Here are some of my best tips for finding a domain name. I'm not the only one who gets crazy on the GoDaddy.com site. They are a good domain name registration service, but they offer so much on their site that you can spend hours and get lost.

Since I've been writing all week about finding clever brand names for your blog, your products and services, let's take the process one step further: how do you register a domain name? Well, the registration part is easy, pay your money and there you go!

But it's not easy because the very name you spent hours brainstorming to find has probably long been taken! My advice is don't spend so much time deciding on a name until you go research to find out what's available.

Tip #1: Go for dot com. (Unless you're a non-profit, then go for dot org.) People don't remember to type in dot biz or any other variation. If someone else has your great name with dot com, you are sending people to them and you may never see them again. Go for dot com even if you have to abandon the great name for another version.

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This week I've been giving you some tips on how to find a good name for your blog, because until you've found that, your account profiles on various sites won't be as laser focused and memorable. I gave you 10 tips for brainstorming creative brand names, and then some tips for tag lines.  Here are 13 more branding ideas:

1. Check your client testimonials and find common words or themes – this will reveal how your clients "see" you. Focus on benefit statements. What words keep coming up?
2. Once you identify the words your clients are repeatedly using to 'thank you' or 'solve their problems,' check out each word at www.visualthesaurus.com for another way of saying the same thing. Use these "hot client" words and sentiments in building your sales copy, websites and blogs to reinforce your brand.
3. Identify all the activities you enjoy doing outside your business. How does this create an identity for you? How can this help you discover a clever and unique brand name?

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Branding is more than finding a clever name for your blog. It starts
there, but then you must extend the brand with a tag line, logo design,
colors, your photo and bio, and create a consistent profile everywhere
on the Net. 

Equally important is to harmonize your business name
with your blog name. For example, when I first started this blog, my
business was called Customized Newsletter Services. This blog was my
communications center for everything about e-newsletters for coaches,
so I called it CoachEzines.com. When things evolved, this blog evolved
into blog writing for marketing on the internet for small businesses,
so I changed the name to Writing on the Web.

Ah, you see
why there are days when I wish I could start over. I didn't think
things through 4-5 years out into the future. Don't make these branding
mistakes like I did.

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It's said you have less than 30 seconds to capture a person's attention when they ask what you do for a living. It may be even less.

Having a great brand for your blog is even more important: it will make all of your marketing pay off. People will easily remember the name and your blog will stand out from your competitors. But finding a great brand isn’t easy. Sometimes it appears out of the blue in a flash of brilliance. (Photo credit: Shutterstock)

But most of the time, it takes careful thought and excavation to find what works for you. Your goal is to find a branding name and identity so that readers can remember your blog, immediately know what problems you solve, and feel confident you have something to offer them.

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Many professionals and entrepreneurs are brandless or under-branded. And so are their blogs.

They don't stand out from their competition, and on the Web, that's a disaster. As a result, the effort, time, energy and money spent marketing is twice as long and hard.

You've got to find a memorable brand that says in a blink who you are and what you do. And you've got to use that brand everywhere on the web, especially on a blog, on Twitter, Facebook, and other sites. (Photo credit: Shutterstock – now there's a great brand name!)

With a good brand and powerful Internet tools like a business blog, you get big results. Your name and your business stay top of mind when someone is ready to hire or buy.

Finding a great name is one of the hardest things to do. In my opinion, the best way is to brainstorm with a colleague or friend. You may have your nose too close to the blackboard and not see a great branding name.

The next hardest thing is to find an available domain name. 

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