How To Select a Domain Name

How To Select a Domain Name

Domain names are first impressions. So it’s very important to describe what it looks like.

how to select a domain name

One of the biggest challenges to getting started is finding the right name for your blog.

A lot of people think your domain name should be witty. Others think it should be clever or poetic. Or something kooky and cool like…Facebook,Yahoo, Google, Amazon, or Moz Etc.

It’s important to have a domain name that closely matches your blog’s name, or your readers will have a hard time finding you again — especially when you’re just starting out and won’t have much presence on the search engines.

Your domain name is a tool. And like every other tool in your toolbox, it has a specific purpose.

If you buy a hammer, its job is to drive nails, and you judge its effectiveness based on its ability to drive a nail.

Your domain name has one job too. When someone visits your website, your domain name must answer the following:

“Is this site for me? Am I in the right place?”

That’s it. That’s its job.

The quicker you can help people figure out whether they’re in the right place, the quicker you will:

Get more traffic;

Keep and convert those visitors into subscribers;•       

Receive more links and shares from your favorite social media sites; Rule the (blogging) world.

So how do you help them answer that fundamental question, “Is this for me?”

In a word, clarity.

Clarity is key. Because everything you need to learn about starting a blog and finding the right domain name is going to circle back to these two key elements:

1.      Does it answer the fundamental question, “Is this for me?”

2.      Is it clear?

So what’s the best way to achieve clarity with your domain name?

For starters, you should avoid these five fatal domain name mistakes. (Cue the ominous music.)

The Best Domain Names for Bloggers Are:-

You might be surprised to know there are really only five major categories of good domain names for bloggers.

Once you understand the logic behind each of these categories and how much easier people can find and Google you if you use one of them, the sooner you’ll be on your way to reaping the benefits from choosing a good domain name.

And the best news? If you follow the formulas outlined here, you’ll almost certainly find a few available domain names your readers will love.

SL NO 1: Name the Audience

This type of domain name answers that question by defining the target audience the website is meant to serve.

If you were to visit Problogger as an aspiring blogger, within two seconds of arriving and glancing around, you’re going to say, “Wow, I’d love to be a professional blogger. I need to read this blog.”

So you’ve immediately answered the question, “Is this for me?”

And if you’re a TV junkie looking to connect with your tribe and you land on couchpotato.com, you’ll know right away that you’re in the right place because you can read the latest gossip on TV shows and find deals on things like DVD box sets of popular TV series and so on.

The logo says it all.

SL NO 2: Name the Topic

This type of domain names your blog topic.

Examples are lifehacks.org, dailyblogtips.com, nerdfitness.com, and artofmanliness.com. Those domains name what the blogs are about.

Check out nerdfitness.com, for example:

When you see that name, you get a sense right away that they’re targeting men who want to learn more about the essence of being a man. The macho stuff. The ways of a gentleman. Just the vintage look and old photos alone convey the story to the target audience.

That’s a very different feel and a different audience than men who might gravitate more to, say, Men’s Health Magazine, which is more focused on men’s fitness and wellbeing — and the cover usually shows a half-naked guy with killer six-pack abs.

SL NO 3: Name the Benefit

This type of domain name cuts right to the chase when answering “Is this for me?” because it explains right in the name the benefit you’ll get when you read this site.

Examples of naming the benefit are iwillteachyoutoberich.com, makealivingwriting.com, and teachyourchildtoread.com.

If you see a domain name that explains the benefit of reading the site right in the domain name, you can immediately answer that fundamental question with very little thought.

 SL NO 4: Name Your Pursuit

This domain reverses our philosophy because it names what you are doing as a blogger rather than what the reader is doing or seeking.

For example, Social Media Examiner examines social media. Man vs. Debt is about one man’s (the blogger’s) battle against debt. 

Founders tells the stories of founders, entrepreneurs, and business owners. Each one names the topic, but they do so from the blogger’s perspective, not the reader’s perspective.

A second way to use a pursuit domain is to name the mission of your blog. For example, for a blog whose mission is to feed all the hungry children on earth, the domain could be 

FeedTheChildren.org. That clearly defines the pursuit of the blog.

So when you’re looking to use this topic for your domain name, the secret here is to clearly identify your pursuit or mission in a way that matches your reader’s worldview so that THEY can see themselves in YOUR pursuit.

