If you are registering a domain with two words, do you register the hyphen version as well?

If it is for branding and if I want full coverage, yes I do.
I only register .com .net .org .biz .info so adding teh hypen version will only cost $30~40/year.

Unless you have a trademark or copyright that you think is going to need protecting then I wouldn't bother with hyphen domain names.

Depends on your budget and your expectations. If you have low budget and low expectations the non-hyphenated .com is good enough. If you have high budget and high expectations then get the hyphenated .com as well.

What are your thoughts on variations?

For example, GreenCarShop.com - Would you purchase, greencarshop.net/.org plus GreenCarShops.com/.net/.org etc and so on. Do the variations end?

I assume this will all be down to your budget and your expectations for the project, but for a domain with a lot of possible variations, would you want to snap them up too?


Also, different varations for domains - how do you use them? Do you simply forward them to your main domain? Or do you develop them individually into a sort of mini-site that ranks with google and have it click through to the main site?

Thanks,
Bannaz :cool:

It depends on how serious you are about your business.

If I could go back in time and register the different domain variations for the site in my signature, I would.

I'd get the plural and singular of the .com, before I'd get the hyphenated. Just forward the domains to your main site. Mark mtgm's words.

If I get the desired domain name without the hyphen, I would rather get the .net version of the domain than getting the one with hyphen.

I personally dislike hyphens but I think it could be a good idea to prevent someone from taking that particular domain name... especially if the main one has high traffic...

If I get the desired domain name without the hyphen, I would rather get the .net version of the domain than getting the one with hyphen.

I personally dislike hyphens but I think it could be a good idea to prevent someone from taking that particular domain name... especially if the main one has high traffic...
This reminds me of an instance that I have personal knowledge about. Where a disgruntled associate of a popular website registered a domain name of the popular site with a hyphen. Then he forwarded it to the popular sites' main competition site and promotes it heavily trying to drive taffic to the competition. The point I am trying to make is that if you have a site that can be registered both ways I would consider registering the hyphen version as well if it were to become popular. I would not register it until you see it become popular.