Why Is Your Dream Domain Name Suddenly Unavailable
Unfortunately, many domain search services are taking advantage of you at that moment by buying the domain out from under you and then offering to resell it to you at a higher price. When you check domain availability using their tools, you are literally helping them to identify a valuable asset that they can make more money on your dream domain is now seen as a desirable domain that is worth it for them to own & invest in the speculation that you will be willing to buy it back from them.
I know. It sucks. And unfortunately, it happens. This practice of domain buying & reselling is widespread, and even includes major hosting companies that you think you can trust. Whats up?
Well, this domain reselling practice is its a lousy and unethical thing to do, but perfectly legal. Basically, these hosting companies use the domain search tool on their websites as a way to gauge consumer interest in a given domain name. Its a reasonable assumption that if you are searching a particular domain for ownership, you will quite likely want to purchase it even if you dont do so that first day when you searched to see if it was available.
They know, of course, now that you want the domain you are more likely to pay more for it. If you had purchased it on the first day it would have been available for somewhere in the range of $8 $15 / year. Now? They offer you the chance to buy the domain from that mysterious someone at a much higher rate plus a commission!
Serbian Bank Forgets To Renew The Domain Name
As it often happens, a big bank acquires a small bank. With that bank, along comes a domain name that controls the website, net banking, and mobile application. However, as Startit.rs reported, someone forgot to take over that domain name.
Telenor Serbia acquired KBC bank, which later became Mobi bank. So when Mobi bank services went down, there was a frenzy to find out what exactly happened. Turns out, some systems were running on an old domain name that expired, and then quickly renewed on the day of the debacle.
Tracking domain name expirations and domain age are easy to track with a simple Whois API. You can even track domain names that you dont own!
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How To Check When Your Domain Will Expire
If youre unsure when your domain will expire, there are a couple of ways you can check. The first is to simply contact your domain registrar or try to find documentation from when you registered your domain name. You were likely told the expiration date then, so you might be able to find it again.
If you dont want to go digging for that info, though, dont worry theres an easier way to check. You can simply use an online domain checker tool to find the expiration date.
For example, the checker on websiteplanet.com will tell you when a domain was created and when it expires. Simply enter your domain name and it will pull up the information in seconds.
Its not just your own domain you can check, either. If you have your eye on another domain that you think you might be able to snatch up once its current registration expires, you can check on its domain expiry date as well.
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How Do I Buy A Domain Name
Congrats! You found an available name and youre ready to make it yours. Simply add the domain name to your cart and start the checkout process. During checkout, youll make some decisions like how many years youd like to register it for, if youd like to add site hosting, email, advanced security, auto-renewals, and other features.
Use Whois Or Icann Lookup
In case you are unable to find your billing records, you can search for your domain registrar online. Simple WHOIS inquiries will tell you what the registrar knows about your domain name. The WHOIS domain database is a listing of all registered domains and is regularly used for various legal purposes.
Typically, public WHOIS records show the domain owners contact email, street address, phone, and fax numbers. Thats unless the owner is using a domain privacy feature such as IDProtect.
Additionally, a WHOIS service will also show the current registrar, DNS servers, and the domain names creation and expiration dates. To find out who your domain registrar is, you can use a WHOIS service such as who.is. Follow the steps below:
- Input your domain name in the bar above your displayed IP address
- On the results page, see the information in the Registrar Info block. You will find your domain registrars name, along with their website.
Alternatively, you can use ICANN Lookup to find your domain name registrar:
- In the search field, enter your domain name
- Click on Lookup
- On the results page, scroll down to Registrar Information:
GDPR WHOIS Specifics
The impact of GDPR is being felt not only by businesses and individuals. GDPR also has influence over security researchers, investigators, and those who offer security products and services that rely on WHOIS data. GDPR impacts everyone who processes EU personal data.
Country-Code Domain WHOIS Specifics
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Domain Search Tips 6 Points To Remember
Keep It Short
While there is no minimum length for domain registration, the best domain names are under three words. Longer website names are harder to read and won’t stand out.
Less Is More
Avoid hyphens, numbers, slang, and easily misspelled words in your domains. Complex elements like these will make your website address much harder to reach and remember.
Include Your Brand Name
A great domain for your website or online store should include your brand or the target keywords for your niche. A search result with a keyword in the site name will offer better brand recognition and increase your websites traffic.
Domain Availability Search
You need to perform a domain search to ensure it isnt already registered. Also, its a good idea to verify if another entity hasnt trademarked it so that you can buy that domain name with confidence.
