When you’re starting a blog, one of the first decisions you’ll need to make is what domain name to choose.
This can be tricky.
You want to pick something that’s easy to remember while reflecting your fitness business or blog topic.
I’m going to give you some tips on how to choose the perfect domain name for your fitness blog.
I’ll also recommend how to find hosting providers that will help get your blog up and running in no time!
How to Choose a Domain Name and Hosting Provider
If you’re wondering whether you need to start a fitness blog as a business owner, the short answer is, “yes!”
You can read more about why and the benefits of a blog in my post, Does My Fitness Business Need a Blog?
But before you jump into the basics of starting your fitness blog, you need to answer two questions:
- What is my domain name (website name)?
- Who is hosting my website?
What is My Domain Name?
If you don’t have a website, you need to decide on a good domain name for your fitness business or blog.
A domain name is what someone would type in to get to your website.
For example, my domain name is writefit.com.
When purchasing your domain name, you have two options: match your brand vs. brainstorming.
Match Your Brand Name
Your domain name should reflect your brand, and vice versa.
When creating your brand name and domain name, just be sure not to use any existing brand names or trademarks.
If you have an established business name, you can simply purchase the domain name that matches your brand.
Coming Up with a Domain Name
But if you don’t have a brand name yet or you’re doing business as a sole proprietorship, then it’s time to brainstorm.
Think about what type of fitness business you have, who your target market is, and what you are selling (e.g., products vs. services).
When I created a name for my fitness writing business, I made a long list of words that came to mind when I thought about what I offered to clients.
I was a writer, and my focus was fitness. My original domain name (and brand name) was Write on Fitness.
It wasn’t great but it did the trick.
After using this for years, I wanted something catchier – something people would easily remember.
And that’s how the more catchy and easier to remember name – Write Fit – came about.
How to Create a Domain Name
Here are some hard and fast rules for creating a domain name:
How Long Should a Domain Name Be?
In general, go with a shorter domain name.
Why?
Because people are more likely to remember them, which means they’ll be more likely to find you in a pinch.
I always suggest keeping it to two words – no more than three.
Don’t Make it Complicated
What’s in a name? Well, when it comes to a domain name, the focus needs to be on simplicity more than creativity.
How are not going to remember some long, drawn out, and packed with fluffy words domain name.
Also, unless it’s your brand name, be sure to spell the words correctly.
For example, if you have “school” in your domain name, don’t spell it “skool.”
Base it on Keywords (if it makes sense)
This isn’t necessary, but keywords in your domain name can be helpful for two reasons:
First, the keywords might help with search ranking (but this isn’t guaranteed).
Second, keywords can give the viewer an idea of what type of website they are visiting.
For example, let’s say that you’re a personal trainer in Los Angeles and your name is John Smith.
A good domain name might be johnsmithptla.com.
Another example could be focusing on the profession itself such as trainersmith.com.
You can also do some research and find out if any similar domains have expired so you can buy them instead, especially if it’s relevant and catchy.
Stop Trying to be Perfect
In other words, I wouldn’t stress too much about the perfect brand and domain name if you’re just starting out.
Chances are you’ll change it as your business grows and you become more familiar with your products, services, and clients.
Who is Hosting My Website (and Domain Name)?
After you’ve chosen your domain name and verified that it’s available, the next step is to choose how you want to host it.
Hosting is the service that allows your site to be visible online and can be found by people using search engines like Google or DuckDuckGo.
It’s also where I’d recommend purchasing your domain name. That way, everything is on one website.
This decision typically depends on how tech-savvy you are.
There are plenty of hosting providers out there, but not all are created equal.
I’d recommend doing your own research for a hosting provider but keep in mind that many bloggers have an affiliate marketing relationship with the hosting provider they recommend.
Blue Host famously offers a competitive commission and that’s why it’s pushed so much around the internet, but in reality, many people I’ve chatted with say that they wouldn’t recommend it.
I’d recommend asking other fitness business owners who hosts their site.
Who Will Build My Website?
Once you have selected and purchased your domain name and hosting provider, you can get to building your website.
There are some hosting providers that also act as website builders, if you are comfortable enough and have the time to do so.
WIX is one such example. These guys were my original hosting provider, but when I wanted to get serious with a better fitness business website, I stepped up to WordPress and HostGator.
If you don’t have the expertise or interest in building a site, you might want to consider hiring a professional website designer.
I built my first two websites with WIX but once I switched to WordPress, I hired someone else to do it because I simply didn’t have the time or interest in learning website design.
Choosing the Perfect Domain Name and Hosting Provider
As I mentioned above, don’t over think this process.
Will you get it right on the first try? Maybe, but probably not.
There’s a good chance you’ll change the name of your business or blog. You’ll probably switch hosting providers at some point to see what else is out there.
But don’t let that stop you from getting started.
And once your fitness website is live, you can start blogging!
Check out my post on How to Start a Fitness Blog that People Want to Read for tips on how to take that first step.
