Build a Business Blog- Buying a Domain -

Today we will be going over how to purchase a domain for your blog. Having your very own “.com” is one of the best things you can do to Build Your Brand and make it easier for your customers to remember you, find you, and send you referrals.

Having your own .com is one of the easiest and most economical ways you can market your direct sales business.

This post may contain affiliate links which means we receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

*Note: If you already own a .com you can skip to Day Four – Setting Up Your Hosting for your next step.

Tips For Choosing a Great Domain Name

1. It Should Fit Your Purpose: What is your business? What do you DO? Do you have one business, or do you have several that you run more like a boutique? How do you help people? What are you known for?

These are all questions you have to ask yourself when choosing a domain name for your business and ultimately your blog.

2. Short and Sweet: The best domain names are between 5 and 10 characters long. Not only will it be easier to remember (Tip 3) but easier to type as well. Not to mention a shorter domain will look better on printed material as well.

3. It Should Be Easy to Remember: As you grow in the Blogosphere you will come to be recognized by your blog. Some people may not remember your name or even which specific company you represent, but they will remember your blog name.

4. Easy to Spell: Gone are the days of cutesy spellings and punctuation. Not only will Search Engines not understand, but your readers may not as well. If you want “you” in your name – spell it out. If you want “for” in your name – spell it out.

5. Be unique. You want a blog name that will stand out and show your personality. Again, this is how you will become known to readers, other bloggers, your Customers, your Colleagues, etc. You want something that makes you stand out from the millions of others.

6. Get the .com. Although there are several options for your domain suffix – .net, .biz, .org, etc – the truth is the .com is always going to be the most recognized and most referred.

If the .com is not available – keep brainstorming for another name. Otherwise, you are probably only giving more relevance to the person who DOES own the .com.

I know it’s frustrating – but trust me – it will be worth it in the long run.

7. It should exactly match your Blog Name: This is something we see happening often – when a domain name and a blog name are two different things. This is incredibly confusing for both your readers and customers who are trying to remember/refer you.

When people visit your blog through a link they will just read the name of the blog. Should they decide to revisit the site a couple of days later they will just type that name followed by a dot com.

If they do not find your blog once they hit enter they will just go somewhere else.

8. No hyphens or numbers: Putting a hyphens or numbers in your domain url make it more difficult to be remembered, and there for shared and referred.

Again you want to make your domain and blog name as simple to remember as possible, and like Tip 7, if someone makes a mistake with typing in your url and cannot find you, they will often just simply go elsewhere.

9. Decide on a Few: It is best to choose several options for your Blog/Domain name so that in case your first choice is already taken, you do not have to start over at square one.

Also, know that you should wait until you are ready to purchase your domain name before searching for domains, as there is software that track those searches, and you do not want someone to purchase that domain and try to sell it to you at a premium price.

How To Purchase Your Domain

Once you have decided on your blog name, it is time to purchase the matching domain. In the images below we are using TheOneStopBlogShop to purchase our domain.

Step 1. Go to www.Shop.TheOneStopBlogShop.com and search for the .com that you desire.

Step 2: If that domain name is already taken, we suggest that you find another domain name. This step can be frustrating, however, it will be best for you in the long run. This is why it is important to begin your search with several options in mind.

Note: do not buy the .net or .biz if the .com is not available. If someone already owns the .com, just move on. Otherwise, you will be inadvertently be giving them traffic, and constantly having to “fight” for whose traffic is whose.

Plus if they have trademarked their name, you will be in violation, and they can legally shut you down. It is better to simply find your own, unique .com.

You will then be prompted to either login or create an account. Once you have done that you can complete the checkout process. Your domain should cost you no more than $10.17USD.