miss spelt domain name sharks

[steveaich]

Tweet

Not necessarily on the mistype argument - my guess is at least 50% of the people would not realise they had mistyped (most people don't) and simply assume Laura Ashley did not have a website and go off and buy online from another merchant instead.

There are plenty of people who will try [enternamehere].com and if they get a server not found will assume the merchant has no website, without ever trying [enternamehere].co.uk which is probably a fully functioning website, so if people do it with tlds they certainly do it with mistypes too.

Your argument would have worked 5 or 10 years ago when many of the major highstreet brands didn't have a website. It's not 2000 anymore, all the majors have websites, and everyone knows they do.

[drivetowin]

I still suspect it's a reasonable number who drift off - most people will give up rather than try again if they don't get a website first time - if they didn't then there would be little need for the major brands to engage in seo and ppc

.

[sgpratley]

It's probably worth mentioning in this particular case that the domain was registered in March 2000 so it's a bit late impo for Laura Ashley to be shouting about it.

When I first looked at the domain I didn't notice that it actually redirected to another site, then on to the client site, so there is no transparency in how the traffic is created.

My early comments were based on thinking that Laura Ashley or CJ had been aware of this all along, failed to update their T&C's or notify the affiliate, and that Joel was about to throw out a previously 'acceptable' affiliate. I'm dead against merchants chopping & changing terms without reasonable notice as affiliates invest time & money into sites, then see the carpet pulled out from under their feet just as they are about to turn a profit.

I don't think this is the case here though.

Although badly worded, the terms I quoted further back do show that the Laura Ashley is against piggy-backing on their brand as a principle. They are actually so badly worded that they have probably saved themselves - i.e. by forgetting to mention PPC explicitly, the site is against the letter as well as the spirit of the programme terms.

On a more general note, misspells, brand bidding, bidding on competitor names and so on all have their place, with the important caveat that the merchant is aware of what is going on. I think it's wrong for networks to put blanket bans on any of these practices, but should make the merchant aware of them when putting together their T&C's. It doesn't look like this has happened in this case, and they are probably due for a review.

[Jezorama]

The term 'pwnd' comes to mind. But I completely agree that a company like Laura Ashley whose scale is so huge, should buy all relevant domains. Its common sense.

If anything, you have made the company look like its run by the most unprofessional and not very clever people ever. Good publicity huh?

[JamesEvansSEO]

auraashley
luraashley
laraashley
lauaashley
laurashley
laurashley
lauraahley
lauraasley
lauraashey
lauraashly
lauraashle
llauraashley
laauraashley
lauuraashley
laurraashley
lauraaashley
lauraaashley
lauraasshley
lauraashhley
lauraashlley
lauraashleey
lauraashleyy
aluraashley
luaraashley
laruaashley
lauarashley
laurasahley
lauraahsley
lauraaslhey
lauraashely
lauraashlye


... and I have more, somebody can get some .info domains and optimize them...

[ParisEngLtd]

auraashley
luraashley
laraashley
lauaashley
laurashley
laurashley
lauraahley
lauraasley
lauraashey
lauraashly
lauraashle
llauraashley
laauraashley
lauuraashley
laurraashley
lauraaashley
lauraaashley
lauraasshley
lauraashhley
lauraashlley
lauraashleey
lauraashleyy
aluraashley
luaraashley
laruaashley
lauarashley
laurasahley
lauraahsley
lauraaslhey
lauraashely
lauraashlye


... and I have more, somebody can get some .info domains and optimize them...

Sorry mate, too late, I PMed my own misspelling tool so they can list the typos and secure them. It's one thing to get the domains when there appears to be no interest in misspelling from the company, another thing to go out of your way when you know there may be an issue. I would have to say anyone who registers a misspelling now really are the reason affiliates get a bad name!!! Plus .info? I can't even see a misspelt .info domain even making it's money back, you'de have to be crap at spelling and pathologically stupid to be looking for lauraashley.com and end up at lauraashlye.info!!!

BTW Free for all misspelling tool for domains, ebay, ppc & keywords coming soon at the website (remote.clickgb.com - Remote Repair Services) hopefully fully functional just after the bank holiday depending how drunk i get in Cornwall this weekend! The ebay bit now works as it should at Live eBay Listings if anyone fancies testing it and giving some feedback!