Should your domain name be your name? It’s a fair question. But what’s the answer?

Is it a good idea?

It can depend to an extent what kind of internet business you are in. If you are a writer then buying this kind of domain name is a good idea, since people will probably look up your name online to see where else your name has cropped up. If you have your own website linked to your name, then you will be found easily and you can then showcase your work to potential buyers.

But does the same apply to other internet businesses? Is a personal domain name rather vain, or is it a good idea?

Depends on the Website

In short, it can depend on the type of website and internet business you want to set up. Some people have attached their own person domain name to their blog, and in this case it can work very well because it is a personal thing. But what if you are establishing an internet business which sells computer supplies?

In this case your own personal domain name may be a little out of place, since people will be looking for a website address which highlights the type of business that is being run.

Perhaps the only exception would be if you use your surname as part of your business name. For example Joe Bloggs could run Bloggs’ Computer Supplies, and get that as a domain name.

In the end the basic rule of thumb is this – if your website is chiefly about you in some way then a personal domain name is fine. But if it is about your business then you might want to give it a miss and go for something more descriptive. Blogs can get away with it, even if they are promotional in some way, but regular websites don’t work well unless they are all about you.