I’ve been trying to figure out what domain name I should use for my business Web site. I actually had one for awhile under http://www.marjorieasturias.com. I initially used Microsoft Publisher and used one of its few templates, but then realized how incredibly limiting it was. It looked awful and elementary, very primitive in an early 1990’s kind of way. Plus, it didn’t always look good, depending on the size of one’s monitor or the browser one was using.

I eventually taught myself FrontPage, but I didn’t learn everything I should have. Didn’t have the patience for it. I learned enough to set up a site and even put together some photo galleries. (This was for another business I had, a wedding photography company B. and I co-owned, so an extensive, high-quality portfolio online was a must.) I never did get around to doing the same thing on my writing Web site, though. My day job sucked up all the available time I had (travel, conferences, etc.), so I let the Web site languish while my freelance writing career went on hiatus.

Now that I’m back in business, though, I need to recharge my Web site again. I still own the domain name, of course (never, ever, ever lose your domain name, especially if it’s based on your actual name), but since I’ve been writing in this blog for awhile I’ve been a bit lazy about putting the site up again. I’ve forgotten most of FrontPage, which might be useless now anyway with all the new tools and bells and whistles available for Web designers out there. I do have a wonderful friend in Scotland who will do a basic site for me, so at least I don’t have to worry about it.

The question I ponder, though, is what URL to use. As I mentioned, I still own my domain name, but knowing that even my best friend misspells my name on occasion (on print, no less, which you’d think would be less likely since it’s right there in front of you in black and white), I sometimes wonder if I would be better off getting a more user-friendly URL, while still doing actual, official business under my given name. I also still own the domain name of our wedding photog business (Blue Volcano Arts), which might be something to consider since it was originally purchased with the intent of using it as an umbrella site of sorts for the many different creative projects B. and I had in mind (my freelance writing, my novel-writing, a zine project I’d been working on for months, and B.’s photography). Still, I wasn’t sure if that was a good idea either, as it’s rather vague and doesn’t really convey the kind of image I want to project as a freelance journalist/writer.

What do you think? If your name is unusual, rather long and difficult to spell (I sometimes mis-type my own first name in my rush to get something out on paper), would you use something else for your domain name? Or would you still use your own name?