Why you should have Your Own Domain Name in Blogger/Blogspot?

Today, I am going to share with you why you should have your own domain name in blogger/blogspot. If you have noticed, I have just change my blog to www.sufentan.com without any blogspot.com at the back of my website link now. I understand that many experienced bloggers always have these questions in their head:

"Do I really need a domain name for my blog?"

"I already have a FREE blog address, why should I pay for a domain name?"

I have been writing posts since 2005 and I recently decided to have my own domain name. What took me so long to have a domain name? All this while, my passion is to write and share information to readers and I never thought of owning a domain name can be that important until recently, when I read some articles on blogging.

With more and more new websites and blogs coming up every minutes and seconds, let me just give you 3 reasons (just to cut it short) why it is important to have your own domain name:

1. Secure your blog name before someone grabs it

Maybe you are thinking that you are not so famous now, why do I care to own one. Yes, you maybe right for now but what if in 3 years down the road, your traffic increases and you have more followers that you can ever imagine. One day, someone from another part of the world register your domain name and put up lots of marketing ads in the website. Your blog may no longer be visible or easily accessible to new/old readers because it is covered up by someone else who bought the domain name. Do you want to wait till that day happens?

2. Your brand to your blog

How do those Marketing people market their new products today? Is by branding. Your own domain name is like a branding to you, it is like a stamp on your forehead telling people who you are in the web. Why hide behind those curtains when you can actually shine on the stage?

3. Easy for readers to find you

The shorter the web address, the easier it is for people to find you. I used to tell people to google my full name when they need to find my blog. But nowadays, I can't do that because lots of people have the same name as mine(a survey in Taiwan ranked my name as the most common name a few years ago). Although, my blog still pops up on the top page on a google search, I am still worried that some day someone might just grab it and I will have to hide under my blanket and cry. No, I will not let it happen!

I hope the 3 reasons above have already shaken you to get your domain name right away. Hold your horses though, you still need to know where to get it, the Do's and Don'ts for a Domain Name.

Let me show you where you can get a domain name. It is not FREE but it doesn't cost you a lot (a month of your salary, definitely NOT!)

There are a few companies that you can buy domain names from, google it and you will get like:

• GoDaddy.com
• Exabytes.com.my
• Namecheap.com
• EasyDNS

I personally use Exabytes.com.my because it is widely known and used in Malaysia. Before you purchase a domain name, always always remember and think carefully what is the name you want for your blog. It is a brand that you will carry it and use it for years. You don't want to change it yearly and waste money buying different domain names every year.

Step 1: Check the availability of Your Domain Name

I used Exabytes to check. You can use any company to check .com, .net, .org or any other widely known website extensions, except if you are looking for a specific country extension like .my or .com.my, then you will have to check from Exabytes(Malaysia) or other Country Domain Name companies based on the country extension you are looking for.

Step 2: Check the price and the period (years) of Your Domain Name you would like to purchase

Here is the screenshot I took on the price at Exabytes. I recommend to get at least 3 years and above, so that you can manage it easily instead of renewing yearly (your page might get the famous ERROR 404 if you forgot to renew).

I will write another post on Step by Step Guide on how I purchase from Exabytes and install my new domain name into Blogger/Blogspot. There are some steps that you need to follow in order for blogger/blogspot to reflect your new domain name. I found that blogger's instructions were helpful and Exabytes' FAQ did not cover it with clear enough instructions. There were some trial and errors in the process.

Do's and Don'ts

DO google the domain name you would like to purchase, just to ensure no one is using similar names or have any legal troubles if the name is too similar to some company's trademark.

DO carefully choose the domain name extension. I personally prefer .com instead of other extensions because it is more commonly used.

DON'T use dashes, abbreviations or numbers in your domain name. It is hard for your readers to type your link and find you. You need to get a name that easy to remember and easy to type out, short and simple. I actually remove the number 88 from my domain name (previously is www.sufentan88.blogspot.com, you can still see from my photos' watermark)

DON'T forget to renew your Domain Name registration. Someone might be in some place queuing to get your domain name. Don't give them that chance! Even if the first scenario doesn't happen, you will find the Error 404 page pop up when trying to access into your blog/website. You don't want readers to log out from your site if they find that happen.

I hope you find my post helpful! If you have any questions or if you are also a user of Exabytes and would like to share your experience too, drop me a comment below. I love hearing from you all.