Think Locally
While many people favor purchasing .com domains, you may want to register a country-specific extension like .co.uk or .de especially if you target a particular country.
Act Fast
The best website names are quickly taken. Dont miss out on the perfect domain do a domain name search and register it in minutes.
You May Find That Someone Else Has Snapped Up The Domain Name Of Your Dreams Here Are Your Options
So you have a great idea for a domain name. It will make you millions and be the beacon by which an unprecedented amount of Internet commerce flows your way. You’re excited. You go to a domain name registrar to perform a domain name search and, you guessed it, the name you want is already taken. What now? Don’t worry, you have choices.
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Change The Name Slightly
A domain name is reported as not available only if the exact name is already taken. For instance, if an availability search tells you that madprophet.com is already taken, you may find that “mad-prophet.com” or “madprophets.com” is available. If you are not wed to the exact form of your first proposed domain name, you can experiment with minor variations until you find an acceptable name that is available. But read the warning just below for reasons to use caution when taking this approach.
Slight Changes to a Name Can Spell Trouble
The fact that a slightly different name is available, or that a name is not available as .com, but is available as .net, .biz, .info or .org, doesn’t necessarily mean that you can or should use it. Using a domain name very similar to an existing one may result in trademark infringement — the violation of someone’s trademark rights. If you infringe someone’s trademark, a court might order you to stop using the name and pay money damages to the other domain name owner. For more, see Avoid Trademark Infringement When You Choose a Domain Name.
What Is A Cctld And Should I Use One In My Domain
A Country Code Top-Level Domain is one thats designated especially for websites and businesses based in a particular country. For example, .co.uk indicates a site that might be more relevant for a UK audience. Using a ccTLD lets visitors know where your business is located and helps search engines like Google direct people from your region of the world to your site.
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Add Your Country To The Domain Name
Have you heard of the Nissan domain name lawsuit?
Back in 1994, a company called Nissan Computer Corp registered the domain nissan.com.
It was headed by an entrepreneur named Uzi Nissan who had used the business name since 1980.
Then in 2000, Nissan Motor sued Uzi Nissan. The goal: To get the nissan.com domain name.
The famous car company didnt end up getting the domain. If you type nissan.com into your search bar, youll see Uzi Nissans site:
So what did Nissan Motor do? They added USA to their URL:
This last resort strategy is actually a solid option if youre having domain name problems.
It can actually look quite nicenissanusa.com isnt a bad URL at all, and it still has the brand name in it.
You can also use your city if youre local to a major metropolis. The company Loud Marketing uses Barcelona in their URL:
And The Eugene, a luxury apartment building in New York City, uses the abbreviated NYC:
Its best to use this strategy if you provide services within a certain country or city.
You can use your country in your URL to designate where youre from, but some of your users may think you only work within that country. Think about it carefully before you pull the trigger.
You sit glaring at the screen, thinking that there must be some mistake. Maybe if you refresh a couple times, it will fix itself.
You came up with a creative business name, have your new logo design, and even snatched the Facebook page and Twitter handle, but after a search for the right domain, its taken.
What Are The 4 Types Of Domain
Types of DomainGeneric Top-Level Domains Country Code Top-Level Domains Internationalized Country Code Top-Level Domains Subdomain.
How do you find the domain step by step?
AnswerIdentify the input values.Since there is an even root, exclude any real numbers that result in a negative number in the radicand. Set the radicand greater than or equal to zero and solve for x.The solution are the domain of the function. If possible, write the answer in interval form.
What is domain in simple word?
A domain is a particular field of thought, activity, or interest, especially one over which someone has control, influence, or rights.
What is a domain and what does it do?
A domain is a part of the web address nomenclature someone would use to find your website or a page of your website online. It is a string of text associated with the numerical IP address of a website thats much easier for people to remember and search.
What is the best definition of domain?
The domain of a function is the set of its possible inputs, i.e., the set of input values where for which the function is defined. In the function machine metaphor, the domain is the set of objects that the machine will accept as inputs.
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What Is Domain Privacy And Do I Need It
Domain privacy and security is as important to us as it is to you. Without domain privacy, your private and sensitive information may be collected and displayed in ICANN’s WHOIS database when you register your domain. Domain privacy ensures that these details are hidden from the public view. Our Domain Privacy + Protection package will make ICANN display our contact information in lieu of yours.
