"The internet has changed everything, including the way we do business, the way we shop and the way others perceive us. Reserving a domain name for your child is brilliant," says Nicole Crimaldi, founder of MsCareerGirl.com.
Is your child's domain name available?
The first step in buying your baby's domain name is doing a search to see if it is available. GoDaddy.com and Google are two good places to start, as you can simply type in your child's name and see if it is available.
It is not just celebrities like Angelina Jolie and Britney Spears that reserve their child's domain name. Regular parents are also starting to see the importance of securing their child's name in cyberspace. "I bought a domain name for my daughter about a year and a half ago," says Ron, father of a teen daughter. "She's thirteen now and setting up the site with WordPress. Also got her a matching Twitter account. Kids will need a consistent social identity in the world they're inheriting from us. Kids without one will be at disadvantage."
You can use your child's domain name to create a website that is an online baby book for friends and family — or your teen may want to start her own blog! Ready to get started?
What if my child's domain name is not available?
If that name has already been purchased, you have a couple of options.
"If the name you'd like to have followed by .com is taken, try searching for availability with the .net, .biz, .info or .org choices," suggests Name Your Tune Creator/Executive Producer Candace Alper. Several sites will also give you similar available optons if your first choice is taken. The .com domain name is often the most expensive because it is the most popular.
What if you have your heart set on the unavailable domain name? "You might consider buying it from the current owner. To find the name and address of a domain name owner, you can use the "WHOIS Lookup" service at whois.net. Your search results will include a contact name, phone number, address and email address for the domain name's owner," says Alper.
.com versus .info
Many parents prefer the .com domain over the alternatives, which include .info, .net, .org , .me, .us or .biz.
"The .com is the most popular extension out there today and the quickest to be captured," says Jennifer Donogh, director of operations of the web hosting company Ovaleye.com. "A .com domain, when chosen wisely, can be thought of like purchasing stocks or bonds for a newborn for use later in life. The child, when older, can use the domain to market him or herself or — if a popular name — can sell for a nice profit."
Consider name alternatives
If the .com is already taken consider getting creative with your child's name.
"It's getting harder and harder to get a good .com domain especially if you have a common last name," says Robert Laura, president of Synergos Financial Group. "My last name is Laura and my daughter's name is Ava, but her domain name was already taken by an artist whose name is Ava Laura. So I bought her first and middle name instead," he says.
"If you figure it's $9 a year to register, and they may not want to use it until they are 21. Maybe it will cost $250 with some inflation, it's a small price to pay for good future branding, especially if they start their own business or become a household name," says Laura.
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