Why Using your Personal Name is a Great Idea for Your Website Domain

Do you own a personal blog? Say, as a journalist, you have a blog for breaking news or discussing trending topics, what do you use as your domain name? While many people register various brand names for their blog (which is not a bad idea), few people recognise the benefits of an own name website.

You stand to gain a lot by simply using your name, for example- www.loislane.com. Have you ever tried to see if your personal name is available for domain registration? Think of a domain name as your online real estate, and it would be a shame if you don’t lock down yours quickly.

Here are some benefits of doing so:

1.  A Memorable URL

For one, a personal URL name is brandable. Brandable names are good for business, especially online names. This is because they are memorable, easy to type and on most occasions are easy to pronounce.

According to a study by Adam Alter of New York university, people tend to like names they can easily pronounce. The same context applies to domain names as well. If they can easily remember your domain name and type it into the address bar, then they will likely visit your site more often. Similarly, consider how attractive “[email protected]” sounds as an email address. Your friends and followers can reach you by simply typing your name.

2.  Credibility

As a journalist, your reputation is important. There is something more believable about having an own name website. For example, www.johnsmith.com comes off as more transparent than www.zynotix.com. Credibility improves conversion of online visitors and customers. Getting your own name website is a good sign because it shows you believe enough in yourself to invest in building a brand around your name.

When you believe in yourself, you create room for other people to believe in you. One way people determine a credible website is the author presence, and a listed name is a positive clue. Make your online visitors more comfortable with your website by using your own name.

3.  Search Engine Optimisation (Online visibility)

Credibility score is used by web crawlers to rank sites on search engines, and a website with high enough credibility will be easily found online. Imagine you had an own-name website that covered news on child care awareness. With a high credibility score, it will be easier for potential volunteers or donors to find your site on search engines. However, note that domain name and credibility are not sole determinants of website visibility.

When you combine these factors with the right keywords and inbound links to your website, you are on your way to SEO gold.

4.  Total Control

Having a personal name website gives you total control over your website and how you wish to use it. Always look into the future; you may not be a household name today, but several years later your brand may become one. If your domain name is locked down, unscrupulous individuals cannot use it to direct anti-branding campaigns at your person.

This is common with big name brands, here’s a case study for Coca Cola. You don’t have to be popular to protect your reputation online, being in control of your personal domain name gives you peace of mind.

5.  Personalised Online Presence

The benefits of a positive, easily accessible online presence are endless. From serving as a resume, to promoting your cause or being a biographical source for people who want to know more about you, an own-name website is invaluable.

What’s more, you can get competitive advantage over others in the same industry when controlled information about yourself is easily visible online.

Consider how much you could gain. If your name is still available, lock it down now.