Domain names capture a hint of an idea. It might be a project that you are working on or a company that you’d like to start. Each of these needs a domain name for a timely roll-out. There is of course a dilemma- do you create something and then grab a domain after the fact or do you buy the domain and then shape the concept around it? As often is the case, it depends on whom you ask. In my case, domain reservation activates something inside of me, a creative energy that just might click with an idea that I’m working on. In web 2.0, catching a domain might in fact make the difference between a successful product and a flop.
I’ll use my own story as an example. I started The Daily Saint, a productivity blog, in 2005 as a blog about being involved in ministry work. In the two years since then, my passion for productivity has grown and the blog reflects a more secular angle but the initial ministry component still bubbles up now and again. Ministry is a part of who I am and so I go surfing for domain names. I ask myself, “What name would capture my heart for ministry if I were to start a second blog?” It’s a great process to say the least and it stretches me to think creatively and find a unique angle for a new project.
What else can domain reservation do for you? Domain reservation can be useful in other ways such as:
Turn an idea into something concrete. When something in your head becomes matched with a website, product or organization, you’ve taken it to another level. An idea has become tangible and concrete.
Turn a concept into something communal. Having a domain name brings your idea into the marketplace, so to speak. By “going public” with your idea, others get to share in its development and maturation.
Give your ideas accountability. There’s nothing like RSS subscribers to keep you going in the blogging world. When hundreds or thousands of folks are reading your content every day, ideas take on weight and weight equals accountability.
Put some dough behind your creativity. Putting some money into an idea can also bring creativity to another level. With domain reservation at less than $10 per year, it’s an investment worth making.
Put some routine into your idea. It’s no secret- the best bloggers are “routiners”. They post regularly and well and have exemplary habits when it comes to bringing their ideas into the light.
If you’ve got an idea that you’d like to test on the open market, why not reserve a domain name today to give it some street cred? It’s as easy as searching for what’s available and then making the leap of faith towards commitment.
