Companies should be careful in choosing domain names, which they use for their websites, if they want to survive and succeed in the field of global electronic commerce, according to a top executive from an overseas consultancy specialising in corporate names.

Naming was not a simple exercise, ABC Namebank International president Naseem Javed said yesterday during a luncheon organised by the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

ABC Namebank International is an overseas name consultancy providing services on the strategic role of corporate brand names in global e-commerce.  It has offices in New York and Toronto.

"The name must show power, it must be unique.  It must have a protective layer between so that your competitors are scared to touch you," he said.

He said a trademark, which is the register name of the company, was also important as both domain name and trademark went hand in hand.

"And if you have a domain name without a trademark, it will change, you will lose it," Mr. Javed said.

A domain name also needed to carry a marketing message, sell the business concept and be competitive.

"And lastly, the name must belong to you.  It should not belong to your neighbours, you friends and your competitors and people across the continent.

He said choosing the name could be divided into various stages.

The first was the "professional stage" where factors like market positioning and target market were considered.

The second was "tactical analysis" - the company must check the suitability of available domain names.

The next step was to ensure the name could be protected globally and the final step was to register the domain name.

The End