This blog post is part of a series of blog posts focused on how to blog more effectively.
One of the basic ways of being effective with your blogging activities is to use a real domain name, as your blog address. It not only shows how seriously you take your blog, but helps your audience to quickly reach your blog if the domain name you are using is simple enough.
What is a domain name?
In the context of this blog post, a domain name is essentially an identification label used as the address of a website. For example, while the address of this blog is www.davidajao.com/blog/, the domain name is simply davidajao.com Other examples of domain names are: cnn.com, bbc.co.uk, un.org etc
Why use a domain name?
Majority of the blogs online today are hosted on the leading free blogging platforms blogger.com and wordpress.com
These two typically map blog addresses as yourblogname.blogspot.com or yourblogname.wordpress.com, respectively. Despite the funny blog addresses though, both services allow bloggers to use their own domain name on their free blogging platform. Thus, you can buy your domain name from a domain services provider and simply configure it to work smoothly with either Blogger.com or WordPress.com
Domain names, when well chosen, are easier to remember by your blog’s audience and faster to type into the address bar of their favourite web browser.
Using a domain name as your blog address is a very good move.
How to choose a domain name
Your choice of a domain name would depend on the name/type of your blog. It helps to keep the blog name and domain name as closely related as possible. See the following real examples:
- “Adventures from the Bedroom of African Women” – adventuresfrom.com
Whilst the name of this blog is quite a mouthful, its domain name is shorter, simple and derived from the full name of the blog.
Where your blog assumes your personal name, you could use an abbreviation of your full name that makes sense. Real examples:
- kajsaha.com – first name of this blogger is Kajsa while the H and A represent her other names. atokd.com falls into the same category.
- davidajao.com – this uses the middle name and last name of this blogger. “David” is by far a common name and thus easier for many to remember while the four-letter surname “ajao” is simple enough.
- maameous.com, whiteafrican.com – both domains are derived from the alias of the respective bloggers.
How to register a domain name
Domain names are one-a-penny these days. Whilst they actually cost more than a penny, a $9 to $15 (per annum) price range for most types of domain names should be affordable enough for any serious blogger. Your choice of a domain registrar would depend on your circumstances but Web4Africa comes highly recommended. Simply use the “Domain Name Search” form located at www.web4africa.net
How do I point my domain name to my free blog?
The procedure would depend on your free blogging platform. Simply check the help section of your provider for specific help with that. You would then need to enter the needed settings into your domain name.
Do you have comments or questions about this topic? Feel free to post them in the comments area.
Related posts:
- Effective Blogging: Why Do You Want To Blog?
- Effective Blogging: How to generate links to your blog from other websites
- Effective Blogging: The Importance of Blog Traffic Statistics
- Effective Blogging: Why Your Blog Should Be Mobile-Friendly
- Effective Blogging: Blog Statistics Programs
- Effective Blogging: HOW to make your blog mobile-friendly
- Effective Blogging: How to receive more comments on your blog posts
- Effective Blogging: When Group Blogging should be considered over Personal Blogging
- Effective Blogging: How to make money from blogging
- Effective Blogging: Blogging is beyond just writing
How to make money from blogging. Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa. | Oluniyi D. Oluniyi D. Ajao from New Jersey, United States
Twitter Updates
Dave, I own dis blog rodstick.blogspot.com with the domain ghplaylist.tk but how do I make a post to a particular page on my blog.
Am waiting
A very important thing any serious blogger must develop is a brand. Branding is something that’s key to the sucess of any Blog. There’re millions of blog out there and the only thing that can stand a blog out is its Brand.
However, a blog branding begins with the “Domain”, so like Niyi already pointed out here, getting your own domain is a must if you are really serious about your blog and want to develop a brand that people can easily identify from among the crowd.
Is it actually possible to set up a domain name and point to a free web or blog hosting account?
Yes Felix both wordpress and blogspot offer the opportunity to buy your own domaain. There is more freedom if you self host though. You can get hosting for $3 a year. I paid for 3 years upfront… makes it easier
Really $3 a year? Can you recommend some companies that offer such deals?
Get your own domain from a registrar like Godaddy and host it on a different hosting company other than your registrar. This way you can get control of your blog and not be tied to some terms and conditions of one company.
I saw a blogger who was no.1 on Google for the Keyphrase “make money Online” he had a blogspot hosted by Google. one day Google staff woke and decided to shut him down without explanation only a series of automated messages.
His business built over years finished in the snap of a finger.
Advise: Self-host your blog and consolidate your efforts from the beginning.
Mike Ndegwa
All you need is a credible web hosting company. You don’t necessarily need to register your domain with A, and host your website with B. You shouldn’t be at risk with any credible web hosting company.
Thanks for the clarification on that David… I got worried there when PCS said that it was wise to register domain with a different company other than your host as that’s exactly what I’ve done!
I had started blogging on Blogger but after six months, I realised that it was better I blogged under my own domain name, it did mean losing most of my traffic especially as I was crossing over from Blogger to WordPress. But over the last few months, I can say it has been worth it!
Regards
Albert
can i pay for my domain through western union? this question is because i don’t have a credit card.
You don’t need Western Union or a credit card, to pay for a domain name. Some domain registrars accept payment via alternate means like Alertpay, Liberty Reserve etc.
THEN THIS ALERT PAY IS HOW? IN A BANK OR
Thanks for mentioning my blog in this post! I would like top read a post about where to register my blog for it to be read – there are just too many lists and aggregators out there. Please advice!
i want to be bloging inforation about my polytechnic on my istitutionaldomain;website as my contribution as a librarian. how can i perfect it and is it allowed?i love to use social media to affect my world,
David, thanks for the good work, i will have to learn alot from you.