How To Buy A Domain That Is Owned
Isnt it frustrating when you come up with the perfect name for your business and then, after you run a search, find out that the domain name it already taken? And whats worse, the owner doesnt seem to be using it?
While you cant make someone give up a domain they own, there are things you can do so dont abandon hope just yet. Follow the steps below and you might just get the domain youve always wanted.
How To Get A Domain Name From Domaincom
Domain.com is a reputable domain registrar, launched in 1998. Over 1.2 million websites are registered with them.
Domain.com features the most popular top level domains such as .com, .net, .org, .co, along with over 25 county-specific domain extensions .
They are mostly selling affordable domain names with most names priced in the $9.99-$12.99/year range. If you are lucky, you can also steal a deal and buy your domain name for as low as $2.99/year.
For that price you get:
- 1-year domain ownership.
- Free SSL certificate for extra security.
- Automatic email forwarding to your domain.
- DNS registration and management tools.
Also, you can purchase extra Domain Privacy+Protection for your domain . In this case, your personal details will not be displayed publicly in the WHOIS/ICANN directories. Plus, the registrar will also run extra security checks.
Sounds sweet? Heres how to register a domain name on Domain.com.
Step 1: Run a quick search to verify that the domain name you are eying is available.
Step 2: Pick your domain extension. Go for .com since its the most familiar option among users and thus, people, tend to type .com before trying anything else.
Your choice gets automatically added to your cart with a 2-year privacy protection subscription. This ones optional, so you can remove it during the next step. Also, you can change your domain renewal period from one year to five years.
Moreover, you can pick some add-on services such as:
Can I Transfer My Domain Name To Hostinger
Yes, its possible to transfer a domain name from another registrar to Hostinger.
However, there are a few requirements before transferring a domain to your web hosting account:
- More than 60 days must have passed from the registration or last transfer date.
- You must have the domains auth-code from your current registrar.
- The domains WHOIS privacy protection has to be disabled.
- You have to point your domain name to Hostinger.
- The domains status cannot be Pending Delete or Redemption.
To transfer a domain to Hostinger, go to the Hostinger Transfer Domain page and enter your domain name. Then click Transfer.
After finishing the order and entering the domain EPP code, the transfer process will begin and youll receive an email regarding the domain transfer that you will have to confirm.
The domain registration will also be renewed for a year after the transfer, except for ccTLDs like .es, .co.uk, or .com.br.
Keep in mind that your website might be unavailable during the DNS changes, which can take up to 24 hours to propagate fully.
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What Is A Domain Name
A domain name is a digital address that people use to travel to your website. For example, our domain name is kinsta.com.
Your domain name plays an essential role in your digital presence. Its an easily identifiable way to mark who operates each website.
Though we use domains daily now, they werent always an internet staple. Before 1983, people navigated to websites via IP addresses . IP addresses mark each internet-connected device.
As remembering an IP address is complex, the Internet Engineering Task Force introduced the Domain Name System in 1983. You dont need to understand how the DNS works to buy your domain.
There are several key phrases you need to understand when getting your domain. These include:
- Domain Registrar: A company that registers and manages domain names. Domain registrars are accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers .
- Domain Checker: A tool that checks who owns a domain and how long the owner has had it. One of the most popular checkers is the ICANN data lookup.
- Top-Level Domains : The suffix at the end of the domain . There are four types of these: country-code TLDs , sponsored TLDs , generic TLDs and new generic TLDs
You can see the breakdown of the percentage of websites with each type of TLD in the donut chart below.
Get A Web Hosting Plan
If youve bought your domain name from a registrar that doesnt offer web hosting, youll need to find a good web hosting plan. Shared hosting is the most popular kind of web hosting, but if you have a bigger website or a website that handles sensitive information , you might want to look into VPS hosting or dedicated hosting. If youre not sure, ask your web host.
Read Also: How To Transfer Domain From Wix To Shopify
Other Important Factors To Help You Determine The Value Of The Domain:
- Is it a.com, .co.uk, .ukor any other popular TLD?
- Is it short, catchy and memorable? Shorter names are more convenient for users, as theyre faster to type and less prone to typing errors.
- Is it easy to pronounce?
- Does it include a keyword? Does the domain have the keyword at the beginning? This could make it more pricy.
- How old is it? A long-established domain tends to be more valuable.
- What is the selling price of similar domains?
The price can also vary depending on , for example. If the domain is old, has quality backlinks and a good reputation over time, then expect to pay more. So you need to do your homework and take all these things into consideration when negotiating the price. Of course, you can also use a tool like Estibot to get an idea on how much a domain would cost.
A Note On Social Handles
In a perfect world, youd pick a domain name whose social handles are also available. This isnt a perfect world. My take on this is that its hard enough to get a good domain name. Dont make it even harder or nearly impossible by also adding this criteria.
When it comes to picking up the social handles, youll have options. You can get creative, or even potentially acquire the handles from the current owners.
Its a good idea to consider social handles when making your final decision, but dont let that stop you from picking the right name.
