Choosing a Domain Name for Your Virtual Assistance...

When you are first setting up a website, the first place you’ll start is with your domain name. A domain name is the website address people will type into their browsers to bring up your website. On a more technological level, it is also the name to which your website files attach themselves to.

Whether you are using a blog site or a standard website, you’ll want to purchase a domain name. When purchasing a domain name, you will also want to ensure you purchase it at the location where you’ll do the hosting. The hosting company I highly recommend and use frequently is Bluehost.com. They provide hosting services at $6.95 per month.

Have you thought about what you might want to choose as your domain name?  When you are choosing a domain name, it’s important to remember some key things about domains. Let’s go over some very important do’s and don’t as it relates to purchasing and choosing domain names.

Do come up with a domain name that is fairly short.

No one wants to type in www.aliceandmaryswonderfulvirtualassistancecompany.com. That’s just crazy talk! Instead, choose something that is short like www.aliceandmaryva.com or www.aandmva.com. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s concise and short.

If you have a super long domain name and tack on the beginning part of an e-mail address, the info before the @ sign, just imagine how much typing people will need to do to contact you.

Do purchase variations of your business name.

What I mean by this is you should choose multiple domain names when purchasing the website address of your choice. You’ll always choose a main one but it’s important to also grab up the others so you own them and someone can not have a website address that is close to yours.

As an example, if I were purchasing my domain names, I would choose www.bsetc.ca and www.bsetc.com and www.businessservicesetc.com. You can purchase a wide range and then simply point the additional domains to point to your website. That way, if someone types in something without knowing or searching, they will still find you.

Do check to see if the letters run together in a profane way.

I have seen this happen! Check to be sure that when your letters for your domain name are placed side by side on a line that there are no hidden words. I’ve actually seen one company, Speed of Art, choose the domain name of www.speedofart.com but when you actually spell that out, it also says ‘Speedo Fart’… Not necessarily the most professional is it?

Don’t make it hard to remember.

Instead, make it memorable. People want things that are easy to rhyme off and easy to remember. With the thousands and thousands of messages we receive every single day, we need to have short, concise domain names that allow people to remember us.

Did you find the information in this post helpful? If so, check out our Build Your Virtual Assistance Business course! The course contains information like this to help you build, grow and manage your virtual assistance business.

Choosing a Target Market for Your Virtual Assistan...

A target market, for those who are unfamiliar with the term, are the people you plan to market your services to. The more specific you are, the more successful you will be.  The reason is is because you can target your services, your writing and your marketing efforts to one group of people. A lot of virtual assistants don’t target a specific market but as the industry becomes more and more saturated with VAs, it’s going to be important for VAs to get specific and choose a target market.

Here is an exercise that one of my past client’s, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero of Red Hot Copy uses. I want you to grab that pen and for the next minute, I want you to write about your target market. Now, don’t just do a specific group. I want you to think about your ideal client, that one person you want to market to and I want you to write about them. A short example would be:

Bright woman entrepreneur in her thirties who is on a path to success. She enjoys her work her fashion and loves to take time off to travel the world. She’s technologically savvy and understands the power of delegating.

The key is to be specific. Don’t hold back and describe everything about your ideal client – your target market. The more specific you are, the better. Describe the type of business they would own, what talents they would have, whether they are male or female, etc.

Do the exercise now.

The reason we get so specific is because from this point forward, everything you will do will be to make THAT person, that ideal client you’ve described, want to buy your services. When you are writing your website copy, write it as though you are speaking to that person. The more personal you are and specific you are, the more you will sell because when people meet you, read your website copy, read your materials, they will feel as though you are speaking to them.

The next step is to think about the industry you want to target. Some people target the law field. Others target finance and some target coaches or speakers. In my business, I primarily target internet marketers and small business owners.

Is there a specific industry you wish to service? Industries could include fashion, beauty, info-products, health, fitness, marketing, etc.

Once you know what industry you want to target, you can start making your marketing related to that industry.

Did you find the information in this post helpful? If so, check out our Build Your Virtual Assistance Business course! The course contains information like this to help you build, grow and manage your virtual assistance business.

Choosing a Name for Your Virtual Assistance Busine...

Your name is an important piece of your business as it lets people find out more about you before ever visiting your website or reading about your services.

A business name is something that describes not only YOU as an individual but your business as a whole.

When you initially name your business, try not to let it get too specific. The more you specify what you do in your business name, the more ‘boxed in’ you’ll become over time. For example, if you name your business ‘Carla’s Bookkeeping Services’ but down the road want to offer web design or virtual assistance, you may find your name doesn’t serve your purpose. That being said, if you are looking to remain in one niche for the long-term (based on the goals you set in your roadmap) then a specific name might work best.

Choose a name that will grow with you and your business and one that will encompass many things. For example, my VA business, Business Services, ETC.

The second thing that I always caution on is when people use their name in their business name. This goes back to the ‘boxed in’ example I mentioned above. You want to think big picture and long-term. If one of your roadmap goals is to sell your business down the road, you’ll have a harder time if the business is named after you and requires YOU to be a part of the brand.

Instead of using your name, consider using a last name that is also generic sounding or, avoid names altogether. For example, Blaskie would be a bad idea whereas Smith or Campbell could be passed off as just a business name.

One last piece of advice is to allow yourself to be creative. It’s okay to use something that inspires and energizes you – even if it’s not traditional. My sister and I launched a website called www.punkersbean.com because my nickname growing up was Punkers and hers was Bean. We told our story on the website and it was a hit. So, feel free to be creative but just make sure you can back it up with something ‘press-worthy’ and memorable.

Here is a naming exercise that I want you to try. I want you to write down the first words that pop into your mind as I pose the following questions. Number them from 1 to 5 and you’ll be answering one to three words per question.

For those who already have businesses, do this exercise anyway – it might be interesting to see if you are still inspired and energized by the name you chose.

1. If you’ve ever thought about a business name before (or already have one), write it down.
2. Do you have a specific talent that is unique or specialized? If so, write it down. If not, write down your favorite skill. For example, bookkeeping, assistance, legal, etc.
3. Write down three words that describe where you live. For example, mountains, ocean, paradise, etc.
4. Write down two words that come to mind when I say ‘assistance’.
5. Write down two words that energize and inspire you. It could be anything.

Once you have this short list, begin to think about things that flow together well. Pair words up, add new words, let this process be a creative one and don’t limit yourself to anything in particular. Write down all of your options and take a look at everything afterward.

Keep in mind what it will shorten to. For example, Business Services, ETC shortens to BSETC and it flows nicely. If you’ve created a business name and it shortens to something inappropriate or something that doesn’t necessarily flow well, that could also go into your decision.
Take your list and start creating matches and partnerships of the words. Come up with something that you feel is perfect for you, your business and your future.

Once you have these choices made, get feedback from your peers. Pass the business name by your friends, family or colleagues. Get their feedback and give them a few options to choose from.

Did you find the information in this post helpful? If so, check out our Build Your Virtual Assistance Business course! The course contains information like this to help you build, grow and manage your virtual assistance business.