how-to-start-a-blog

names. The first three are easy. Maybe you can do five or six withoutbreaking a sweat, but by the time you get to last one, you’ll be stuckfor more ideas. Using the outline described above, pick the best onefrom your list and you are on your way. That is the best way to helpchoose your domain name!Choosea unique nameChoose a unique name - Using a search engine, like Google, searchout your proposed blog name. Does your search show any sites withsimilar names? If it does, then make sure you try a different name.Naming your blog closely to other existing sites is the first step to failure.Also, don’t choose names that are plural or misspelled versionsof existing sites.Make it easyto typeMake it easy to type - If you have to spell it out, at least morethan once, then it won’t work. Keep the name as easy to rememberand type in as possible. You don’t want your future visitors to incorrectlytype in your name and be directed to a totally different site.For example: Flickr.com one of the popular social sites, which startedin 2005, had to acquire Flicker.com 4 years later for a large amountof money in order to redirect visitors who misspelled their name. Ifyou’re determined to have that oddly-spelled name, then make surecommon misspellings are available as well so you can register themand redirect visitors to the main domain.Choose . com firstChoose “dot com” first - 52% of all websites are “dot.com” domains.It is still the preferred extension and the easiest to remember.If your number one name choice isn’t available, then try your secondchoice before accepting other TLD. Remember that some browsersaccept address-only entries in their address bar. If you type just thedomain name (and who knows how many of your users will just dothat?) they will return, by default, to the .com siteTry to makeit brandableTry to make it brandable - Your domain name will be your brand.Some names speak for themselves. When you hear the name, youknow what the blog is about. Take a look at Top 100 blogs by DailyTekk,and you’ll see that most blogs have brandable names.Shorter is alwaysbetterShorter is always better - As we’ve been saying, shorter is better.If you can’t get your domain name down to one memorable word (almostimpossible to come by these days), then consider adding one ormaximum two more words. Combinations of two words works greatfor the memorable names like LifeHacker.com or GeekSquad.com.Also, don’t use an acronym. People will never remember the lettersunless it’s a highly catchy name.17