|
|
Times of India, 24 Feburary, 2002
Keyword, an alternative to .com
NEW DELHI: Thought Bill Gates, the chief software architect of Microsoft, was the greatest visionary of the new age? Of course is. Now, if you wanted to know more about this information technology guru, you would go to the Internet and read more about the man on his web site. His website would, of course, be Bill Gates right? Well, despite his speed and accuracy at reading the future, Gates was a little slow to claim ownership of Bill Gates as his domain name. Someone else has registered Bill Gates as his website name.
Similarly, to be known now and by posterity, Madonna cannot choose the domain name Madonna. Thousands of her fans type in Madonna on the Internet every day, only to realize that the website does not belong to the hip, hop and happening singer. Disappointed, they begin their hunt for her actual web site mostly by trial and error.
It is precisely to avoid usurping of owner ship and unnecessary hunt for the correct websites that Net4India Limited, an internet services company, has brought the concept of Keywords to India. And yes, Bill Gates and Madonna already own their names as keywords.
Well, what exactly does owning a keyword mean? The concept was explained to a select group from the corporate world, by none other than God himself. Alyque Padamsee, in his characteristic theatrical style, read out the Ten Commandments of the new age. The road to the corporate heaven, he said was paved with keywords.
Keywords are, to put it in a nutshell, names that take you directly to the site, the product or the brand you are looking for on the net. For instance, http://www.ibm.com/products/in would simply get replaced by IBM ThinkPad. Looking for the Beetle? All you have to do is type in Volkswagen Beetle. As Padamsee said: “The dot in the dot com is dead, and not just on the stock market. Long live the keyword”
Launched in the US about 18 months back, keywords have been brought to India recently by Net4India. And already about 200 keywords have been registered with the company. They range from Ritu for designer Ritu Kumar, to Infosys, Maruti, Wipro and Bahrti Telecom.
Is usurping of keywords possible? Unlike domain names. Keywords are difficult to steal. Says Jasjit Sawhney, CEO, Net4india: “ There is a review process that precedes granting of a keyword.” That eliminates cornering of a valuable name right in the beginning.
Keywords are, as Padamsee said, user-friendly and idiot proof. A simple, single word is much likely to stay in the memory than a complicated domain address. Importantly, it lends itself to hot focusing. One can go directly to specific information instantly. Gates 2002 would take one immediately to full text of Bill Gates’ recent speech.
More Importantly, keywords can be a marketer’s delight. With a single word, the brand can be invoked anywhere, anytime. Says Padamsee, the advertising guru:” You can put the keyword on posters, popcorns packs, slides and even straws.” Besides triggering a thought that leads to brand recall, this would also maintain identity in a consistent manner. A company could be known in its absolute, name is how Padamsee, put it.
Perhaps the most crucial aspect of keywords is that it can check waste and yield results. Getting to the needed information merely by typing a keyword, instead of arriving at the requisite destination through a circuitous route and after several clicks, could save many deals from falling through before negotiations begin. Research has shown that a surfer loses interest after four to five clicks. If he never reached the site he was looking for, the deal is off even before the proposal could be considered.
Equally important perhaps is the opportunity to ownership that keywords provide. “The most precious thing in the world is an idea. A man’s thought is immortalized by the name he gives it,” said Padamsee, Keywords give a chance to entrepreneurs to immortalize their ideas by owning it’s name.
Keywords are giving them a second chance. All those who cannot own websites of their own names now have a chance to own the keyword at a cost of Rs 2500 a year. Not a high price for taking ownership of your name. In case of doubts, ask Bill Gates or Madonna. Take your pick.
|
