Which Domain Name is Better?

Domains
1

NonprofitStartup.org or NonprofitStartups.org (notice the second is plural)

I’m starting a website/blog to help people who want to start a nonprofit organization. It will include information on how to incorporate, fundraising, marketing, creating a board of directors, etc. So, my question is, should I use the singular or plural version of the domain? (I own both.)

Of course, whichever I don’t use, will be redirected to the other domain.

Please share your reasons and thanks for helping me choose!

2

I don’t have an articulatable reason for wanting this, but I’d go with the plural.

3

To my mind, the singular sounds more like “how to start up a non-profit” and the plural more like “this is about non-profit start-ups” (as in a directory, or something similar). So based on the information you’ve given, I’d say go with the singular.

(Caveat - I’ve never claimed to be a typical user of anything…)

4

TechnoBear, this is the way I’m leaning, for the reason you said. Thanks to both you and Ryan for sharing your opinions. Maybe others will weight in.

1 Like
5

In my opinion people are more likely to remember the singular version and will be more likely to type it in than the longer one because it is shorter - not that this is going to make much difference if you are redirecting one to the other anyway.

6

When I look at either I think, “Nonprofit Startup < what >”.

You ARE a Non-profit Starup?

Your website is ABOUT a Non-profit Startup?

It’s not obvious to me what you re trying to do based on your domain name…

Normally people brand a name vs. a literal description. So the way you are going, maybe you want to add verb or an object, like…

NonprofitStartupPortal.org

BuildingNonprofitStartups.org

I question if it is a good idea to have a generic domain name (e.g. I never like flowers.com)

Apple didn’t choose “computers.com” - they chose a “brand” that was catchy, unique, and not necessarily an exact description of what they did.

Great brands aren’t always literal descriptions of the business (e.g. Nike, Pepsi, Oracle, Banana Republic, etc.)

Not trying to rag on you, just challenging you… :wink:

7

AppleFritters, you make a good point. Branding a generic name is a challenge, no doubt. I’m still trying to work out the branding issues for this website. And there are many great examples of what you are talking about (SmartPassiveIncome.com and GoodGameStudios.com come to mind). Another negative of my domain choices is my inability (at least at this time) to purchase the .com versions.

But, for the sake of discussion and learning, let me share my original thoughts on this matter:

  1. A shorter name with only two keywords is easier to say and remember. This is probably the most important consideration in my reasoning.
  2. There is currently no competition in this arena using similar keywords. For example, there is huge competition for “passive income”. So adding “smart” was helpful, and maybe necessary.
  3. It seems (and I’m no expert) that two keywords in a URL should do better for SEO than adding a third keyword that is less valuable to me. On the other hand, if that third keyword creates a highly searched longtail, than maybe that’s an improvement.
  4. Nearly all of the most visited sites according to Alexa have short domains. I know this is not simple cause/effect, but it does represent something.

BTW, the negative of me not being able to get the .com sites is somewhat mitigated by the fact that people starting nonprofits are more comfortable and familiar with .org than the average Internet user. But, the .com would still be nice.

Now, having said all this, I’m not fully committed to these keywords yet. The domains have not been used and I could still change my domain strategy. Thanks for offering another point of view. This discussion is valuable and most helpful in thinking this through. I hope you will share your thoughts on my reasoning.

8

Jim,

How soon are you looking to “go live”?

If you have some time, I would wait and focus on branding. (I have know people that spent over a year trying to come up with a good brand name and domain name!)

If you are serious about this business endeavor, then take your brand seriously. (Think of how Steve Job’s legacy would have been impacted if he named his company “TeacherComputers.net” or “ComputersForEducators.org”)

Normally I tell people it’s all about the substance and not so much the style. But in this conversation, I think “Perception is (a large degree) of Reality”.

You want a brand and domain that sounds 1.) Professional, maybe a little 2.) Mystic, and something that implies 3.) They are here to help (and not hustle) me!

If you knew nothing about a company or site, just based upon “brand”, where would you rather shop…

BananaRepublic.com

or

SuperCoolAndStylishThreads.com
Apple.com

or

ComputersEducatorsAndStuff.net
EntrepreneursWhoCare.org
or
MakeLotsOfManyWithoutHardlyWorking.biz

Of course, all of this is subjective, but hopefully you get my point!

One more thing…

Give serious weight to creating your own word.

If you sell flowers, every name for a million miles around that term is taken. But if you use a little ingenuity, you can either create a funky new name (think “Google”) or maybe a portmanteau…

Hope those random ideas help!

9

Well at least then they wouldn’t have needed to pay a large amount of money to be allowed to sell music under that brand name to a company called Apple in the UK that was around for many years before Jobs decided to use the same company name (which only didn’t clash because they were in different countries and when the internet came along they were initially in completely different fields - music and computers).

10

Thanks for all the recommendations. I think arguments can be made for unique branding and for more general domain names. For now, I’ve decided to take AppleFritters suggestion to “wait and focus on branding.” Not sure where that will lead, but regardless, I will feel more confident in my decision.

Again thanks!

11

i would go for NonprofitStartups.org coz u also capture people who look for things in their plural which is the majority

12

I would personally go with something that clearly describes what you’re trying to do. like Starting-NonProfits, Successful-NonProfits, Running-NonProfits. Thousands of extensions to choose from. Both your initial offerings read to me (personally) as if they’re either about 1 specific one or a list of NPs in general, rather than how to create one.

13

Of the options, I like the plural better - like @RyanReese, it just sounds… right for some reason.

That said, I agree with the smattering of advice, and your decision, to wait and consider branding more carefully. I think you could find something better, if you want it, at any rate.

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