OK, you’ve decided to build your personal website. It’s time to get started!
After I decided to use my own hosting service for my personal website instead of using a free platform, the most important decision I faced when setting up my personal website was choosing a domain name for my personal site.
Your website’s domain name is another name for your site’s title. It’s what people type into their web browser’s search box to find your site.
While completing my research it became clear that simply using your first and last name is the simplest and best option for naming your personal website if your website is a resume website, a portfolio website, or a demonstration website.
If your blog is the main focus of your personal website, you can choose to name your website using either your name or your blog title.
Once you select a name, you will need to pay a small fee (usually $8-$15 USD) to register your site’s domain name.
Let’s explore the steps for choosing and registering your personal website’s domain name.
How do I choose my domain name?
Start with the purpose of your website. If you are creating a resume website, using your name is a great place to begin. Your website will be easier to find if someone is specifically searching the internet for information about when they type your name in their web browser’s search box.
If you are a programmer, writer or artist, you will likely set up a site that showcases your work. These types of websites are often referred to as portfolio sites. Unless you have established a brand for your work, use your own name as your domain name.
What domain names should I consider?
Start by making a list of names you want to try. I recommed you make it simple. Start with your first name followed by your last name with a .com extension. Mine is ToddHustel.com. If your name is uncommon like mine, you should have no trouble securing your name with a .com extension.
Your first choice for a domain name may not be available so include multiple variations of your name on your list. If you have a more common name try reversing your first and last names. Often this will get you the desired results.
If that doesn’t work add in a middle initial or your complete middle name. If variations on your name won’t work, add a professional designation like MBA, PhD, MD, DO, OD, DDS, ESq. , etc.
Finally, you may want to add your profession or position. For example I may try toddhustelphotography.com if I specialize in photography, or ToddHustelSales.com if I either have a sales position or am pursing a sales or sales leadership role.
https://getpersonalsite.com/spiIf you plan to name your site for your blog, consider registering the title of your blog. For example SmartpassiveIncome.com is named for Pat Flynn’s blog title.
Others, like James Clear and Micheal Hyatt, have created very successful blog sites using just thier first and last names as their domain name.
Is my domain name available?
After you’ve created a short list of domain names you like, it’s time to see whether they’re available for purchase. I always check at Bluehost.com.
I start here because I host my website with them. I’ve used Bluehost since 2013. I liked the service so much that I recommend it.
Because I like Bluehost so well, I became an affiliate for them. That means I earn a small commission if you sign up for webhosting with them. This commission does not affect the price you pay for your own webhosting.
When you sign up for hosting with Bluehost like I did, your domain registration fee for the first year is free. I liked that. After the first year, the price for registering your domain name is around $15.
You can check whether your name is available by typing it into the box below. When you click on the green check availability button, you will see whether the name you entered is already registered to someone else. If not, you can proceed to register your domain name.
What if my name is not available for purchase?
If you have a more common or popular name, you may find that that you name is not available. If that’s the case, proceed down your list by entering the alternate names you came up with.
Also, if you want Bluehost to provide suggested alternatives for each name you enter, click here to go to a more complete search page on the Bluehost site. Their suggestions may be more desirable than others on your list. If so, select one and register it today.
If you are not purchasing hosting at the same time you purchase your domain name, consider purchasing your domain name through the site namecheap.com. They have some of the lowest costs for domain name registration that I’ve found.
Which domain extension should I buy?
Recently, there has been an explosion in the number of domain extensions – the three letters after the period or “dot” in your domain name. These extensions are sometimes referred to as Top level domains (TLD).
Domain names with the TLD .com, .net. and .org are most common. Some feel that the .com extension is more authoritative or trustworthy.
While researching personal sites, I found a number of excellent sites that ranked well in google search that have an Me. extension. If you have a very common name, you may have great luck by selecting an alternate extension like .me.
Another great TLD to check is .online. You may have to pay a little more for some TLDs through the name registrar, but it can be worth it to secure your exact name. In my case, the name for my site would be ToddHustel.online. It’s my name and it’s descriptive.
If you have a specific site name in mind, but it’s not available with .com, .net, or .org, consider a country code from the list. You may have better luck finding your name available with a more local TLD.
If you strike out with .com, .org, .net, .me, .online and your country code, you may still have success with any of the TLDs on this list. Work through the list until you find one that works. While some of these extensions may not be ideal, you will have your own name on your personal website.
As you establish your personal website, most of your site visitors will find your site because they’re looking specifically for more information about you. For example, they may click on a link to your site that you’ve posted in one of your social media feeds.
Visitors may click through to your site from your LinkedIn profile. They may also find your site by clicking on a link on an electronic copy of your resume or the link you placed in your email signature.
Because your early website visitors will be driven to your site by your links, the domain TLD you choose is less relevant.
What should domain names should I avoid?
Believe it or not, you can make some mistakes when naming your website. Avoid these common errors:
1. Using numbers or special characters
Don’t include numbers or unique characters like dashes in your domain name. Your domain name should be as easy as possible to type into a search box.
Numbers and dashes may create confusion. If someone types JoeSmithII.com rather than JoeSmith2.com, they may be sent to the wrong site.
The same could happen if you use a dash like Joe-Smith.com. Someone may type in JoeSmith.com and be sent to the wrong site.
2. Making the name too long
While most visitors will click on links in your social media accounts, your resume, your business cards, or your email signature, some visitors will find you by typing your name in their search box. Shorter names are easier to remember and easier to use.
A good rule of thumb is to keep you domain name to two words if possible or three at most. For example, ToddHustelPhotography is long, but descriptive. ToddHustelAmazingPhotography.com, while descriptive, is too long for most searchers.
3. Using an irrelevant name
If you’ve exhausted variations on your name or your blog’s name, don’t get cute. Picking a totally unrelated name will doom your site to obscurity. Your web site’s domain name should reflect who you are or what you do.
4. Inadvertently choosing a name that sounds inappropriate
If you’ve found a clever domain name for your site, say it out loud to be sure it sounds socially acceptable. I don’t have a great example here, but it’s something to be aware of.
Finding a good name for your website and registering it with a service like bluehost or is very easy to do.
If you would like to learn more about what to put on your personal website, click here.