By Mary Jaksch
Choosing a good domain name from the very start of your blogging career is critical.
When bloggers first start blogging, the last thing they usually think about is the domain name, but it needs some serious thought. Remember, even if you are blogging about your granny’s knitting patterns, always think like a professional, and that includes choosing a fitting domain name.
It’s always a temptation to use your own name as a blog name. If you’re a rock star that might work. But if you don’t have a name that is already a brand, then it will be hard work to get your blog cranking.
Because you need to get name recognition, your own name will not convey anything to the reader initially. I reckon that Leo’s blog would have had a much slower growth rate if he had called it LeoBabauta.com, instead of ZenHabits.net!
What to consider when choosing a domain name
1. The length
Think about this domain name:
http://www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyll-llantysiliogogogoch.com/
(That’s actually a real domain name, based upon the name of a small place in Wales.)
If your domain name was that long, you would run into many problems.
Here’s a tip:
Make your domain name as short as possible whilst still letting a reader know what it is about.
What domain name would you rather visit:
www.My-Grannies-Old-Knitting-Patterns.org
or
www.kopo.com
Now, kopo may not mean anything to anybody who doesn’t knit. However in the knitting community, they might instantly recognize it as being short for ‘Knit One Purl One’.
The phone test
Consider how you would say these two domain names over the phone to someone:
1. www.My-Grannies-Old-Knitting-Patterns.org
“double u double u double u dot my dash grannies dash old dash knitting dash patterns dot org” -or-
2. www.kopo.com
“double u double u double u dot kopo dot com”
Having said that, here’s an exception. If you want your blog to be widely read, then it might be important to go for the longer and more descriptive name (www.My-Grannies-Old-Knitting-Patterns.org), rather than choose one that is a code for insiders (www.kopo.com).
Go for Dot-Com domains
If you can, it’s always better to choose a Dot-Com domain name, simply because that’s how most people think a domain name ends. Ok, we’re all tech savvy and know that’s not true, but we are in the minority and it’s important to remember that.
If you cannot find the .com domain name you want, it’s time to be a little creative. For example if you wanted www.kopo.com and it’s been taken, why not add an ‘e’ before it to make it www.ekopo.com? It’s still memorable and shows that it’s an online business.
Make it brand-able
You never know what your hobby blog will turn into, so be professional right from the start. Honestly, you might think, “I am just putting knitting patterns online how could that take off.” Well, take a look at Yarn Harlot. Stephanie has now written seven books on the topic of knitting.
Short names are much easier to brand, and by this I mean create a logo, put on business cards, expand, put in ads, and so on. That’s why it makes it easier when the URL is short.
Imagine trying to brand this URL:
www.My-Grannies-Old-Knitting-Patterns.org
It would be a nightmare putting this domain on business cards, in ads, on billboards or as part of a logo.
Where to check out domain names
If you want to find out the availability of a domain name there is great site at http://www.psychicwhois.com/.
It’s an auto completion tool whereby the second you start typing, it will look up relevant domain names. For example, when you type in “kopo,” even before you’ve finished typing, it will show you what’s available .
The arrow pointing to the domains in red show you that kop.com, kop.net, etc., all have been taken. When the name is highlighted green, it means it has not been taken.
The great thing about this site is you can check the “whois” registration records as well. For example:
If you type in kopo.com you will see a green highlighted box underneath advising it has been registered. If you click on the highlighted area it will give you the details of who has registered it:
You also can see details of how long it will be registered and some other great information.
Conclusion
This is just a short introduction to choosing a domain name. The most important thing is to let go of the critical editor in your mind. Just collect ideas – the wackier, the better. Loosen up, dare to be funny – and suddenly a good domain name may pop up in your mind.
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