How To Purchase A Domain Name From Someone

If All Else Fails Try Registering A Different Extension Or Top

If you really need to use a specific domain because it matches your business or personal name, but you cant get the owner of the .com version to agree to sell it to you, consider a different top-level domain. For example, rather than fruitcobbler.com consider registering fruitcobbler.recipes or fruitcobbler.cooking. If you need help, you can read also how to register a domain or how much is a domain name.

S To Your Dream Domain

Now that you are ready to take the plunge and go for that perfect domain for your project, lets look at a few final steps which will give you the best chance at walking away with that name. There are really only a few steps involved in buying a domain:

Of course, you can apply variations and tactics to each step, but I am confident someone with little domain buying experience can make a decent go of getting the exact name they want if they follow the steps below.

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Are you aware of the importance of having a clear, concise domain?

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Also Check: How Do I Get Email With My Domain Name

Make An Offer For The Domain That You Want To Buy

In our experience, its not uncommon to be the only person to make an offer during a domain auction. This means you might be able to pick up the domain you want without breaking your budget.

If you happen to find your way into an auction with lots of activity, youll want to set a cap on how much youre willing to spend:

How much youre willing to spend to buy the perfect domain name is up to you. In any case, if you make the winning bid on a domain auction, the final step in your journey is remarkably simple.

How To Buy A Pre

If youve ever looked into buying or renting a house, you know that location is often the top priority. You want a place that your friends can find, not one thats in the middle of nowhere.

A website without a domain name is similar to that. Its kind of like having a home in the middle of nowhere. Nobody will be able to find it.

This is why its important to get a domain name for your website, and why a domain name is also commonly called a web address. Its what people use to find your site.

There are two ways to buy a domain name for your website.

• You can buy it brand new. Buying a new domain name is simple. You just visit a hosting provider like HostPapa, enter the name of the domain you want, and, if its available, buy it.
• You can buy one thats pre-owned. If the domain name you want is already owned by someone else, that doesnt mean its not available.

In this article, well focus on how to buy a pre-owned domain name. But first, theres a brief discussion about whether a free domain name is a good idea, and, we provide a few domain shopping tips that you may find helpful.

Lets get started!

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How To Buy A Domain Name In 3 Steps

Buying a domain name may seem like a daunting process. After all, there are so many domain extensions and domain name registrars to choose from, it can be quite difficult to know where to start. However, once you know what is involved in buying a domain name, the process becomes pretty straightforward.

There are three steps that you have to follow to buy a domain name:

What To Do If The Domain You Want Already Has A Website

If a domain name already has an active website connected to it, your chances of being able to buy it are slim. The more active or popular the site is, the less likely its owner will want to sell it.

On the other hand, if you find a domain name with a website that looks abandoned, or seemingly without much traffic, you can always try making an offer for it. In this scenario, there are two ways you can go about contacting the owner.

Most websites include a contact form or email that you can use to reach out to whoevers in charge. If the website in question doesnt although this is rare your next best bet is to run an ICANN lookup:

In theory, domain name registration data is available to the public. However, most reputable registrars offer WHOIS protection as a cheap or free extra when you purchase a domain. That means, in practice, ICANN lookups often wont return any contact information that you can use.

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How To Backorder A Domain

The process outlined above is the easiest way to buy a domain name that is taken, but sometimes that isnt possible. If you still cant get the domain you want, your other option is to backorder it.

Backordering means that you wait for a domains ownership to expire and purchase it the moment it becomes available.

However, keeping track of a domains expiration date manually can be tricky, so youll want to use a backordering service.

Some of the popular options:

• Dropcatch

However, even if you use a backordering service, theres no guarantee that youll get the domain you want. The current owner still has to let their ownership of the domain expire, and many hosting services give owners an extra grace period where they can renew after the official expiration date. Typically, thats 75 extra days.

Start By Evaluating Your Goals

We know that a lot goes into finding the right domain name. The first step is to think about your long term goals for your company and make sure that your domain is equipped for business growth.

When you work with a domain broker like us, well help you evaluate the best strategy to make sure that the domain you want even if its owned by someone else is the one that is right for your business.

First, evaluate the current domain. Is there a real working website there? Has it been updated recently? If it is, then most likely the owner wont be interested in selling. However, if its really outdated or is just a placeholder website, then you can approach the owner with confidence.

Sometimes owners of certain domains are just waiting for the right buyer to come their way and make an offer. Investigating the domain you want is crucial is making sure youre about to pay the right price.

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If Its Not A Parked Domain Find The Owners Contact Information

If you find that the domain has a fully built-out site, then its not a parked domain. The domain is being used by a real business. Luckily, you still have recourse if you want to buy the domain.

