What we mean is do you own the domain (URL) of your name. Just like we own the domain Cayenne Media Group because that's our company name; do you own your name?
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| This is a domain name, also called a URL |
The other day, we searched for one of our favorite novelists online. Our first assumption was that his website would be the same as his name, especially because he's one of those "three-name people," like Gilbert Gottfried talked about (The Land of the Three Name People). But no. Nothing was there. So, we Googled him. We found his book on Amazon and it had great reviews, but there was nothing substantial about him as an author. Then, out of curiosity ... Well, it really wasn't curiosity since this is our business, anyway, we searched to see if his name was available for purchase. Yep. There it was. We could snag it for anywhere between $3 - $35 depending on where we searched. Hmmmmm.
It doesn't matter which of the arts you're in, if you're interested in ever selling your work ... Owning your name is the first step. It doesn't even matter if you plan on having a website right now. If you don't already own your name there's a chance that someone else already does. So, it might not even be available. Remember, you're not the only person on the planet with that name. If it is still available, please, buy it now. It'll cost you a whopping $3 a year. Isn't the insurance of owning it worth $3?
This also goes for entrepreneurs and small businesses. If you don't already have a website, go ahead and purchase your business name. For savvy entrepreneurs, today the toughest thing about naming a new business is finding a name where the domain is still available. So, if you don't already have yours, go buy it the minute you finish reading this blog post (but keep reading and we'll tell you how to buy your domain name).
If you haven't ever bought a domain name, it's easy. It's 3 simple steps.
- Pick a company to purchase your URL. They're everywhere, just Google "buy domain name" and you'll get 32,500,000 results in 0.15 seconds. (Ahhhh, the power of the Internet). It doesn't really matter who you purchase from because they may or may not host your website. However, we have to give a plug to our favorite hosting company (www.ixwebhosting.com). They have amazing customer service where you can speak with a REAL PERSON, and better yet, a real person from Ohio. Wow! That's virtually unheard of in today's Internet world, where you usually can't speak to a real person, or if you can, they live on the other side of the planet. Anyway, if you want to purchase your name AND host a website, it'll set you back $4.95 a month for both combined. It's the same price if you buy your name elsewhere and host it with ixHosting, so why not get your name for free?
- Once you pick a company, use their website to search and see if your name is available. The most popular domains end in .com, these were initially intended for doing business (.com = commerce). If that's not available, you might want to try the .net (which was intended for networks, but since most of the .com's are gone, individuals are now using .net making it the second most popular domain). Your third choice is a .org, which was for intended for organizations, but once again, people are using them nowadays. There are lots of other "extensions" as they're called (the part that goes after the dot that's after your name). There's the .us for within the United States and lots of others. They're newer and not nearly popular as "the big three" (.com, .net, and .org), so we'd suggest sticking with one of the big three if you can.
- When you find your name that is available, purchase it. You might have to do minor modifications to your name to find a version that is available. You might have to use your first, middle and last name as an example, or even use your initials. Try reasonable combinations, but spend that hard earned cash today and secure your name. Then, don't forget to give the company your correct e-mail address so that they can let you know when your term expires and you need to renew. That's another little misnomer. We all say that we're "buying" a domain name, but we're really renting it for a period of time. When you initially "buy" your name, you can choose terms from one to ten years. But, when your term is up, you'll need to renew or the company will sell your name to someone else. So, be sure that you give them several good long-term ways to contact you for the renewal.
Buying your domain name ... It's easy AND it's important!!! So please save yourself a lot of trouble later and buy your name now.
Here's an example from one of our clients at Cayenne Media Group. He is award-winning composer Patricio da Silva. He is a great example of not only owning his domain name, but using his website and blog and social media to leverage his brand (his work under his name). His website incorporates music videos, audio streams, his reviews, his bio, his catalog of works, and links to his blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts. He even uses his website to promote his latest CD driving customers to iTunes and Amazon to purchase. Live and learn. Click on the image to go directly to his site. And, don't forget to listen to his music. It's very nice.
 www.patriciodasilva.com |
| Utilizing a website to its fullest potential. Click to check it out. |
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Best,
Cayenne Media Group
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