When it comes to picking a blog name, there are factors that you need to put into consideration. These factors will help you avoid costly mistakes when you are choosing a name for your blog.
While any name for your blog may work, overlooking some of these factors can stop your blog from succeeding.
Picking a Blog Name
1. Pick a Blog Name that is Easy to Memorize
The last thing you want when picking a blog name for your blog is a name that your reader can’t remember.
A random person may land on your blog and like your content. If the name of your blog is easy to memorize, the person will easily come back to your blog to read more articles.
One trait of memorable blog names is that they are short. A short blog name is easier to memorize than a long name.
When you are picking a name and you have options, consider the shorter name.
Apart from the length of the name, the words in the name also determine how easy a domain name is to memorize. A domain name that is made up of everyday words is easier to memorize than one using unfamiliar words.
I once bought a domain name called ‘he woke up’. This is an English phrase that anyone who knows English will easily remember.
The important thing is to have a meaning behind your phrase. Waking up is an activity that we do every day and I thought it would be easy for readers to remember.
Since most nouns have already been taken as domain names, consider using verbs or phrases. Instead of calling your blog ‘home décor’ call it ‘decorating home’ or make it a phrase like ‘She decorates homes’.
This angle of approach will help you find blog names that are easy to memorize and that have not been taken.
2. Pick a Blog Name that is Easy to Pronounce
A blog name may be easy to memorize but hard to pronounce. Domain names that are hard to pronounce will limit the spread of your blog through word of mouth.
Normally, when someone is recommending your blog, they will mention its name. If the name is hard to pronounce, they may avoid recommending it all together.
With a name that is hard to pronounce, you will also struggle to share your blog through word of mouth. You will be in the midst of your friends and when you say you are a blogger they may want to check out your blog.
If you cannot pronounce your blog name properly, how do you expect your friends to find your blog?
To make a blog name easy to pronounce, use English words. Combine two English words or use an English phrase that is easy to pronounce.
Make sure that the name of your blog is easy to pronounce even for people who are poor in English.
3. Use a Blog Name with the Right Domain Extension
Majority of blogs use the .com extension. When you pick a name for your blog, your readers will assume you are using a .com extension. If you use a different extension, you will lose those readers who expect you to be using a .com extension.
When choosing a name for your blog, it is good practice to use a .com extension. There are other domain extensions that are cheaper than the .com extension. Don’t be tempted with their cheap price. In the long run, you will pay a heavy price.
You may also find domain names that are taken when you use the .com extension but are available when you use other extensions.
Not only will such domains cause you to lose readers but you may also have copyright problems. If you use the name of a registered company and only change the domain extension, you are breaking copyright laws.
You can be sued and your blog be shut down.
4. Use a Blog Name Related to your Niche
A blog name related to your niche will appeal more to your readers than a random name. Using a blog name related to your niche will pass a subconscious message to your readers that you are passionate about the niche.
The passion you show in the name of your blog is what will attract readers to your blog.
Take an example of Google page results; among the ten websites listed on the page, readers are more likely to choose a blog whose name matches the niche of their search term.
The challenge with choosing a name that is niche specific is that your blog will be bound within that niche. It is not expected for a blog with a medical name to be talking about celebrity stories.
As much as you may want a name that is related to your niche, make sure that it is broad enough to take different angles in the niche.
If a blog is named ‘medical news’, it can cover a wide range of medical topics compared to a blog named ‘malaria treatment’.
Sometimes you may pick a name that is relevant to your niche but you realize the niche is too narrow. Expanding would mean changing your name too which is not always a good practice.
A Good Enough Blog Name
One of my early mistakes in blogging was spending too much time on unimportant aspects of a blog. One of such unimportant aspects was choosing a blog name.
This does not mean that a blog name is unimportant but spending too much time looking for a perfect domain name is.
The goal is to have balance. Your domain name should reflect some character of your blog. But the most important part is the content on your blog.
No matter what you do, in the end, your blog name can only be as good as the content on the blog. Some blogs don’t have fancy names but because their content is good, their name is popular in the niche.
There are many blogs that have awesome names but they have no readers.
It is better to have a successful blog with an average name than a blog with a beautiful name but with no readers.
Whatever name you pick for your blog, at some point you will feel it is not the best name for your blog. Forge on with creating good content until your readers associate your ‘not so good’ name with your good content.
If you want to buy a domain name and start your blog, buy it from this website.
All the best!