We get asked to register domain names for clients all the time and we always take the time to work out the best possible variation of a domain so that it is a) representative of the company and b) as memorable and easy to write as possible.

The companies behind the following domains (originally posted on: http://independentsources.com/2006/07/12/worst-company-urls/) can certainly claim that they have covered off the memorable side of things but I’m not sure they were 100% focused during the process:

1. “Who Represents” is where you can find the name of the agent that represents any celebrity. Their Web site is http://www.whorepresents.com
2. “Experts Exchange” is a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at http://www.expertsexchange.com
3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than ” Pen Island” at http://www.penisland.net
4. Need a therapist? Try “Therapist Finder” at http://www.therapistfinder.com
5. There’s the “Italian Power Generator” company, http://www.powergenitalia.com
6. And don’t forget the “Mole Station Native Nursery” in New South Wales , http://www.molestationnursery.com
7. If you’re looking for “IP computer software”, there’s always. http://www.ipanywhere.com
8. The ” First Cumming Methodist Church” Web site is http://www.cummingfirst.com
9. And the designers at ‘Speed of Art” await you at their wacky Web site, http://www.speedofart.com

For the record, none of these are our clients!

So Google’s Streetview service has recently got the go-ahead to launch in the UK amid widespread controversy. The service, which allows internet users to view panoramic 360 degree views at street level was launched in the US last May and has since expanded to France, Italy and Australia. Google’s camera-equipped cars have also been spotted in most European destinations as well as Japan and New Zealand.

“Our ambition is to be a world map” says Lars Rasmussen, one of Google’s original creators of Google Maps. And at this rate, they certainly look like they are going to realise that vision.

For their ambitious venture and dogged determination Google should be applauded, but the service has upset a wide audience of individuals and civil liberty groups.

To what extent is our privacy being intruded upon? What measures are being taken by Google to protect it and what are the long term implications of Streetview?

Many of the original photographs used for the US launch were quickly removed after serious concerns for privacy were raised. They included a woman in a G-string, a bloke strolling into a porn store and a man relieving himself on the pavement. A US couple has already served Google’s first related lawsuit, because photos of their home, on a private road, appeared on Streetview. In court documents filed in Google’s defence, they claimed that “complete privacy does not exist”. An arrogant stance that has been heavily criticised. Ken Boehm, chairman of the U.S. National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) responded “Perhaps in Google’s world privacy does not exist, but in the real world individual privacy is fundamentally important and is being chipped away bit by bit every day by companies like Google”.  Ouch, a caustic but accurate reflection of the general public’s concerns!

Google has quickly implemented safeguards including the blurring of vehicle registration marks and faces and the use of image removal tools but by their own admission, this automated process is not foolproof. However, The Information Commissioner’s office, the UK’s independent authority that protects personal information is convinced by this development. They say the ‘delay’ between the images being captured by the fleet of Google cars and their release for public consumption, post production, is sufficient to alleviate any security or privacy concerns.

It would seem that this ‘delay’ is the main assurance. But what if the next development is our streets being captured in real time for all to see? The growth of a big brother state is already well documented: it is calculated that each person is caught on camera an average of 300 times daily; analysts are predicting a tenfold increase in the number of CCTV cameras in the UK in the next five years. Already we have local councils digitally spying on us to ensure that we do not drop litter, that we place our wheelie bins outside our homes on the correct day of the week and that we park our vehicles in the designated spaces.

If the ‘chipping’ effect that Ken Boehm describes continues, and with technology briskly marching forward, it is not unreasonable to consider that companies like Google could soon have the capabilities and financial incentives to install affordable cameras on every street and highway. What was a service aimed at the traveller, student and researcher would then become a very attractive, saleable product to other audiences including law enforcement agencies, government and private business.

Greg Woods is a recent arrival to Score Communications and joins as Creative Director.

A few weeks ago on E-Consultancy.com our online marketing consultant Leon Bailey Green started a debate on the role of SEOs and PR professionals in search engine optimisation campaigns (read the debate here).

Some thought PR companies should take more responsibility for achieving links to their client’s websites, and others thought it should remain with skilled SEO professionals.

But what if you’re a small business without a PR company or SEO consultant in house?

Here Leon has put together some ideas for involving everyone in your organisation and network in building up links to your website which helps with your search engine ranking.

1. Message Boards
Engage in discussions on message boards relating to your niche and include a text link to your website in posts.

Make sure your contribution to these boards is relevant to your business and will add value to the conversation.

Most message boards will allow you to post links, but some may not pass on the search engine benefit. It’s still a good idea to contribute to these as you will be building up your brand with the right community and attracting relevant click throughs.

2. Cross linking with partners
Ask your clients, partners and suppliers to link to your website. They may ask you for a link back so be prepared to reciprocate.

They are more likely to link to you if you create pages specific to them that are useful for their visitors.

You might want to write a positive testimonial about a supplier which will encourage them to link to you.

3. Create something viral
Whether it’s a controversial article or a money can’t buy competition, viral = links + links = more traffic and a higher search ranking.

At ScoreComms we offer a full consultation and advice service on all areas of search including how to create and execute a powerful “links strategy”. If you’d like to find out more about this, please contact us.

Leon Bailey Green is an online marketing consultant and friend of Score Communications. Read more online marketing tips on his blog (www.leonbaileygreen.com).

Web design, like any other form of art or design is very subjective and in the eye of the beholder, however, when we see a site that provides a perfect blend of design, functionality, navigation and content - we like to share it. XFM, the London + Manchester based radio station seem to have got this blend just right with the latest iteration of their website www.xfm.co.uk.

A really nice sketched design template compliments some strong features in a strong layout. Unlike many radio stations, listening on your PC is a simple click profiled on the top of the page as their main call to action and they also utilise a very popular news profile mechanism that automatically flicks between the top 5 stories or offerings.

They are of course a commercially focused radio station dependant on advertising so ads are a necessity on the site. Whilst these do take up a significant area of real estate on the home page they have been slotted in so as not to completely take-over the site.

Overall, this is a great site. Well designed, highly functional and easily navigable.

XFM - we salute you. 

No.10 Downing Street have just re-launched their official website - www.number10.gov.uk. Including a raft of new gimmicks and tools like Flikr images, Twitter and Brightcove as the main TV player, the site has a much more modern/bloggy feel to it making it more user friendly and a little lighter than its predecessor. In an organisation like No.10, getting some of these new tools integrated into the site can’t have been an easy task but I think the result is fairly positive.

Despite the use of tools like Twitter which focus on the individual, it appears that the one thing missing is a human touch and in particular, more from the PM himself.

Nevertheless, 8 out of 10 for effort on this one.

It’ll be interesting to see how the White House re-design their site should the more tech-savvy Barak Obama win the top job in November.  Surely a candidate who has just promised to text all of his supporters with his choice of running mate will do something to change the style and functionality of what is a pretty dull and static website. Perhaps on this occassion, the UK will have shown the way forward?