In addition, I previously wrote about my own domain name disaster and thought I’d revisit this topic for more tips on how to go about choosing a domain name for your next blog project. I’m starting a new blog project myself (http://uncommonchick.com) and went through this exact same process!

To help me do so, Nicole Dean, Affiliate Marketing expert who specifically helps infoproduct sellers and marketers earn an income online, offers this post for the blog.

Enjoy!

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More and more moms are getting into the blogging scene. Some for fun, some for profit, and some for both. Why not make money while you’re blogging about your favorite stuff, right?

It’s easier than ever to get started blogging. But the first thing you need before you begin is an idea for your domain name.

What is a domain name?

It’s the “www (dot) SOMETHING (dot) com” that people will type in to get to your blog. It’s like your address.

How do you know what is a good domain name?

There are some standards for what is a “great” domain name verses one that makes you wonder what on earth that person was thinking!

In order to help you to come up with a great web name that you’ll love for years, here are my unbreakable rules for choosing a domain.

1. No hyphens. Avoid dashes and hyphens. I’ve been there. Done that. Regret it to this day.

2. No numbers. Do I spell it out “seven” or is it the number “7??

3. Avoid words that are difficult to spell. Although I once was really excited about using a domain with the word “catalyst” in it — I found that no one could spell the darned thing.

4. Domain should end in .com. I don’t bother with other endings like .info or .biz. People tend to type in .com at the end of everything, so it’s usually best to stick with a .com ending.

5. Domain must NOT have any copyright names in it. I would not recommend using “Starbucks”, “Disney”, or any other company name in your URL or you may get a “cease and desist” email. Yes, even though you’re starting as a little mom blogger, eventually you might get huge. So, it’s best to plan for success in advance and avoid using trademarks in your URL.

6. If you’re looking to sell your blog down the road, it must be generic enough. For instance, I wouldn’t buy “NicoleKnowsFootball.com” to talk about my favorite football team if I planned to sell the site ever, because I’d have to find someone named Nicole to buy it.

And my big, bad unbreakable rule.

7. It must pass the Oprah test.

What exactly is the Oprah test? Well, I picture Oprah saying it out loud. “Today I have with me, Nicole Dean, author of Blah blah blah and owner of NicoleontheNet.com”. Is it memorable? Easy to spell?

You can’t do that with MyNumber1-BestHome-Remedy-Treatments4New-Mothers.net.

Why is this important?

A difficult domain is actually wasted opportunity and wasted traffic slipping through your fingers. If you’re promoting via audio or video (maybe on podcasts or on YouTube) – you need a domain that is EASY to remember. It has to make it into the person’s ears and to his brain and stick. Heck, even if you run into an old college friend and say “Stop by my site www (dot) somethingcool (dot) com” – you’ll want her to remember long enough to actually come to your blog, right? So, make it simple. Make it memorable. And you’ll be glad.

Plus, honestly, it’s a credibility issue. Would you really buy something from MyNumber1-BestHome-Remedy-Treatments4New-Mothers.net? I hope you wouldn’t even think of getting out your credit card for a site like that. SCARY. And would you feel comfortable referring it to your friends? Not a chance.

How do you get a domain name of your very own?

You can get a domain at www.MomWebs.com which is also my recommendation for Web Hosting. As you sign up for your domain, you can get hosting at the same time. And… they’ll even set up your blog for you for only $10. Plus, there’s a phone number that you can call if you have any questions.

With all of that help, there’s nothing stopping you from setting up your first blog.

I hope this has been helpful. And, I really look forward to seeing YOU on Oprah!

Nicole Dean is co-owner of Mom Webs Hosting – www.MomWebs.com where you’ll find the host with the most. It offers everything a mom blogger needs – reliability, unlimited hosting, and customer service that never makes you feel intimidated — all at a price you can afford. MomWebs.com was created to help overcome the technical hurdles that may be preventing moms from sharing themselves with the online world. Check out the free training at MomWebs.com

Guest Post from Nicole Dean

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Your turn…

How did you go about choosing a domain name for your blog? Or if you’re jsut starting out, hopefully this posts helps you get on the road to a great new blog!