Name Your Pursuit Template (to Find Your Own Website Name)

 SL NO 5: Name Yourself

This one is pretty self-explanatory. You use your own name as your domain name. Examples would be StevePavlina.com, MarcAndAngel.com, and JohnChow.com.

Using your own name as your domain can still be a good thing. But — and it’s a big BUT — only if your desire is to turn your name into a brand name. So if your desire is to brand yourself like Oprah, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, or one of those celebrities, it can be a good idea to go this route.

But you have to understand that while a website branded with your name can be a blessing, it can also be a curse:

You will likely never be able to sell it. There’s a large industry behind buying websites that already exist and generate income, but if your domain is tied your name, selling it someday won’t be easy.

•       You will be tied to it until the day you die or the blog dies.

•       No one else will be able to run it. Your audience will be forever bonded to you.

Many bloggers who have successfully branded themselves end up regretting it later. Their blogs feel like a prison cell, with their owners as the sole occupants. The brand is based on their personality and voice, which means it’s a challenge to bring in guest writers and editors.

These are the top domain registrars to buy 

your domain name from.

domain name search

DOMAIN NAMES

SL NO1: Domain.com

Started in 2000, Domain.com is one of the most popular domain name registrar on the planet. They allow you to register all top level domain name extensions (TLDs) and even dozens of country code top level domains (ccTLDs).

Domain.com has a quick domain search tool that you can use for your domain name research. Their search also shows you premium domains as well.

SL NO2:Bluehost.com

Bluehost.com is one of the largest hosting companies in the world, and they are an official WordPress hosting partner. As part of their web hosting service, they also offer domain name registration.

Bluehost is offering WPBeginner users a free domain name, SSL certificate, and a discount on web hosting which is a perfect deal for anyone looking to make a website.

Basically, you can get started for $2.75 per month, and get a free domain name.

 SL NO3:HostGator.com

HostGator is another popular company offering website owners a one-stop shop for domain names and shared website hosting. They offer a nice selection of extensions, domain privacy, and easy to use DNS management tools.

They have an easy to use domain search tool that helps you quickly find a suitable domain name for your business. Their domain management area is beginner friendly and well documented which makes it easy to transfer domains if you need to.

 SL NO4:GoDaddy.com

GoDaddy is one of the oldest and most popular domain registration company. They manage more than 77 million domain names for over 18 million customers.

They offer a wide variety of popular domain name extensions to choose from. Their prices are highly competitive, and you may even get a significant discount on the first year of your domain’s registration.

GoDaddy has a powerful easy to use domain management interface which allows you to transfer your domain name or change its settings.

 SL NO5:Namecheap.com

Namecheap is another top domain registrar on the market. They have a powerful domain search tool that helps you find the right domain name and makes suggestions when your preferred domain name is not available.

They also offer domain add-on services like domain privacy and premium DNS. Their domain management area is clean, but it’s not as user-friendly as GoDaddy’s new interface.

One nice thing about NameCheap is that they offer free domain privacy with all their domain names.

SL NO6:DreamHost.com 

DreamHost is another popular domain name registrar and web hosting service provider. They are offering our readers a free domain name with domain privacy included for anyone signing up for their Shared Unlimited hosting plan.

You can also register a domain name without buying hosting through them for $8.99 / year which also includes free private registration.

DreamHost offers 400+ TLDs and comes with all domain management tools that you can expect from a large domain provider like DreamHost.

 SL NO7:Shopify.com

Shopify is a popular eCommerce platform which allows anyone to easily start an eCommerce store without any technical skills. They are also a popular domain name registrar and allow you to quickly set up a store using your custom domain name.

Shopify also comes with a powerful business name generator which helps you pick up an available domain name for your business. You can move your domain name away to any other service if you want.

One downside is that they don’t offer email addresses for domain names. Instead, you can use email forwarders or use a third-party email service like G Suite or Office365.

 SL NO8:BuyDomains.com

BuyDomains allow you to search for premium domain names matching your search terms. Premium domain names are domain names that are already registered but are available for sale from third-party. These domains are often more memorable, shorter, and brandable which is why they are more expensive.

If you cannot find a suitable domain name, and you have the budget, then you can use BuyDomains to search for a premium domain name.