Searching for Deals and Finding a Stocking Full of Coal

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- This holiday season, online sales have been setting records – sales on Cyber Monday topped $1 billion for the first time ever. However, a recent study released by FairWinds Partners found that online retailers could be reaching even more customers and achieving even higher sales. The study revealed that a total of 90,320,336 visitors are diverted from 25 of the top U.S. retail websites annually as a result of typographical errors made when typing in those retailers' well-known domain names.

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Internet users inevitably make typographical errors when entering domain names into the address bar of their Internet browsers. When they land on the website represented by a typo domain that a third party has registered, their experience is disrupted. In the least harmful cases, not owning key typo variations of their domain names impedes brand owners from delivering a positive and seamless online experience to their audience. But many times, typo domains can pillage a company's advertising budget due to extorted click fees, lead customers to sites selling counterfeit goods, or expose them to harmful malware and phishing attempts.

Fortunately for retailers, not all typo domains divert the same quantities of visitors. In fact, FairWinds found that the 25, most commonly entered typo domains in the study, or just 0.9 percent, are responsible for 71.3 percent of the total amount of affected traffic. By recognizing the harm that typos cause and recovering a targeted set of domains, retailers can improve profitability and the overall experience for shoppers.

To learn more, read the full version of the study on the FairWinds website.

FairWinds is a leading consulting firm, offering its clients strategic insights on domain names and other online identifiers.

SOURCE FairWinds Partners