Memories of a big domain name decision…

So, here we are. I’m ready to start building a website/blog (in mind if not in body) and have a strangely familiar dilemma. What should I call myself?

It’s not that I’m having an identity crisis or that I don’t already have a name. I have a name that I quite like in fact. There aren’t too many of us Loughridge’s around, so it’s a relatively unique name. In fact, when searched my surname elicits an interesting response

Sorry, your search didn’t return any results because we don’t have enough data for this surname (nonexistent or less than 1300 records). Please search again.

In many respects that’s good news – my name should be very memorable and indeed I know it often is, when spoken. And once seen I’m not easily forgotten (allegedly). So, what’s my problem?

Throughout my life my name has been constantly mis-spelled or mis-pronounced. You see, it’s pronounced as “Lock”. Not a log, luff, low or any other sound at the start…”it’s an Irish Lough!” I often hear myself explaining.

Wikipedia agrees and gives an interesting explanation. It’s one that always makes me smile as I create a romantic image of my forebears looking out over the Lough from the ridge where they lived:

Lough is a Hiberno-English form of the Old Irish word loch, which means lake, or bay. The form loch is also used in Irish English, Lough is also used for some small bodies of water in the far north of England.

It can also be used as a surname, with various pronunciations: law, loch, low, lowe, loth, loff, lohguh.

So, mine is pronounced “Loch”. I know that because my Dad told me so and he should know!  He’s spent years explaining too, despite being told by his teachers he was wrong.

So, what’s the big deal? Well, of course I’m setting up on line and need a domain name. “KarenLoughridgeFineArt” dot com or co.uk would be the obvious choice and I would have liked to use my name. So, checking out the wisdom of my IT Advisor Stanridge.co.uk and on line expert SEOMoz domain name good practice would suggest:

• Use something unique (check)
• Create and meet expectations (Fine Art in title = check)
• Reject hyphens and numbers (check)
• Avoid latest trends – “mucking around with the English Language” is what I call it (All plain English = check)
• Use something easy to type, remember and share – Oh dear!

Decision made – KLArt it is!

KL Art Business Card