So, you have your blog or maybe you set up one of those free websites like tripod or yahoo. But now your domain link URL is some long obscure string of text, dashes or numbers that is hard to read and hard enough for you to remember never mind your potential visitors.

Did you know that even if you don’t want  to get involved with all the web site set up and FTP etc. you can still have your own .com and make it easier for you to get your blog or site out there. Most of the free services allow you to redirect the longer link to your shorter more catchy domain name.

One problem you may encounter is that your ideal name is taken or worse, it is taken and not even being used. So what can you do if this is the case? Well, if it is taken and not used you may be able to buy the domain from the owner, but that may cost $100 or so, depending on the domain. Check the “WhoIs” for that domain to get the contact information for the owner. You can simply type “whois  thedomain.com” in google and you will get results to find out this information.There are also websites out there that can broker deals to buy domains that are taken but for sale privately. It will all depend on how badly you want the domain and how much money and time you are willing to spend.

One thing you can do is try adding a “the” at the beginning of the name or variations of it. Try using InstantDomainSearch.com to find a good domain name that is catchy and reflects your blog or website. The good thing about InstantDomainSearch.com is that it will bring up variations as you type them and give you some ideas. You may actually find a domain name for your blog that you never thought of.

So, stop being beholden to those long unmemorable domain urls assigned by the free providers. The free part is great for beginners or for those with limited finances. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have a good domain name that people will remember and keep coming back to.