Student choosing a domain name - need some advice!

Teessider

Hi Polycount!

Since this my first post on this forum, i shall introduce myself!

I'm a 2nd year student at Teesside University doing the BA (Hons) Computer Games Art course and I'm in the process of putting up an online portfolio ready for placements.

I have a fairly common name (I think) - Andrew Bell. I have read all sorts of articles about portfolio domain names (including yours lol) and I if yas don't mind I would like some advice on what it should be.

Here my choices: (from what I've come up with or suggested from other people)

andrewbellart.com/co.uk
andybellart.com/.co.uk
artistandrewbell.com/.co.uk
teessiderart.com/co.uk

Do you have any suggestions?

Thanks!

jerry

Why not andrewbell.com?

I don't think you have to be worried about communicating the fact that you are an artist through the domain name. You can do that through the home page title for example and it will still show up in the google results.

Farfarer

I'd avoid anything with "Teesside" in it - you don't want to taint people's perception of you even before they open your site

Ben Apuna

Jon Jones made a great post on his blog about this subject.

Teessider

jerry wrote: »

Why not andrewbell.com?

I don't think you have to be worried about communicating the fact that you are an artist through the domain name. You can do that through the home page title for example and it will still show up in the google results.

It is already taken lol and okay thanks for the tip

marks

Talon wrote: »

I'd avoid anything with "Teesside" in it - you don't want to taint people's perception of you even before they open your site

Also, this.

Tom Pritchard

www.andrew-bell.com is a solid, easy to remember, clean looking domain. I'd go with that. Hyphen's are a good choice when you've got a common name, it's what I had to do with www.tom-pritchard.co.uk

EDIT: Bugger, it seems that one's taken, but you get the idea.

Mathew O

AndrewB.co.uk :P

JR

www.andrew-bell-art.com is available. I think I will register it and sell it for you

Neox

i think poopinmymouth.com just did very well for years :P

leslievdb

Neox wrote: »

i think poopinmymouth.com just did very well for years :P

funny that i was thinking of the same thing... it really gets burned in your brain

dempolys

jramauri wrote: »

www.andrew-bell-art.com is available. I think I will register it and sell it for you

DON'T use this kind of domain name ^
You shouldn't pick a name with a Hyphen in it if you don't have to.

You want to be able to tell people your site name out loud as easily as possible, without them getting confused. Saying "Andrew HYPHEN Bell HYPHEN art" out loud is gonna sound annoying.

passerby

Ravenslayer wrote: »

funny that i was thinking of the same thing... it really gets burned in your brain

and leaves a bad taste behind

Marine

andy-bell.co.uk isn't taken

JR

dempolys wrote: »

DON'T use this kind of domain name ^
You shouldn't pick a name with a Hyphen in it if you don't have to.

You want to be able to tell people your site name out loud as easily as possible, without them getting confused. Saying "Andrew HYPHEN Bell HYPHEN art" out loud is gonna sound annoying.

Hum.. I think today the most common is send an actual link of your site for anyone, or at least put it written, not spoken. Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

passerby

jramauri wrote: »

Hum.. I think today the most common is send an actual link of your site for anyone, or at least put it written, not spoken. Anyway, it was just a suggestion.

actually iv gotten work in film just by having chats with people on set, or talking at a release party, so it is nice to have a easily spoken url if your out of cards to give out.

not a huge problem now though since everyones has blackberry's and smart-phones anyways. (Which also brings in it's own issues, since i see people pull them out and really inappropriate times, to there own detriment.

Teessider

wow what an awesome response from you polycounters!

I like andy-bell.co.uk...but the .com is taken and it has a hyphen in it (im trying not to sound picky lol). And using my nickname would be unprofessional wouldn't it?

TortillaChips

I guess I got a little lucky with mine but I still needed a hyphen in it (matt-hall.com). Andy-bell.co.uk is alright considering things are taken, you need to add stuff on and keep checking if it removes something, there's:
andy-bell.co.uk
andybart.co.uk
andybellart.com

Andreas

Talon wrote: »

I'd avoid anything with "Teesside" in it - you don't want to taint people's perception of you even before they open your site

Still banging on that drum eh? Teeside is a good school.

ZacD

all these domains are available,
DiffuseMap.com
VertexWelder.com
PolyPainter.com

Farfarer

Andreas wrote: »

Still banging on that drum eh? Teeside is a good school.

Hey, it might've had a total overhaul in the last couple of years and they've kicked Paul D out... but if it hasn't; no, it's not. There's some good teachers (Gabby K, Tim B, Herb W) but that's it.

It's hard enough to get folios seen without colouring the opinion of the viewer before it starts - same goes for a lot of the courses in the UK.

It also seems stupid to associate yourself with a university. After your first year in industry, where you graduated from isn't that important any more (if it ever was in the first place).

Teessider

Talon wrote: »

Hey, it might've had a total overhaul in the last couple of years and they've kicked Paul D out... but if it hasn't; no, it's not. There's some good teachers (Gabby K, Tim B, Herb W) but that's it.

It's hard enough to get folios seen without colouring the opinion of the viewer before it starts - same goes for a lot of the courses in the UK.

It also seems stupid to associate yourself with a university. After your first year in industry, where you graduated from isn't that important any more (if it ever was in the first place).

Everyone you mentioned is still here....the teessider suggestion (and my forum name for that matter) is the fact tht im from there....i sometimes see that people use their forum names for portfolios so i thought I could use that..but perhaps not!

skankerzero

i should go buy every single domain name mentioned in here.

ZacD

At that point he should just change his name,

I would like to buy zacd.com but the minimum bid is $488

It's pretty lame that companies can just buy up domains and not use them.

Lazerus Reborn

It's pretty lame that companies can just buy up domains and not use them.

