www.chesterton.com
You’d think the logical web address for international, yet troubled, property consultants Chesterton would be Chesterton.com.
The .com addresses are still regarded as the most prestigious and the mark of an international, rather than a local company.
But the firm was beaten to this most obvious of addresses by another Chesterton, one which specialises in various industrial goods, and which has an equal claim to internationality.
Hence Chesterton is left with the more homely chesterton.co.uk as its web address, which doesn’t exactly sell its cross-border reputation.
www.jll.co.uk
Now, this might be a reasonable domain to guess at for Jones Lang LaSalle’s British operation. Again, it would be wrong. For, after a pause in which the page passes www.listerlea.co.uk, you are redirected to the website of BK, a property assets company.
However this might appear, it is not an example of cybersquatting, the practice of taking a domain name associated with another company to get traffic to your site. A quick glance at BK’s history reveals the reality: it was once James & Lister Lea, which has every right to the abbreviation jll.
Still, one can’t help wondering how much accidental traffic passes through the site.
www.healeyandbaker.com
Anyone searching for the well-known firm of agents on this address, or on .co.uk, will be in for a surprise. “We love you Healey, though you’re naughty! We love you Baker, because you’re happy,” declares the website. Is this some new revelation about the firm’s founders? No, it’s a website for a couple of soft toys by the name of Healey and Baker. Healey is a panda and Baker a rabbit. Incidentally, the correct site, www.healey-baker.co.uk, actually redirects to Cushman & Wakefield’s international homepage now. The moral of all these tales? Make sure that you have all possible domain names registered.
