Thread: Naming of the the big sites

Has anyone noticed a lot of the major sites don't use common words in their URL?

Think about it before the internet who would of thought:

Google = Search Engine
Yahoo = Search Engine
GoDaddy = Domains

The only big site who's name makes sense is "MySpace".

Is it just very effective branding, sheer luck or a combination of both that allowed them the put a strangle hold on their respective markets?

It's easier to create a niche with your name if it's never been used before. So ya make up a word. You get a perfect trademark with no confusion.

I searched google for noppid before I chose it as a name.

No Parent Process ID

If you look at the examples you have there, you will see that they are instantly marketing different angles. My Space is a personal site that plays on vanity. Google HAS done this with Google 'personal' .

My Space as a brand name is making a personal statement while 'Google - search engine' is a brand name and a service. Although myspace provides a service, it is not marketing itself as a service provider, it is marketing itself as a personal item, it is going beyond mass market and talking to individuals who in turn market to mass markets.

i agree with noppid, when you invent something, or just use a word that it's not relevant to anything yet, you ensure that people will associate it to you. Furthermore, in the case of Google, it enabled them to have users say they are "googling" something instead of searching.

Except that they never intended to call it Google that was a typo that they stayed with.

The great thing with associating your web presence with a unique and catchy keyword is that it is memorable and (if you are lucky enough to have the right domain) will ensure a lot of type in traffic. This is great for websites such as web directories and proxies.