• The domain name is shorter, faster to type
• The domain can be read much more quickly because of having ten less syllables (du-bu-yoo du-bu-yoo du-bu-yoo dot)
• Less redundancy
• Reduces ad space and ultimately costs

For SEO, it makes no difference if “www” is used

For search engine optimization, use or non-use of the “www” prefix is in theory insignificant. Modern search engines, like Google, use highly complex algorithms to determine relevant search results and use of this subdomain appears to have no influence on rank. In fact, Google offers the choice between the “www” version and the “non-www” version for website indexing. Therefore, on a search results page, the domain will appear as the webmaster has selected or with the prefix by default.

Dream Web Designs uses the “non-www” version for many sites. The main reason is that I believe in simplicity and clarity and use of the “www” does not contribute to this. Join me in the next article when I’ll discuss the subject of how to advertise your domain.

Visit the site periodically to read tips for your online business. I also look forward to hearing from you so send me a message about your web project or just to say hey. I look forward to hearing from you!

Alan Burchette
Senior web developer
Dream Web Designs