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barkleyfraser.com
By
Wayne Caparas
In an effort to draw immediate attention to its advanced Internet services, The Barkley Fraser Company is among the first in the state to affix .com to its trademark. The commercial real estate firm also has officially changed its name to barkleyfraser.com and adopted the slogan “where commercial real estate clicks.”
Marketing and more
Founded in 1989 by J.
Miles Barkley and Chris Fraser, the company was one of the first Lowcountry
businesses in its field to develop a full-service Web site with multiple business
partner links. And, as a local forerunner to high-profile Internet use--a move
that many real estate experts believe will change the landscape of the industry--barkleyfraser.com
is the first local company to jump out of the gate with an ad campaign designed
specifically to promote its new cyber-services.
“The Web has allowed
us to leverage our use of technology even further by presenting our company
to the public in a way that shows our leadership in this area,” states Barkley.
Both Barkley and Fraser
say the new name is a reflection of barkleyfraser.com’s
emphasis on the cost-effective tools of the trade available only through the
Web. Although many of their competitors
are working on or have already implemented their own Web sites, Barkley and
Fraser are betting their name change and its built-in message will set them
ahead of the curve. In addition to real-time
information and communication services, the firm’s Web site includes click-on
options for listings, development projects and an area search.
While most business people
believe in the future significance of the World Wide Web, some cyber-savvy analysts
are debating the long-term benefit to .com
name changing. barkleyfraser.com is
confident that its new distinction is worth banking on.
The big question hanging
in the balance is whether this shift will enjoy longevity in its positive impact
on the marketplace, or if it will some day play victim to the depreciating effects
of over-application or technological obsolescence.
In the meantime, most analysts agree there are substantial short-term advantages to adding the .com suffix to a company’s name if the change is effectively marketed.
For Fraser, the name change gives potential customers the right message about the firm’s forward-thinking use of Internet technology. “Our name change is not meant to imply that we will reduce or change our commitment to customer service on a personal level, but to state our commitment to increased performance with an increased commitment to the use of technologies available today and in the future.”