What I would add? My blog, Wired PR Works, is becoming my brand. After years of promoting my communications consulting business, it’s surprising how quickly a blog can bring a brand to life.

@wiredprworks on twitter.com

What I would add? My blog, Wired PR Works, is becoming my brand. After years of promoting my communications consulting business, it’s surprising how quickly a blog can bring a brand to life.

@wiredprworks on twitter.com

I have some ideas and I will actually register a few domains this weekend. Domains that I thought were long gone. But they are still available.

I have some ideas and I will actually register a few domains this weekend. Domains that I thought were long gone. But they are still available.

I now feel both better and worse for having named my site TheFutureBuzz.com =)

I now feel both better and worse for having named my site TheFutureBuzz.com =)

I now feel that I did quite well with the name for my blog.

I now feel that I did quite well with the name for my blog.

The blogs I operate may not be ‘household names’ but they are the top blogs in their specific niches and do quite well.

If your goal is to develop an ‘Authority Site’, take the time to select a domain that reflects your specific expertise, service or niche.

Think of your blog in it’s ‘future state’. Does the name stand on it’s own and engage the reader? If not, keep trying until you come up with something that will.

Your domain name is your blogs calling card and call to action. Trying to be cute with a name that doesn’t reflect its content or purpose is a waste of time for both you and your potential visitors.

My 2 cents.

The blogs I operate may not be ‘household names’ but they are the top blogs in their specific niches and do quite well.

If your goal is to develop an ‘Authority Site’, take the time to select a domain that reflects your specific expertise, service or niche.

Think of your blog in it’s ‘future state’. Does the name stand on it’s own and engage the reader? If not, keep trying until you come up with something that will.

Your domain name is your blogs calling card and call to action. Trying to be cute with a name that doesn’t reflect its content or purpose is a waste of time for both you and your potential visitors.

My 2 cents.

I mean, StevePavlina.com is massively successful, but it may still have been a smash if he’d decided to call it ‘SmartDevelopment.com’ (or whatever).

But would Problogger have been the success it is if Darren had chosen to call it DarrenRowse.com?

And then you have sites like Shoemoney which kind of meet halfway in the middle.

Maybe for these guys the names of their sites was largely irrelevant; the quality of content and their respective talents were always going to shine through.

When I was putting together my blog, which is basically about really quite personal self-discovery (and the sharing of those experiences and advice), the ultimate point was the determination of who I am. I have a unique spelling of my name – Sheamus – and it felt natural to make the site URL ‘about me’. Hence, ‘I Am Sheamus’, at iamsheamus.com.

However, while I think few people fully type in URLs anymore – most web-browsers put up reminders of sites you have visited once you’ve typed in the first few letters – I was mindful that while the unique spelling of my name makes it memorable for many people, some will continue to spell it wrong. So I registered iamseamus.com, too – a painful experience – and it re-routes to my proper site.

As my site has become more professional in style and feel, I have thought about focusing more on the ‘personal development’ part and less on my name, but I feel that’s going away from my original goals – specifically, finding myself. Who am I? Who is Sheamus? Ultimately, at the end of the journey, I hope the title of the site will answer this broad question.

But I do wonder if the decision to use my name has been, at least in these early stages, less successful than if I’d have called my site something more to do with the subject matter. It’s a bit six of one.

I agree with comments, above, though – lots of great names are available if you use a little ingenuity. Lots of short ones, too.

I mean, StevePavlina.com is massively successful, but it may still have been a smash if he’d decided to call it ‘SmartDevelopment.com’ (or whatever).

But would Problogger have been the success it is if Darren had chosen to call it DarrenRowse.com?

And then you have sites like Shoemoney which kind of meet halfway in the middle.

Maybe for these guys the names of their sites was largely irrelevant; the quality of content and their respective talents were always going to shine through.

When I was putting together my blog, which is basically about really quite personal self-discovery (and the sharing of those experiences and advice), the ultimate point was the determination of who I am. I have a unique spelling of my name – Sheamus – and it felt natural to make the site URL ‘about me’. Hence, ‘I Am Sheamus’, at iamsheamus.com.

However, while I think few people fully type in URLs anymore – most web-browsers put up reminders of sites you have visited once you’ve typed in the first few letters – I was mindful that while the unique spelling of my name makes it memorable for many people, some will continue to spell it wrong. So I registered iamseamus.com, too – a painful experience – and it re-routes to my proper site.

As my site has become more professional in style and feel, I have thought about focusing more on the ‘personal development’ part and less on my name, but I feel that’s going away from my original goals – specifically, finding myself. Who am I? Who is Sheamus? Ultimately, at the end of the journey, I hope the title of the site will answer this broad question.

But I do wonder if the decision to use my name has been, at least in these early stages, less successful than if I’d have called my site something more to do with the subject matter. It’s a bit six of one.

I agree with comments, above, though – lots of great names are available if you use a little ingenuity. Lots of short ones, too.

Also, some great domain names are still available, you may just need to be a bit creative. Still, you might be surprised. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I discovered ThisLaptopForHire.com was still available. And I was able to get my first choices for two new blogs I’m launching soon.

If you want to cover all your bases, you might also want to grab domains with “this” and “the” thrown in front (or removed). For example, I also registered laptopforhire.com

I will add: search for name availability from reputable places (GoDaddy, Dynadot) and if the name is available, grab it. You have 5 days to release it.

The reputable part is important. Some folks have been burned by trying different domain names, not registering right away, and then finding the name grabbed when they went back for it later. (I would not count Network Solutions as one of the reputable companies, btw).

Also, some great domain names are still available, you may just need to be a bit creative. Still, you might be surprised. You could have knocked me over with a feather when I discovered ThisLaptopForHire.com was still available. And I was able to get my first choices for two new blogs I’m launching soon.

If you want to cover all your bases, you might also want to grab domains with “this” and “the” thrown in front (or removed). For example, I also registered laptopforhire.com

I will add: search for name availability from reputable places (GoDaddy, Dynadot) and if the name is available, grab it. You have 5 days to release it.

The reputable part is important. Some folks have been burned by trying different domain names, not registering right away, and then finding the name grabbed when they went back for it later. (I would not count Network Solutions as one of the reputable companies, btw).