How to Choose a Domain Name
While purchasing the domain name for your site is a simple process, deciding what to name your blog can be more challenging. Your domain name should reflect your brand, align with the goals of your blog and business and be something that people can remember.
What is a domain name?
In very basic terms, the domain name is the web address of your site. It’s what people will type into the URL bar in their search engine.
While there is a lot more to it involving IP addresses and numbers, the great part is that you can choose a simple, easy-to-remember name instead. That makes it really easy for someone to find your site!
How to purchase a domain name
A large non-profit organization is in charge of the policies and management of domain names, and they grant permission to companies to sell the domain names.
When you are ready to purchase a domain name you will search to make sure your desired name is available. If so, you can purchase it and register it with you or your company. We have been recommending Name Cheap to our students for years and have been very happy with their service.
You will pay a yearly fee for your domain name but you can also purchase multiple years at a time. The benefit of purchasing years at a time, and also enrolling in auto-pay, is that you have security that you won’t lose your domain name if you forget to pay!
Steps to help you choose a domain name
Choosing a domain name is fun and also very important! Your domain name should reflect your brand, align with the goals of your blog and business and be something that people can remember.
If you don’t already have a name for your blog or business, you should first spend a little time coming up with the name that is right for you.
1. Narrow down your niche
Understand who you are and who you are talking to. When you have a clear understanding of the purpose of your website and who you are creating content for, you will have a better understanding of the message you want to share. Your domain name should be relevant to your target audience.
2. Think simple
Your domain name should be something that someone can remember and spell easily. If it’s too confusing to remember or to spell, people will have a harder time finding it which can result in negative impacts on your growth.
3. Brainstorm keywords
Using keywords can be helpful when brainstorming domain name options. You can make a list of words that are meaningful to you or your niche, and see if any common themes emerge.
Write down names on a list until you have several options. Mix and match different options and research how similar names are being used not online on websites, but social media as well.
4. Choose an extension
We generally recommend using a .com or a .net extension. There may be others available, but people may not remember them because they are not as commonly used so this is something you may want to consider when choosing your domain name.
5. Check for trademarks
If you are serious about building a blogging business, you will want to make sure that the name you want is not already trademarked. You can hire a trademark attorney to help you with this, or you can also search USPTO to see if you can gather any helpful information regarding your domain name.
6. Research
Once you have a list of ideas, you’ll want to research possible name choices.
- Google the name and see if any businesses with that name already exist
- See what other things come up when you search for that name and make sure you are ok with those things being in the results when people search for you
- Do a search with a domain registrar (like the one that we mentioned above) to be sure the name is available
- Contact a trademark attorney to ensure that the domain you want is not being used already
Once you are certain the name you want is available and that it aligns with your brand and is a name you are confident can represent your business in all of it’s capacity, you can purchase it!
We recommend NameCheap as a great place to purchase your domain name.
Remember, choosing a domain name is a significant step in your business, so take your time and consider the tips we have shared. A well-chosen domain name can contribute to your success and brand recognition.
Need more assistance?
If you would like to have support setting up your domain name and your blog, we can help! Our couse, The Ultimate Blog Bootcamp is a step-by-step course that will walk you through everything you need to set up your blog to learning how to create content. This is the go-to course to get your self-hosted blog set up and learn how to blog the right way from the start! You can join today!