The following tips will help you craft a personal name for your blog and choose a domain name that is unique and useful.
Take a moment to recall the last two websites you visited.
Did they make the cut according to these guidelines?
©iStockphoto.com/Alex Slobodkin
1. Is the Name Easy to Share?
A name that doesn’t require complicated explanations or extra effort to spell fits this criterion. If you have to think about the name before you say it, keep working on it until you find something better.
Hyphens are ok if there’s no other option but are generally not a good idea because they take more effort to spell.
What about .net, .com and other top level domain names? Dot COM names are still the best option but they’re getting harder to find. As a general rule, pick a domain name that’s still available on this most popular domain name.
2. Is the Name Truly Unforgettable?
With this tip, you can drastically improve the odds of attracting people to your site. Perhaps your first name last name combination works well for your personal blog, perhaps not. I wish I had purchased my firstnamelastname [dot] com domain name before someone else did. If you can get it, get it! (You can point more than one domain name to the same blog/website with forwarding or domain parking).
Picking an unforgettable domain name will work around the clock for you. People will get and share it reliably every time.
3. Does Your Domain Name Tell Your Story?
What story are you telling? What truth are you uncovering? What is the meaning behind the name you choose? Keep your name consistent with your story and you’ll have a handle that will stick in readers’ and visitors’ minds.
Here are a few great examples of names that are easy to share, hard to forget and tell a story:
EasyLunchBoxes.com – lunch boxes for your children at school
LetThemEatCheeseburgers.com – Hmm, could this be about what it looks like?
ParentHacks.com – Portland, OR At Parent Hacks, smart parents share forehead-smackingly clever tips, shortcuts and product recommendations.
PlumOrganics.com – Organic. Fresher. Better Tasting Baby Food & Toddler Snacks! The leading provider of nutritious, organic food for babies and toddlers.
TheBump.com – Take a guess what this domain is saying 
Bonus Name Registration Tips
#4 Pick a Reputable Domain Registrar
Who to trust with your domain registration? There a hundreds of reputable service providers in the domain registration category. Our company offers this service through the number one domain name reseller – ENOM. Serving you will be a pleasure. Even if you choose someone else, try our domain search first. We’ll provide a list of suggested names based on your lookup for your consideration.
To avoid disappointment please read “Go AWAY Daddy“. You want to bypass unnecessary frustration and complexity right? Some popular domain registrars can cause significant downtime and delays with unfriendly user systems.
#5 Should You register only the .com name?
Although the .com top level domain name is the most popular, you may want to seriously consider grabbing the .net and the .org domain names, too. They’re the next most popular domain names and you don’t want anyone mirroring your site to ride piggyback on your reputation. If your selected domain name means a lot to you, it’s a good idea to lock in a few spelling variations because people make spelling mistakes all the time.
By registering misspellings and alternate domain name endings (.org, .net and others) you ensure that the name is yours across the major options and that you have control of the content on those spaces.
What personal tips would you add to this list? Please do point out what helps you make a great choice when it comes to best blog domain name selection.
More on domain and blog name and domain choice from the experts:
- Choosing the Domain Name for Your Blog – Darren Rowse
- 12 Rules for Choosing the Right Domain Name – Rand Fishkin
- Better Blog Branding: What’s in a Name? – Chris Garrett
Hey Tim! Great tips you got here. I have not picked up the .org and .net to my personal blog yet.
Thanks for that tip I will pick them up as well.
I look forward to some more article from you.
When it comes to building a niche site I use a keyword rich domain.
Joshua,
Glad you enjoyed the tips – and yeah, grab up those other domains. You won’t be sorry!
Enjoying your blog man – keep it up
Good ideas Tim! You didn’t comment on the wisdom of using one’s personal name for the4 title. That is what I do and I can refer it to people easily. On the other hand it does not tell anyone what it is about. People looking for me will find me, but others looking for a topic won’t. I need more practice on key words and meta tags I think to get the others.
Rob, you’re absolutely correct – get your name as a domain name if you can! I missed my chance by a few months.
You can always point a domain toward a different – more topic related name if that would be beneficial. People are still able to type in your name .com and land on your website.
Alternately, you can setup a single page on your name .com and from there point people to you various pages across the web – say your LinkedIn, Website/blog, FB page, etc., etc…
More than a couple ways to make your name work for you that’s for sure!
Thanks for bringing that up Rob!