The process of how to choose a domain name for a website is pretty straight forward but choosing the specific name needs some time. Choose your "brand" from the start so you don't get stuck.
Choose A Name
Choosing a “good” name is not done overnight. Many are stuck for days or weeks. It’s okay. I didn’t know what my first blog’s direction will be until I was already doing it for two years, lol.
In October 2015, I started as “firsttimemomsurvivalguides.com.” As I was writing my articles, I realized I was barely surviving as a first-time mom. Who am I to blog about survival guides, lol.
After three months I changed my domain name to “firsttimeparentguide.com.”
It is more generic and safe in my opinion. I still didn’t know then what specific guides I will be writing about but at least I had a target audience in mind - first-time parents.
Apparently, that’s not how it always works. You can choose to get stuck finding the “perfect” domain name, or you can decide to brand your blog straight away.
The good thing about trying to find a brand name instead is that you don’t have to justify why you name it like that.
Nike. Coca Cola. Apple. Microsoft.
If you hear “Pepsi” for the first time, would you know what it is? How about FedEx? eBay?
These names took years to build their “brand.” You can also do that. And the name you will choose? I honestly think it can be anything. Just a few reminders before you choose.
1. It Should Not Have An Existing Brand Name In It
Last April 2018, I started my second blog about Airbnb hosting. When I was looking for a good name, I came across several blogs that do not belong to Airbnb, but they have the name “Airbnb” in their URL.
Only time will tell when they will be in trouble for using an existing brand’s name but legally speaking, you cannot do that.
2. It Should Not Have Hyphens Or Underscores
You might come across domain names that you really like but are not available anymore. Don’t push it by trying to insert a hyphen or an underscore, unless your brand name is “hyphen” or “underscore” which are already both taken. LOL.
3. Ideally, It Should Have No Numbers
Unless your brand name is 123, which I highly doubt is available, don’t try to brand yourself like a filename. “brandname1.com” doesn’t look professional and that is why it is still available, at least as of writing this post.
4. No Need To Do Your Keyword Research
Unless you are trying to hoard good domain names and re-sell them, there is no need to worry if the name you will choose is a good keyword or not.
5. Short And Easy To Remember
For fun, I took a dictionary while looking for a good domain name. I typed random, one word, easy to remember names but didn’t find any luck.
By this time, all one-word nouns must be already taken, unless it’s not in English, or it’s not a noun.
Just make your brand easy to remember to start with. If you provide quality content in the long run, people will remember your name no matter how long it is.
Changing your name is okay. You will not lose any content should you decide to point to your new domain name later on. It’s easy to do (separate lesson).
Once you already know your domain name, do the following:
1. Keep Your Personal Details Safe
Get your brand registered and privacy protected. That means that your real name and contact details will not be plastered all over the internet for everyone to see.
2. Protect Your Brand
As you build your brand, you need to show not only to search engines but especially to your readers that your site is safe. This can easily be done by making the “padlock” beside your domain name visible.
This padlock is technically called an SSL Certificate. If you don’t have it, and your reader is browsing from Google Chrome, your website will be marked as “not secure.”
Conclusion
Creating a domain name for a website should involve the following:
1. Choosing a brandable name.
2. Letting the world know that your site exists by registering your name.
3. Securing your personal details from potential hackers.
4. Protecting your brand by displaying a security seal on your site.
Your domain name can be generic. Don’t worry so much about it. It is just a tiny percentage if you are trying to make a living from blogging. Your name will be remembered if you provide value to your readers!
Need help with your domain name? I’d love to hear your thoughts below in the comments section!
Choosing a domain name is something that you definitely want to get right from the get-go. It is not something that can be changed easily and expect all of your customers to make the change with you. Thanks for pointing out the most important things that need to be considered when creating a domain name for your brand and website.
Thank you Aly for your feedback. I am glad to hear that you found this lesson helpful and I hope it will be a good resource as you create your new brand identity.