Choosing a domain name for your blog can be one of the most difficult tasks you will face when building a profitable blog. Just short of choosing a niche topic, a blog name will represent your brand and help you stand out within the blogging community.
In this post, I will share the importance of choosing a great domain name, tools to help you find a domain and various considerations when building your profitable blog.
This post is part III of the How To Build A Profitable Blog Series. To keep up to date with posts on Murlu, please consider subscribing to my RSS feed.
What’s in a name? Famous words spoken by arguably the most important writer: Shakespeare. But when this was first spoken did it have the same impact as it does today in terms of personal branding and the opportunity of success on the web?
Have you taken into consideration the importance of choosing a domain name for your new blog? It’s more important than you may realize.
The Importance of a Unique and Brandable Domain
I’m sorry but you’re late to the race; most of the great domain names have already been taken by other bloggers and squatters many years ago but this doesn’t mean you can’t find one that fits your blog to perfection.
When choosing a domain name for your new blog an important idea to remember is the branding behind the name.
Think of company names which have been distilled in your mind: McDonald’s, Microsoft, Pepsi. What do these names have in common? They don’t describe what they represent and that’s what makes them unique.
If you take a look at the top 100 most valuable brands, you’ll notice a recurring theme that most modern companies do not use names that directly relate to their products or services.
Why is this? Branding.
Branding is an essential consideration when choosing a unique domain name. The name excels beyond simply describing your blog, it becomes the recognizable representation of what you and your blog is about.
What Makes A Domain Name Unique?
What makes domains such as Facebook, Squidoo and Smashing Magazine stand out? It’s certainly not due to the message they convey. When you first read Facebook what kind of website were you expecting? It may not have been the monolithic social network you know today.
Unique domain names are a dime in a dozen. Blogs which have stood out as unique amongst the others are ones which carry the brand image instead of merely the content.
Internet users will hear about the brand before becoming acquanted with the content. A unique domain name will be sticky within the minds of visitors.
“Yeah, I know about Facebook but what on earth is Zoo.gr?”
5 Types Of Domain Names
Although you may be disgruntled that the domain name you’re looking for has already been taken, don’t fret because this has opened up a world of possibility and innovation from many website owners.
In fact, this gives you an opportunity to stand out and not go with a forgettable domain name.
Here are 5 types of domain names you will commonly see on the net. Consider these as a possibility for your domain name but keep an open mind wither it will truly be unique for your brand.
- Using Your Name Or A Variation. I’ve done it right on this blog: Murlu. Murlu is a combination of Murray and Lunn, my name. What did I choose this? It’s brandable, it rolls off the tongue. It doesn’t necessarily tell the content which I write about but it does stand out. You may want to choose to use your own name or a variation. Try it out, mix and swap around characters of your name and see if you can find something which stands out and sounds unique.
- Keyword Rich Domain Names. Using a keyword rich domain name is quite common when bloggers aim to rank high for their niche. Search engines, in one way or another, love keyword rich domain names that contain relevant topics within the niche. Do a general search on Google and you’ll most likely find websites which use keywords throughout the domain name ranking in the upper levels of search results. You may want to use a keyword rich domain if you plan to rank high for your niche and keywords used throughout your blog.
- Short And Sweet. Many bloggers opt to use domain names which are short and sweet. These domains are often hard to find as many people have already swiped them up. The reason why many bloggers use short domains is they’re easy to remember and stick; there’s no need to remember a long, drawn out domain name.
- Memorable. A memorable blog name are ones which will forever stick in our minds. Yahoo, Google, eBay are all names that are known by just about everyone using the web. The element which makes these names memorable is their uniqueness and brand which they carry. Hell, to show you how memorable a domain name could be, I’m sure at some point you’ve said something along the lines of “why don’t you just Google it?”.
- Findable/Discoverable. As Seth Godin points out in his new rules for naming, aim for a name which people will discover you by. For example, if someone were to type in your domain name, would you stand out in search engines? Can you take your domain elsewhere to claim your digital domain on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social networking communities?
Here are a few examples of each:
- Murlu.com (name variation)
- TonerRefillKits.com (keyword rich domain)
- Flickr (short and sweet)
- Squidoo (memorable)
- Digg (discoverable)
Consider each of these as a possibility when choosing your domain name. If you want to rank well for search engines, you may want to use keyword rich domains. If you’re trying to build a timeless and memorable brand, keep it short and unique.
