You have your blog or thinking about starting one and are trying to think of the "right" name. Choosing a domain name for your site is very similar to choosing a name for your business. Yes, it can be that serious because if you choose to change your domain name later, internal links may be broken, images may no longer be available (and have to be reinserted), your feed address will need to be changed (in FeedBurner) and so on. It can be quite a big deal to change a name later on, so take some time to choose the "right" name first.

in the following paragraph, Webs.com, shares a few tips on choosing a domain name, however I wanted to share some of my own with you as well 😀

1. Your Name — Depending on your profession or if you are creating a personal blog, many people choose to use their own name, such as www.SandiMacIver.com. Friends and business associates may know your name and search your name in Google, for example.
2. Using Your Business Name — I would also highly recommend that you use your business name whether you are starting a new business or have been in business for many years and just starting a blog now. People know you and your business, so it's a great idea to see if your business name is available as a domain.
3. Be Unique — In this next suggestion, I actually am in disagreement with Webs.com.  I think it's a good idea to be unique.  For example, as many of you know, I'm a hobby Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  Many fellow demonstrators use <name>Stamps.com or Stamp with <name>.com or Stamping with <name>.com…you get the picture.  That is totally fine and I can a great advantage to using one of your keywords in your Blog Title (such as Stamps, Stampin, Stamping), however again, "many" demonstrators use this naming convention.  So in a way, I think it's great to think of something unique and specific to you to help you and your name stand out from the pack! Maybe even something "Catchy" 😀

Webs.com shares these three tips on determining what "name" you should choose for your site:

1. Shorter is Better — The most memorable domains tend to be shorter than longer. A shorter domain has fewer possible spellings or interpretations and is easier to memorize. For example, instead of "affordablewebhostingprovider", we decided to go with "webs."   
2. Easy Spelling — Choose a simple site address that does not have a lot of spelling variations. Domain names are often passed around by customers in verbal conversation. Use only a few words to ensure the correct information is passed around. Also remember that you can only use letters, numbers or a hyphen. No special characters, like &, # or $, are allowed in a domain name.   
3. Descriptive of the Company — Website addresses should not be a random name you pull out of a hat. Your domain name should clearly express what your company is about and should reflect what you do. Instead of simply looking for something catchy, strive to pick a domain that fits into and complements your overall branding. 

In choosing "Blogs By Heather", I combined tips (#1 from my list and #3 from Webs' list) – I used part of my name with what my business (blog) was going to be about (blogging and blog development).

Buy and Set Up a Custom Domain

How to setup your domain name is discussed in depth in both of my books, Creative Blogging and Beginning Google Blogger, loaded with screenshots and step by step instruction; however you can also look here where I wrote a mini-tutorial on how to map (use) a domain purchased through me,  Blogs By Heather Domains (www.BlogsByHeatherDomains.com).

If you get stuck, just let me know and I'd be happy to help 😀

Happy Blogging!

Heather Wright-Porto
www.BlogsByHeather.com 

You May Also Like:

• The Difference Between Domain Mapping and Domain Forwarding.
• Domain Mapping with Me, Blogs By Heather Domains.
• Domain Mapping with Blogger and GoDaddy.
• Domain Mapping with TypePad and GoDaddy.
• Domain Fowarding and the non-www URL.