The question needs to be asked!

[flagmanruss]

I like the name of the site but wonder if "Mopar" might be a turn off for owners of other makes.   I'd suggestadding a bi-line about Cummins.  Even if the new Cummins are not offered in Mopar products currently, I suspect they may be going forward...  or become conversion fodder.  Just saying. 

[Mopar1973Man]

I've had this conversation with the staff awhile back. The problem is that if you start a new domain name you'll have to wait 8 years to catch up to the power of mopar1973man.com. So the domain will always be a least 8 years behind and never be ahead of the current domain. Search results are based on domain age as a factor. I never expected the site to grow this big so the initial design was just my personal notebook back in 2004.

 

So no matter what I do for a new domain it always be behind mopar1973man.com. If I replace mopar1973man.com then I get to fall off the planet and the site will die. Just changing the forum software took me over 2 year to stabilize Google and other search engine after the URL's changed. Bad enough I'm planning on doing it again I'll be upgrading the forum software to Invision Power Board Suite 4.0 soon. Software is already purchased and waiting for plugins to catch up.

 

So if I buy another domain name it will never have the same power on the search engines.

 

The short answer to the question is yes, domain age is an important SEO factor for your Google ranking. Among the hundreds of weighting factors that Google considers in determining how to rank search engine results is the age of your domain — in other words, how long that domain has been around.

It’s worth noting that domain age isn’t referring just to how long you have owned a given domain name, but instead how long it has been since Google first indexed that domain, or saw a link to the domain. Because of this many companies purchase “aged” domains that have been around for a while for the extra bit of Google oomph. Of course just because a domain has been registered for 10 years doesn’t mean that Google considers it 10 years old — it has to have actually had a site indexed by Google.

 

 

Now buying a existing domain is extremely expensive especially one that is equal in age to the current one.

[dripley]

I dont think name or domain change would be something to consider. I do see what Russ is saying about Mopar as a turn off to someone who owns a Toyota or Nissan. Who knows a lot of folks are pretty brand loyal. I know several folks that thought I was an idiot for buying a Dodge. I have been getting my pay back though. Is there a way to include something in the name without completely starting over or is this something like you describe above? As mentioned earlier by I think W&F, most of the trucks are still seeing dealers for work due to them being under warranty. Time is on our side for now.

[flagmanruss]

I was serious...  adding a by-line...  "other Cummins powered vehicles" or words to that effect.  

 

My MS Site "MSRefugees" has the by line "Information & Support for people affected by MS".  

 

I was going to ask how we set up boards to cover other makes & models...  OR do we initiate boards to cover the engines no matter what vehicle the engine is installed in. 

 

Asking questions...  no answers...       

[The_Hammer]

I agree that most people are taking advantage of the 5 year/100k mile warranties that are currently being offered. I also think that most people aren't interested in spending money to modify their $60k truck because they can't afford too. These trucks are going to have to age, run out of warranty, and start hitting the used market at a reasonable price before your going to see a significant amount of forum traffic dedicated to them. 

The way of the world is to dumb people down, it's been happening for years. Common sense isn't common, in fact it's becoming a lost art. There are people who are unable to tell time with an analog clock, navigate without GPS, or even sign their name without printing. That combined with the technological advancements being achieved in the automotive industry leaves most people panicking at the sight of a CEL, let alone attempting to diagnose the issue themselves, which results in a lack of owners sharing information about repairs.

Independent shops are finding themselves priced out of obtaining all the electronic diagnostic tools needed to effectively and efficiently troubleshoot the computer systems in newer automobiles, which again means a lack of repair knowledge being shared. 

So who's left? Factory service techs. The fact that they can be fired for sharing information about repairs keeps them tight lipped, which again means that there is no repair knowledge being shared.

The point of this long winded post is that I don't see any reason to worry too much about how this site will be affected if it's not openly geared towards the new trucks that are coming out. Most owners have no desire to repair a vehicle that's covered under a factory warranty themselves, and if they do there's no one around with a significant amount of experience to help them. It's all just going to take time. 

[Buzzinhalfdozen]

This is one of the reasons I got out of the auto repair industry when I did. Every one was saying I'd pretty much have to go back to school every 5 years to keep up with the technology, and buy expensive specialty tools to even think about working on newer cars. Heck even a simple oil/tire change is getting complicated. I can see a lot of independent shops getting phased out. 

[Mopar1973Man]

I've worked with two local shops. Both I could do the jobs but when you dealing with everything from domestic to import, then gasoline ricer to diesel truck it can drive a person nuts. Myself I enjoy being a specialist in Dodge Cummins trucks. So I've move back home and continue to work from home. I love it!