I kid you not, my second new years resolution (or was it third?) this year was to own my own domain. Well, it took me 6 months + 30 days BUT I DID IT. (Better late than never, right?)

After purchasing the oh-so-precious and highly coveted ValerieWire.com (Yes I just linked to the website you’re on solely because I CAN.) I came out to the kitchen to profess this glorious occasion to my mom and she just laughed and said I sounded like Salem the cat.

I’ll take it as a compliment.

 

But seriously, the domain is a powerful thing. Even though I’m more limited to what I can do than I thought (seriously, WordPress, no plug-ins unless you’re hosting by WordPress.ORG?!), I still feel like I claimed what was mine today.I suddenly feel the professionalism, the security and the creativity to do with it what I want (or, well, what I can…).

Professors have been repeatedly telling us for I don’t even know how long that we need to own our own domain. It gives us an identity, a presence and a personality that no other place on the web can. I can perfectly showcase who I am, my strengths, what I have done, and how to be contacted all in one place.  It serves as the perfect hub of all information about me in a nice little nutshell. I can post my resume, portfolio and other things to send to employers, prospective clients and everything between!

Now, I could create business cards that just said valeriewire.com (If I really wanted to) rather than a less than impressive valeriewire.wordpress.com address. And this site directs people to every other branch I have in the internet as well, including what I can do offline.

Point is, it’s affordable, it’s manageable, it’s easy. Now when professors harp on students saying there is no reason not to own your own domain this day in age, I don’t have to awkwardly avoid eye contact. Whatever the reason you’re holding back from purchasing that domain you’ve been thinking about — just do it. It’s only a few bucks a month for something that will leave a priceless lasting impression on all who visit.