Choosing the perfect domain name for your blog is one of the major and daunting tasks. But don’t fret about it too much.
In this article, I will show you how to come up with a blog name that will help you develop and succeed.
Basic Rules For Domain Names
- Your domain name can contain letters, numbers, and hyphens only. No other characters are allowed.
- Hyphens can’t be used as the first or last character of the domain name. For example, www._abc.com and www.abc_.com are invalid.
- Domain Names are unique. So you can’t use a domain name that already exists.
- Domain names are not case-sensitive. For example, www.yourdomainname.com is the same as www.YourDomainName.com.
Length of domain names
Minimum Length: Three characters plus the extension of your domain names.
Maximum length: The length of Uk, com, org, and net domains can be 64 characters.
The rest are limited to 63 characters (excluding the extension).
Remember, no matter what your domain name is, your content matters.
Here are a few tips on how to choose blog domain names.
At any point, you can change almost everything on your website like design, content, hosting provider, etc.
But it is not going to be an easy decision to change your domain name. Because all your backlinks and traffic are connected with your domain name.
I hope now you understood why it is important to choose a perfect domain name.
So it is not a bad idea to spend 3-4 in selecting the domain name, which you are going to use for many years. right?
To be frank, there is no thumb rule to choosing a domain name. But here I am giving you some ideas which help you to rank better in Search Engines.
Now you may have many queries in your mind.
- How to name a blog?
- Can I choose .com or anything else?
- Can I use my name as a domain name?
- Can I choose a generic domain name or a keyword-specific domain name?
Don’t worry. You will get answers to all your questions.
Ready? Let’s start!
How to come up with a blog name?
1. Stick with.COM
There are so many extensions available like .com,.org, .info,.net, etc. But ‘.com’ is a widely used extension.
You can refer to the chart. Around 41.3% of domain names were registered with the .com extension.
I would suggest you go for the .com domain name.
Why?
If you inform someone to visit the TurnAllStones blog, then 8 out of ten people will type TurnAllStones with the .com extension.
Because people tend to type domain names with the .com extension.
Moreover, other extensions will lose traffic to .com extensions. Because they used to rank badly in search engines.
So if the .com extension is not available then I would suggest going for another domain name rather than changing the extension.
When you start searching for domain names you may find most of the domain names were already taken in the .com extension.
But don’t give up. It may take some extra time now. But you will be rewarded later for that. Also, it is a one-time process.
Moreover, many domains are resold. There are many websites available to buy or sell domain names.
In case, if you want a particular domain name and you find that it is not available, then either you can go for premium domains or contact that domain owner to check if you can get that domain.
But in both cases, the charges will be not as cheap as regular domain charges.
Here are some websites to find premium domains:
If you want any particular domain and money is not a problem for you, then you can go for it.
2. Brandable name or keyword specific
A generic name like TurnAllStones doesn’t give any idea about the niche of the blog. So I can write about anything. It won’t stop me from expanding my niche.
Good idea! Isn’t it?
On the other hand, You can also choose a keyword-specific domain name. This will give an idea about your blog or website niche to users. It also improves your SEO ranking.
But before taking a decision think about your long-term goal.
What is the long-term goal?
Well! Let’s assume that you have a domain name called indianjournal.com.This name will restrict you to write content only about the Indian journal.
Moreover, the chances of getting readers from outside of India are questionable. Because by seeing your blog name, they can easily recognize that this blog is only for Indian readers.
In another scenario, let us assume that you want to review mobiles and that you selected your domain name as mobilereviews.com.
After some time, you want to move into a broader niche and want to review laptops also. Now, your domain name may restrict you to do so.
You will not be able to expand your brand. So I would suggest you think about your long-term goal before selecting your domain name.
Google, Yahoo, and Facebook are not keyword-specific domain names, but they are top-level domains. They didn’t limit themselves to using any keyword. This helps them to expand their brand.
Keyword-specific domain names are good only if you are going to create a micro-niche blog. I always suggest choosing a generic domain than keyword-specific names.
In simple words, don’t limit yourself. So it is better to take the right decision to avoid later regrets.
3. Keep it short and simple
It is always important to keep your domain name short and simple.
Longer domains are tougher for your users to remember.
Shorter domain names are always good. The standard length is approximately 12 characters.
4. Easy to type And spell
Your domain name should be easy to type and pronounce by the users.
