Choosing a domain can sometimes be a hard task. Many of our clients are pastors who do not have a domain and they wonder how to go about choosing a domain name.

Although there are many things to consider, one of the most important choices is what domain name extension to pick. The most common extensions are .com, .net, and .org. There are also country code extensions such as .us and .ca for citizens of the United States and Canada respectively. MVM encourages our clients to choose either the .org extension or the country code extension. This is because the .org domain extension is meant for Non-Profit organizations. The country code domains are helpful for the viewers as they are instantly aware of what country you are in. We do not recommend picking the .com or .net extensions as they stand for commercial and network respectively.

Now that you have decided what domain name extension to use, it is time to brainstorm for name ideas. Use the tips below as you brainstorm:

1. Use a combination of the church name.

Most likely this combination will be taken in all domain name extensions if your church name is quite common such as Bible Baptist Church, Faith Baptist Church, Lighthouse Baptist Church, etc, but it does not hurt to check as this combination is usually the most desirable. As an example, if you were searching for a domain for Faith Baptist Church, try combinations such as fbc, faithbaptist, or faithbaptistchurch.

2. Combine your church name with your location.

This method is often very effective as there likely is not a church with the same name as yours in the same city. Combination examples of this would be faithbaptistspokane or fbcspokane. This would be an example of Faith Baptist Church located in Spokane, Washington.

3. Keep it short and simple.

If at all possible, the shorter and simpler the better. People who intend to visit your website may make a typographical error as they type in your domain name.

4. Avoid numbers and letters that represent numerals.

Missionaries often use domain names with these combinations. An example of this would be Family2MissionField or Family4MissionField. Although this may look nice when it is printed on a prayer card, verbally telling someone could confuse them as they could type in FamilyforMissionField instead of Family4MissionField.

Using these tips, hopefully you have some ideas in your mind what domain name you would like to possess for your church or ministry,

Now using our convenient tool to search domains, search through the terms you have come up with during the brainstorming step. Most likely, you will have come up with an available domain! If not, try brainstorming some more and try again.

If you need some help choosing a domain, feel free to contact us for some help. We hope you will find the best domain name for your assistance!

We have also been working on our newest feature – a church member’s area! Using this valuable new tool, Pastor’s will be able to communicate more effectively with the member’s of his church through member’s only blogs posts, prayer requests, announcements, and photo albums. There is also an option to have a member’s only church calendar and church directory.

Another feature we now offer to our clients who have websites coded in HTML is the ability to edit certain parts of their website easily. Now there will be no wait to have a certain part of the website edited because you can do it whenever you want!

We here at MVM feel that the past six months, although very busy, have proved to be effective in completing our goals. Now we are back and are able to offer more than we ever have before!

If you have any questions about your website, or are interested in signing up, please feel free to contact us! Don’t forget to check out our new website!

Robin A. Johnson