Image credit: failblog.org

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If it doesn’t do this, your visitors won’t have a reason to read more. But once you’ve got their attention with a compelling headline, you’ll have an opportunity to draw them in with the rest of your content.

Here’s an example of an effective headline:

Discover the Killer Marketing Strategy to Increase Sales by More Than 30%!

I’d click on that headline if I were interested in dramatically increasing my sales!

I find that when I’m creating headlines and titles for my content (whether it’s for blog posts, articles, ebooks, etc.), I ask myself, “Will I want to read further?” I aim for a resounding yes but, honestly, it doesn’t always work that way : – )

57 Winning Headline Phrases

So here are some effective phrases to help kick-start your headline creativity! I find these all over the web and they never fail to gain clicks!

• Do You Struggle With…
• Discover…
• The Untold Secrets to Making… (side note: Although the word “Secrets” is effective, I don’t care for it myself and tend to steer away from titles that use it)
• Who Else Wants to…
• 10 Ways to…
• Learn Exactly How…
• 7 Amazing Strategies to…
• Boost Your…
• A Guide to…
• Why Aren’t You…?
• If You Had Just One Opportunity to…
• If You Want to Learn How to…
• 7 Sure-Fire Tips For…
• How to Attract More…
• Uncover…
• How a “Regular Guy” from (Place)…
• Want to…?
• READ THIS: If You Are Truly Serious About…
• Do You Wish There Was An Easier Way to…
• Tips on…
• 8 Deadly (Insert Topic) Sins…
• Learn How to Start…
• How to Make Your…
• Are You At Risk of…?
• 3 Direct Reasons Why You’ll Be Kicking Yourself if You Don’t…
• Double Your…
• More Tips to Improve…
• Exposed for the First Time Ever…
• Learn the Secrets to Becoming…
• How to…
• Instant Strategies Anyone Can Use to…
• How to Find…
• 5 Big Reasons to…
• 10 Steps to…
• Tired of…
• Techniques That Enable You to…
• Watch This “Shocking” Play-By-Play Underground Video…
• 5 Action Ideas to Get…
• Discover the “Insider” Strategies That…
• How to Make a Life-Changing…
• (Insert Topic): 3 Things You Must Know…
• The 7 Secrets of…
• Skyrocket Your…
• The 5 Ugly Lies About…
• Finally Revealed!
• Uncover…
• Get an Instant 20-50% Increase in…
• Discover How We…
• Proof That…
• The Truth About…
• How This Surprising Little Secret…
• 10 Simple Steps to Catapult Your…
• Discover How YOU Can…
• How I (Insert Accomplishment) in Record Time…
• Learn How to EXPLODE…
• Three Quick-Start Tips to…
• Discover the *Secret Formula*…

Do you see the trend here?

These titles use attractive adjectives and numbers, indicating a list (people love lists!).

Your turn…

What do you do when creating titles/headlines for your content? Do you follow the principle of using great adjectives and numbers? What else do you do? Please weigh in with your comments and feedback below!

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Here is a brainstorming technique to find little known keywords.

Thinking “Sideways”

A great way to find little known keywords is through “sideways” thinking. In other words, “what else might this type of person type in?”

Many people take the lazy route of only typing in their top level keyword and researching more keywords based on those results. Unfortunately, everyone’s doing that, resulting in a lot of competition.

If you go one step beyond, it’ll very likely pay off for you.

Put yourself in the shoes of your customer. If you’re selling an eBook on teaching men how to get a girlfriend, your most basic keyword might be “how to get a girlfriend.”

But what else might you try to rank for? These are just a few as an example …

“Where to meet girls”
“I’m lonely”
“Geek dating”
“Get a Date”

So on and so forth. Now that was pretty basic but still it works. This applies no matter what industry you’re in. There are so many potential keywords that don’t have your base keyword in it. You’d be missing out on so much traffic if you just used keyword tools and a couple base keywords to do your research.

