Check The Domain History Via Whois
Right after Wayback Machine, who.is is your other go-to tool for getting to know the history of a given domain name. This one is very useful for at least two reasons:
- First, you can see the current domain info stuff like who the owner is who the registrar is, and so on. Theres no point in me listing everything here just go to who.is, input your favorite website and see whats up.
- Second, who.is gives you access to a whois history report. This is a paid service $10 but the price tag is rather small in relation to what you get in return, which is all the whois data associated with a given domain name from the very beginning. This means that you can see what the domains history is, when it was registered, and how many times it potentially changed hands.
In the end, if youre considering getting an existing domain, which can be quite pricey, spending an additional $10 doesnt seem that brutal. Plus, it can save you headaches later on.
Use The Best Domain Name Extension
The final step, once youre happy with your domain nameideas, is to find the best domain extension.
#18 Choose .com first
As we saw earlier, .COM is by far the most popular domainextension, and users intuitively type .com when they enter a website in theirbrowser.
Its the most-established and most-trusted domain extension.So, if its available, always go for the .com extension.
If it isnt available, then you could consider using another TLD, like .NET or .ORG. But you face the prospect of losing traffic to the existing .COM site. For example, davidhartshorne.com is the website of a US voice-over artist. Imagine the confusion and potential lost traffic if Id decided to go with davidhartshorne.net.
#19 Choose your ccTLD
Depending on your business, it may make more sense to chooseyour country code top-level domain. For example, if you run a French restaurant in Paris, servingtraditional French food, then the .FRccTLD might be more appropriate.
#20 Consider other domain extensions
There are now hundreds of domain extensions to choose from, so you can consider choosing one of the new gTLDs. For example, the .io extension is quite popular with tech and SaaS startups, like parlor.io. But, our advice is still to go for .com whenever possible.
A Method For Writing Publishing And Editing Your Content: Content Management System
Once youve got a domain and web hosting , the last thing youll need is system for writing, editing and publishing the content you want to appear at your domain. You can learn to write HTML5, CSS3, and javascript yourself and hand code your site , but most you probably have other places where youd like to spend your time. Fortunately, there are a number of Content Management Systems which you can use to produce and display dynamic web content. The three most commonly used CMSes on the web today are WordPress , Joomla , and Drupal . Each is free and open source software, and all can be used to build beautiful websites.
You can also use all-in-one website builder tools which bundle design with domain registration and hosting from companies like Squarespace, Wix, or Weebly. Many users find these tools easy to use and they let people build attractive, template-based sites for a reasonable fee . Downsides are that they are more expensive that using a self-hosted open-source CMS and that it can be very difficult to get your content out once youve put it in, which means that youre essentially locking yourself in to being a long-term customer of the company. If they raise their rates, youre often pretty much stuck, unless you want to rebuild your site somewhere else. For these reasons, I recommend installing an open-source CMS on your own self-hosted site.
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Maintain A Short Domain Name
Domain names can reach up to 255 characters. But, its not advisable to reach anywhere near this many characters for your domain name. Instead, aim for 6-15 characters.
Short domain names are better for your personal website names since theyre more memorable to clients.
Also, the longer your domain, the higher the chances that your clients will make a mistake when typing your domain name. This will lead to a decrease in your websites traffic.
The Domain Extensions Youll See Most Often
Many new extensions are released frequently, so youll find the perfect domain name no matter what your needs or goals.
However, if youd like to use a more common domain extension, like .com or .org, you still can you may just end up paying a little more for a premium domain name. Premium domain names are easy to remember, easy to pronounce, and are very brandable, so theyre worth the extra cost.
Some of the most common domain extensions youll see are:
- .com The most popular TLD around, this was originally designed for commercial businesses, but can now be used by any individual or organization on the Internet.
- .biz Designed for use by businesses.
- .org Most commonly used by nonprofit organizations, this domain extension has since grown to be nearly as ubiquitous as .com. Anyone can register a .org domain name.
- .net Like a lot of TLDs, this one was intended for use by networks , but can now be used and registered by anyone.
- .gov Unlike the domain extensions above, the .gov TLD continues to be restricted, meaning only government organizations are permitted to use it.
- .mobi Oftentimes a company or organization registers their domain name using .mobi if theyre showing a mobile-only version of their website.
