Three: Contact The Domain Registrar
Many domain registrars now offer domain name privacy, which keeps the owners personal information from being listed in the WHOIS directory. Between that and GDPR legislation, the WHOIS directory is no longer a reliable way to find a domain owners personal contact information.
That means in many cases, you wont be able to learn directly who the owner is via the directory. But you will be able to find out who they registered the domain with.
This still isnt a dead end. Go to the website of the domain registrar , and look for their contact information. Give them a call or write them an email letting them know what domain youre interested in buying, and ask them to pass along your information to the owner. The registrar will have the owners contact details on file, and will be able to share your interest with them without violating any privacy concerns.
Use The Right Domain Name Extensions
When you choose your domain name extension, you can be sure of one thing: .com is still the best.
According to research from Domain Name Stat, 37% of all domains have the .com extension.
Why? Well, .com is the most familiar and easiest to remember.
While there are many successful websites with a .net and .org, your website will probably do better if it has a .com extension. Its the safest bet.
Our advice: Go with .com. If thats taken, try .net or .org. If these are taken too, youd be better off brainstorming a new domain name. And oh! Avoid those weird extensions like .club, .space, .pizza and so on.
Check What The Domain Is Currently Being Used For
Your first step should be to visit the domain you want to buy. Is there a real website there? Has it been updated in the past few years? If the answers to both questions are yes, the owner of the domain is probably not interested in selling it. If theres a real website but it hasnt been updated in several years, youre more likely to get the domain, but theres still a strong chance the owner will refuse to sell it.
On the other hand, if the website you see is simply a placeholder, you can approach the domain owner with confidence. If the domain owner buys and re-sells domains on a regular basis, they might even have a page up linking to the domain buying service they prefer to work with.
Heres an example of what a parked domain usually looks like owners of such domains are usually just waiting for the right offer to come their way:
Recommended Reading: How Much Do Domains Cost
Pay For And Transfer Ownership Of The Domain
Next, youll need to pay for the domain and transfer its ownership. I cannot stress enough the importance of using a third party to facilitate this process. You want to feel protected when you are paying for the domain and actually walk away with the domain you worked so hard to obtain. The seller wants to know they can trust your payment.
GoDaddy offers a trusted aftermarket platform for transacting domain name sales. You can also use alternative services such as Escrow.com, which hold the money until the name is accepted and confirmed to be in the buyers account, and clear the funds for the seller prior to authorizing the movement of the domain to the buyer.
What Do I Do If A Domain Name Is Already Taken
If the domain name that you want is already taken then your best bet is to look at minor variants. For example, perhaps you can add another word to the name or you can switch one word out for another. Perhaps you can register it using a different extension, such as by using a ccTLD instead of the .com domain.
Another option is to hyphenate, so instead of using mywebsitename.com you could try my-website-name.com. Just be careful, though the last thing you want to do is to cause confusion by having a name thats too similar to someone elses.
Finding the right domain name requires a little bit of art and a little bit of science. It also often takes patience and a lot of trial and error. But thats okay too. Remember, the right domain name is out there, somewhere. You just need to keep searching around until you find it.
Recommended Reading: How Much Does It Cost To Buy A Domain Name
How To Find The Hosting Provider
Now youre ready to collect some vital stats on the site itself so you can effectively make a report.Examine the nameservers in the Whois record to find out where a website is hosted. Heres an example:
Name Server: NS01.hostingcompanyname.TLDName Server: NS02.hostingcompanyname.TLD
Sometimes the nameservers will make it easy to determine where the website is being hosted. In other cases, the domain names might point to a service which subsequently points to the actual host.If you cant determine where a site is hosted using the nameservers, you can use a tool like WhoisHostingThis.com to get more details.
Face Masks And Respiratory Hygiene
The WHO and the US CDC recommend individuals wear non-medical face coverings in public settings where there is an increased risk of transmission and where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. This recommendation is meant to reduce the spread of the disease by asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals and is complementary to established preventive measures such as social distancing. Face coverings limit the volume and travel distance of expiratory droplets dispersed when talking, breathing, and coughing. A face covering without vents or holes will also filter out particles containing the virus from inhaled and exhaled air, reducing the chances of infection. But, if the mask include an exhalation valve, a wearer that is infected would transmit the virus outwards through it, despite any certification they can have. So the masks with exhalation valve are not for the infected wearers, and are not reliable to stop the pandemic in a large scale. Many countries and local jurisdictions encourage or mandate the use of face masks or cloth face coverings by members of the public to limit the spread of the virus.
Read Also: How Do You Transfer Ownership Of A Domain Name
Set Up Domain Monitoring
Still after that perfect .com URL?
Maybe none of these techniques have persuaded you to try something else, and thats okay. If your dream .com is what youre after, you can get it.
Lets say you only want a certain .com address, but its taken by someone.
If you dont have the funds to buy it outright , then the next best thing is to monitor the domain to check if it expires.
You can use a tool like DomainTools Domain Monitor to track any changes in its registration status.
If it expires and the owner doesnt renew it, you can swoop in and snatch it.
This isnt a surefire technique, but it can get you exactly what you want.
In the meantime, you can use one of these other strategies to set up a temporary domain. When youre able to grab your ideal domain, you can set up 301 redirects to the new URL.
Use A Domain Search Tool To Check If A Domain Name Is Available For Registration
Type in the domain name you are interested in using the check domain tool.
