Domain Name Ideas for Artists

A Domain Name (DNS) is your website’s keystone and must be chosen wisely.
There are websites like Domize.com or Namegrep.com to check if it’s available.

↓

Why a Domain Name is so important

• This is almost a mandatory way to rank on Search Engines. (Check our SEO article about this).
  It represents 1000% more organic (not paid) traffic than all social media together.
• This is a right that might disappear or cost higher in the future.
• This is yours, and you are responsible for it.
  It will obey international laws instead of the private social media or platforms laws.

Why a Domain Name is so important

• This is almost a mandatory way to rank on Search Engines.
  It represents 1000% more organic (not paid) traffic than all social media together.
• This is a right that might disappear or cost higher in the future.
• This is yours, and you are responsible for it.
  It will obey international laws instead of the private social media or platforms laws.

Domain name for artists Dos and Don’t

Better if

• The name is more creative and poetic than generic. A generic name kills the trust.
• Less than 15 characters (even if technically the max is 63)
• Not to exceed 2-3 words
• Easy to type
• Easy to pronounce
• It is a .com (“.com” is the most familiar and easiest to remember.)
  You can get a .org only if you can’t decide otherwise. And a .io if you make digital art.
• Check the name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or on Knowem.com
  (Registering a domain name does not protect you if another company files a trademark infringement claim. Noncommercial, nonprofit, and satirical websites do fare better in trademark disputes than for-profit business sites)
• It includes at least one word related to the value you propose or your niche
• Re-use it for your social media accounts
• Take the domain for 3 to 5 years. It will show more stability and credibility to Search Engines.
• Redirect (called permanent redirection 301) your other domain names (for example yourname.com or the same domain name with “.org”) to your primary domain name.

Better not

• Using hyphens (People will forget it)
• Using numbers (it looks spammy)
• Being too commercial (the value of your art isn’t selling but itself)
• Being too straightforward (Those names are likely to be taken already and it feels like a commercial trap: example abstractart.com)
• Taking your name with art or artist at the end (Boring… be creative, everybody does that)
• Take a “.art” domain name.
• It’s really complicated (and be misspelt)
• It’s too common (will be forgotten or people will think about someone else)

You might not need a domain name if

You plan solely to work within the art world (1st range art galleries and art fairs, museums) They don’t really appreciate you have any commercial or branding approach to your art.

When to use your real name

Use your full name if you plan to work within the contemporary art world (top art galleries, art fairs and museums). Many don’t appreciate you for having a commercial approach to your art.
Your name is relatively easy to remember and is an important brand asset.

When to use .org or a country extension

Use .org if you are registered as a non-profit organization or an association.
Use “.co.uk”, “.fr”, “.es” country extensions if you focus on making a local business.

Watch out for those uncommon mistakes

Do not use domain name generators like the one from Wix. They are just making poorly automated word associations. You can do better using your own imagination.
Do not settle for a free name like yourname.shopify.com, or yourname.wix.com, or yourname.wordpress.com. Those subdomain names provided by other companies are usually free but terrible for branding. You don’t look professional and put together in front of your customers.