Does this sound familiar? You’re ready to take control of your online marketing and get yourself a kick-ass actor website. You try to register your domain name, and horror of horrors, SOMEONE ELSE HAS ALREADY NABBED IT!
No worries – you have several options! Here are the 5 suggestions I give to my own clients when faced with this dilemma:
1. Add A Dash
Since the ideal is to use your first and last name, use a dash. For example, instead of amyruss.com, I could try amy-russ.com.
2. Be Official
Another option is to make it “official”! For example, amyrussofficial.com or theofficialamyruss.com.
3. “Actor” It Up
Some of my clients prefer to use “actor” in their name, so it would look like this: amyrussactor.com
4. Change Your Extension
You can also change the extension. Instead of AmyRuss.com, I could use AmyRuss.biz, AmyRuss.actor, or AmyRuss.tv.
5. Location, Location, Location
Add your location to the end of your name and your doppelgänger worries could disappear! AmyRussNY.com
These tips can be used for your social media handles, too. I’m actually AmyRussNY on Instagram because another Amy Russ got to it first! (Dang youngsters!)
Once you decide on your domain name, it’s a great idea to register it right away, so no one else claims it first – even if you’re not quite ready to build your website.
And there you have it! Five alternatives when your domain name is taken.