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I was curious on what others thought on using your personal name as your business/domain name.
For example, is it better to use johndoe.com instead of 123webdesign.com?
I can see benefits of both. For instance having a name that is more business like can give the impression that you are more of a company and not just a one person shop. However if you get lots of referrals from friends or people you know than using your own name might be easier for those people to remember.
Any thought??? -
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CommentAuthoradjustafresh
- CommentTimeNov 6th 2006
I suppose, like most things, it depends.
If your name is Khalid Massawanaharri you may want to consider not using your name in the url. If you have a name that's easy to remember and spell - great. Perhaps combine the two: meyerweb comes to mind.
And don't try to give potential clients the impression that you are a company with multiple employees when you're just one guy/gal. That's called lying, and clients don't appreciate it. -
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- CommentAuthorrsatyarthi
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2006 edited
I was looking for blogs for the same thing you asked here, but can't find one.
dlc40
you asked the same thing i want to know about. what should be domain name for a freelance designer? His own name or some company name?
adjustafresh
i agree with you, if name is difficult to spell or long, it shouldn't be a domain name.
also i strongly feel that SHOWING YOURSELF WHAT YOU ARE NOT, IS PROBLEM GENERATOR THING. if you are a single person you must not show yourself as a team.
but my question still stands there. What sould be a domain name for a freelance designer? -
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CommentAuthoradjustafresh
- CommentTimeDec 27th 2006
I'm afraid that this is a question you must answer for yourself. Some people use their names in the URL; some opt for other options e.g. using a location in the name, describing their style of design, inventing words, and many more... It's such a personal choice--no one should tell you what your domain name should be.
The important things to consider are to make it easy to remember, avoid hyphens and try to keep it relatively short. -
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I agree with Scott on the name thing -- I personally don't use my name because "Ringlein" is both long and can be difficult to spell (sounds like Ring-line).
Your domain name should be a reflection of your business. Are you more of a designer or developer? Do you focus more on marketing, advertising or brand identity? For a while I was using "creativerefresh.com" -- the thinking being that everything I work on is "creative" and most of my projects were on redesigns, so creative refresh seemed nice. However! I work primarily with clients in the Washington DC area (only about 15% of my clients are outside the area). Most of the clients in this area I found really demanded "local" talent. So MarylandMedia.com was working extremely well. I live in DC but bought the name back when I was freelancing in college at The University of Maryland -- it still works as the DC area is comprised of Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington DC.
One last thing I will mention is that I disagree that you should be using your name b/c you want to be upfront that you are an individual and working alone. While this might be a topic of business ethics -- I think being misleading on the web is what makes the web so powerful. Your "company" website should make you seem as though you can do anything for anyone (without actually lying) -- no one wants to hire a 22yr old living in his parents house doing web design for "fun". Also, in theory your freelancing should be growing!!! I started out going solo, but now depend on a few other freelancers to help as apart of my "team" when certain tasks are outside of my skillset or when I just don't have the time for some smaller projects.
I've also seen some people use their tag line as their URL. I own "innovationbydesign.com" for example. If you end up having a company name whose URL is taking (like Refresh), then this could be a good option. -
I agree with alot of what mringlein mentions above, your shouldn't aim to mislead your potential clients, but it's a fine-line as some see 'freelance' as a threat, and would prefer to deal with a 'company' disregarding the results. They feel safer with a company.
But about the name, I think it can depend on who you are targeting. Looks at house-builders.. I don't see many FlashyHouseBuilders Inc, but you see a lot of 'John Jones Homes' ](i.e. using a personal name as they want the products to seem.. personal. Sure there is a better word than that, though!)
It depends on if you want a cool flashy brand, or warm personal and trusting? Or perhaps you want your brand to say something totally different?
I use a brand-name rather than my personal name - but that's down to my own choice simply because when I started I wasn't a fan of having my name over everything as I'm quite private.. but each to their own! -
using your name sucks because ppls will try to bargain you down, as a freelancer.
When you use a company name, its more like, your doing the design/code but not standing at the cash regiter, a position most freelancers would get beat down in. -
- CommentAuthorrsatyarthi
- CommentTimeApr 18th 2007 edited
hum... that's interesting i was expecting everyone will support yourname.com but here everyone feeling more safer and profitable with companyname.com for a single freelancer behind that domain. Mr. Martin Ringlein's is saying "I think being misleading on the web is what makes the web so powerful" hum... well that's quite unacceptable at first glance but in 2nd thought to make a "Brand" and use it's innumerable benefits it might be right to use companyname.com but then i get confused when i saw people like "Cameron Moll" , "Daniel Mall" and "Molly E. Holzschlag" ... and several other big names in freelancing they all using there name as a domain and business name.
So i want to discuss it more deeply that how it could be "right" using companyname.com when you are a single person.
ps: babyben and meh saying right at there place, i also faced bargain talk because i am a freelancer not a big/small company. -
I would buy both domains... I came to the web too late and my name was already taken from someone in new york. I lucked out and had a great domain that includes my first name though. There is also a band with my name. It helps to own the search engine rankings for your domain though in case people want to look you up.
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CommentAuthorstrugglefish
- CommentTimeApr 21st 2007
"And don't try to give potential clients the impression that you are a company with multiple employees when you're just one guy/gal. That's called lying, and clients don't appreciate it."
I'm guessing you learned this the hard way?
You can get away with it, just use different personalities ( and voices when they call) -
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- CommentAuthorPettyRider
- CommentTimeApr 21st 2007
"using your name sucks because ppls will try to bargain you down, as a freelancer"
And as a good business man, you show them toward the door. If you charge what your worth, you won't have trouble finding clients to pay for it. It's that simple. If someone's going to 'bargain you down,' come back at them with, "Well, when your ready to make an honest investment in your business/organization, you have my card."
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