Finance companies 'should prioritise domain names'

Domain names are particularly important to financial services websites, according to one industry firm.

Barry Summers, managing director of Financial Services Net, has emphasised the relevance of domain names to search engine optimisation and customer communications.

Clear, easily-understandable domain names are vital if consumers are going to find their way to a site that features content relevant to their particular aim or interest, Mr Summers asserts.

A mortgage provider should aim to have the word 'mortgages' in their domain name, he explains.

The practitioner notes: "Particularly in financial services, people look for products and not brands. If we were selling trainers, people might look for Nike or another brand that they want to buy, because fashion follows brands, but financial services follow products."

Meanwhile, Steve Berry, payzone's managing director, recently claimed there is a market for payment options incorporating call centre solutions, which may ease customer apprehension about the security of online transactions.