You may have heard the word “domain name” but you’re not really sure what it is and why you need one for your personal academic website.
A domain name is the main website URL. For example, my domain name is brittanytrinh.com.
In this post, you’ll learn
- Why you need to buy a domain name ASAP
- How to choose a domain name, including the difference between a .com and a .net
- How to purchase a domain name
Why you need to buy a domain name ASAP
It’s important to get your domain name as soon as possible because you could risk losing it to someone else. It’s like when you wait too long to get onto a new social media platform and your preferred username is already taken.
This is especially important if you wnt a .com ending. There are many suffixes, or endings, like .com, .org, .net, and more. Ideally, it’s best practice to go for .com, because it’s the most commonly known and trusted. However, there could be a chance that someone who has the same as you has already taken the domain name. That means you’ll need to claim a variation that works ASAP.
How do I choose a domain name?
You can choose anything to be domain name, but it’s best to choose a name that is meaningful and easy to read. For many academics, it’s easiest to go by your full name because this makes it easier for you to be searchable on Google.
If you can’t purchase your preferred URL with a .com ending, you can create variations of your name. You can switch your first and last name or include initials instead. If you have a personal brand on Instagram or Twitter, you can use your social media usernames too, so that no one else can impersonate you.
I would avoid choosing a .org suffix since it might confuse people into thinking you’re an organization, unless you are creating one. I would also try not to do .net because it sounds dated. New types of suffixes like .page and more are not as popular yet, so people may be more cautious of them, but they work.
What if I want a .edu URL?
If you want a .edu domain name, then you will most likely need to work with your university’s marketing or communication department. They will have the resources and support you need to create your website. However, this will mean that your website may have to follow standard guidelines or a template.
How do I buy a domain name?
To purchase your domain name, you can use Google Domains or Namecheap (other domain marketplaces work too, these are the two that I usually recommend). The cost of a domain starts around $5 per year.
You can also purchase multiple and hold onto them. You don’t need to create two separate websites. For example, I own brittanytrinh.com and brttnytrnh.com (my Twitter and Instagram username), and both go to my main website, brittanytrinh.com.
When you find a domain you like, add it to your cart, and check out as usual. On the checkout page, you may be asked about Privacy Protection and Auto-renew. Enable BOTH of these settings. Privacy protection will prevent your contact information from being made public. Auto-renew will ensure that your subscription will be paid automatically each year, so you won’t lose it. You can disable auto-renew in the future if you decide you don’t want the domain anymore.
Final Thoughts
Once you buy your domain, you can apply it to any website builder or transfer it to other website builders in the future. For example, you could build your personal academic website on Google Sites first with your domain, then move to Squarespace or WordPress and use the same domain name.
Even if you’re not sure about creating a website yet, it’s still a good idea to buy your domain and hold onto it until you are ready. To get started with your personal academic website, download the Website Starter Kit.
If you’re ready to learn more about setting up your personal academic website, then you might be interested in attending my Website Setup Workshop! In the Website Setup Workshop, you will learn how to:
- Plan and create website content that will help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
- Add your website content to a premade Squarespace framework, so you know how to update your website on your own, saving you time and decision-making energy.
- Customize your Squarespace website to make it undeniably yours, so you can also stand out visually.
Click here to learn more about what’s inside the Website Setup Workshop.