Ask 10 of your friends to spell your domain name. If more than three people are not correct then you should simplify it.
If it is easy to type and pronounce, then your users will remember your domain name easily.
Make sure your name doesn’t spell out anything embarrassing accidentally when the words are smushed together.
5. Avoid Hyphens, Concatenation, and Numbers
Never choose your domain name with hyphens or numbers. They lead to typological errors.
Because most of the time users won’t remember it. So users will end up at other websites if they forgot to type the hyphen.
Moreover, more people using mobiles or tabs. so typing special characters takes extra effort.
Isn’t it?
Approximately 9% of .com domain names were registered with concatenation and numbers.11.8% of .com domains were registered with a hyphen.
Always stick to the letters!
6. Avoid Double Letters
Try to avoid choosing domain names with doubled letters when you are merging two words. Because it increases the chances of losing traffic to typological errors.
For example,carssale.com
7. Avoid Shortcuts
It is not a good idea to use shortcuts in your domain name. For example,createurbusiness.com
Instead of the word ‘your’, ‘ur’ is used. It leads to typological error and you may end up losing traffic.
8. Avoid Homophones
Homophones are words having the same pronunciation but different meanings.
- write and right
- knew and new
They have the same pronunciation and they may lead to typological errors.
9. Check for trademark and social media options
Now let us think that you have finally decided on your domain name. But before purchasing it, you have to check for trademark social media options.
Trademark is nothing but a brand name. Let’s say you want to use the word Google, Facebook, or Twitter in your domain name, then you have to read their terms and conditions.
Make sure you are not violating their terms and conditions to avoid legal issues. Most brands won’t allow you to use their name in any part of your domain.
So don’t skip this step to avoid later regression.
KnowEm – This website will check for trademarks and also let you know whether your domain name is available on social media sites.
Because it is important to connect with your users using social media. Make sure at least your domain name is available on major social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.
Can I use my name as a domain name?
Many bloggers and business owners chose to brand their blogs using their names.
Let us discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using your name as a domain name. So that you will get a clear idea about it.
Advantages of choosing your name as a domain name
Personal Branding
The first and foremost advantage of using your name as a domain name is personal branding.
This is a good idea if you want to establish yourself as a brand. See how Neil Patel is rocking his Blog.
It brings a strong personal connection with your readers as a person than a blog that shares information.
Your readers will be always available to listen to you. Isn’t amazing?
Easily Available
Whenever you search for a domain name, most of the time it won’t be available. But if you are using your name as a domain name, then there is a good chance to grab it. This is one of the greatest advantages.
Isn’t it?
Of course, the chances of getting social media account names are also easy since you are using your name.
Moreover, you don’t need to worry about trademarking.
Own Profile
If you are building a portfolio/online-resume then, it makes more sense to keep your name as the domain name. It gives a positive impact.
Nowadays many freelancers are using their names as domain names for their portfolio websites.
It helps to brand themselves and creates a personal and trustable connection with clients.
Increase Confidence
Another advantage of using your name as a domain name is that it boosts your confidence as you become the face of your brand.
Your readers will know the person behind the screen who is sharing the information. This transparency builds a strong bond between you and your readers.
It leads to a personal connection more than a business connection.
You are not Tied
As you are using your name as a domain name, you are not tied to any particular topic. You have the freedom to expand your niche. You can write about anything you prefer.
You can add some or more topics if you want to.
Even if you change the topic or something, your readers will stick around. Because they are in your blog to read what you say.
Disadvantages of choosing your name as a domain name.
Hard to spell
One of the major disadvantages is, that it might be hard to spell.
For example, my name is Sangeetha. It is a common name but still, that can be spelled in many ways like Sangeetha, Sangeeta, Sangita, Sangitha.
So the user may end up with something else and this may lead to traffic loss.
So keep in mind that if your name is difficult to spell then you should think about it.
Ask a few of your friends to spell it. If most people are spelling it wrong, then you have to think again.
Long Names
It is always good to choose short domain names. Try to stick with less than 13 letters.
Sometimes your name may have more than 13 characters. In that case, you can use part of your name or a combination of any word with your name.
For example, digitaldeepak.com
But again make sure that it should not be hard to spell.
Can’t sell
The major disadvantage is that it will be difficult to sell your website or blog when you want to.
