Domain Name Ethics

[kathynewman]

My sister is setting up a florist - she and will have a website which next year may do online ordering.

Her business is called First XYZ (well it's not actually but don't want to put the exact name here at moment)

The domains FirstXYZ.co.uk and .com are already gone (she didn't check first before setting up ltd company - silly girl!)

Firstxyz.co.uk gives a message about a new site being developed and in meantime click here to go to another site which has a completely different name but is a florist.

1stXYZ is available as is Firstxyzltd (they are going to be a limited company)

So question is - is it "ethical" to have firstxyzltd or 1stxyz or would she be better off finding some other completely different name for the website?

Any suggestions.

TIA

[george]

I don't think I've ever had to add a ltd within a domain name.


I'd think up something better.


Maybe even a good topic for a Friday Competition on the Community.

[Mike Hughes]

Ethically, she can use that kind of name but would she want to? the other one is more likely to come up if somesone searches for 'first xyz' in which case her name choice will send all her customers to the other shop.

Choose a different and unique name. The trading name doesn't have to be the same as the company name.

Mike

PS. I quick search on the wordtracker keyword tool http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/ for 'florist' shows that they quickly degenerate into searches for 'boston florist', 'phoenix florist' etc. If she's going to be serving a local community it might be worth considering something like 'BristolFlorists.co.uk'.

PPS. 'local florists' is quite a high search term which makes me laugh. Even google needs a bit more information to go on. (at least at the moment).

[Darren B]

why not have the tld for limited companies

xyz.ltd.uk

or as suggested find a better name,
flowers-by-xyz.co.uk
xyz-for-flowers.co.uk

i would always have more than one domain name to try and cover some of the variations people might use.

[george]

PS, your sister... whats she like?

[fergusw]

PS, your sister... whats she like?

LOL - not that kind of Forum George!


I agree with Mike and Darren on this one.

[kathynewman]

PS, your sister... whats she like?

Very different to me!

[CymraegKev]

Could also be worth double checking any domain that she does end with doesn't actually infringe on the business of the other florist in question. i.e make sure that she can't be classed as "passing off" the other florist (even though we know she isn't).

Kevin

[kathynewman]

Thanks everyone - I personally think that she would be better having a completely different domain name and maybe changing name of the physical shop (its not open yet so they could do so) - but they are set on the name of the shop I think and so wanted something as close to shop name as possible so when anyone goes to search they will find it.

Will have to have a chat with her later.

[RuralWeb]

start again as she will regret it down the line. Go to the trademark website and check for a new name cross reference with companies house and then check the domain availability. She must get the .co and .com plus and variations to prevent others buying them.

Start the trademarking process immediately to protect her new name.

[Mark H]

Neither the name of the website nor the shop have to be the same as the Limited company name (ie they would be "trading names"), and I'm not really sure why the name of the shop and the website have to be the same. They will probably have a completely different, unrelated customer base, so I would agree that the priority would be to find a new website name which can't be confused with any other.

[bamboo]

The short answer is: if you are building a real business, the best domain name is the most brandable one.

[kathynewman]

Neither the name of the website nor the shop have to be the same as the Limited company name (ie they would be "trading names"), and I'm not really sure why the name of the shop and the website have to be the same. They will probably have a completely different, unrelated customer base, so I would agree that the priority would be to find a new website name which can't be confused with any other.

Initially the website won't be an online store and I think that she is thinking if people go past the shop and see the name of it and then go look it up on the internet to find more details or phone number, opening times etc.

[RuralWeb]

Domain name info here

[guccij]

Go to the trademark website and check for a new name cross reference with companies house and then check the domain availability. She must get the .co and .com plus and variations to prevent others buying them.

I couldn't agree more. We have as many variations on our domain names as we thought possible, but now almost the most obvious one (it involves a hyphen) has slipped through the net and we have a dispute on our hands Don't let this happen to your sister! It's stress a start-up can do without.