- .us Youre likely to only see ccTLDs that match your home country. These are restricted, and may only be registered by a company or organization that resides within the same country. For example, only US companies may register a .us domain name.
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Which Domain Extensions Should You Avoid
Some domain extensions have earned a bad reputation over time for various reasons. They are most commonly used by spammers to send out spam emails, or to present fake information. Here are a few extensions you definitely should avoid:
.gq, .cf, .tk, ml, .ga, .men, .top, .link, .work, .date:These domain extensions have a reputation for being spammy so definitely avoid them!
A few pseudo domain extensions like .gb.com or .co.cc are also to be avoided. This is because, by buying an extension like .co.cc, your website essentially becomes part of another parent domain, so your survival depends on the reliability of that domain. In case of any dispute, your site could be at risk of being shut down, just like what happened to all sites with a .co.cc domain extension, as per the following message from Google:
How To Choose The Best Domain Extension For Your Personal Site
By now, you know how important it is to have a personal resume website in your arsenal. We’ve also shared a few tips on making your resume website more interactive and provided the crucial mistakes you should avoid.
But, there is another important consideration to make before purchasing a domain name for your website, and that is the domain extension.
When youre creating a personal resume website, its important to go with your name. After all, this website is all about you and presenting yourself in the best possible light to potential employers. Choosing anything else for a domain name would be just plain silly.
Another point to keep in mind is that your site is the very beginning of your personal brand. Changing your domain later on, could hurt not only your brand but your search rankings as well. Thats why its crucial to settle on the right combination of your first and last name paired with the right extension now.
However, finding the best domain name extension might prove to be more difficult than you imagine. If you have a relatively common name, there is a good chance that someone already grabbed their personal domain with a .com extension. What should you do then? What if your name is already taken?
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What Are The Five Most Common Domain Extensions
When it comes to choosing the right domain, you should start with familiarity. Look for what domain extensions are most prevalent in your space and choose one that aligns with your brand and consumer expectations.
This typically means selecting a TLD that is popular. Here are five of the most common domain extensions to consider.
The domain extension you select has a much more important role than you might think. Lets explore the five most common domain extensions and why you should consider that extension for your new domain.
How Do Domain Extensions Affect Website Seo
Domain names and extensions can indeed affect your websites SEO. However, its also important to note that there are almost 200 algorithms that Google looks at when ranking a website.
Therefore, dont expect a massive SEO improvement from a change in domain name or extension.
There are other ways a domain name and extension can affect your website.
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Ideas To Consider When Picking A Domain Name For Your Blog Or A Personal Webpage
When using your name is the best choice
People often ask me if they should use their names in website addresses, or better try to make it keyword-reach, and I always say: think about purpose of your website.
If it is a personal space where you plan to share some information about yourself and your career along with links to your social media profiles, publications, and awards, then your best choice would be a combination of:
- firstnamelastname.com
Hint: Domain zone or top-level domain, which is .com in the examples I listed above, doesnt have to be .com only. More on that in a minute.
Even if it is a blog about some particular topic that you want to be strongly associated with, its a wise choice to go with your name as a domain name, or a combination of your name and topic.
A combination of your name and industry maybe?
And that was another question about domain names that are best to use for personal marketing that landed in our Inbox on
So, Nina asks if she should include the industry she is working in in the domain name. Lets say its ninafitness dot com
I think its a good alternative if your firstnamalastname domain is already taken, or if you expect people to google you mostly using your first name only. Fitness can be exactly the industry where it works!
Alternatively, you can use your industrys TLD . There are literally hundreds of them along with good old .com for you to choose from, .fitness or .dance among them.
Using your company or brand name
How To Choose A Domain Name
Since your domain name can have a major impact on your online presence, what you choose is a vital first step in building your brand. Finding the perfect domain name, however, can be challenging.
While its true that there are millions of domain names available, many of the popular domain names that are easy to remember are taken. Fortunately, you can still get what you need if you go through a simple process and use a bit of imagination.
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Set Your Domain To Auto
Generally, when you register your new domain name, you get to choose the registration period the time span during which the registrar keeps the domain active on your behalf. Most commonly, everyone registers their domain names for either 12 or 24 months.