Also, think about going for more long-tail keywords. Long-tail keyword phrases are those that include three or more terms, especially when trying to obtain traffic locally.

Another example of thinking sideways using long-tail keywords along with a local modifier is this: If you’re a dentist in My Hometown, XX, you might want to think of other keywords outside of the usual “dentist my hometown, xx” etc. and maybe add the following:

“braces for kids hometown, xx”
“whiten my teeth hometown, xx”
“fix teeth overbite crossbite hometown, xx” (I’ve known people to type this!)

Utilize these low competition little known keywords to boost your traffic and your business to where you want it to be.

The more you’re trying to do what everyone else is doing, the harder it will be for you to succeed. The more you think outside the box and do what everyone else doesn’t know how to or isn’t willing to do, the more success you’ll have!

Important Update

My friend, Stella Anokam, wrote a very detailed post entitled, “Understanding Keyword Research For Beginner Bloggers: The Foundation For Effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO),” and this is a MUST read for beginner and seasoned bloggers alike. It’s the first post in a series she’s creating and I highly recommend you check it out!

Your turn…

Do you think outside the box when it comes to keywords? How do you brainstorm non-popular, low to moderate competition keywords when creating your content?

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I had the opportunity to interview my first victim, er shall I say interviewee, Danyelle Little, better known as the TheCubicleChick!! : – ) We found time to talk about a topic that affects everyone in business - Branding.

In this interview, we talk about:

• What it means to “Stay In Your Lane“
• What branding Really Is
• Example of a branding idea gone wrong (and learning from mistakes)
• Danyelle’s new ebook entitled, “Stay In Your Lane: A Guide to Branding You and Your Blog“

Go ahead and listen to the audio and enjoy!

Bonus: ebook Giveaway on Monday, May 9

I want to give away a copy of “Stay In Your Lane: A Guide to Branding You and Your Blog” to one of my lucky readers. You will definitely want to get your hands on this one. It’s chock full of tips, techniques, and even worksheets (yes, you have to do some homework; I hope you didn’t think this would be done for you!) to help bloggers and social media types brand their blogs and web presence.

What You Need To Do To Qualify

All you have to do for a chance to receive a copy of “Stay In Your Lane” is:

• Leave a comment below to continue this discussion of staying in your lane and branding. Feel free to let us know your successes, concerns, questions, advice, or anything else you want to share about your branding experiences.
• Follow @xdwebsolutions on Twitter (if you’re not already)
• “Like”  me on Facebook (if you’re not already)

Hey, if you’re not using social networks like Facebook and Twitter yet, we need to talk because it should be part of your branding strategy

On May 9, one lucky person (selected using Random.org) will receive a free copy of “Stay In Your Lane: A Guide to Branding You and Your Blog.“

If you don’t want to enter to win a copy of the ebook, you can learn more about it and how to buy it here (non-affiliate link).

You can also find Danyelle online:

The Cubicle Chick blog

Twitter – @thecubiclechick

Your turn…

Go ahead and leave your feedback, share with your network, and follow the instructions above to enter to win a free copy!

***UPDATE***

Joyce (@MommyTalkShow), is the lucky winner of the eBook, “Stay in Your Lane: A Guide to Branding You and Your Blog“…Yah! Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest!

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Some people say you should give away your best stuff for free. Others say, hold onto the best stuff and sell it. Then others say you can’t give away too much for free, while others say it’s simply not true.

So who’s right?

In the end, we can’t expect others to tell us what our time, expertise, or skills are worth if we don’t first define it ourselves.

What Do You Say?

What has your experience been? Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment below.

Don’t forget to share with your network to get more opinions on the topic back on the blog!

Thank you for subscribing to our RSS feed and keeping up with the latest articles! Be sure to connect with me on Twitter or Facebook.