Two: Check The Whois Directory
Every time someone registers a domain name, the domain registrar that processes the sale is required to collect basic contact information. In some cases, that information then gets submitted to the WHOIS directory, so that theres a record of who runs each website online.
The WHOIS directory is therefore our next stop for seeking out a domain name owner.
Put in the name of the domain youre looking for and scroll down to find all the data the WHOIS directory lists for it. In a few cases, that may contain the owners contact information. If so, you can skip the next step.
Even if not though, it will always include at least their domain registrar and domain expiration date. That lets you know if the domain will be coming up for renewal soon. If so, you may be able to snap it up for cheaper when it expires than if you buy it from them directly. But that only works if they dont renew, so youre taking a chance.
Either way, knowing the domain registrar enables you to take the next step.
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Are Other Domain Extensions Worth Considering
When you work through the domain registration process, you might notice your ideal domain name is available but not with a .com domain. Should you consider using a different extension if it means you can have your ideal domain name?
Its a question only you can answer. In the U.S., the most common domain extension is .com, but there are others. For example, .net, .info, .press, .tech, .biz, .xyz are all extensions too. Are they worth considering?
Most people assume every web address ends in .com, for that reason alone, most people stay away from other extensions. If you do want to stray from .com, the next two popular options are .org and .net. Years ago, .org was reserved for non-profits, but its not anymore. The extension .net is fairly old too, and can be effective, but doesnt carry the clout of .com.
Specialty domain extensions are starting to gain traction too. A site like Intuitive.ly is an example. Sites like this take more consumer education than others. You need to teach customers to break with the traditional .com extension, which can be tricky but not impossible. Ultimately, deciding to go with an extension outside of .com is your choice.
Use Our Domain Name Checker To Pick The Best Result
Our domain name availability search tool is specially designed to help you find available domains that will be most beneficial to you. Some domains are very expensive, while others are a lot more affordable. Gandis domain checker tool helps you see which available domains are currently discounted. That way, comparing prices and finding the best deal on available domains is simple!
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What Do I Do If The Website Name I Want Is Taken
If the domain name you want is already registered, you have a few options. First, check out the recommended, similar domain names in your search results to see if one of those works. You should also consider an available domain name with an extension other than .COM, such as .IO, .CLUB, or .ROCKS. There are hundreds of new TLDs to consider. If youre really set on securing your first choice of domain, find the current registrant using Whois Lookup and see if they are willing to sell it. Learn more
What Is Domain History And What Is Dangerous
Lets imagine a situation in which you bought a domain you liked, started filling your pages with useful content, promoting your website and after a long time, you see no result.
One possible reason might be that Search engines do not fully or partially index your resource. But what abour your domain?
An available domain name does not mean that nobody used it before. Some owners simply forget to extend the deadline, others deliberately abandon their web sites that fall under the ban or sanctions.
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Understand The Price Of A Domain Name
You will surely notice it, but the simplest and most effective domain names are often taken by sites that already exist or are reserved. And those that are still available sometimes display prices well above the average. These domain names, qualified as “premium domain names” often accompany generic extensions that have recently appeared to offer alternatives to the traditional .com or .net, and display a higher price to discourage speculation around these highly requested web addresses. If you really want this domain name, you will have to put the resources into it and offer content and products capable of making this investment profitable.
But beyond pricing, what are the attributes to consider when it comes to picking the best domain name for you?
How To Safely And Securely Search A Domain Name:
Its easy! Simply go to Namecheap.com, a reputable domain search & registration company. You can safely research your options there without worrying that the company helping you research is about to take your options away
Or, start even simpler and just use google. Simply type the URL into your browser bar to find out if anyone out there is already using that domain name. Sometimes, however, a domain name is owned by someone but just not being used yet Youre looking for a blank screen like the one below:
Need guidance on how to go through the steps of choosing a domain? Here are my step by step guides to choosing a domain and domain registration, as well as a good one on why you should say yes please to the option for domain privacy.
p.s. If you ever get an email or snail mail letter offering you the chance to buy a domain out of the blue, this is, in general a domain scam. You get the purchase that domain at a higher rate , AND pay that company for a required period of hosting that domain before they will let you get it out of their hands. Theyll even try this trick with a domain that you already own! Its a crafty way to try and get you to transfer your domain to them, when in fact your domain was already safe and sound on your chosen registrar.
p.p.s. I strongly advise against choosing a web hosting or website building tool from GoDaddy as well. > > Learn more about web hosting options here.
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