Ject.com is a Premium Domain Name and is available for £18,694.08

*sadface*

I know, i think it should be like real-estate and after so many years dead it should go back on the market.

IchII3D

I would love to see your portfolio, I left Teesside a long time ago and had similar experiences to Talon. But when I was leaving it was getting better, really interested to see the quality of work these days.

You should get your website up fast, all eyes are on you now. Muahaha!

In terms of website name, I recommend just going with whatever your alias or name is. I personally wouldn't worry about second guessing it so much. No one really cares, unless you some how take on that persona and go to your interview as TechnoViking.

ZacD

Personally I think a good domain should 2-4 syllables, easy to speak and spell, you have to imagine you are telling someone in person your domain name, and you have 5 seconds to do so.

Lazerus Reborn

Heh this thread has just prompted me to get myself a domain ;'D

Also, HETZNER look promising as a web host, can't remember who recommended it though.

skankerzero

Lazerus Reborn wrote: »

Heh this thread has just prompted me to get myself a domain ;'D

Also, HETZNER look promising as a web host, can't remember who recommended it though.

decent review site with video reviews of web hosts.

http://hosting-review.com/?gclid=CNLtzbOhwa0CFWrktgodCW8kCA

ZacD

http://holeinthewallhosting.com/
Cheap and it works well.

http://www.webhostingstuff.com/uptime/HoleintheWallHosting.html

teaandcigarettes

ZacD wrote: »

Personally I think a good domain should 2-4 syllables, easy to speak and spell, you have to imagine you are telling someone in person your domain name, and you have 5 seconds to do so.

I think I fail at everything you mentioned :P

ZacD

You can always get a 2nd domain that redirects people to that site :P
teaandcigs.com is available

Teessider

IchII3D wrote: »

I would love to see your portfolio, I left Teesside a long time ago and had similar experiences to Talon. But when I was leaving it was getting better, really interested to see the quality of work these days.

You should get your website up fast, all eyes are on you now. Muahaha!

In terms of website name, I recommend just going with whatever your alias or name is. I personally wouldn't worry about second guessing it so much. No one really cares, unless you some how take on that persona and go to your interview as TechnoViking.

I hope my work won't be too bad....if I buy my domain tomorrow...my portfolio should hopefully be online by the end of this week! I will probs use wordpress for now just to get stuff on there and then when I have time (when I have finished 2nd year lol) I will design it properly and get some more stuff on there.

I think I'm going to go for either:

Teessiderart.com/.co.uk (teessider is taken unfortunately)
andybellart.com/.co.uk

What would you(s) choose?

ZacD

andybellart.com

dempolys

Teessider wrote: »

Teessiderart.com/.co.uk (teessider is taken unfortunately)

ewwww
why on earth would you want people to view you as a student forever? Nobody would take you seriously with a URL like that...

Andreas

dempolys wrote: »

ewwww
why on earth would you want people to view you as a student forever? Nobody would take you seriously with a URL like that...

Teeside is a region in the UK.

Teessider

Andreas wrote: »

Teeside is a region in the UK.

That's right...its where I'm from and currently live which was the reason behind my forum name!

Fuse

it doesn't have to have any relation to your name mate. In some instances it may even be easier to come up with a creative name that sticks in people's minds.

Besides, if people remember your name it takes less than 3 seconds to google and find your website anyway.

I am pretty happy with my domain since my real name is hard as hell to spell and remember.

skankerzero

myawesomeartportfolio.com isn't taken!

ZacD

I'm so tempted Jesse...

skankerzero

myportfolioisbetterthanyours.com is also available!!

skankerzero

goddamn! All the awesome portfolio urls are free!

listenupbitchesthisiswhataportfolioshouldlooklike.com is open too!

youneedtohireme.com is free!

ZacD

sadly penistank.com is taken, and so is greentooth.com

IchII3D

I have been with http://www.one.com/en/ for nearly three years. Never had any problems, I believe its something like £20 a year for 10GB space and unlimited bandwidth (fair usage policy) I think my first year was something like £3 on a sale :P They do both my domain and space.

Teessider

IchII3D wrote: »

I have been with http://www.one.com/en/ for nearly three years. Never had any problems, I believe its something like £20 a year for 10GB space and unlimited bandwidth (fair usage policy) I think my first year was something like £3 on a sale :P They do both my domain and space.

i shall have a look...thanks

I have slept on it and I think i'm going to go with andybellart.com/.co.uk!

thankyou for the help polycounters :thumbup:

Alberto Rdrgz

advice on a domain name? imma start a thread for advice on what to wear....

Mark Dygert

When you do pick a domain, use common sense and try to make it simple and relative but most of the time people just aren't going to care even if they read it, its a link, clicking it doesn't get any easier than that... If people have to type in your domain name manually there is something wrong with the way they have people submit applications or you screwed it up some way that is more inconvenient than having a slightly obscure domain.

Focus on the content first, if you get the content to be rock solid then consider making a new toaster cozy(domain name), just don't forget to build the rest of the house(portfolio content) otherwise that house party you plan to throw is going to be pretty lame when it starts to rain. But I think you can get hired just fine without the toaster cozy so long as your house is order.

I doubt a great domain name will influence the decision all that much, at least not as much as when they come face to face with your work. I haven't heard anyone on either end say they were/weren't hired because of their domain name.

Noodle!

Alberto Rdrgz wrote: »

advice on a domain name? imma start a thread for advice on what to wear....

This is not nearly the same thing. This is like asking where to put the sign so people can find your shop, not an expression of you as a person.
This is for his professional portfolio (I'm assuming).

Talbot

I did www.scott-talbot.com because I felt that www.scotttalbot.com had too many t's

Wesley

wwww.shitapixel.com is free.

Alberto Rdrgz

dude shitapixel is tempting.