How to choose a domain name

Choosing a domain name can be fun, but it can also be tricky, depending on the name of your blog. To secure a domain name, you need to first make sure it is available, and then, purchase it. If you have a name in mind but have yet to buy it, we always recommend doing so right away. Once a domain name has been bought, it can be difficult to buy it back, if it’s even a possibility!

Is your domain name available?

You can typically search for domain name availability through the provider you wish to purchase a domain from; however, if you’re just researching, simply google “Domain name availability” and there are plenty of websites to help you check. All will return the same results, so don’t worry about choosing one over the other.

Things to Consider When Choosing Your Domain Name

Here it is, our ultimate list of things to consider when choosing a domain name:

• If possible, purchase a domain name that follows the title of your blog, without hyphens, at a .com address.
• If you have a particularly long blog name, consider purchasing a shorter domain name so people don’t have to type as many characters to get to your blog — but make sure it’s easy to remember.
• If you do purchase a shorter domain that does not match the title of your blog, think about also purchasing the full blog name and redirecting it to your site. People will naturally try to go to yourfullblogname.com first. You can always publicize shortname.com, which will save you space on business cards and be easier to remember over time. Then use yourfullblogname.com as backup for any new readers who naturally remember that first.
• If shortname.com and yourfullblogname.com are taken, consider .net instead.
• In that vein, does your desired domain name use a common extension? People will naturally think of .com or .net, but not less common extensions like .me.
• Try a variation of your preferred name, if it’s not available. Consider adding “blog” to the end of your blog name, or use hyphens — though we don’t recommend using more than one or two.
• If you haven’t started your blog yet, we would highly recommend reconsidering your blog name if you can’t find a good domain name.Also, search the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office site for your chosen name and make sure that someone else hasn’t already registered a trademark for that name. You don’t want to put time into building a brand only to be forced to change your name later.

Read more about domains and where to buy them here.