domain name for the site

[Xenedis]

yeah, that's all fine, but let's return to my initial question
something abstract or something name-related?

Do you wish to market your photographic works in association with your own name, or some other name which may or may not be a business name?

If the site is about you, then maybe use your name; if it's not about you, but more your work, then you have the option to go for something less personal.

It comes down to personal preference and what you want to do with your site.

[antongorlin]

my head's gonna blow up trying to think of something new and unique

[peterking]

hi
I've decided to get myself a site for portfolio.
The problem is in domain name. there're 2 options in general
1) something abstract like photo.com (I know it's taken, it's just a sample)
2) something name-related like antongorlin.com or gorlin.org or whatever.

both options have their advantages and disadvantages.
1) can be used in many ways other than just my folio, its easier to sell, easier to remember etc. but its not directly refering to me.
2) everything opposite - bad for selling and other site usages, but points to me. The other thing is I'm not sure if my name/surname could be easily remembered by non-russian-speaking people.

Thoughts? Anything I miss?

I used my full name as at the time there was no one else on the web using it. Now that we have a politician with the same name that I want no association with I am a little sorry. Personally I think gorlin.id or gorlin.com would work. It's short and simple. If you register in Australia there will be restrictions as to what . extension you can use. When I did mine I had to have an ABN to register a .com.

[Mat]

I needed an ABN for a .com.au

[bigdazzler]

You missed the .au

This is essential if you want to attract Australian business. Anyone searching (for example) Google with the "SITE:.au" set (because they want to see businesses in this country) will never, ever see your site if you register it with an overseas domain (such as ".com" or ".net.ca").

You need the .au

huh ?? (excuse my lack of all round-computer-geekness) my site is .com only .. and when you search www.google.com.au for "Darren Gray Photography" my web site is the very first result. Makes no sense to me mate.

EDIT : oops should have read the rest of the thread first ... seems were past this and back on topic. May bad. Please ,,, continue

Personally I seem to remember names better than abstract domain names. But thats just me I suppose.

[Erin]

What's your business name called? Do that.

If you're trading via your own name, do that.

I like the KISS way of working.

[Tannin]

huh ?? (excuse my lack of all round-computer-geekness) my site is .com only .. and when you search www.google.com.au for "Darren Gray Photography" my web site is the very first result. Makes no sense to me mate.

Read my post before replying another time. If you search for an exact, specific site name, you will find an exact specific site name. But if you already know the exact, specific site name, you don't need to do any searching. (Except in the very narrow sense of using Google to remind yourself of the URL.) Where the country code matters is when people are searching for something like "motorsport photographer". You want to hire someone, but when you search for "motorsport photographer" you get thousands and thousands of results, most of them pertaining to people in the USA or Europe or any number of other places and completely irrelevant to your need for someone in Australia. You have to trawl through pages and pages to find what you want. If, on the other hand, you have a clue about computers, you search for something like "motorsport photographer site:.au" and Google returns you exactly what you want. Only Australian pages that rank for "motorsport photographer". Result: you can find the person you want quickly and easily. Meanwhile, the photographers who were badly advised by their Internet person and selected the wrong address miss out on the work.

[Steve Axford]

Or you search google for Australian sites (an option on google). You don't even have to be computer savy

[Zac]

One other advantage of .com.au is that it allows you a bigger choice of domain names... its getting to the point where most sensible abstract .com names have been taken, but the same name in .com.au may well be free....

Mind you if both are free - get both :-)

.com.au should be under $30/2 years, ,.com around $10pa so its not a huge expense.

[geoffsta]

Simple rule of thumb with search engines. Quotation marks.
To find something in Australia I type in "Company name" "Australia" For example... "Rio Tinto" "Australia". That should give me the Australia Headquarters for Rio Tinto. If I typed in "Plumbers" "Dandenong" it would give me a list of plumbers that have a site, or registered with a site in Dandenong. I'm not that computer savvy, but I thought that is common knowledge..

[johndom]

Anton, look for some options in russian meaning photography, that are not too long and easy for us simple types to rememeber. Something that can cover both bases.