MuckTech

A name.  We are bestowed one at birth. It is the one thing we carry with us our entire life.  Sometimes it is shortened, others it changes.  It’s what pops up on caller ID so our friends know we are trying to reach them.

If you are about to start a web site, you have some idea about what kind of content you want to produce.  You may have even considered a name for the site.  If not, no need to worry. Here is some information how to get started.

Using your name

If you are a journalist, it is always good to own YourName.com when possible. Whether you realize it or not, your name is a brand.  You may think it seems egotistical to own your name as a website (I encountered this with one author while consulting on her site), but the alternative is someone else buys it and controls the information people find about you.  Make sure you are in control.

If you have a more popular name, owning your YourName.com might be impossible.  This was my experience; owning JasonDean.com was not an option.   Get creative and see what else is available.  Many of the “Jason” and “Dean” options were already taken, so I chose The-Dean.com as my primary domain.

So how do you find out what is available and actually purchase your domain name?  Godaddy.com is the primary website for purchasing domains.  It costs about $10/year, although they often have specials.  From their site you can search to see if your choice is available.

Godaddy suggests a number of similar options if your first choice is gone, including .net, .biz and .info. Buy the .com when possible.  Most people will instinctively think .com as  it is the way we ‘see’ the web. If you have your heart set on a domain and the .com is taken, the .net is acceptable.  If neither are available, I would suggest a different name rather than going with other endings (.info, .biz, etc).

Other names

Using your name is not a necessity, and in some cases a bad idea.  If multiple people are contributing to your site, you should choose something that deals with the content and not the individuals. Choosing a name based on subject helps people who stumble upon the site know what to expect.  The name MuckTech is a shortened version of muckraker technology.  Once people visit the site initially, they know what to expect. One of my favorite journalism sites is 10000words.net*.  The name comes from founder Mark Luckie’s idea that “If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many is an interactive story worth?”

Still, you may have other ideas for a name that have nothing to do with the content – you may just like how something sounds.  Go with it.  Instead of naming his site MicroMessage.com, Jack Dorsey named it Twitter.

Starting a Business

Many of the same rules mentioned above apply for both individuals and businesses.  However, if you are a non-profit or non-commercial organization, you can consider the .org domains as well.

Naming is more important for business than it is for individuals in creating your brand across multiple websites.  Soon we will take an in-depth look at owning your brand across the web.  However, now that you have your domain, what’s next? Hosting in the next installment of the Z2WH Series.

Have questions? Did I miss something?  Leave a comment and I will address.

* Random note – to make my point, I usually end up at 10000words.COM by accident, which is a Chinese site.  I wonder how much traffic they get  from people seeking 10000words.net?