DIY Website Part 2 – Get a Good Domain Name

What’s a domain name, you might ask?

Well, that’s going to be your address on the internet.

The examples of domain names I’ve chosen for a few of my websites are:

As you can see, domain names can be a string of characters and numbers that YOU get to choose to identify your website. Choose carefully.

Why Choosing a Good Domain Name is Important

Choosing a good domain name is important because:

  1. You want your music studio to be found on the Internet when people search for it
  2. You want your domain name to be easily remembered by your students/parents/friends/family

There is a matter of search engine optimization (SEO) that I will deal with later – but for now, suffice it to say that choosing a good domain name will increase the success of your music studio.

Tips on Choosing a Good, or GREAT Domain Name

Here’s some homework for you to help you choose a great domain name for your music studio.

Take a blank sheet of paper (or start a new Excel sheet on your computer) and without being distracted, list words and phrases that you would like your music studio to be identified with. The following questions might help:

  • Do I want my first and/or last names to included within my domain name? (example, AndersonTrumpetStudio.com)
  • Do I want to have the instrument I teach within the domain name?
  • Do I want to have the area/region in which I teach within the domain name? (example, FinneyTownPianoStudio.com)
  • Do I want something related to my area of expertise but still catchy? (example, IWorkForMusic.com)

Now, with those words and phrases you’ve listed, try to mix and match them, and ‘toy around’ with some domain names that are both easy to remember and that ‘roll off the tongue’ easily.

Tip: Click on this link for an online Domain Name Search by Hover.com that will easily help you check whether the domain name you’ve chosen or want is available or taken. If the domain name you want is unavailable, it will suggest other domain names that might be alternatives you would like.

More Tips on Choosing a Great Domain Name

Stick to .com

Let me share with your my preferences when choosing a domain name.

  1. Stick to .com and try to stay away from .net or .biz or .us: In my humble opinion, domain names that end with .com have a little better ‘ring’ than the others. No, it’s not that .com domain names have better credibility… well, yeah they do.
  2. Try to stay away from hyphens: I chose themusicianscoach.com, rather than the-musicians-coach.com. It’s easier to type anyways.
  3. The shorter, the better: Yes, in choosing your domain name, the shorter the better. Would you rather have RookwoodPianoStudio.com over RookwoodPianoStudioNearThatBridgeOverTheInterstate.com?
  4. Use relevant words in your domain name – you won’t regret it: if you’re a piano teacher, try your best to have the word “piano” in your domain name. Unless you can successfully market your unique and catchy studio name like TwinkleFingerz.com, you’ll probably never attract to many visitors to your website.
  5. Conventional spellings, please: Remember, part of marketing your website is by word of mouth. If your music studio website’s domain name is TwinkleFingerzStudio.com, can you imagine how troublesome (and ultimately time-consuming) it would be to explain to someone:

Yes, my website is TwinkleFingerz.com. That’s Fingerz, with a “Z”.

The Cost of a Domain Name

Don’t let me stop you from buying a domain name at the cheapest price. Generally, domain names can come as cheap as $1.99 and as hefty as $9.99. Use your favorite search engine and scour the Net for good buys. But make sure you read the fineprint.

I’ve used GoDaddy.com for years and haven’t had a problem with the services they provide. Recently, I’ve fallen in love with Hover.com because they make buying domain names SO much easier – and their user interface is simple, clean and efficient.

BUCK SAVING TIPS:

  • Whenever I buy a domain name, I make sure I search the Internet for coupons or promotional codes I can use with my purchase. It usually knocks off a couple of bucks from the total amount due.
  • If you’re really serious about your music website, and are totally satisfied with your domain name, it’s better to register your domain name for longer than one year. Most domain registrars (like GoDaddy and Hover) will cut you a better deal when you register your domain name for 2,3,4 or 5 years at a time. Save a buck now, why don’t you?

Now What?

Once you’ve secured yourself a great domain name for your future music studio website online, you’re ready to add to your basket a web hosting service. We’ll cover that in my next article on the DIY Website blog series. Stay Tuned!

Items I’ve mentioned on this page:

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