🎓 Why Get Your Domain Now?
The earlier you register yourname.com, the better. It's only $10-15/year, and you'll have it for your entire career. Future employers will Google you—control what they find.
Best Extensions for Personal Branding
| Extension | Price | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| .com | $10-15 | Everyone | First choice always |
| .me | $15-25 | Personal sites | Great for portfolios |
| .dev | $12-18 | CS/Engineering | Requires HTTPS |
| .io | $45-60 | Tech students | Pricey but techy |
| .design | $35-45 | Design students | Shows specialty |
| .page | $12-15 | Simple portfolios | Google-owned, clean |
Domain Formats for Personal Sites
✓ Best Options (in order)
- 1. firstlast.com (ideal)
- 2. firstmlast.com (middle initial)
- 3. firstlast.me
- 4. firstlast.dev (if in tech)
- 5. first-last.com (hyphen ok for personal)
Common Name? Try These
- johnsmithdesign.com
- johnsmith.dev
- smithjohn.com
- jsmith.me
- johnsmithnyc.com (add location)
Free & Cheap Options for Students
GitHub Student Developer Pack
Free with .edu email:
- • .me domain — Free for 1 year via Namecheap
- • .tech domain — Free for 1 year
- • .live domain — Free for 1 year
- • Plus hosting, cloud credits, and more
Apply at education.github.com
Budget Registrars
- Porkbun: .com for $10.37/year, free WHOIS privacy
- Cloudflare: At-cost pricing (~$10.44 for .com)
- Namecheap: First year deals, free privacy
What to Put on Your Domain
Simple Start
- • Link to LinkedIn
- • Link to GitHub/Portfolio
- • Professional email: you@yourname.com
- • One-page "about me"
Level Up Later
- • Full portfolio site
- • Blog about your field
- • Project showcases
- • Resume/CV download
Quick Setup: No Coding Required
Free/cheap ways to use your domain without building a site:
- Carrd.co: Free one-page sites, connect custom domain ($19/year pro)
- Notion: Turn a Notion page into a website with Super.so
- GitHub Pages: Free hosting, just point your domain
- Linktree alternative: Forward domain to your Linktree (or use Carrd)
Action Plan
- Check if yourname.com is available (it probably still is!)
- Register through Porkbun or Cloudflare (~$10/year)
- Set up email forwarding (free) to your personal email
- Either point to a Carrd page or just "park" it for later
- Renew it every year—this is your name for life
Total cost: ~$10/year. Total career benefit: Priceless.