Choosing Domain Names that Are thebomb.com

Whether you call it a domain name, a URL, or a web address—you know, something like www.whateverforever.com (incidentally a silly clothing line)—choosing one is almost as hard as choosing your child’s name. Your domain name is so important and will be used in so many places that it’s crucial to think carefully before committing. Moving your website from a domain you weren’t set on to a new one is a pretty involved process, so it’s better to just pick the right one in the first place!

Here are some things to consider:

• Originality: Your domain name should be unique enough that it can’t be confused with anything else. For example, if your name is Amy Everhart, and there’s another author in your genre named Amy Everhardt who has the domain name www.amyeverhardt.com (broken, made-up link), you might want to consider choosing a domain name that’s more than just your name.
• Ease of communication: Your domain name shouldn’t be too long or complex. It should be easy to write, read, and say aloud. The harder you make this domain name to say, read, write, the harder it will be for people to share it -- including you. You want people to be able to hear it once and understand, maybe even remember it later.
• Timelessness: Your domain name should work for you for years to come. For example, if you’re about to publish your first book, Love Under a Tree (I know, I’m great at making up fake book names), you don’t want your domain name to be www.loveunderatree.com (also a dead link). What if you write a second book? You’ll have to buy a new domain name and move the website over! It’s better to use your own name or something else that will last the entirety of your author career.

With all of this in mind, it’s time to name your website! Here are a couple of different approaches an author might take when naming their website:

• Author name: This is the most common approach for authors, as it leaves the most room for flexibility. Heck, if you decide to become an actress or a yogi or whatever else, you could in theory also use this website under your name for those purposes. The best route is to use your name exactly as it appears on your book cover. For example, if you use your middle initial on your book cover, use it on your website too. You wouldn’t try www.johntolkien.com (incidentally a broken link that is most likely owned by the Tolkien estate so no one else abuses it). You’d, naturally, try www.jrrtolkien.com first. If you have a common name or there’s someone else out there rockin’ your name for professional purposes, you could throw an “author” at the end of it and be www.johntolkienauthor.com (you know . . . to distinguish yourself from all the other Tolkeins).
• Business name: Some authors might be writing for business purposes or about a subject that closely ties in with their business. If you run a home organization business called Happy Healthy Home and you’ve written this book Each and Every Corner: Home Organization for Lazy People (or whatever), it makes sense to tie your business and this book together under the website www.happyhealthyhome.com (incidentally also a broken link). On the other hand, you might already have a website for your business! If that’s the case, consider simply adding a new page for your book information. After all, your target audience for the business and the book are the same.
• Book name: In some cases, it might be a good idea to use your book title in your domain name -- or, more accurately, a series name. If you’re planning on writing 30 kids’ books all about Plucky the Peacock learning life lessons, sure. Name your website www.pluckythepeacock.com (it’s broken; they’re all broken). This is almost exclusively appropriate for children’s book authors.

As you can see, there are a lot of elements to consider when naming your website. If you’re unsure where to begin, reach out to get our professional opinion. And don’t forget: we can even design your website for you as well!
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by Christina Kann