Reason Number 17 Why A Business Can Easily Justify Spending $20,000 on a Domain

I was talking with another local business owner about the new sign he recently installed at the front of his business.  He was astonished how much the sign cost him.  Over $20,000 for a modestly sized but electronic marquee.  We both agreed that it was a necessary expense and paid for itself because it was professional, attracted the eye of the passerby, and could be changed or refreshed with the push of a button.   Isn’t this exactly what a domain does?

I stumbled across the website for Signs Manufacturing and although not the prettiest website , they certainly do a nice job selling the importance of a nice sign.  Here are four of the reasons they give why you should invest in a nice sign.

• They attract attention through animation and brightness so they increase awareness of your business location and your products.
• Your message is not limited by the size of your reader board.
• Your advertising dollars are invested in selling in your trade area, preventing excessive advertising expenses.
• An electronic message center will make your message stand out from the crowd of signs around you
• Changing your message, any time you wish, is as easy as typing.  It can be done often and safely.

Although not a perfect translation to a domain, many of the same reasoning applies.  A domain is sign to the world.  It gives you the ability to change your message at any point in time.  It saves you tens of thousands in advertising cost through reduced expenditures on paper catalogs and yellow book advertisements.  For a strictly online business,  it is THE name that people will know you by.  A great domain will make your message stand out from the crowd of domains around you.  And the prices of a good sign are not cheap.  Here are the going rates for Signs Manufacturing.

One-color interior 6″  x 80″ wall or window signs are approximately $2,000.

One-color interior 12″  x 80″ wall or window signs are about $4,000.

One-color exterior wall 4′ x 8′ signs are approximately $15,000.

One-color double-faced 13″ x 8′ 4″ exterior signs (one line of text) for a pole, pylon, or Monument sign add approximately $10,000.

One-color exterior double-faced 3′ 1″x 8′ 4″ signs (two or three lines of text) for a pole, pylon, or Monument sign add about $20, 000.

Full-color double-faced 5′ 3″ x 10′ 6 ” exterior signs (five or more lines of text) for pole, pylon, or Monument signs add approximately $63,000.

Full-color double-faced Electronic Message Center billboards (12′ 6″ x 48′ 3″) are about $630,000.

To me, these prices are directly correlated to quality domains. A step up in price as the quality increases.   So the next time a business balks at your price ask them how much they spent on their sign.  If it’s a lot, then mention to them that this domain is their sign to the rest of the world. If they don’t have a sign then mention to them that the domain is their sign for the world to see.  You get my point. A domain IS who they are and what Internet users will associate with your business.  Put the money into a domain that you would put into a quality sign.