Web site name help?

[Lauren]

It is finally time for us to get our new web site up- we've changed business names and a whole lot of other stuff has happened since the last time we thought on this.

Our business name is Vibrant Life Massage & Bodywork, Unfortunately, the URL we would love to have, vibrantlifemassage dot com, is not available.

Our last name is Houston. What do you all think about using houstonsmassage dot com? It is available. Houstonmassage dot com (without the "s") is not available, and I think it would make people think of the city (which would be perfect if we actually lived IN Houston, but that's ~6 hours away from us).

We're the Houstons, and we massage. Does that work? Is there anything we're missing?

A few others we've thought of that are available are

tonyandrenee dot com
tonyhoustonlmt dot com
tonyandreneemassage dot com

I don't want to put "tonyhoustonmassages dot com" because of the potential negative connotations- it might pull up if someone is looking for the type of massage we/he don't do.....

I think that we will eventually end up having several web sites/domain names, but we have to start somewhere!

 

[Monique]

Could u stick with your business name and use .net?

 

[Perki88]

Or throw a hypen in there or state abbreviation at the end.

 

[sunflower16]

How about VibrantLifeTexas dot com?

 

[manx_sue]

I like the stick with your name and make it dot net.

Have you tried all versions of your business name?

Vibrant. com
Vibrant. net
Vibrant. biz

Vibrant-Life
Vibrant-Massage&Bodywork
VLMB, VLM&B
VLMBmassage&bodywork
VibrantLifeTimbucktoo (your town or county)
VibrantLifeBodywork
Vibrant-Life-Bodywork

Personally, I wouldn't use my name or versions of my name if my business is something totally different. Your last name will be mistaken for the city - it's much more popular (at least for now).

 

[Michelle2love]

Don't put Houston in it if you're not in Houston. You will get traffic to your website from people looking for massage in Houston. Lose-lose for both them and you.

 

[Rugby Stud]

You can also use .info now, too. I'd stick with the business name if at all possible. Houston will be very confusing.

 

[coyoteofgaia]

One thing to think of...if a name you want to use has already been used as a dot com, there may be a copyright/identity infringement if you use net, info, etc. Check to see if there is an active website of an unavailable dot com. If not, there may not be a problem because the industry is changing somewhat with regards to buying a URL with the sole purpose of charging $$$ to acquire it. Just a thought.

 

[Pompal 09.]

I like to use the name of the city I'm in. People often search something like "massage therapist [city name]" to find someone close to them. We changed business names and models, too, and our new website (which is online but not real functional yet so I don't want to post the link yet) contains our city name (even though or business name itself does not). Hope that mades sense lol

Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[Nathaniel G]

A thought I just had...We've been using ABMP's free web site service (which has been less than impressive, since we actually want to build a functional web site, but that's another story). The URL is vibrantlife dot massagetherapy dot com.

what about vibrantlifemassagetherapy dot com? Just take out that first "dot"?

 

[NYgirl]

A thought I just had...We've been using ABMP's free web site service (which has been less than impressive, since we actually want to build a functional web site, but that's another story). The URL is vibrantlife dot massagetherapy dot com.

what about vibrantlifemassagetherapy dot com? Just take out that first "dot"?

Any thoughts here?

 

[Callie :)]

Advice I was given from a web-person was to always buy a second domain name that is your name...for example,

http://www.suefisher.com

That way people can always find you if they cannot remember your regular domain name.

 

[Jr. is angry]

more good advice. Thanks.

 

[Pompal 09.]

what about vibrantlifemassagetherapy dot com? Just take out that first "dot"?

That sounds perfect!

 

[Tight End]

I like that name!

 

[HaK attack! [panda-kun]]

Thanks!

On another note, I realized today that a domain name we had registered some (a company we are no longer using) is indeed registered in our name, as opposed to "private". I was told that registering it "private" would mean that we would not be able to switch hosting sites, but "public" we could. When we canceled our contract with the service we did not like, they told hubby that we could NOT take the domain names with us. When I checked today, they're registered to US, not to them.

How can I get my domain names back? One was for the old name, which isn't an issue anymore, but the other one, we do want! Any advice there?

 

[Alec]

All I have to do to move my domain name is to change the private to public. The company I moved it TO explained to me how - the company I was moving FROM was not so helpful. It was simple; just a check box action. Being private keeps it from being captured against YOUR will, but you can change that for the short amount of time you need it to be open to be captured by the host of your choice.

Legally, if you registered the name and are paying for that name, it is yours and they have to release it. I think you have to have it hosted in one spot for 60 days or something like that - it's been awhile since I've done this - but then you can move it to another host and they legally have to allow that move.

 

[72 mg]

it's always been public- we haven't changed a thing (yet). well, we finally got so frustrated with being unable to actually work on the page (we never even actually got a single page up in the first place!), we canceled the contract. and that wasn't easy, but we did get out of it w/o penalty.

now i've found a host who does support frontpage. it is the web site building program we both know how to use, and will save us umpteen hours of trying to learn a new program- at least until i have time to! we want to move that domain to the new place, as well as setting up the new site, as soon as possible.

 

[Janny]

Oh, I guess I totally missed what the question was! And I still don't know.... sorry. I'll be quiet now. :

 

[Raul Castro M.]

A thought I just had...We've been using ABMP's free web site service (which has been less than impressive, since we actually want to build a functional web site, but that's another story). The URL is vibrantlife dot massagetherapy dot com.

what about vibrantlifemassagetherapy dot com? Just take out that first "dot"?

My original question was whether or not any of the URL's I mentioned in the OP would be suitable. Then I had the above idea. So the new question was, would it be a good idea to take the extra "dot" out of the web site we have now (the free one thru ABMP). All's good!