Should I Get My Name as a Domain Name?

Should I get my name as a domain name? If you want to use your name as your domain name for your business website and your brand, consider the following pros and cons of using your name for a domain name. They can help you make an informed choice you won't regret.  

 

The Advantages of Using Your Name for a Domain Name

Get My Name as a Domain Name and Personal Branding – Branding Yourself

Personal branding is perhaps the most crucial reason you should use your name as a domain name. This branding type is essential for those who sell professional services based on their expertise/ reputation or sell products they have built themselves.

Some people who are likely to find personal branding essential to their business success include:

• Lawyers

• Life coaches

• CPAs

• Real estate agents

• Educators

• Freelancers

Odds Are You Can Claim It

 

 

Is it easy to get my name as a domain name?

It's hard to find a premium .com domain name that hasn't already been registered. The team at Brandgy scours the .com space using automated techniques to find premium unregistered domain names. However, in many cases, your name (unless John Smith) will probably be available for you to register.

It's Flexible Using Your Name for Domain Name

Products and services typically evolve as your business matures.

Suppose you brand yourself by using your name for a domain name. In that case, you don't have to worry about rebranding everything (business, website, etc., etc.) if you change direction and start offering different products and services. If you ask yourself if you should get your name as a domain name, the flexibility for future growth can be compelling.

 

 

The Disadvantages of Using Your Name for a Domain Name

You Can't Sell It in the Future

Why should I not get my name as a domain name?

You may want to move on in the future.

Entrepreneurs often get bored with the operational aspect of the business. They sometimes sell an old company that is doing well and then start a new one. They might even choose to retire. If you plan to sell the business in the future, using your name for your business's domain name will make it more difficult to sell. Your customers bought YOU, not someone else, which will make a potential buyer evaluate the business's value without you involved.

Additionally, since you built a PERSONAL BRAND with the business, you may want to protect your reputation and not sell it to someone who may not use it ethically.

Not All Names are Good Domain Names to Use for Business

Some names are hard to pronounce to spell or can be spelled in any one of several ways. If you regularly spell your name out for people, don't use it as your domain name. An example would be “Kathy,” which can also be “Cathy,” “Cathie,” or even “Kathie.”

If you are Kathie Smith, don't send business to Cathy Smith. (Better yet, buy them all and point them to your real name.)

Your Name Might Not be Available To Register

Can I even get my name as a domain name? A person with a common name (John Smith) will probably find that their .com domain name has already been registered. You could consider an alternative domain name ending if your name is registered as a .com. Before abandoning the .com, you might explore name options such as first initial + last name and variations. Avoid lengthening the domain name by adding extra words to get a .com domain ending. Additional words can be okay when the other words are directly related to your product and services. For example, a painter could register the domain name JaneSmithArt.com. This domain name is starting to get long and difficult to remember, so try your best to keep it short and avoid domains like JaneSmithImpressionistPainter.com.

There are quite a few options available if you want to explore new domain name endings. New domain endings enable you to get creative with your domain name ending and still bring in traffic. For instance, an attorney named John Smith may find that JohnSmith.com has already been registered; however, he can still register JohnSmith.attorney.

 

Should I get My Name as a Domain Name?

So, should I get my name as a domain name? It depends.

It depends on your current and future business plans, what you are selling (now and maybe selling in the future), and why you are starting an online business.

Consider the above if you are unsure if using your name as your domain name is the right move for you and your business. Even if you choose another domain name versus your name, you should seriously consider purchasing your name domain name for future use, especially if your name's .com version is available.

Do online research before choosing any domain name (even if you are using your name as your domain name). If someone's name in your industry is close to yours, you might choose a different domain name not to be confused with someone else. Additionally, look up any company names that you may be considering for your new business to ensure there are no businesses with a similar name. Brandable, premium domain names from Domaintive typically are invented words or concepts, reducing this type of conflict.

If you find that using your name for a domain name is not the right move for your business, consider the alternatives:

• Create and use a company name

• Use a niche name

• Use a product name

• Invent a Name (Namecheap has a great business name generator that is free to use).

Good luck!