Launching a new blog and branding it with a memorable domain name is an important part of establishing a successful online presence. But before you get started, a little due diligence is in order. Since you’ll be investing time, creativity, and your reputation in this blog, choose the blog domain wisely. Remember, a domain name is a piece of digital real estate. It should be acquired as carefully as purchasing a new home.

Here are three rules to follow before settling on the perfect domain name:

1. Decide on your branding strategy.

   Before you register, determine what it is you’re trying to “sell” (literally or figuratively) to your target audience. Is it yourself, or a particular product? Are your target readers beholden to a particular geographic locale? Or are you trying to reach as broad an audience as possible? Is there some memorable phrase you’re planning to build your brand around?

   All of these things might factor into what makes the best, most easily discovered blog domain name. The best domain may not be the most obvious one. Also, be sure it is easy to type (i.e., avoid double letters between words, etc.) and even easier to remember.

   Try this trick to test how suitable a potential domain may be. This is one of the secret ways FYNE® decides which domains to register. Once you have a list whittled down to a couple names, pick a couple friends to be your unpaid, unscientific focus group. Call them and work the domain name into your conversation somehow. To give your prospective domain a better chance, include a reference to how you intend on using it. For example, “Hey, Carol. Gosh, I was just looking at BefuddledBetty.com and she really knows her family and consumer sciences.” Then wait a few hours, call them back, and see if they can recall the name.

2. Do some keyword research.

   Whether you already have a particular title for your blog in mind or are still trying to decide, you’d do yourself a huge SEO (search engine optimization) favor by first performing a little keyword research. Building a large following online requires intimate knowledge of the things your target audience is already searching for. That way, you can position your blog to become a go-to source for exactly the content it’s already seeking. Having one or more of the key words that rank high on the list of things your audience cares about will make your blog both easier to find and more likely to be bookmarked and shared across social media.

3. Vet the blog domain for potential problems.

   You wouldn’t buy a house without checking out the neighborhood. And you’d order a home inspection before signing the closing papers. Be that thorough before buying a piece of digital real estate. Search combinations of words and phrases that closely relate to your prospective domain. Make sure the results don’t include unsavory items. You wouldn’t want visitors to your blog encountering them on their way to visit you.

   Pay attention to whether key words or phrases from your proposed domain name coincide with other online entities or their trademarks. Those organizations might have a legal claim on your domain at some point in the future, and the last thing you want is for them to yank a vital plank in your brand platform away.

   Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to make sure your domain name hasn’t already been blacklisted by Google (hint: Google “google ban check”). Sometimes domain names are available for a reason, and they need to stay that way.

Once you’ve decided on your blog domain, register your Web address. As one of the world’s premiere domain registration providers, we pride ourselves on delivering value beyond the registration. FYNE® staff is standing by to resolve a technical problem, or help brainstorm ideas for your blog’s perfect domain name.