Apart from the topic or niche of your blog, having a suitable and easy to remember domain name and a reliable host can be the key to the success of your blog. The domain name is the first thing a visitor will type into the search bar before they’ve even reached your site. If your address on the net is too long or has a complicated spelling, users will be put off straight away, and this definitely would not be a very good start.
But what exactly are domain names and hosts?
According to Wikipedia, it is “a name that is entered into a computer (e.g. as part of a Web site or other URL, or an email address) and then looked up in the global Domain Name System which informs the computer of the IP address(es) with that name.”
More simply speaking, like a house, your website will have an address. This address starts with http:// (HyperText Transfer Protocol) contains the name of your site in the middle, and ends with a TLD (Top-Level Domain) like .com or .net. For some excellent Domain Name Registrars check out GoDaddy and Namecheap.
As I said in my article about niches, your domain name is vitally important to the success of your blog. Have a name that is too long and people won’t be bothered to type it in the address bar. And if you have a domain which is too complicated to spell, your potential visitors won’t be able to get to the site, and it will make searching for your site in Google a nightmare. The key really is to include one of your keywords in your domain.
For example, if you have a blog about Golf, then try and find a name along the lines of “GolfManiacs.com” or “LoveGolf.com” as this way, you have a fun and targeted domain. Many .com names will already be taken so try and think of variations for different words. So if you want to put the word “blog” in your domain, think of other synonyms of the word blog.
A host is the house itself. Your host stores all the information that your site contains so that you don’t have to. Therefore you are free from viruses and malicious attacks whilst your host ensures that your site runs quickly and efficiently..
Although there are a lot of hosts out there, do your homework and start off small. With your new blog you won’t be getting loads of traffic so don’t pay through the roof for extra bandwidth and memory. Also, make sure your web host has good communication just in case you run into any trouble. Send them a test email to find out.
Should I only get a .com Domain Name?
Strictly speaking the best forms of TLDs are .com names and .net. According to many SEO (search engine optimization) specialists, these 2 TLDs will get you the highest rankings for your keyword, as your site will appear to have greater quality and reliability for users who search the engines. Of course this doesn’t mean that you can’t have other variations. If your forum is all about the UK, then by all means take a look at a .co.uk name. Also if your site is fully dedicated to providing content, then a .info domain can be cheaper than most as well.
However try and bear in mind who your target audience is. In many cases your visitors will automatically type in .com as that is what they expect. If this market is in the UK though, then people will be more likely to type in .co.uk into the browser and so this form of TLD would be perfect.
To conclude, do your research. There are so many 1000s of registrars and hosts on the internet all trying to compete for your attention. Separate out the good ones from the bad and look for quality. There’s no point in getting a rock-bottom deal, when there is no customer service when you run into trouble. Spend your money carefully and try and get the most bang for your buck (try and pick catchy and short domain names). Then when your blog is up and running, you can work on trying to break into profit and to monetize your site in order to pay for hosting costs.