Read Also: How Much Do Domains Cost Per Year
Why Is My Domain Taken
Some businesses or entrepreneurs make a living on domaining. They purchase a list of domain names to make money by following current trends, interests, or habits. For instance, if someone purchased www.KanyeforPresident.com, theyd be domaining on the chance that Kanye West will actually run for President of the United States in 2020.
A domainer takes a small risk by investing in the domain and paying for its annual fee, but theres no promise he or she will be able to profit from that domain. In this case, someone domaining is betting on the chance that Kanye West, a big star with millions of dollars, would pay him or her thousands to secure that domain name.
Search On Namecheap To See If Its Listed For Sale
Many domain owners list domain names for sale with services linked to Namecheap. If the owner of the domain you want has done this, youll see that the domain is available for purchase at a premium:
You only pay the premium price once for .com domains. The domain renews for regular prices after that.
Buying a premium domain on Namecheap is secure and the domain name is transferred to your account almost instantaneously.
Read Also: Making Money Selling Domains
To Conclude: How To Register A Domain Name
Congratulations! If you followed through with our step-by-step guide, you should now know how to register a domain name.
What you need is come up with a sound word combo, decide on your domain extension, pick some handful add-ons, and pay for your subscription. Afterward, the registrar will provide you with further quick instructions for connecting your domain name to your website, so that you can finally become visible on the web.
Have a question about how to register a domain name for your website that is not included here? Leave us a comment below.
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Contacting The Domain Owner Directly
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How Important Is This Specific Domain Name To Your New Venture
If youre launching a new product or service called Fluffy, and the domain name you want to buy is the exact match .COM domain name , then this domain name is very important because its the primary and most intuitive domain name for your venture. If on the other hand the domain name is intended to be only used for a one-time marketing campaign, or a blog, or a B2B venture, or a microsite, then the domains importance to your business may be somewhat lower.
When Do You Need To Buy A Domain Name
According to Verisign, there were over 367 million domain registrations close to the second quarter of 2021, a 0.7% decrease from last year.
While domain name buying is slowing down, this shouldnt placate you. Its much harder to buy a domain from its owner than register it yourself. So, you should buy your desired domain name as soon as you know it, as you dont want someone else to take it.
If you have an idea for your domain, you are already on the right path to choosing a domain name.
When buying your domain name, consider purchasing any other names you want. That includes domains for your:
- Product lines
- Customer support program
- Customer loyalty program
If you want to use a domain in the future but not immediately, you can install a coming soon page on your domain with a WordPress extension like SeedProd. You can also park your domain. Domain parking is widespread, as ICANN estimates 52.95% of domains are currently parked.
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Protect Your Domain Name
You worked hard to come up with your domain name. Now its time to protect it. Were not talking about the legal part of protecting your domain name, including registering trademarks and other steps that vary by legal jurisdiction. Before you ring up your attorney, make sure youre doing all the easily overlooked things you can do on your own to protect your domain name. These include performing a domain name search to see whether other extensions of your domain name are available.
Buying the most popular extensions of your domain name helps you make sure your visitors dont accidentally go to the wrong website if someone buys another extension of your domain name. For the same reason, you also want to buy common misspellings of your domain name.
Once youve got all your bases covered, its time to move to the second step.
How To Select The Best Domain Registrar
Domain name registrars are companies that manage the purchase and sales of generic top level and country level domain extensions. Hundreds of companies have been authorized by the ICANN to act as domain name registrars. However, no two registrars are alike with some offering benefits and services that others dont. So, how can you identify the best domain registrar for your business?
With a domain name search, youll discover that there are a few key areas in which leading registrars tend to shine:
- Pricing: The best domain name registrar is the one that offers excellent deals on registrations and renewals. Sometimes you can find deals for as low as $5 per year.
- Control panel: Ideally, you want to opt for a registrar who offers a simple user panel to help you control your domains. Maybe you want to transfer your domain name to someone. Perhaps you want to modify the domain names CNAME records. An intuitive control panel can simply such tasks.
- Privacy protection: At the very least, the domain name registrar should give you the option to conceal your personal information from those who would to peak at your website records.
- Payment methods: Popular registrars allow you to pay for domain name registration online by bank transfer, PayPal, or credit card, and that is what you should do. While some give the option to send checks via mail, that could be risky in the fast-moving world of the internet.
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What To Do If Your Trademarked Name Is Being Violated
If you learn that someone has registered a domain name that uses you or your businesss name, there are several federal laws that you may rely on to recover the domain.
Several of these federal laws govern trademark protections, while others provide protections against cybersquatting, even for those who are not trying to enforce a trademark.
At the federal level, there is the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act , which prohibits individuals or businesses from registering domain names in bad faith or for profit. Congress passed the ACPA to combat cybersquatting and it provides cybersquatting protections for trademarks, service marks, and certain individual names.
There is also 15 USC § 8131 , which focuses more on individuals who are victims of cybersquatting.
Cybersquatting is also addressed at the state level. California and New York have also passed their own cybersquatting laws, which we address below.
Minc Law Fact: There are several different types of cybersquatting. For example, typosquatting involves registering a slightly misspelled version of a commonly used domain name. This type of cybersquatting is often used to commit fraud, such as phishing. The ACPA prohibits typosquatting.