My blog is on a go slow and I am finding it difficult to post, so I am relying on already drafted posts at the moment. You will notice that I have changed my comments to be moderated as I notice I have been missing a few and this way they will be held in the pending folder so that I can reply to each and every one. Now, on to choosing a blog name. I have had a numerous queries asking me how to go about choosing a blog name and so I have put together this little bit of blogging 101 to answer the question.
Google is an amazing tool, so make use of it! I made a very big mistake when I started blogging in that I never bothered to check if Lavender and Lime existed anywhere else. So, when you start thinking of blog names I would suggest you type it into Google (or your preferred search engine) and see if a blog already exists with that name. If not, check to see if there is a business with that name. I should have done both of those, but I didn’t, which means my blog URL is my name, as that is what was available. It is a good idea that your blog name be catchy, and that your URL is not too long and complicated. You don’t want to have to tell someone to type in “icancookandblogaboutittoo.com” when “cookandblog” will do. Find a catchy name, and then register your blog. This is not something you want to go back and change. I am now known as Lavender and Lime, and will be greeted as such at food events, but it seems silly then to tell people, “oh, my blog URL is tandysinclair.com”. It just does not make sense. Because I made this simple error, I have made sure to create an identity around it, so my twitter handle is the same.
I hope this helps in the first step to creating your own blog.
Good post Tandy. I have moments of regret about my blog name (a) because, as you say, the URL is probably too long and (b) because I am planning to go back to the UK at some point and I can’t pretend that I will still be cooking under a Blue Gum tree! I am in two minds whether to change my blog name when that happens. Any thoughts?
I would not change it as you have established a great identity – and it is unique. Funnily enough, I live in Bluegum avenue so I have a personal liking to your blog name. We used to have this huge bluegum tree outside our house – it made a racket when the wind blew, and it does often here in Gordons Bay. As they are aliens the tree had to be cut down, so you barely see them here anymore 🙂
Nothing wrong with a slow period now and then Tandy. Some times life gets sped up and blogging needs to slow right on down. I hope you are having a good week.
xx
Thank you for that wisdom Brydie – I am not the most patient person around xox
Haha this is a really good tip – I never checked either and am so happy I got lucky!
Cheers
CCU
you did indeed Uru 🙂
I never checked either back in 2006. My blog name turned out to be the name of the Kraft foods magazine in America, so I occasionally get confused people looking for them visiting me!
which is a good thing!
Great tip Tandy!
thank you Asmita 🙂
Thanks for the tips, Tandy
my pleasure Hope 🙂
Definitely great advice!!
thank you Joanne 🙂
Great tips since my friend and I will be starting a new blog soon!
I hope this helps her!
Thanks for those wise words Tandy. It actually means a lot as it is something I have been pondering on for a while and I would really hate to have to start from scratch. I know a lot of people have a dislike of Blue Gum’s as an alien species but I guess as a foreigner in South Africa the connection is appropriate for me!
It is my pleasure Claire, and, I love the scent of the Bluegums – it reminds me of my family in Australia 🙂
Good post!
I chose my blog name before I started scrapbooking and doing family research. I used African graphics, which doesn’t go so well with old family photos 😉
but your blog name is so unique!
Dankie 😉
enige tyd 🙂
Hi tandy, an interesting post – and I’ve been wondering whether to put comments in moderation so that I get to see them all – I’ve recently spotted a few older ones, and I feel terrible fo rnot having responded sooner !!
I am trying to update all my blog post recipes and I see comments I have not replied to. Changing them to pending is working so much better 🙂
Strangely I have been thinking of “upgrading’ my blog name or at least tag line as I now incorporate more than just recipes from my book – not an easy exercise and in hind sight should have thought about when I started blogging but we live and learn.
I am sure it is just the time of year where we all start slowing down with blogging so don’t worry about the slow period, it will pick up again soon.
Have a lovely day.
🙂 Mandy xo
Rather just change your tag line so you don’t lose your identity! My blog is on a go slow – not me! The internet is not playing nicely with my url 🙂
I call those sorts of days “flat”.. my mind and imagination are just flat. So I get out and do “stuff” and my creativity just comes back in. I read somewhere this is called “going out and filling your cup” so that you can write about it. Thanks for the tip on names.. I’m a bit of a geek, so I googled and fiddled til I found one that worked, then purchased it right away. I think you can also have Lavender and Lime but don’t end with a .com but with .net?
I would not change it now Barbara as too many people know where to find me! I love the concept of going out and filling my cup 🙂
I made the same mistake Tandy but with patience, was able to change it. There was a company in Japan that had agrigirl.com and so I waited and eventually it became available.
that is so great Tammy – I think the name describes your blog so well 🙂
Well stated, Tandy! I love Sophies foodie files too because it is all about my foodie files! I haven’t heard that name before, 4 years ago! So, It was quite original too, at that time, jusdt like yours!!! xxx
yours is very original! and I think if I met you, you would be the same as your blog, friendly and lovely 🙂