Let us assume that your blog is running successfully and after five or six years you want to sell it. At this point, you may find it difficult to sell.
Because your blog is tied with your name. It means your blog is more connected with an individual.
No one wants to buy a blog that is more connected with another person. This happened to many bloggers.
So after five or six years of hard work, you will be struck when you want to sell your blog or website.
So think about your long-term goal before taking a decision.
What if your domain name is already your Name?
To this point, we discussed the pros and cons. Now, what if your domain name is already in your name and you want to change it!
Now all your hard work is connected with your domain name. I know how it feels. Don’t worry! I have a suggestion for that.
In that case, I suggest you do domain redirection. If the domain name change is done properly, it does not affect your traffic, and you also enjoy the benefits of the new domain.
Some More Tips for cool website names
You can also create a cool website name by joining two words that connect with you. For example,
You can use palindromes(Reads the same from forwards and backward direction) For example,
- Madam
- Civic
- Radar
You can use other languages or search for words with similar meanings. Try to get unique names. Explore something new!!!
For inspiration, look up your competitors. But don’t copy them.
The Famous blogger Harsh Aggarwal chose shoutmeloud as his domain name.
Whereas, BookMyShow will give the idea that the website is about booking movie tickets.
Deepak chose to go with DigitalDeepak because his blog is all about Digital Marketing.
Copyblogger is all about content and copywriting.
So, what do you want to remember? Use words that resonate with that!
Conclusion
If your purpose is purely personal branding and does not intend to sell your website or blog, then using your name is fine.
If your website is an online resume or portfolio then you can choose your name as the domain name.
But if you are not falling into the above two categories then I would you go for a generic domain name. Use your creativity to stand out of crowd.
Remember, people love your blog no matter what your domain name is because they want quality content.
But at the same time choosing a good domain name is important so that people can easily remember and reach your website when they want.
So make sure it is easy for them to remember and catchy!
Just play around with words. Be Unique and Creative.
Get help from domain name generators
You can also use domain name generators to simplify your process. It suggests available domain names according to your keywords. Few of them are,
How to find expired domains?
Thousands of domain names expire every day. The reasons are different. Few people forgot to renew the domains, rest just don’t want them anymore or they moved on to other projects.
For most people, these so-called Expired Domains don’t have any value. They just consider it as a bunch of domain names someone else deleted and move on.
But for the people who knows SEO or the value of good backlinks, Expired Domain Names are treasure just waiting to get picked up from the street.
By purchasing expired domain names, you can improve your backlinks.
The only problem is to differntiate the good ones from the bad ones.
Domain Names expire in the absence of renewal and become available for other buyers. This kind of domain name has some benefits.
It helps to create PNB( Private Blog Network) to provide the main website with top-quality external backlinks in order to increase its current page rank.
You can increase the domain authority on the base of existing content and backlinks. This is a separate lesson for another day.
Where to register Domain Name?
Once you finalized your domain name, you can proceed to register it.
Some famous domain name registrars are,
If you already have a hosting facility, then you can buy only a domain name else go for both at the same time to get a free domain name for one year.
How to change the domain name on WordPress?
Changing your domain name is one of the difficult decisions. Because the domain name is the primary identifier of your website. It is one of the base elements.
However, if you want to change your domain name for any reason please follow the following steps.
1. Take a complete backup of your domain
It is important to take a complete backup of your website before applying any major change. so that if something goes wrong, you can easily handle the situation. you won’t lose your hard work.
2. Pick a new domain name and assign it to your blog
Choose your new domain name and assign it to your current website folder. You can also get the help of your hosting provider.
3. Complete the Rebranding process
Depending on your new website name you may need to change a few things like logo, favicon, site title, tag name, contact email, about page, etc.
4. Redirect traffic to your new domain
Most web hosts allow you to do this from your cPanel.
- Go to cPanel Domains section->Redirect icon->click on it.
- In the next step, pick the option that reads Permanent 301.
- Enter the new domain name you registered, and enable the setting called Redirect with or without www
- Now, click the Add button, and you’re ready to go!
Every time someone visits your old website, they’ll be redirected to your new website.
Also, it is a good idea to keep both of them active until traffic to your former domain dies down.
5. Update your users about your rebranding
Update your users about your new website through emails and social media platforms.
Hope I have covered all the points on how to pick a blog name. Do you have any suggestions? Please do let me know in the comment box.
