Web 2.0 names and URLs: must they match?

[steadyrock]

I've noticed that a few Web 2.0 products don't necessarily match the URL name. For example, the online productivity app Basecamp has as its URL www.basecamphq.com (since, presumably basecamp.com was already taken) and Glide OS (the cloud-based, browser-fronted operating system) has www.glidelife.com.

So the question is, how important is it to you as a consumer that the name and the URL are exact matches? What (if anything) does it portray from a branding perspective if they differ? Would it turn you off as a consumer if they don't match, or do you care? Please share your thoughts. Thanks.

[ke6guj]

It doesn't matter to me if they don't match, since I know that most/all of the shorter .com URLs have been taken already by other people. So, you just have to come up with the best one that you can, that isn't already taken.

[Hopi]

Does a biz to biz vs. biz to consumer model color this question differently?

[vahtryn]

The thing about this is that there are people, me included, that will squat a domain once they purchase it.

Speaking of which, I have pirates-vs-ninjas.com to the highest bidder.