Shorter domain names are better. One syllable words are simple, short, and memorable. This weekend I was looking for a domain name for a new project I was working on. Everything I initially tried was taken. What I did know was that I wanted to add a one syllable word to the end of my “anchor word”. It had nothing to do with recruiting, but for this example, I will use the anchor word RECRUIT.
I needed to create a repeatable, semi automated process to conquer this task. Here is what I did:
1. Create a list of one-syllable words. One of Broadlook’s software engineers, Kevin, had developed an algorithm to do this. It is a great thing when you have a team with 7 years of software code to pull off the shelf.
2. Pass this list of one-syllable words past a good set of text to get a frequency count. Kevin suggested to run it past the Brown Corpus. It was a good idea. Once I had a frequency count, I could remove words of very low frequency from the list. The end result was about 6100 one-syllable words
3. Build a simple Excel spreadsheet. The spreadsheet allows me to type in a single word and it will create about 6100 lines of potential domain names. You can get this spreadsheet here at a site I set up.
4. In batches of 500, paste them into GoDaddy’s bulk registration system. All the domains that are already registered will be culled out of the results.
If you are looking for a domain name in the recruiting space, you can try RecruitWho.com, RecruitGo.com or RecruitGun.com. All of these domains were available as of this writing. Below is the full list of 5700 available domain names starting with the word RECRUIT. Within this list are some good domains, and many very bad ones. They are listed in the order of occurrence of the word in the English language, starting with “the” being the most used. While this may seem daunting, check your premises. Try manually thinking up a domain name, checking if it is available, and trying again, again and again vs. looking through this list. This way is much faster. If someone picks one from this list, let me know, I’d love to hear that I saved you time. Go get em!
RECRUIT THE.COM
RECRUIT OF.COM
RECRUIT AND.COM
RECRUIT TO.COM
RECRUIT THAT.COM
RECRUIT IS.COM
RECRUIT WAS.COM
RECRUIT HE.COM
RECRUIT FOR.COM
RECRUIT HIS.COM
RECRUIT BE.COM
RECRUIT AT.COM
RECRUIT BY.COM
RECRUIT HAD.COM
RECRUIT NOT.COM
RECRUIT ARE.COM
RECRUIT BUT.COM
RECRUIT FROM.COM
RECRUIT HAVE.COM
RECRUIT THEY.COM
RECRUIT AN.COM
RECRUIT WHICH.COM
RECRUIT WERE.COM
RECRUIT SHE.COM
RECRUIT WE.COM
RECRUIT THERE.COM
RECRUIT WOULD.COM
RECRUIT THEIR.COM
RECRUIT BEEN.COM
RECRUIT HAS.COM
RECRUIT WHEN.COM
(more…)
It is interesting and challenging to pick a new domain name. At some point, it can get frustrating since everything you try to pick is already registered. Here is some advice, use a tool. You would not want to search the Internet by going to every building that is connected to the Internet and looking on each individual hard drive. We use a tool. Search engines.
Picking a domain name also has it’s tools. My first step was to find a source of words. I wanted short, common words. I found this resource of the top 100 words in the English language: http://www.askoxford.com/worldofwords/wordfrom/revisedcoed11/?view=uk
This gave me a source of data. I captured the table from the webpage using Broadlook Eclipse (I don’t cut & paste) and exported a list to Excel. Next, I visited a few of my favorite sites. Nameboy.com and Bustaname.com. With bustaname.com you put words into groups, and then bustaname creates permutations of available web domains. Using this method I picked up whichwhen.com for $7. Nice domain. 2 syllables, includes 2 of the top 100 words in the English language, and it rhymes.
Here is an example of what Bustaname.com looks like. In this example, you can see a small sub section of available domains based on top 100 words in English.
In my first hour of searching, manually, I tried over 50 domains, and none that I liked were available. In the next hour I had my pick of about 5 domains I really liked.
Moral of the story: Whether you are picking a domain name or doing Internet Research, don’t be stupid, use a tool.
What is a good vertical market to recruit in? I get asked this question every week.
However, most often the question is more a question of what I “feel” would be a good market to start a new desk specialty in.
“Donato, what do you feel a good new desk specialty would be?”
I say. “I feel like a great market would be placing sales reps in recruiting software companies that do real time data mining of contact information.”
They respond, “but Donato, Broadlook is the only company I know that does this kind of thing.”
“That’s right”, I say. “..and I don’t pay fees” <grin>
About this time they realize I am having fun at their expense and I chime in. “You asked me what I feel, not what I think.”
Most recruiters don’t think it through thoroughly when starting a new desk. Lets face it, thinking is hard. A day of designing software wipes me out more than a triathlon (ok I’ve only done one). It’s not their fault. This is how they were taught. Or I should say, this is how they learned. They watch someone who was a big biller and tried to do what they heard.
When discussing the creation of a new desk, I hear a good deal about reading everything from an industry, articles, journals, etc. Wake up, this type of activity is about learning about the industry, not if the niche will support a desk. If I am going to trust my livelihood to one vertical or another, forget the gut, give me data.
“Hey Donato, are you telling me to ignore my gut instinct?”
NO
The role of the “gut instinct” in this whole process should precede the data gathering. The gut should lead you to the top several candidates and then you then expose to the scientific method. The gut gets excited while reading and learning. Don’t let it get carried away.
The gut is the emotion, the wind. Let the data be the rudder and the sail.
To start a new desk, I would prefer solid facts about a potential specialty, such as:
How many open jobs, by state and nationally? (size of universe)
How many recruiters specialize in the niche? (competition)
What are the average fees paid to recruiters? (compensation)
What resources can I use to build a candidate pool? (sourcing)
What resources can I use to win business? (marketing)
Will I enjoy working this desk specialty? (mental health)
Can I own the space, can I brand this space as mine? (branding)
Once you do decide on a new desk specialty, based on the data, the first thing to do is think about branding yourself. I’ll focus on the other questions in my next few blogs. A great example of branding is Harry Joiner and his site MarketingHeadhunter.com
How easy is it to brand yourself? Two areas that I know are hot are Physical Therapists and Nanotechnology. Very different, but both very hot. So I went out to GoDaddy.com and checked the following web sites:
PHYSICALTHERAPISTRECRUITER.COM (FREE)
NANOTECHNOLOGYRECRUITER.COM (FREE)
BIOFUELRECRUITER.COM (FREE)
FUELCELLRECRUITER.COM (TAKEN)
GREENENERGYRECRUITER.COM (FREE)
Most of them were free and only one was taken. Again, all hot, hot, hot.
Heads up. Don’t try to go register, PHYSICALTHERAPISTRECRUITER.COM or NANOTECHNOLOGYRECRUITER.COM because I just registered them. The others are free as of this writing. I may not fetch the 99K that Jason Davis is asking for CEOjobs.com, but they will sell for a hefty profit.
The first Physical Therapist Recruiter to purchase the Broadlook Suite, you can have that site for free. (I have no passion for that desk). New clients only.
Don’t ask for nanotechnologyrecruiter.com. Nanotech excites me. It’s mine.
