I remember, for my first website, I’ve chosen a domain name without even thinking about the consequences. I didn’t know what impact it could have on my business. Well, I was new to blogging and, yes, I made the common mistakes that most beginners do. Today, I know that selecting a domain name requires a bit of strategic thinking. So if you are just starting out with your website, you may want to know how to choose a domain name for your blog and not just any, brandable and catchy!
Why Should You Own a Domain Name?
There are several good reasons to own a domain name if you create a website.
Here are the most important ones:
1) it gives a professional look.
2) it identifies what your site is about.
3) it gives you the possibility to protect trademark and copyright.
4) it built trust
5) It increases search engine ranking on Google, Yahoo and Bing.
6) It enables you to develop your own brand
Some Thinking!
It’s imperative to think ahead when choosing your domain. They are specific questions you would want to ask yourself before deciding what domain you want to pick for your site. It will help you find some ideas.
- What is my objective – Make money, instructive, personal blog?
- What is my target audience – Students, sportive, women, men, moms?
- What style of writing will you use – Friendly, knowledgeable, business, funny?
- What type of blog do I build – Art, education, sport, travel?
What to Consider Before Buying Your Domain?
There are a few factors you would want to consider before you decide to buy your domain name. Although, many websites didn’t follow any specific rules and they are very successful online. There are many debates over what is right or wrong when it comes to choosing a domain name.
Anyway, Here are the most important factors you may want to follow when selecting your domain.
1) No need Any Keyword in the Domain.
Yes, as funny as it sounds, it doesn’t matter anymore what name you give to your website since it’s your articles that will be ranking in Google and not your domain name.
2) What domain extension?
There are a plethora of domain extensions on the internet, but the most popular ones are. Com, .Org, and .Net. These gTLD types domains tend to rank much better in the search engine. Anyway, try to opt for the .com domain as it is the best one in term of SEO. If it’s not available, then the Org or Net will be great alternatives too.
Unless you built a portfolio site, you should always avoid domain extensions such as co, review, blog, money, etc…
3) Hyphens in Your Domain, Is it a Good Idea?
Not really! Don’t worry; it has nothing to do with SEO; you will still be able to rank on the first page of Google if your domain contains hyphens between words. As I mentioned above, it’s your content that matter in term of ranking. The only reason you should avoid using dashes it is because it will be too hard for people to remember your website, or define where the hyphens were placed when typing the name. Another reason is if you use a similar domain that is already existing on the internet, it will be difficult to differentiate it from the original one.
4) Trademark Names, What Impact Will it Have?
Avoid using a brand name in your domain. For example, if you name your website bestKeenshoes.com, then you will probably get in trouble with Keen in person. They may not take you to court but they will undoubtedly require changing your domain name. And I think no one would want this happen, especially after months of hard work!
5) Using Numbers in a Domain Name
Like hyphens, numbers can make it difficult for readers to remember your website if you have it in your domain name. Also, it’s not really attractive and it doesn’t look professional. Anyway, it really comes down to personal preference.
Make Your Domain Intuitive.
As I mentioned above, it’s not an obligation to have keywords in your domain, but giving an idea of what your site is about can be a plus. Readers will associate your domain name with what you do, and as a result, they will remember your website and eventually come back. For example, Organichangout.com is quite easy to find out what the site is about and it’s easy to remember.
Go Broad!
Using the exact match domain name is OK, but it’s not really catchy, and it can limit you in finding content for your blog.
For example, I would never use bestchocolatecakerecipes.com as a domain name; Although there are plenty of cholate cake recipes to write about, I would instead use pastrychefsecrets.com. It’s, in my opinion, more catchy, and it allows you to extend your niche in the future. You just need to be creative and think a bit out of the box.
Make it Short
The shorter your domain, the easier it will be for the readers to memorize and find your website. There are other reasons. A short domain doesn’t take much place, so it will be easier for you to print your name on a business card, which you may consider in the future. The only problem with short domain names is that they are often taken. So you may find yourself spending more time doing researches.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Opinions
What I do with all my domain names is I come up with a bunch of ideas, and I ask my best friends, my husband, my children, sister and brother what they think about each of them before picking any domain. Now when they see me coming with my list’s name, they say, oh no again!
Tools for Finding Your Domain Name
As I mentioned above, it’s not always easy to find a catchy, and brandable domain for your business. Sometimes we need tools to help us brainstorm and come up with a good name. Here are some of the best tools to generate some good ideas.
1) Domainr
2) Domaintyper
3) Nameboy
My Final Words
Choosing a domain should be fun, and it doesn’t have to take ages to find it. Don’t over think, make it simple and I am sure you’ll find something brandable, catchy and memorable! So if you are starting out with your blog, be creative and make sure to follow the tips above!
What domain name did you choose for your blog? Feel free to share it in the comment below.
Hello Daniella
Thanks for sharing this, it`s like it was written with me in mind.I made a serious mistake when choosing a domain name and ended up with a 23 letter domain name, sometimes it`s even a problem to fill it in some places.
But having said that,I just wish I had read a post like yours,could have saved me from making this costly mistake, by the time I realized it was not an ideal domain name, I was gone too far to abandon the whole site and get another domain.
I ignored going broad,like you mention in your post, I tried going with an exact domain name and that`s how I ended with a domain name I now regret.
I`m really surprised there are tools out there to help you find domain names, this is something I knew nothing about till now,so it`s something I will have to remember next time when thinking of a new domain.
Really appreciate you sharing this.
Hi Roamy,
Yes, I understand, a domain name with 23 letters is quite long. It makes it really hard to type it. Although, I have seen websites succeed with long domains. As I said, there really aren’t rules, but it would be best to avoid taking risks and chose what’s right for you from the beginning. Don’t worry if you have chosen the exact match domain for your site, there are many ways you can use to extend your niche. Yes, there are plenty of tools out there that can that can help you find a great domain for your site. These are fantastic!
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Hi Daniell,
Thanks for this post. I wish I came across it before I started out.
I chose a .org for my first website which was OK but to me, after I got more involved with my site, it didn’t quite resonate with what my blog was about.
Those types of domain name extensions are often associated with non-profit organisations, which mine wasn’t.
The headache I had to migrate my content across and then having to build trust again with Google was a nightmare. It was like starting all over again.
I’m glad you’ve written this post so that others don’t fall into this trap.
Also, it seems like nothing to choose a domain name but you do need to think it through carefully to avoid having to change it at a later date.
Once again thanks for your detailed article.
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
You are very welcome!
Indeed, many affiliate beginners do the same mistake when choosing a domain. It is really important to choose carefully and invest a bit of thinking into it:)
ORG is a great extension though, it tends to rank well too. Maybe your name wasn’t the right one:)
Anyway, what matters most now is that you have rectified your error and that you’re on the right path!
As you said, it is crucial for beginners to know these important details before building a website. So I hope this article will do the job well:)
Thank you for sharing your experience!
Hi Daniella,
Thanks for your response.
Yes. I’m happy now with my chosen name and domain.
Kind Regards
Jackie
Hi Jacqueline,
You are very welcome, it’s my pleasure!
I am glad you finally found the domain name that resonates best with your business:)
Have a lovely day!