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Who's gonna purchase a .dealer domain? Post your Questions and Opinions!!

Jeff Kershner

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We just had a great discussion on URL / Domain extensions on todays RefreshFriday. I was worried this was going to be quite a boring broadcast but instead it was the OPPOSITE! Check out the recording here - https://forum.dealerrefresh.com/threads/urls-why-should-you-care-and-how-to-launch-dealer.6862/

What’s in a URL?
Such a simple thing we all take for granted online is such a powerful thing that we can get burned for not understanding them.

1.) What are some of the problems with today’s car dealer URLs?
2.) How can a quality URL help maximize your advertising cost?
3.) What are some of the Best URLs .Dealer will have available?
4.) What is your Pioneer Program?
5.) How does the Registry/Registrar relationship work?
  • Do dealerships that already have a .com need a .dealer?
  • Explain the .dealer launch process
  • Explain .dealer pricing
  • How do .dealer domains impact SEO or traffic?
PLUS several questions from our viewers get answered..


Last you heard from Andy MacLeay he was repping Dealer dot com and that automatically gives him some street' cred on talking about online things, but you may not know Shayan. He helped bring us .inc, .xyz, and 9 other domain endings in more than 230 countries. So yeah, he might also know a thing or two about it.

Andy is leading the charge on .dealer, so be ready to take advantage of that one. But before you do so, watch the RefreshFriday webcast(posted below) and then load Andy and Shayan up with any question and comments you may have!!

 
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I know I may sound crazy, but I feel like we should be using the word dealer less and less (specifically with our customers). I think it sets the expectation for haggling and coming to a deal, which I know most of us want to get away from in this industry. I've proposed to call each of our locations "stores", because I feel it sets a better expectation. It's not that sales and deals can't be had at a store, but the mindset is changed in my opinion.

With that being said, I also feel .auto is a better choice if you don't want .com. Also .dealer is longer and I feel like it's difficult enough to get people to remember anything other than .com.
 
How do we get a .dealer ?
I pre-registered a name with a domain registrar
Should I stay with this?
Or are you doing this directly?
Laz
I would like to do the Pioneer Program
[email protected]

Hey Laz! We hit you up on email. Thanks for reaching out!

@Zach Houseknecht and @reverson I think the .auto domain extension is great also for certain use-cases and it really comes down to your own brand and how you'd want to be seen...I'd push back a bit with @reverson's examples. I can think of a TON of useful .dealer names INSTEAD of NJStateAuto.dealer which I agree is a bit wonky, what about just NJ.dealer? or NJcar.dealer? Jerseycar.dealer, all super memorable.

I think it depends on your how you view and want to market your branding. Names that "span the dot" in terms of being memorable and short have the best value IMHO.
 
Hey Laz! We hit you up on email. Thanks for reaching out!

@Zach Houseknecht and @reverson I think the .auto domain extension is great also for certain use-cases and it really comes down to your own brand and how you'd want to be seen...I'd push back a bit with @reverson's examples. I can think of a TON of useful .dealer names INSTEAD of NJStateAuto.dealer which I agree is a bit wonky, what about just NJ.dealer? or NJcar.dealer? Jerseycar.dealer, all super memorable.

I think it depends on your how you view and want to market your branding. Names that "span the dot" in terms of being memorable and short have the best value IMHO.
I just don't think having a *memorable* URL is nearly as important as it once was. Nowadays everyone simply Googles a business name from their mobile address bar.

Do you know what would happen if a dealer advertises NJ.dealer as their website URL? Customers are going to search "NJ dealer" on Google and never find the right dealer because their name is actually "NJ State Auto" so they don't rank for the ultra-competitive "NJ dealer" search phrase.

I honestly do believe there's a bigger opportunity for the .dealer domain TLD in the cannabis dispensary sector - like @craigh mentioned earlier.
 
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I just don't think having a *memorable* URL is nearly as important as it once was. Nowadays everyone simply Googles a business name from their mobile address bar.

Do you know what would happen if a dealer advertises NJ.dealer as their website URL? Customers are going to search "NJ dealer" on Google and never find the right dealer because their name is actually "NJ State Auto" so they don't rank for the ultra-competitive "NJ dealer" search phrase.

I honestly do believe there's a bigger opportunity for the .dealer domain TLD in the cannabis dispensary sector - like @craigh mentioned earlier.

Again, not sure I agree, but that is why we are here!

I think in combination with a sound SEO strategy AND advertising strategy, having branding that is memorable and short absolutely is a force multiplier to those efforts and would easily start ranking for those search terms, why wouldn't it? If owned have NJauto.com would I recommend swapping to a .Dealer Domain? Nah man. However, if you got hosed with a super-long URL because of a million different reasons? Of course I would.

Will this TLD be for absolutely everyone? Likely not, but the reaction to our announcements thus far shows some significant interest.
As to the other verticals this could be used for :popcorn: ... I think a ton exist! It's a part of the reason we believe in this. I'll be psyched when poker.dealer or art.dealer get used! However, car dealers are folks we love and have grown up career-wise around - so we think they can get the best use out of .Dealer Domains.

@reverson thanks for keeping the thread lively, appreciate the interest in URLs!
 
@Jeff Glackin For sure, nobody is saying move a URL for SEO purposes alone, I say do it for business purposes. I would think being able to directly remember a name off from a billboard, radio, TV, or even display ad impression...at the very least is beneficial, that is mostly marketing basics.

As to how to switch a URL and retain the SEO work and authority you have put into it, businesses do it ALL the time...rebrands happen constantly, and if every business that went through a rebrand completely lost its past work, that would not only be devastating to the business it would be to google also. THAT SAID, it does require some work to switch URLs correctly and folks on the forum or the folks that choose a .Dealer Domain...we can help you or your team/agency find the best way to do that!