Remember, as I said, that the name does not necessarily need to convey what your blog is about; branding will take you beyond the search engines into other media such as radio, print and television.
Domain Names: Do’s and Don’ts
Before you jump right in with buying your domain name, it’s important to point out a few do’s and don’ts when choosing a domain name for your blog.
Recently I received a threatening letter from a large lawyer demanding I remove a blog which, unbeknown to me, violated copyright. I created the blog with the best intentions, began writing posts and devoted a large chunk of time on it only to have it pulled down from using a name which I had not known was copyrighted. Don’t make this same mistake.
Learning my lesson, I want to share a few domain do’s and don’ts:
Do
- Use top level domains such as .com, .net and .org (preferably .com)
- Make it easy to remember and spell
- Make sure you spelled it correctly
- Check for competition amongst the domain name
Don’t
- Use copyrighted name
- Use excessive hyphens (-’s)
- Use numbers and awkward characters
- Use a keywords which inadvertently have double meanings (example: thishit.com)
Consider also the viability of your domain lasting for the future. If you name your blog: myblog2010.com, what’s going to happen in 2011? It’s not going to fit.
3 Tools To Help Choose A Domain Name
So now we get to the fun part, actually choosing a domain name. Well, actually, now comes the part where you brainstorm for hours (days, weeks!) about your domain name. Don’t rush it, if you plan to use your blog for years to come it’s going to be very messy when you try to rebrand it with a new name.
Here are 5 tools you can use to help you find domain names:
- Domainr. Domainr is a tool which helps you find domain names that fill out with other country code domains. Del.icio.us is a great example of using other country codes for a domain.
- NameBoy. NameBoy is a domain name generator which allows you to plug in keywords for your domain; perfect for those seeking a keyword rich domain name for their blog.
- DomainsBot. DomainsBot is a search tool that will help you find available domain names without submitting a query. It also features a helpful suggestion option if you’re having trouble finding a domain name.
These tools can be very helpful when you become stumped about your domain name for your blog. Instead of wasting hours going mad trying to find variations of names, plug in your keywords and check out the suggestions these tools generate for you.
Alternatively, you could use a service like PickyDomains which other people think of domain names. If you like one, you may claim it and buy it outright.
Common Questions About Domain Names
You may have questions about choosing a domain name, if you’d like to add an additional one just leave a comment and I’ll add it as the post grows.
Q: Should my domain be my company name?
A: Not necessarily, it’s perfectly okay to use a domain that has no relation to your blog. Remember, this is about branding the blog, not extending your previous brand.
Q: What if someone has the name I want?
A: In short, either you can buy the domain from them or you’ll need to think of another one.
Q: How long should my domain name be?
A: As long as you want it but keep in mind that shorter is better due to the ability for people to remember it more easily.
Q: How do I know if someone else uses my domain?
A: Do a general Google search to see if your domain is showing up elsewhere, use some of the tools above to double check; if all looks good, you should be okay.
Conclusion
Somehow, within just under 2,000 words I managed to tell you a complete overview about choosing a domain name for your blog. Once you created your first great domain name, it becomes easier as you know how to research and what to look out for next time.
At this point along in the how to choose a profitable blog series, you should have a general idea of what your niche will be and the domain name you plan to use.
Consider the information provided throughout this post to help you find the perfect, unique and brandable domain name for your blog. In the next post, I’ll over how to register your domain and get started with your blog.
To your success,
- Murray Lunn
Image by Snap2objects.com
I have always been confused in one thing, when choosing a keyword if I got to choose between branding and keyword-rich, which should I choose? Yes, If we get a spot on keyword rich brandable domain for your niche then it is quite great but if we do not that how to take the decision?
.-= Shiva | Web Magazine´s last blog ..PliablePress Chameleon : Worthy Thesis Alternative with Discount =-.
Great question.
To avoid being general and saying to make a compromise between the two, I would personally go with the brandable domain name. I say this because you can always improve your website ranking through link building, providing quality content and social media however not having a brand people care about would mean when they do find the website they’re likely to bounce or not do business.
A brand has the opportunity to go beyond just a blog as well. You could place it on business cards, print media, convert it to commercials and market it in ways that using a keyword doesn’t provide. If Coca-Cola was just “sodabeverage.com” I’m sure it would have traffic but wouldn’t have the cultural effect as the overall brand gives.
Hope this helps.
