What is in a name?

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June 7th, 2005 Leave a comment Go to comments

What is in a name? Is a blog by any other name not as interesting and informative? One of Darren Rowse’s guest authors, Jim Krukal, thinks your domain name makes a sizable difference to the appeal of your blog.

I’ve been reading Darren’s blog before it was ProBlogger.net. What
was it? Um, something like blog.livingroom.com.au, I think. Get the
point? That name sucked. Sorry Darren, I think you knew that. That’s no
way to build a brand name. I think Darren can prove that his traffic
and general reputation grew by leaps and bounds when he moved to
ProBlogger.net. The design helped too Of course, it can be done, but
it’s much harder.

So as a serious blogger…if you want to be
serious, and taken seriously, you have to stop using those unbrandable
blog domains like supercooldude.blogspot.com. The time has come to drop
$8.95 at GoDaddy and get your own domain name.

What do you think? Should I ship my blog off to www.neuvo.co.za? Should we be talking about branding blogs like we would brand anything else? Kinda takes blogging a little further away from the stereotypical ‘online diary’.

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Paul

Thanks for your comments people. I don't think either way is necessarily better than the other. Both approaches work. I tend to bookmark all the sites I visit and backup those bookmarks now and then. I think most people use their bookmarks (it is why they exist). At the same time there is a lot to be said for created a distinguishable brand for your blog, if that is important to you. I agree with Jim that it is easier to remember a branded site's URI (for example problogger.net or, perhaps, neuvo.vo.za) and that use of a specialised TLD does suggest the blog is a little more professional than not. IMHO

Paul

Thanks for your comments people. I don't think either way is necessarily better than the other. Both approaches work. I tend to bookmark all the sites I visit and backup those bookmarks now and then. I think most people use their bookmarks (it is why they exist). At the same time there is a lot to be said for created a distinguishable brand for your blog, if that is important to you. I agree with Jim that it is easier to remember a branded site's URI (for example problogger.net or, perhaps, neuvo.vo.za) and that use of a specialised TLD does suggest the blog is a little more professional than not. IMHO

cg

[So what happens when you switch jobs, or a virus deletes your C drive and you have no bookmarks?] = I backup regularly. Backup. Backup. Backup.

[How do you visit the site then if you don't easily know the address?] = I Don't.

[Or what about when you're at a party chatting with someone and you say, "Hey, I just read about that at this great blog. What was the name? I know it, I just have it bookmarked. Oh well."] = I don't go to parties. :)

cg

[So what happens when you switch jobs, or a virus deletes your C drive and you have no bookmarks?] = I backup regularly. Backup. Backup. Backup.

[How do you visit the site then if you don't easily know the address?] = I Don't.

[Or what about when you're at a party chatting with someone and you say, "Hey, I just read about that at this great blog. What was the name? I know it, I just have it bookmarked. Oh well."] = I don't go to parties. :)

Jim Kukral

So what happens when you switch jobs, or a virus deletes your C drive and you have no bookmarks? How do you visit the site then if you don't easily know the address?

Or what about when you're at a party chatting with someone and you say, "Hey, I just read about that at this great blog. What was the name? I know it, I just have it bookmarked. Oh well."

Your blog is your brand.

Jim Kukral

So what happens when you switch jobs, or a virus deletes your C drive and you have no bookmarks? How do you visit the site then if you don't easily know the address?

Or what about when you're at a party chatting with someone and you say, "Hey, I just read about that at this great blog. What was the name? I know it, I just have it bookmarked. Oh well."

Your blog is your brand.

cg

Interesting. I have never been someone who uses Favorites or Bookmarks in my web browser...until I began reading blogs not too long ago. Some blogs have horrible URLs! I've also been reading your blog for about a month, resulting in another bookmark. www.neuvo.co.za? - entirely up to you and your aspirations for the site. I still have my bookmark. :)

cg

Interesting. I have never been someone who uses Favorites or Bookmarks in my web browser...until I began reading blogs not too long ago. Some blogs have horrible URLs! I've also been reading your blog for about a month, resulting in another bookmark. www.neuvo.co.za? - entirely up to you and your aspirations for the site. I still have my bookmark. :)