I am a potential customer. I've got your brochure and it looks interesting. I think I'll check out your website. I type in the URL, which is something like [www.geotowns.com/Heartland/Prairieville/85487/] and hit enter. Oops, page not found. I must have typed it in wrong. Let me try again. Hmmm, still not found. Oh well, I have another site bookmarked that offers the same thing. I'll just go there. How many customers are you willing to lose this way?

I am another potential customer whom you just met at a party. We've been discussing our businesses. You politely ask for my URL. I say, "It's virtually designed dot com." Of course, I ask for yours in return, and you say, "It's geotowns dot com slash Heartland slash prairieville slash 85487." I've forgotten yours before you even finish saying it. You go home and type mine in and enjoy visiting my wonderful sight.

If you are serious about your business, invest in your own domain name. Your business name works well. If they can remember the name of your business, they will remember your URL. Make it easy on your customers and stay away from the dashes and slashes. Domain name registration has never been cheaper, thanks to the recent deregulation of the domain name registration business. So do yourself and your customers a favor and move on up to your own domain.

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