Extend Your Brand In The Url
Until 2016, Tesla Motor didnt own Tesla.com because it was already taken.
What did they do? They used TeslaMotor.com instead.
That URL served them well for years because the word motor was such a natural extension of their brand.
This method has the advantage of preserving trustworthiness in your URL.
The catch? You have to make sure you dont throw in just any old word to extend your brand. It has to be relevant and say something about your business.
Gogo, an in-flight Internet provider, uses air along with their brand name:
That makes perfect sense when you think about it.
On the other hand, if they used something like GogoToday, their brand wouldnt have been as obvious, and it wouldnt have sounded as organic.
The trick is to consider related words that you can add to your brand name without sacrificing meaning, memorability, or naturalness.
Some words lend themselves to certain niches. For example, if you sell software, you may be able to use the word app in your URL like Invision does:
This might be your best bet if youre after a .com and want to keep your brand name in the URL.
Check For The Trademark
Trademark infringement can carry a high cost for your business. If you choose a name and start trading under it before checking if the trademark is taken and you infringe on someone elses trademark you are liable to pay damages. They can sue you and force you to stop trading with that name.
This would likely be costly and if you had built up any form of brand recognition already it would mean starting to build your brand and business again from scratch.
You can check for trademark availability online with your local government site. For example in the US you would use the U.S. Patent and Trademark Offices trademark search tool to see if a similar name, or variations of it, is trademarked. In the UK you would check with Companies House, they have a search tool too.
If you find that the name you have chosen is taken, then you will have to head back to the drawing board and come up with a different name.
One: Visit The Website
In cases where the owner bought the domain as an investment, theyll make it easy for you to contact them. So start by pulling up the website to see what shows up.
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They may say outright that the domain is for sale, and include contact information or a form you can fill out. Or in some cases where the domain is in active use, youll be able to find contact information on the websites Contact or About page.
If youre lucky enough that this step does the trick and you find the domain owner, you can skip the next two steps.
Also Check: Transfer Godaddy Domain To Wix
Check For Social Media Availability
The final check you will want to do is for social media handles. Ideally you want your social media handles to match your company name. However, this isnt necessary, just preferable. Failing that, you want to keep your social handles similar to your name, and the same across all your social media channels that you are going to use.
Choosing handles that are the same across all the major social channels will make you easier to find online which in the long run will help you build followers, brand identity and company growth.
The first and most important thing fo you to do is check for trademarks as this will have legal implications that could be very costly for you and cause your business to shut down.
If you are uncertain about best practices you should seek legal advice. For more information on How to Trademark a Business Name you can read this blog.
Already Have A Domain
If youve already registered a domain name from a third-party provider, you can simply transfer it to Squarespace.
Search for your name, business, or brand name.
Check the availability of domain names on a wide range of domain extensions.
Select one or more domain names and domain extensions.
Register your selected domains with Squarespace so you can manage them in one place.
Check out and pay.
Read Also: Can I Transfer My Wix Website To Shopify
Checking Whether You’re Logged In To The Ad Or The Local Machine:
Even if your computer is joined to the Active Directory, you may be logged in either to the Active Directory or to your local machine. To check:
How To Check Domain Name Availability
Last updated on March 26th, 2021 by Editorial Staff | Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us.
Choosing a domain name can be overwhelming because first you need to come up with an idea, and then you have to check domain name availability.
Since a lot of good domains are already taken, often beginners feel stuck.
Wouldnt it be nice if you can check domain name availability faster and even find new ideas while you do it?
In this article, well show you how to check for domain name availability with some of the easiest domain search tools.
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1. Domain.com
Domain.com is one of the best domain registrars on the market. They offer a wide range of domain extensions at discounted rates, and have the best domain management tools for beginners.
Most importantly, they have a powerful domain search tool that lets quickly check domain name availability. Simply go to their website and enter your desired keywords or phrase.
If the domain you are looking for is not available, then it will show you different combinations to help you brainstorm and come up with a unique idea.
2. Nameboy
3. IsItWP
4. Blog Tyrant
Read Also: Cost To Buy A Domain
Contact The Domain Name Owner
If one of the steps above leads you to the website owner, its time to reach out! Craft an email letting them know that youre interested in purchasing the domain.
To avoid looking like spam, make sure your email conveys seriousness and professionalism. If you have a professional email address at a domain name you own, that will look more legitimate than one from a yahoo or aol account. If not, consider at least setting up a gmail address, which looks a bit more respectable.
Make sure your email includes:
- Your contact information both email and phone, so its easy for them to choose the method they prefer.
- Language that makes it clear youre willing to pay you may not want to include a specific offer yet , but theyre more likely to respond if they know this is a genuine business offer
- Something that shows your legitimacy how can you show youre a real person with serious intent? Maybe thats a link to a website you already run or a LinkedIn profile.
People get a lot of spam emails, so you want to clarify that youre a real person with real interest. If you can pull that off, the chances of getting a response are much higher.
Checking Whether Your Computer Is Joined To Active Directory:
- Look under the Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings for this entry:
- Domain: ad.uillinois.edu
If you have a Domain: entry that is not ad.uillinois.edu, you may be part of a departmental Active directory. If you have an entry that starts with Workgroup: then your device is not joined to an Active Directory.
