Part of the guide: Personal Brand
The first step to building a business online is figuring out your brand. How are you going to stand out from the crowd? How do you want to be recognized on the internet? Do you want to just use your name or do you have something else in mind? When you’re thinking of a brand you should start with what you’d like to call your website because eventually you will need one. A lot of people simply use their first and last name for their brand. For example, if I was to use my name as my brand, my domain name might look something like workwitherickalberer.com, but I didn’t use my name. I wanted to stand out a little more, so my website address is actually parttimeprosperity.com.
When I came up with my brand, I sat down with a piece of paper and started brainstorming. After coming up with a few ideas that were a good fit for me, I went to Go Daddy.com and started plugging in my ideas to see if any of them were available. Go Daddy is a good place to search for your brand. If you’re not having luck finding a brand that works for you, Go Daddy offers variations of your search. When I found a brand I liked, I bought it on the spot so I didn’t have to worry about someone else grabbing it first. A domain name is so cheap, even a homeless person could buy one. Seriously, if you can’t spend $11 a year to lock up a brand name, reconsider using the internet to grow your business.
You don’t have to buy a domain name or start building a website or blog right away, but you should at least make sure your brand isn’t already being used. It’s always a good idea to make sure the .com is available. You can use other domains like .biz or .net, but people are more likely to visit a .com website.
Thinking of a brand name is the first of many steps to building an online presence. I had a lot of fun with this step, and you should too. My best advice is to brainstorm. Write down 50 crazy site names that reflect who you are and the audience you want to attract. Most people settle on a brand name after 20 ideas, but pushing to 50 might give you something truly unique. Don’t worry if your brand sounds silly or too long; the goal is to get the creative juices flowing.
Once you’ve narrowed down your brand name, buy it! Like I said, domain names are cheap, and spending $11 a year to secure your brand is a great investment. Don’t let your work go to waste by missing out on the name you want. Developing a brand is the first step to building your online empire.
In Prosperity
Eric & Lauren Kalberer
P.S. Leave me your thoughts, comments, and questions below.
Comments
Alex Whelan
This post really resonates with me. I’ve been struggling with figuring out my brand for my online business, and your advice on brainstorming has really given me direction. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa Ortega
Is it really that simple to get started by just thinking of a brand and a domain name? I’m skeptical—do you have any examples or proof of this approach working for others?
Jordan Patterson
Could you elaborate a little more on why it’s important to secure a .com domain over other options like .net or .biz? I’ve heard mixed opinions about this.
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While I agree with a lot of what you’ve said, I think your emphasis on Go Daddy is a bit much. There are other great domain registrars out there that are worth considering.
Stacy Robinson
Hey Eric! I loved this post—it’s been a while. How have you been? We should catch up sometime. Hope everything is going well with your online business!
Kayla Thompson
Funny story: I was just thinking about branding when I came across your post. I’ve had a similar struggle with naming my website, and your tips are really helpful. Thanks!
Tyler Mitchell
I’ve used Namecheap for my domains, and it’s been great. It offers some good alternatives to Go Daddy. Might be worth checking out for those exploring domain options!
Sophia Kane
Thanks, Eric, for the detailed breakdown. I never thought branding could be so important, and your suggestions have really helped me see how I can better position my business.
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Fifty name ideas before settling, the post says. How many of the fifty get discarded for being taken versus discarded for just sounding bad?
Yuki, worth splitting that into two separate steps rather than one messy brainstorm: first pass is pure volume, no filtering, aim for fifty regardless of quality. Second pass is availability check only, against whatever’s left after you’ve already picked favourites on merit. Doing both at once is why it feels slower than the post makes it sound, you’re running two different filters through the same fifty names at the same time.
Fifty names sounds like a task for someone with an evening free to burn on it. I did four, checked them, picked the one that wasn’t taken. Brand’s fine. Business is still the hard part, and no amount of extra brainstorming was going to move that needle for me.