Yes,I agree with you Murlu. Definitely have to go with the brand first. The brand could be the next keyword people use to find your site. But wouldn’t it be a win win situation if you can combine the brand and the keyword together in the domain name. What do you think?
Talking about Coca-cola, the brand was already well established even before there was internet. So, if coca-cola was called ‘soda beverage’ from the start, do you think would there be any change in the cultural effect coke has now?
I think there can be a compromise between the brand and the keyword. Just throwing this out there but something along the lines of ’123Refills’ (a company which provides toner cartridges and inkjet refills) is able to do both by using a common keword “refill” and creating a brand out of it. Another example could be ‘Copyblogger’, right away you understand it’s about copywriting but it’s now become this very successful brand on its own.
I think Coca-Cola, if it was ‘Soda Beverage’, would have quite an impact but it’s hard to say because, like you said, it’s been around for what seems to be forever. However, Coke has excelled beyond just the name. If you saw a bright red can of soda, I’m sure you’d immediately think Coke. The same with the typography on the can.
I think culturally now we wouldn’t have the Coke brand cemented in our heads because once that next competitor came along, we would simply shift away from it.
Very informative content. One thing I learn from choosing a domain is a domain name that is flexible that don’t disclosed its topic to cover.
I think a domain using keywords is that something you disclose it and sometimes you will touch the boundaries of other topics.
Say for example, You cover about make money online and you choose a domain on that related keyword, then from the time passed by, you found out that blogging tips and guides is a good thing to cover and share not because it is a hot niche but because you learn it in your blogging activities. Then you already touch the boundary of other topic right?
I think, choosing a domain that is crucial but it depends upon how you brand that certain domain name. Murlu.com is a cute and nice domain like any other gurus out there who used their own name to brand their product or blog.
I also plan to change my current domain name but I will do it in a bang!
Thanks for the tips.
- Felix Albutra
.-= Real Blogging Advice´s last blog ..What to do When Your Internet Connection Slows Down =-.
I have an account on GoDaddy which I’ve been very happy with over the last few years. The next post as part of this series is actually going to be covering this subject – be sure to check it out
Thanks for the comment.
I think acquiring a good domain name is crossing a big hurdle in blogging. Thanks for tips.
.-= shekhar sahu´s last blog ..Win Sony Dash | A Sony Insider Global Contest =-.
Great post Murlu. You have created a great and in-depth post about choosing domain names.
I agree with you on most points again I have had some experience from my mini sites with domains. I can say that I wouldn’t use “-” in your domain name because that makes you rank worse with yahoo. I had one site with the keywords in the domain and another with “-” and the keywords in the domain. The domain without the “-” immediately ranked number 1 on yahoo even though it was a .net domain.
Thanks for the insights Julius.
With such dominance from Google, people skip over Yahoo and Bing when they each hold a huge user base. I would conclude Yahoo, in the quest to give its users the best experience, didn’t like the dashes because it would be a difficult domain to naturally type and discover.
With mini sites, I generally stick to keyword domains since I’m not going to be building a brand.
Excellent comment, lots to think about
Thanks for the informative content.For starters, choosing a domain name is just as important as it reflects the brand as well as the nature of business. So it’s vital to consider the following; goal of the site, length of the name, future needs, numbers, and extension.
You’ve taken the entire post and summed it up in an elevator pitch, absolutely fantastic!
You touched on a very important aspect: future needs.
One problem that arises when you choose a domain name that is tied to your niche comes when you try to expand. If your website was http://www.lightbulbs.com but you wanted to start selling furniture, it’s going to send mixed signals to people. This is why naming your website for future needs is just as important.
You post is very informative, and I think you are very sincere. It is true that you need to have a domain name that will stick iin peoples head, but at the same time gives you a hint about the content of the site.
Webmaster Tips´s last [type] ..Must Read Some lesser known GMail features to make your life easy
Yeah! It’s like a book with a great cover, it intrigues you to open it and check it out further hehe.
Nice post how to choose a domain name , Finding a great domain is really tough and i prefer to choose a domain that have a keyword in it and have 2 words only.
I prefer godaddy and namecheap if you are looking to buy a new domain because they are the best domain provider and really cheap when you have coupon
is it true that dot com is better in ranking position than dot info?
Overall, I’d say that the dot com would be better than info because although most people will probably find you through social media or search engines – you have to consider the effect of people just typing in your name – it may not be much but when you’re trying to build a brand it can play an important role overall.