What to Do When Your Dream Website Name Is Taken Christine Wang - CNBC
go to original August 22, 2016

When the founders of Tesla Motors set out to prove that electric cars could improve upon gas-powered vehicles, one of the earliest roadblocks they encountered was something much less grandiose.

They couldn't register Tesla.com because it was registered in 1992 by somebody else. The company registered TeslaMotors.com in 2003 instead, something that naming and branding experts say was a smart move.

"The main thing is that all companies, but especially start-ups who have a lower budget, should not be focused on the domain name. They should be focused on creating the most powerful brand name they can get and using a modifier if necessary in the domain," Jay Jurisich, CEO and creative director at naming and branding agency Zinzin, told CNBC.

"They're at TeslaMotors.com even though they're moving into territory beyond cars. That modifier is not hurting them and they don't change their brand to match their domain. They're not branded as Tesla Motors, just Tesla," Jurisich added.

Tesla's domain registration story is one that entrepreneurs should note. The challenge of coming up with an iconic name from day one is often overwhelming for start-ups.

"It comes at the worst time: when you have the least amount of money. You're already intellectually, physically, financially stressed out and that's when you're expected to come up with this genius," said Phillip Davis, president of Tungsten Branding.

So, don't give up because the dot-com is taken.

Read the rest at CNBC

Related: GoDaddy CEO Explains Why You Should Own a Domain Name and Why You Should be Using It (Benzinga)

Related: How to Optimize Your Website for International Business (Business.com)

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