Your domain name is an online extension of yourself, and whether you’re setting up a personal blog, a portfolio, or an online location for your brand and its products and services, you’ll want to make sure that your online persona is a mirror of you or your brand, and that you remain consistent with word usage throughout your domain name, site titles, content, and any connected social media profiles. Everybody wants the perfect, catchy, easy-to-remember domain name, so here are a few things to keep in mind when brainstorming the name you’ll register:
Pick a reputable registrar. Choose Register.com or a similar domain registrar that offers excellent service, guarantees, and support with domain name management, as well as competitive pricing. Many domain registrars advertise promotions and coupons directly on their site or social media accounts; for others, you’ll need to do some searching on coupon sites to find any available deals.
Grab the .COM.
Top-level domains, or TLDs, include domains that end with .com, .net., and .org. The majority of consumers and general internet browsers will assume that your site ends in .com, so make sure that you prove their assumption correct. However, if your budget allows it, snap up the .net and .org TLDs, too. This way, regardless of what TLD a visitor uses to connect to your website, they’ll always connect successfully.
Make it memorable.
Your domain name should be eye-catching and attention-grabbing. The last thing anyone wants is a domain name that gets lost among others. Put together a name that is short and sweet, or clever and witty. It’s okay to be a little odd, but don’t use deliberate misspellings or include numbers, or use hyphens, as these three bad “add-ons” can create name confusion.
Brand it.
Have you settled on the perfect domain name? Great. Now you’ll want to make sure that you have social media accounts and other online identities made to match! If WatchesInLA.com is your domain name, then WatchesInLA should also be your Facebook name, YouTube name, Instagram name, Twitter handle, etc.
Secure it.
Now that you’ve registered your the perfect domain name, make sure you take all the necessary steps to keep it in your possession. When adding your information to the required whois, make sure that names and addresses are spelled correctly, that no numbers are forgotten or transposed, and that all information is up to date. You’ll also want to lock the domain with the registrar – this prevents the domain from being transferred away without your consent.
