One of the questions I get from the new and aspiring internet marketers is, “which domain name should I choose?”.
Choosing a name for your website may seem insignificant but it’s very important to have a good one as it should give people an idea of what’s behind it.
The internet is blitzed with a lot of advertising and anyone can put anything online. This has resulted in a high level of skepticism among searchers. Trust is a huge factor as people buy from those they like and trust.
People often make their decision to buy based on the ad, domain name, the website they are directed to and so on. If these are hypey and dodgy, then people will turn off to. First impressions are everything!
Now, your domain name is the door to your world and business and you want people to open that door to see what’s inside, right?
Here’s how to go about choosing names for your websites:
Firstly, you will need to use your own name for your blog or personal website in order to build your brand, promote yourself as a leader and make yourself stand out on the internet. For example, MavisNong.com. Now there may be other people in the world who have your name, so you might need to add something in front of your first name or at the end of your last name, such as MeetMavisNong.com, WhoIsMavisNong.com, MavisNongOnline.com or similar.
This is very powerful as people will get used to seeing your name around and when they click on it they will get to know who you are and what you are all about.
Secondly, you will need to choose a name to promote your business. The name should describe what you are offering – a promise of a benefit or a solution to a problem. Be creative and ensure that it’s attractive to people who are searching for what you are offering. It’s very important that your chosen name is congruent with your ad and your landing page. Why? Because when people click on an ad, they want to see what they expected to find. When their expectations are not met, then they feel misled and click on the back button in a heart beat to leave your website!
Some examples of descriptive and effective names are: GetTopMarketingSystem.com, OnlineBusinessSuccess.com, TopOnlineBiz.com and similar. You don’t want the name to be too long and complex.
As you can see, using your own name for your business opportunity, products or a marketing system, will work against you. There will be a disconnect as people would expect to find the information about you.
Furthermore, do not use hypey names such as MakeMillionsToday.com, GetRichInstantly.com and the like. They will only attract people with a “lottery” mentality and that will not be good for your business.
I also get asked about which extension (.com, .net, .info, .biz, .me etc.) to use. A “.com”, short for ”commercial”, works very well and it’s commonly used in the network marketing industry. People are also used to typing in “.com”.
Domain names are really cheap and are available at any domains service provider. I personally use Godaddy.
Your goal should be to brand yourself and to use a professional name that represents what you are doing and offering.
You can also save on web hosting.
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To Your Success,
Professional Internet Marketer
Certified Marketing Consultant
Mavis Nong is the creator and author of this blog.
She is passionate about helping others create success online.
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Mavis,
I agree, choosing a domain name is very important, you don't want to be changing it later.
Getting a few keywords in your domain name doesn't hurt for SEO either, especially for niches.
Take care,
Neil
Very good and to the point post, Mavis – you managed to hit all the main considerations for picking a great domain in a very concise and to the point manner; a girl after my heart:).
Ana Hoffman
Very insightful Mavis. My name is so long that it made it impractical to use it as a domain name, something which needs to be considered. But…do a Google on my name I use to Brand myself with & see what comes up!
I also feel that people mainly search for information – they will not be searching for you…after all, they don't know you yet! It has also been said that it is important to try & incorporate your main keyword into your domain name where possible – how do you do that with your own name as the domain?
I also make use of the .info extension. It is usally dirt-cheap from GoDaddy & it lends itself to the idea that the visitor will be able to get the information on the subject he/she is looking for. A .com extension was always associated with a website where you may have to spend money ie commerce, but, it IS the main extension associated with the internet & it usually denotes a serious website.
Domain name choice is a subject that can be debated at length & is certainly quite subjective. Thanks for your sharing your ideas.
Stay inspired!
Michael
Hi Mavis,
Choosing a domain name can be tough at first.
If your going to use your name, it's also a good idea to grab alternative ways of spelling it as well. For example, most people try to spell my name with a “z” so it's not a bad idea to get that domain as well.
Great info Mavis!
Susanna
Mavis,
I can see both sides being that I use my name as my domain name.
I can see where you could say well people are not looking for you but your product or service but also I wouldn't want a product or service standing in the way of what I am really promoting….me.
Good points and arguments either way.
Whats life without a little controversy,
Steve Shoemaker
Hi Mavis,
that's an interesting question. I've got “OliverTausend.com” and “AskOliverTausend.com” – the latter I use for my blog and the first one I forward to my Facebook profile. I prefer Bluehost to GoDaddy (my blog's domain is a Bluehost domain). It runs very smoothly especially with Mac. As I share my business opportunity only upon request, I don't have a special domain name for it.
Thanks for sharing
Take care
Oliver
Hey Mavis
The topic of domain name is always interesting.
I have my personal branded domain plus many niche related ones, all serving their various purposes.
It also depends on how a domain is to be marketed. If the domain wil be primarily clicked on then a long name is okay. If it is to be typed in, like from a radio ad then it must be memorable, not necessarily short but that helps.
Absolutely! Thanks for your input, Neil.
I appreciate your visit and comment.
All the best,
Mavis
Wow, that means a lot coming from you, Ana! I really appreciate your compliment… You put a smile on my face
All the best,
Mavis
You are right, Michael. I believe in using the relevant keywords in my domain name and a .com extension.
I guess people have different opinions about this subject.
Thank you very much for your input and for sharing your experience.
I appreciate your visit and comment.
All the best,
Mavis
That's a great tip, Susanna.
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.
All the best,
Mavis
Hi Steve,
Yes, life would be boring without controversy!
People hold different opinions about this subject. At the end of the day, it's about what works best for your brand and marketing efforts.
I appreciate your visit and comment.
All the best,
Mavis
Hi Oliver,
So, you don't have a website for your business opportunity?
I have also been using Godaddy and never had issues with them. Good to know that BlueHost works well.
Thanks for stopping by and for your comment.
All the best,
Mavis
Hi Mavis,
Spot on!
Choosing the right domain name is pretty important. Can you imagine if you had a domain that made no sense to what you're doing? It would be a nightmare.
The sad truth is some people do this. The best thing they can do is to read this post.
Thanks for sharing this.
Jerome Ratliff
Hi Peter,
Yes, it is interesting. Yes, the goal should to be to entice people to want to check your website out
Thanks for the visit and for stopping by.
All the best,
Mavis
You're so right, Jerome. Sometimes people don't give choosing their domain names any thoughts
Thanks for the visit and for your kind words.
All the best,
Mavis
Hi Mavis. This is one inspiring thought to ponder on. After all at the end of the day before we hit the hay, it’s the first impression that will last. But more often than not, why do some people prefer to use their names? I don’t want to hold it against you guys but I find it less effective because it brings out the confusion that more or less it’s just about YOU.
Hi Pamela! Welcome to my blog!
People use their names for personal branding.
All the best,
Mavis
A bit tangential to the discussion: I also huge Godaddy as my registrar of choice. But sometimes… don’t you feel like walking over to their offices and slapping them insistently while repeating the mantra “will you lay down on the up-sells, please?!!”
Anyway, and regarding the domain name issue, and since I’m a best-of-both-worlds kind of guy. I think it’s best to use relevant keywords for the actual domain, and just include your name as part of the “About” page. It’s simpler to make a brand out of a few catchy keywords than branding a personal name, I think.
Agreed, Pedro.