Also Check: How Much Does It Cost To Buy A Domain
Do I Need To Use Keywords In My Domain
No, it isn’t compulsory to have keywords in your Domain, but it helps if you are yet to establish a brand. For example doesn’t refer to shopping in any way, but they are so well-known that it no longer matters.
It is also believed that Domains which incorporate relevant keywords rank more highly in search engine results, but even if it is the case, it is only one factor among many. With a strong enough brand and marketing strategy, any Domain name can be successful.
How Much Does A Domain Cost
Typically, owning a Domain will cost you less than $10 per year. Sometimes, this figure is even lower if the Domain is not so popular, or if there are competitive offers from Domain sellers.
Conversely, the price can also be higher in cases of highly attractive Domains. Buying a Domain that was previously registered is often more expensive, but it all depends on the Domain Name and TLD you want.
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Why You Need A Domain Name
You dont really need your own domain name to simply create an online presence. A variety of free services provide space for users to set up a blog or basic webpage and give it a name, but that name becomes a subdomain of the main site and isnt a domain name you own. This means it appears online as something like _yoursite.hostname.com_ or _hostname.com/yoursite_. If the host site closes down, your sites identity disappears with itand it cant be used in that form to create a self-hosted site elsewhere.
To set up a fully functional website with its own permanent identity, you need to own a unique domain name that remains yours under all circumstances, regardless of the hosting service you choose. Buying a domain name and registering it reserves the name for your own exclusive use as long as the domain registration fees are paid for periods ranging from one to several years. To keep rights to the name, youll need to continue renewing it. If a domain registration expires and isnt renewed, the name can become available to others.
How To Find Out Who The Domain Owner Is
Youve spent time brainstorming domain names. Youve tried different domain suggestion tools. And youve finally figured out the perfect name.
But when you go to register the domain name youre set on, you find that someone has already claimed it. What a disappointment.
Before you give up on that perfect name and start the whole process again from scratch, know there might still be hope.
Registered domain names are sometimes still availableif you know how to find the owner.
People invest in domain names for a number of different reasons. Sometimes, its to start their own website at that domain. Sometimes its purely for investment purposes. And in a few cases, it may be for a website idea that either never comes to fruition, or that falls off the owners radar over time.
If the website youre interested in isnt being actively used and updated, then the owner may be happy to hear from an interested buyer. And even if the owner is clearly using the domain name right now, if youre willing to spend enough to make a sale worth it to them you may still have a chance.
In both cases, you should anticipate spending more for the domain name than if you went with something no one else owns yet. But if youre really set on that domain name, its worth trying your chances.
Read Also: How Much To Purchase A Domain Name
Choosing A Domain Name
The best and most memorable Domains are short, simple and unique. Find a Domain that contains relevant keywords , and avoids punctuation or numbers to reduce the chance of potential visitors confusing or misspelling it.
The best and most memorable Domains are short, simple and unique. Find a Domain that contains relevant keywords , and avoids punctuation or numbers to reduce the chance of potential visitors confusing or misspelling it.
Include Your Brand or Company Name
To be successful in marketing in general, it’s critical to develop a strong brand. Including your brand or company name in your site’s Domain will be an invaluable contribution to this aim.
Don’t forget, you always have the option to register other, more generic domains later on and redirect them to your website. When just starting off though, stick to the brand.
Keep it Simple
Nobody enjoys typing long, complicated URLs into their web browsers – keep your Domain name as short and simple as possible without losing meaning. Striking the right balance between simplicity and descriptiveness is the challenge here.
On a similar note, avoid using hyphens and numbers. These may seem like a good idea if they allow you to get a variation of the Domain you want, but it will lack the memorability of a simple, well-chosen Domain name.
Include Relevant Keywords
There are also serious potential benefits for the SEO for your site – URLs containing relevant keywords often rank much higher in search engine results.
What Is A Domain Name
The Domain is a crucial part of a website’s URL – the address at which any web browser in the world can access your site. It will look a little bit like this:
The Protocol and Subdomain are largely outside your control, but the Domain is of utmost importance as it gives your site an identity.
As you can see in the example above, webhostingsearch.com is the Domain of this website. Choosing a Domain matching the name of the website makes it easier for people to remember and find, and gives your site a valuable sense of professionalism.
Also Check: How To Find Who Owns A Domain
Buy Available Domains From The Hundreds Of Tlds We Offer
After looking up a domain with our domain name availability tool, youll see a list of all the different available domains and variations you can purchase. If youve already decided on a particular domain ending, say .com for example, you can choose to filter out all the other domain endings during your domain name availability search. Our domain name checker tool features over 750 different domain endings, giving you a plethora of choices of available domains. In most cases, .com is the most popular domain ending and the one users will most easily remember. That being said, you should definitely check domain name availability with other domain endings as they all have interesting potential uses. Choices like .org and .net are also very popular, and may be more appropriate for your domain depending on the nature of your website and domain name availability.
You can purchase multiple versions of available domains, using different domain endings: this is often done in order to secure every popular domain ending to protect a websites brand name, and to set up URL forwarding to the main domain name. Thanks to Gandis domain name bundles, you can benefit from discounts when you buy multiple domain names at once.