Things To Consider When Picking Your Domain Name…

So you want to start blogging but need a domain name.

Maybe you have one already but you're just not sure it's THE ONE and you need a little convincing.

Well, below are some of my tried and true tips for helping to pick a domain name.  Trust me when I say, Marie and I have gone through our share of terrible domain names over the 19 years we've been online and so this is a quick recap of the 8 most important “tips” we could give you.

You'll find the suggestions quite specific to help you flesh out your domain name.

If after reading this, you're still not sure which direction you should go, reach out to us!

Be sure to use the business name generator if you need it!

Go ahead and register for it now using this link and to find out more about our blogging journey, watch this quick video about why we started to blog!

And by the way, if you have not taken our free blogging course yet, then why not!

Be sure to sign up for it, where we walk you through everything to get set up, step-by-step.

 

Why Start A Blog

Be sure to use the business name generator if you need it!  The link is below!

 

How To Pick a Domain Name

 

1. .com

A .com is always my first choice.  I know that finding a good .com seems few and far between but I promise people, they are still out there.  You just need a little more creative brainstorming to maybe find them.

So my first rule of thumb is to try and get a .com if at all possible.

Dare I say it, a .com is the most professional (yeah I said it!), plus is the default for people to remember.  If a person can't quite remember your domain name and are trying to recall it, they will always try the .com first if they can’t remember what you said.

I would even say that if your .com is not available, I would continue the search for a.com instead of going for the alternative (.net or an .io etc…).   If you are really hung up on the name though (maybe it’s your personal name), then go ahead and use a different ending but always try the .com first

 

2. KISS

My dad always used to say “Keep it short and simple”. Think about it…the most popular blog names are short, simple, catchy, and easy to remember.

Try to keep it to two or three words in length.  Don't use numbers, hyphens, or misspellings in your domain name: It is confusing and difficult for people to remember PLUS it's very hard for you to say.

I remember that when we started out,  we would often use hyphens in our domain names and they were a nightmare to give people.

When we started teaching about blogs and websites close to 17+ years ago, we had the first incarnation of our site called Ready2Go-Websites!  Ugh…Can you imagine saying that to someone?  It went something like this, ” My domain name is “Ready 2, as in the number 2, go, dash, websites .com ”  That's a mouthful and people were still confused.

3. Personal Branding

What about using your own first and last name?

It's a great way to establish a strong personal brand and works for any type of blog.

If your name is not available, then try adding something to it that might make sense, for example, my own personal domain name is AndrewMurrayHQ.com  The HQ stands for “headquarters” because I couldn’t get my name alone as it is a very common name.

 

4. Extra Words

If the exact name that you want is taken, you can add modifying words to make it your own. For example, if you wanted to start a foodie blog called “Cookie Crumbles” but that name is taken, you could try “The Cookie Crumbles”, “This Cookie Crumbles”

 

5. Don't Be Afraid To Grow

What do I mean by that?  Don’t pick a domain name that ensures you can’t grow beyond that topic if you wish to expand in the future.  If you want to grow this blog, I know it’s hard to think of where you’ll be 3-5 years from now, but picture it.  Be sure to pick a name that doesn’t keep you tied to a short leash, instead, pick a name you can grow with.

 

6. Formula For Finding A Catchy Domain Name

Yes, I agree that coming up with a good blog name can be a daunting task, but don't let that stop you.  A good way for coming up with a blog name is using an adjective + noun with the option of adding modifying words, again as I mentioned above. For example, this celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver “The Naked Chef” (“naked” referred to his style of cooking with few ingredients), “This Homeschooling Mama” or “The Coffee Drinkers”

 

7. Your Social Media Handle

Ideally, you want the name of your blog to be available as a handle on social media sites like: Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter so that your branding can be consistent.  If you’re set on your blog name and it’s not available, that’s okay.  A simple fix would be to add modifying words (as we mentioned above) to your social media handles but being able to have the same handle as your blog domain name is a huge bonus!  And as you check, if they are available, don’t wait, go register them now!