It might seem a little obvious, but in order to build your blog or website, it’s going to require at least two things.

First, you’ll need some type of web hosting plan and a domain name. As far as the domain name is concerned, this can often be the most difficult for many people since it involves a little research. And even after doing all the research on your domain name choice, you suddenly realize that the name may not be available.

If you’re not aware of this fact, no other domain names will be exactly alike. If the name you choose is not available, you’ll basically have to settle on another. Try not to be discouraged as there are plenty of alternative choices including some neat domain extensions.

Of course, before you get to the variety of extensions, try different variations of your original choice using the dot com extension. For instance, if your original choice was something like [championfitness.com] (which by the way is taken), some other variations might be unsurpassedfitness or topadvicefitness.

The point is, don’t get down or even give up. This is where your creative thinking process needs to start flowing by adding in a little imagination to come up with the perfect domain for you.

If you’re still stumped while deciding on a domain name, try using some online tools to help you decide. While there are many tools online that can help in suggesting a name, two sources come to mind that should work fine for you.

They are domaintyper and domainsbot. Both are easy to use and will provide a host of suggestions for you. With domaintyper, once you enter your preferred name or a keyword, the tool will immediately tell you if the domain is available by using a green box, and if the box is red the domain is taken. On top that, if you scroll down the page below the initial boxes, you’ll notice additional suggestions for you.

Image Credit: Namecheap

When you finally decide on your domain name, I definitely recommend using Namecheap. There are many places that you can purchase your domain through such as the popular site GoDaddy, which is probably the largest domain name registrar.

However, and this is just my opinion, GoDaddy is more sales pitchy with all their added sales, discounts, promos, upsells and down sells. Personally, I’ve only purchased a couple domains from GoDaddy and wasn’t impressed with their process and customer service.

Domain prices from Namecheap are comparable with some of the top registration sources online. But when you purchase through Namecheap, one thing you’re not going to experience is the high-pressure sales tactics. Yes, they do offer addons just like many other businesses, but it’s not as pushy.

You’ll notice from the screenshot below, after you choose your desired name and select “add to cart” the addons will be displayed below your choice. Directly on the top right side of the page will be your shopping cart. In the cart will be the domain name, the price of your domain and an ICANN fee (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). Just click on the view cart button and proceed to checkout.

Image Credit: Namecheap

Namecheap also comes with a variety of features and a large list of domain extensions. As I’ve mentioned in a couple previous posts, the dot com extension has always been the popular choice when buying domain names.

But keep in mind, the new extensions are gradually rising within the internet world. People, as well as businesses and organizations are taking notice and starting to utilize extensions that relate to their needs.

My suggestion is this, if any of the new extensions can relate to your blog, website or business, use them.