Own Your Domain | The Best Gift

Need a last minute stocking stuffer for your kids? I have an idea that they’ll be grateful to have for years to come!

Buy them their own domain name. I know it’s not a gift they’re begging Santa for but it’s worth every penny and they will need it later on in life.

Fighting For Your Name

Do you know of anyone that shares a name with a famous person? I know of several and I even know a few people that have the same name as an adult entertainer. In the latter case, the adult entertainer has claimed their name everywhere on the internet. Someday I’ll hear an even worse situation like sharing a name with a violent criminal. What I’m trying to tell you is that your child’s name isn’t just theirs. But why does it matter?

Their Online Presence

When they’re ready for college, a job, or other life adventure someone will search for them online. Their college admissions committee, scholarship panel, future employer or potential romantic partner will do their research. This is when it really matters. If your child shares a name with someone more well-known than they are, the name will already be claimed online, and your kid will be forever fighting against that tide and the misunderstanding that comes with it.

Search Their Name Right Now

Look in search results and images to see what comes up. Go a step further and type their name into the URL bar of your browser (example annadams.com) to see what comes up. Is there a functioning website? You might see a listing that says it’s for sale or maybe there’s simply nothing at all.

The official term for having your own “dot com” is domain name. This is the text that a user types into a browser window to reach a particular website such as Apple Computer’s. Their domain name is apple.com. The ones you’re familiar with are called top-level domains (.com .net .edu .org etc.) but there are also extensions of all kinds.

Buy That Domain

If the .com for your child’s name is available, go buy it right now! I personally use GoDaddy to purchase my domains. On this site, domains start at a few dollars a year. Some other sites may offer them cheaper, use the site you prefer, just buy it.

The smallest unit you can purchase is 1 year. Lock in as many years as your budget will allow. The more years you buy, the better the yearly price can be*. This is a long-term, lifetime kind of purchase so you (or your child) will likely be continuing to maintain your ownership  over their professional life. Make sure you enter your personal contact information when you purchase rather than that of your job because your job information may change over time. We want your domain servicer to be able to reach you via phone or email when the bill comes due or your credit card is about to expire. You can transfer the domain to your child when they’re of age.

*If you decide during this process to buy a domain for a business, buy 2 years or more at a time. Scammers will buy domains for just one year because they steal and swindle for short periods, usually less than a year, before they get caught. Buying only a single year for a business domain signals to search engines that you might not have the best intentions and can hurt your search engine optimization (SEO) or ability to be found. So spring for 2 years at least when buying for this reason.

Which version should you buy?

Domains that end in .com are the best to get because they’re the most commonly used and what people type into browsers out of habit. What if you can’t get the .com? See if you can purchase their name by adding in their middle initial, full middle name, or a hyphen. If none of those work, try the .net extension next then .biz as last resort. As I mentioned, there are fancy extensions but .com is the most used and highly valued.

What will they do with it?

Once you (they) own the name, you can point that domain to any place you like such as a free Google Site, a Canva website, WordPress blog, or other site of your choice. When they’re really little, simply “park” the domain meaning you own it but don’t feel the need post content yet.

Just owning their name isn’t the end goal. First you must own the domain but what it points to when they get older is even more important. What they point that domain to can, and likely will, show up in search engines. This is their chance to show the world who they are as well as differentiate themselves from anyone else that shares their name. It’s about what people find when their name is searched or when the personalized domain is typed into a browser.

When they’re in high school or college, they might put up a portfolio of assignments of which they are proud, community service projects, or other examples of their skills.

I like GoDaddy as the provider because they provide customer service and will help when it’s time to transfer the domain from your ownership and credit card to your kid.

The Importance of Owning Your Name

Their name is the first item relating to their reputation and building it starts the second they’re born. Help them get ahead and secure their digital real estate. For such a small yearly investment, you can ensure that they have some control over their legacy and reputation.

Read more about reputation management in my book “What You Don’t Know About Social Media CAN Hurt You: Take Control of Your Online Reputation”. It has a whole section devoted to this subject and many more helpful tips.