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TRICKS4INDYA
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.
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 aware with the content. A unique domain name will be sticky within the minds of visitors.
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.
1. Using Your Name Or A Variation. I’ve done it right on this blog: Money4indya is a combination of Money and India, my country 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.
2. 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.
3. Short And Sweet. Many bloggers want 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.
4. 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?”.
5. Findable/Discoverable. 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:-
· Money4indya.blogspot.com(keyword rich + 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:-
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
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