After that initial period, your domain name needs to be renewed . Otherwise, it becomes inactive. And then, after a short while, if you miss your window, the domain goes back to the pool of available domains, which means anyone will be able to register it.
What usually happens in case someone doesnt make it in time with renewing their domain is that the domain gets snatched by a domain broker or someone similar. Basically, aged domains are valuable in the domain market, plus theres higher chance that the person who originally failed to renew the domain will want to buy it back at some point.
In the end, stay safe by opting to renew your domain name automatically whenever the time comes. Nearly all domain registrars give you this option. Heres what it looks like with Namecheap:
Why Choose Anything But Com
The .com TLD was originally intended for use only by commercial organizations, but today, its a URL standard for pretty much any type of site. A lot of the time, when you go to register a domain name, youre hoping that a .com is available. However, there are plenty of reasons to choose another type of TLD.
The TLD can tell the user what your website is about or the type of website it is. A .org TLD usually means its a nonprofit a .edu is going to be a school or education site. If you choose the wrong TLD, you could mislead your customers, like if you run a shop but use the .blog TLD instead of .shop. Thats why choosing the correct TLD is important for your brand.
Pricing also varies when it comes to TLDs. While .com is the most common and recognized TLD, you could pay much, much more for a .inc TLD. If you have the budget for a pricier TLD, your URL could communicate authority and it could also be valuable should you decide to sell. On the other hand, a less costly, more available URL like .net may diminish your authority but if you have something like a hobby blog, that may not matter much, and youll save a lot of money.
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Your Turn: Comments + Action
Let us know your answer to the following questions in the comments below:
At a minimum you should at least use it to redirect people to your website or blog, and secure the name now in case you want it for bigger things later.
Why You Should Aim For Com
The .com extension is one of the oldest domain extensions. Its also the most commonly used. Just think for a moment: almost every major website on the Internet ends in .com. The exception to this are government websites or non-profit organizations which usually end in .gov or .org.
Because of this, its almost natural for anyone randomly trying to find a website for any business to type in the supposed domain name and finish it off with .com. Indeed, the .com is one of the most desired and preferred extensions.
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How Will It Look As An Email Address
A portfolio website is your online business card so think about how your domain will look as an email address. For instance, an events planner named Heidi Saunders could set up a heidi@saunders.events email address which would work well professionally, align with her brand and immediately tell visitors who or what kind of business theyll be reaching. A simple but clear you@yourdomain email will help people get in touch.
Advantages Of Using Custom Domain Extensions
One of the main reasons to consider a new domain extension is if your first extension choice is taken. Custom TLDs have more options and availability.
Because theres a long list of choices, you can choose a new domain extension to give your business a unique domain name. It can even be a conversation starter like Driftaway.Coffees blog post explaining their domain choice.
A descriptive domain extension can also help with your business. You can choose a custom TLD like .dentist or .attorney to help your business with branding. A customer will understand your service just by seeing your URL.
Choosing a custom extension can also navigate people to other parts of your website. For example, Emirates.store is Emiratess official store page.
Domain names can affect search engine optimization , and domain extensions also play a role in SEO. While Google has said that it doesnt rank new TLDs any higher, there are still some advantages to using a custom TLD.
A custom TLD can add keywords to your URL, which SEO agency Globe Runner found helpful to rank in relevant search and improve conversion rates. A custom domain name can also create a long-tailed keyword, which can help SEO.
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Web Servers And The Internet
The Internet is nothing more than a large collection of computers attached to a telecommunications network and a set of protocols that establishes the rules for data to be sent and received by them. Most computers are linked to the Internet through a modem that directs traffic to and from a local phone or cable company. An Internet service provider directs the incoming and outgoing data through a local hub to regional hubs.
All the data that makes up a website is located on one or more specialized computers known as servers. Servers can be expensive to purchase and maintain, so companies, known as domain hosts or website hosts, lease server resources to subscribers in return for monthly fees. This allows most anyone to create a website that is available to the public on the World Wide Web , which is the collective network of all websites in the world that can be accessed through the internet.
In order for computers to understand each other, universal codes and protocols have been established. One of the most important of these protocols for websites and domain hosting is hypertext transfer protocol . It is this protocol that allows queries to be sent to specific servers so that the websites on those servers can be accessed.