It will now show you if the domain name you are interested an other variations is available.
You can now select the domain names that you wish to register and purchase them.
When you purchase a domain name you basically take it off the market so that nobody else can register it.
You can just register the domain name without getting a hosting service.
A hosting service is the service that you will need in order to publish a website to your domain. It provides you with web space, email accounts and so on.
There are instances where the domain name that you are looking to register it is already taken.
I hope you found this information useful on how to check domain availability.
Thanks for reading and leave your questions below to keep the conversation going.
This means that the domain name is already taken and registered by someone else.
If for instance they were not using the domain name for a website you could try to approach them to buy the domain name from them but pricing can be expensive.
Here is how you can find out who owns the domain.
We hope you found this tutorial useful on how to check If a domain name is available.
Thanks for reading and leave your questions below to keep the conversation going.
Also Check: How Much Does A Domain Name Cost
Whats Needed To Register A Domain Name On Hostinger
Good news: there are no special requirements to register a domain name with us. In fact, were open to everyone – you included!
That said, well ask for certain information throughout the registration process to make sure that we have your contact details on file in case of any problems. Youll also need a valid payment method to pay for your domain name.
You dont have to be an existing customer of ours if you want to use Hostinger’s domain checker and register a domain name. You can point a domain name that you register with us to hosting that you own elsewhere. However, we usually find that its often best to keep everything in a single place. Thats why we offer both hosting and domain name registration services.
Whats The Difference Between Com Net Org And Info
Lets take a look at the similarities first: theyre all gTLDs that are available for public registration. That means that as long as nobody else has registered the specific domain name that youre looking for, you should be able to get it with any of these extensions.
Each of the gTLDs has a slightly different meaning, and so its usually best to pick the one thats most relevant to your website. .com domains are usually used for commercial purposes, such as for an online store or a business site, although theyre increasingly being used by default as they imply a certain amount of trust. .net domains were originally used by networking companies but are now also multipurpose.
.org is still largely used as it was originally intended, as a gTLD for charities, communities and local organisations. .info, meanwhile, is aimed at information-based websites such as wikis and tutorial sites.
With all of these gTLDs, theres a certain amount of wiggle room. Theres no rule that says you have to use one type of domain name or another and no test that you have to pass if you want to register one. Think of them as guidelines rather than rules and feel free to break them if it allows you to snatch up the perfect domain name.
Read Also: Can I Transfer My Domain Name To Another Host
How Do I Search For Expired Domain Names
Expiring domain names are just what they sound like: Domain names that were unavailable because they were already registered but are about to expire, making the website name available for purchase again. You can search for expiring domain names using keywords or you can check the list of about-to-expire names. Search domains expiring now
Tools To Use For Checking A Domain Names History
At this point, you should already understand that it is important to be aware of your domains history before you actually purchase and use it. The Internet leaves a trail that can easily be traced and you cannot hide anything online. The domain you may be interested in buying could have a history of its own, which may include sensitive content and malicious code. It may even have different owners before you.
Thankfully, it is possible for you to figure out the history of the domain you are using or any domain name that you may wish to buy. You can investigate whether it is worth your investment or not. Here are the best tools that will let you check the history of a domain:
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Reasons Domain Names Might Expire
It is all too easy to overlook the fact that a domain name registration is a temporary thing. Even though at the time, the domain name is yours, and could be for years, there is still a chance for that domain to pass out of your control. There are a variety of ways this might occur:
- Renewal reminder notices: If you have switched off renewal reminder notices, you could be setting yourself up for disaster. While auto emails and notifications can clutter your inbox, they can also be lifesaving. Even if you manually switched off renewal reminders , Domain.com will begin sending reminders by email to your listed email address approximately 30 days from the domain expiration date. We guarantee you will receive at least two reminders before the expiration date and one within five days after expiration. So, pay attention to your inbox, or alter your settings to flag the words, expiration, or renewal, to ensure you dont miss these important reminders.
- Auto-renew is not enabled: By going by your account information and switching your domain name to auto-renew, you save yourself from possibly forgetting. When auto-renew is in use, it will automatically renew your domain name prior to the expiration date, generally a day before expiration. This feature will continue to run and auto-renew unless changes are made or if there are issues with your billing information.
Have Your Domain Good Heres Whats Next
With your domain name registered, the next natural step to take is getting a good hosting setup, so that your future website is off to a great start.
- Heres our in-depth comparison of the best hosting options available for WordPress.
- If youre on the lookout for a cheap host, read this.
Lastly, if your ultimate goal is to start a blog, read this guide of ours. It covers all the steps to building a successful blog from 0 experience to 150,000+ readers every month.
I hope this guide on how to buy a domain that is taken has been helpful.
If any of the steps described above arent clear, feel free to ask away in the comments.
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Why Should You Check
Making sure your company name is available right at the start could save you a lot of heartache, stress, and cash down the line.Not only are there legal implications to using a name already registered by someone else, but you will find that having a name similar or the same as another persons business name can be detrimental to your business.
For example, you are starting a business that creates and sells lights, you might choose the name De Lux Lighting playing on the latin meaning of the word Lux which is light. However, someone already has the name Deluxe Lights and they have already established web traffic and solid SEO. This means that when it comes to finding you online you are competing on Google against a well established website with a similar company name and domain. This will make it harder for you to rank on Google and you will likely end up losing business that could have come to you to them.