11th
Domain Crazy
My latest purchase makes me happy. Last night through an international site, I found and snapped up the domain name Sally.sm. I want to use it to market my social media training classes, but for now it’s pointed to my online resume (http://HireSallyAlbright.com).
I confess I’m a bit of a domain junkie. My habit started when I worked at the U.S. Internet Council, where our Vice President was a full blown addict. He registered new domains almost weekly. He bought ILoveYouJanet.com for his wife, SeeBusterRun.com for his dog, and HappyBirthdayJulie.com for his daughter. (Names have been changed.) This was back when you could still get a good dotcom domain pretty easily.
So under his influence, I started buying domains. While most of them expired before I bothered to point them anywhere, I’m glad I grabbed http://SallyAlbright.com when I did. (Sally.com was taken years ago, and an artist in California has it locked up for another decade.)
My habit didn’t turn chronic until I discovered GoDaddy. Now that I can have the domain of my dreams in a matter of minutes for around $12, I’ve gone a little crazy. I’ve purchased several different versions and spellings of my name as well as my husband’s. I’ll buy them for my blogs, for new business ventures, for books I might someday write, for parties I host, even as gifts for my friends. Sometimes, I’ll buy one just because it’s cool.
Do you own a personal domain name? If not, you should get on the ball. Besides GoDaddy, there are hundreds of registrants. Just type in what you want and they will show you what’s available. You may not think you need a domain name now, but chances are you’ll want one at some point. Best to choose sooner rather than later.
You should definitely try to to buy your first and last name followed by dotcom or dotnet. You can also get away with dotorg or dotus. If you have a common name that is already taken, try a nickname, add a middle initial or reference your location. Get creative. If down the line you think of a better one, buy it too!
As far as I’m concerned, you can’t have too many.
