Keeping personal and professional domain names separate on the web begins and ends with domain registration. When web addresses for both private and public websites are too similar, then private and public communication may inadvertently cross. When using the web and social media, private web addresses must be kept separate from public web addresses in order to maintain the business owner’s professional image.
Distinct domain names for both personal and professional websites are a requirement. When a business owner’s name is too similar to the name of the business, then clients searching for a business online may be led to private photos or other private communications. When owners register separate domain names, they ensure that clients are not exposed to material that is irrelevant to the products and services offered by the business.
Many people keep both private and occupational blogs. The domain names for professional blogs should be completely different from names for personal blogs. For instance, if both sites are on WordPress, then bloggers should ensure that the web addresses are distinctive enough that clients will not be misdirected to a private blog. Clients want information about products and services, but they probably have no interest in what business owners write on their private blogs.
Owners must maintain boundaries when using social media. Facebook provides a valuable medium for delivering promotions and information to clients, but clients do not need to see the most recent YouTube video posted by the business owner. When business owners take the time to create distinctive social media domains or to differentiate between social media for private and occupational use, then they will protect their reputation while maintaining their freedom of expression.
Registering unique domain names is crucial. Having “yourname.com” as a professional website and “yourname.net” as a personal website could lead many business contacts to a private website when they should be visiting a business website. Therefore, the web address of the business site should be significantly different from the address of the private site. Also, users should ensure that inactive business web addresses do not redirect traffic inadvertently to a personal page.
Some people use different social media outlets for clients and for business. For instance, some people establish a Facebook domain for their private contacts and confine business contacts to Twitter. Or, people may handle private business on Facebook and use LinkedIn for professional updates. Whatever a business owner chooses, using completely distinct services will ensure that private and public contacts do not cross paths.
Business owners should use Facebook with special care. Distinct private and occupational domains are crucial to both freedom and professionalism. Business owners should establish a private domain for their friends and a separate page for their business. Also, if clients inadvertently try to friend a business owner’s private site, the owner should redirect the client to “like” the occupational site.
In today’s widely integrated world, drawing the line between private and occupational information is more crucial than ever before. Domain registration is a key component of maintaining professionalism. Business owners may lose important clients and valuable sales dollars if they don’t carefully draw a line between public and private communication.
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