10 Tips To Remember When You Choose A Domain Name

Are you choosing a domain name for your website? This post includes 10 tips to remember when you name your blog.

How To Choose A Domain Name For Your Website

This is a brief guide on how to choose an effective domain name, and what you need to be aware of.

The domain name of your website is one of the most important decisions you make when creating your new Blog, Business, or Passion Project.

1. It will determine what you site can be about, and
2. It will shape how readers and customers see it.

So, let’s take it seriously and spend some time and effort before we make a decision.

What Is A Domain Name?

A domain is the name of you website. For example Amazon.com or Google.com.

Every website has one. You need one to host a website.

10 Tips To Remember When You Name Your Blog

In this post, I will discuss why you need to put some thought into naming your blog and give you practical tips for choosing the name.

6 Reasons To Put Some Thought Into Choosing Your Domain Name

1. An interesting and provocative name will stick in your visitors’ minds. This makes it easier for them to find your site in the future.
2. Your name should tell your visitors what your site is about. It is obvious for example that Writers Write is about writing and writers.
3. It creates a brand. Once your visitors are used to your name it can be a problem to change it later. Some people will not come back to your new site or will not be able to find it.
4. A good domain name can be very important to SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). This is because one of the things Google looks at when indexing sites and matching search results, is if the site’s name matches your content.
5. Make sure that your name has a keyword related to your content. If you are a store that sells pool equipment make sure that you have the word pool in your title. Don’t call yourself the “readinglibrary.com” and wonder why nobody is buying your swimming costumes.
6. A name should also age well. Don’t name you site after a fad or it will be forgotten quickly.

4 Practical Tips For Choosing A Domain Name

1. Use simple words: The more simple the words the greater the chance everyone will understand what you site is about. For example, it should be easy for everyone, even second language speakers, to understand what you site is about.
2. Always use English or have an English version: English is the language of the internet and using English will help generate the most traffic to a site.
3. Make it creative and memorable: YouTube or iTunes are good examples here. tsrvs.com by contrast is a terrible name. Why not tennessee-recreational-vehicals.com?
4. Don’t use words that are hard to pronounce: If you can avoid using words like ‘Worcestershire’ or Icelandic words (apparently this is an Icelandic word ‘Vaðlaheiðarvegavinnuverkfærageymsluskúraútidyralyklakippuhringur’).

How To Register You Domain

This is simple. Any server hosting company can do this for you. For example, Hetzner, a European hosting company, can register domains for you. We have no affiliation with them, but have used them in the past. They have good customer service.

Step 1: Sign up and register with one of these companies.

Step 2: Go to the Domain Registration page and search for the name you have chosen. If it has not been taken, it will show up as available.

Step 3: Buy this domain. Depending on its type, .com .net, etc., it will cost a different price. It is always a good idea to choose a .com, but you might want to use a local Domain if you are only going to be working in one country, or if you can’t get the domain you want with the extension you want.

Don’t Use A Random Name Generator. Take It Seriously!

This is an important decision take it seriously. It will have an impact on your future and your success. Don’t leave it up to chance. Your blog‘s fate is in your hands. Do it right the first time and you will save yourself the headache of starting from scratch later.

Final Thoughts

This can be the single most important choice for a new website. With some thought and careful research it can make or break your new venture.

I hope this makes it easier for you to make informed decisions about naming your future websites!

Looking for more blogging resources? Click here: Everything You Need To Know About Blogging

Written by Christopher Luke.com Dean

Christopher writes and facilitates for Writers Write. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisLukeDean

If you enjoyed this blogger’s writing, read:

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5. 5 Things You Need To Know To Write Science Fiction
6. 5 Things To Remember While Writing A Novel
7. Your Book: What To Cut & What To Keep
8. 10 Mantras To Make You Grow As A Writer
9. The Greatest Fictional World Builders: Frank Herbert

Top Tip: If you want to learn how to blog, sign up for The Complete Blogging Course.