The Gift of the Season: A .com Domain Name for Your Child
💠 Instead of scouring Amazon and other online retailers for this year’s short-lived, trendy toy, I recommend a holiday gift that will keep on giving well into the future: a .com domain name. I know, I doubt it’s atop every kid’s wish list, but hear me out …
Why a domain name?
I believe a personal domain will become an important part of each child’s identity in the future. As a member of the iGen generation, my 10-year-old son was born after the launch of the iPhone and the rise of social media and has grown up in a highly technological world. The addition of his .com domain will help to secure one key piece of his digital future.
Last month, I registered my son’s .com for 10 years. By the time he’s 20, he can decide if it’s something he wants to continue. As he goes through school and applies for jobs, he can provide his domain name to teachers, college admissions officers, and potential employers — an easy-to-access resource that gives him a little leg up. But more importantly, it provides him a potential means into a digital future. None of us are quite sure what the future holds, but we do know that technology is shaping the way we conduct our lives. Giving him the opportunity to build his personal brand is vitally important. Getting a .com domain for him protects his ability to build that brand.
Why a .com domain name?
Domain names ending in .com are still the most recognized top-level domain (TLD) on the internet. Here are five reasons why .com is still king:
1. It is the most common extension
2. It provides the most significant value for most entities
3. .com will help you in rankings
4. It is the most trusted TLD
5. A .com domain name might indirectly provide more search value
Beyond things like search engine optimization (SEO) and rankings, .com domains are the gold standard. For example, if you were looking for Taylor Swift’s website, would you think twice about typing in taylorswift.com? Probably not.
Why now?
Let me be the example: I missed my chance to own my domain name! Earlier this year in the midst of the pandemic, I decided it was finally time to register aaronmendelson.com. Lo and behold, another Aaron Mendelson, a journalist in Los Angeles, had snagged it a few months prior.
The moral of the story: Don’t miss the boat! Visit one of the many domain name registrars, like GoDaddy.com or Namecheap.com, and purchase domains for your kids (and yourself!) this holiday season. If hindsight is 20/20, I believe you’ll look back with no regrets about your 2020 gift choice!
As James Clear, author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones once said, “Life is short. And if life is short, then moving quickly matters. Launch the product. Write the book. Ask the question. Take the chance. Be thoughtful, but get moving.”
Find this interesting? I’m always looking for a good conversation.