Looking for a unique gift idea? You can register a friend or family member’s name as a domain name if the person hasn’t already done so, and give the registration as a holiday or birthday gift. Even if the recipient isn’t tech savvy, he or she will have ownership of the name in case it’s needed in the future. It’s becoming more and more important for people across many career fields to have an online presence and take control of their brands, and creating a career folio is a great way to do that.

My friend came up with the idea after I badgered her about securing her name (and her husband’s — a professor at NYU). She went dot-com crazy and bought a bunch of names to give to family members as gifts. Brilliant!

Where to start? There are plenty of domain registrars, but I recommend GoDaddy.com.

What if the name isn’t available? Then you have to get creative. Try using a variation of the person’s name or a nickname. Incorporate a middle name or initial. Add the person’s career field, like ProfRobJones.com. Try alternative extensions like .net, .org, or .name. Keep checking availability until you find a good name, and when you do, grab it before it’s gone.

You can also search on eBay or a domain auction site such as Domain Name Aftermarket. If you’re really after a certain name and it’s taken, try contacting the owner and make an offer to buy it.

To your success,

Kim Isaacs