First, determine how likely it is for the owner to sell the domain to you. Does the website look like its been recently updated? Is it under construction? How many snapshots does it have on the Wayback Machine? If the website looks outdated or has just a few Wayback Machien snapshots, its more likely youll successfully start a conversation with the owner.

For example, the domain mellowbee.com looks like a good candidate because its had only a few Wayback Machine snapshots over the years and the current website is made up of one page.

The owners email is at the bottom, so its easy to reach out.

If you cant find the owners contact information on the site, try searching for the owner through ICANN. Keep in mind that a good portion of domain name owners hide their contact information for privacy reasons.

Find Out Who Owns The Domain

The first step in trying to get it is to find out who is the current owner. Whois is the best service you can use to find information about the owner, including name and email address.

To run a Whois search, you can either look up the name at the registrar of your choice or go to the who.is for domains like .com, .net, .biz and more. Simply eutype in the full domain name and you will get the domains public information which usually includes contact details for the registrant.

For other extensions like .de,.uk etc, you can use the following Whois tools to get that public information:

Theres also the possibility that youll be stonewalled by a Whois privacy protection service, in which case you wont have access to the owners information. Instead you will see some generic information belonging to the privacy service provider. In this case, you can try sending an email to the contact address listed there and hope that your message will be forwarded to the owners email address.

Now, before you get in touch with the site owner, its important you check the status of domain first so you get a better understanding of how much its worth. Things like keyword use, search engine ranking, backlinks and traffic can help you measure its value and help you determine just how much you should be paying for it.

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How Do I Check If A Domain Is Available

To check if a domain name is available, just type it in GoDaddy’s search bar and we’ll tell you immediately if someone else already owns it.

We also offer a Domain Backorder service, where you purchase a backorder credit to give you a chance to get the domain you want when it goes to auction.

Cost To Register A Domain Name

According to HostGator, domain name cost ranges from free to tens of thousands of dollars, with the average domain name settling around $10-$12 annually. These factors will affect what you’d pay for a specific domain:

• The demand for the particular name you choose
• The TLD domain extension
• The domain registrar you’re purchasing from
• Whether the domain has already been purchased by someone else
• Whether you commit to an annual payment or another payment schedule
• Add-ons such as privacy

Whether you choose a free or paid domain will depend on your budget and your website’s purpose. For example, you might need a basic website or something simple and temporary. In that case, a free domain name might be a good option.

However, paid domain names look more professional and are more likely to grow with your brand. You should ultimately decide what will work best for your business and goals.

Pro Tip: You can get free hosting and link your custom domain to your site for free when you build it with HubSpot CMS.

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Check For Trademark Infringement

Both major and minor brands alike take issue with others using their trademarked names. Even if youve just made an innocent mistake, the legal hassle involved in a lawsuit and having to rearrange your web presence could be costly.

You can avoid these situations by using a trademark lookup tool before you finalize your choice.

Follow The Registrars Checkout Process

Next, use the registrars tool to see if it can sell you your desired domain and TLD.

If you can buy your domain, select a plan, and follow the registrars checkout process. Some registrars will offer a base plan with add-ons like a professional email address tied to your domain. Others offer methods that scale with your needs.

Many registrars will also offer you multiple TLDs as a bundle deal . These plans are perfect for anyone concerned about visitors struggling to find the correct address or competitors buying the domain.

Once you reach the checkout process, youll need to provide your registrar with your:

• Name
• Contact details
• Payment information

If you dont want your contact information to be public, make sure you purchase domain privacy.

You should also check the duration of your registration carefully. Many registrars will allow you to buy your name for several years at a time, but you may want to select a shorter plan if you havent used that registrar before.

Choosing a shorter plan to start with will allow you to switch if you arent happy with your registrars speed, security, service, or anything else.

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How To Acquire An Existing Domain Name

Having an appealing and easy-to-remember domain name is very important for the success of your website. The domain should also match the site content and/or your brand name. What happens if the desired domain is not available, though? Rebranding is not really an option. You can simply choose a different name, but you can also try to acquire the domain you originally wanted from its current owner. In this article, we will look at the different options you have to do that.

• If you go for a different domain

Check what content the domain opens

This is the first step we recommend that you take as it is the easiest way to see if a registered domain is really in use. If you see an active website, check if there were any recent updates on it. If this is the case, it will be less likely that the current owner will sell the domain, or if they are willing to do that, they will probably ask for a higher price. If there arent recent updates, there is a better chance that the owner may sell the domain, but there is no guarantee for that. In any case, the best option will be to contact them and find out if they will sell the name.

If the domain opens a parking page, it was probably registered by a person or a company that buys and sells domains. If this is the case, the name you want is probably listed on a domain marketplace. Sometimes you will see the price the person/company asks for right on the parking page, as well as a direct link to the marketplace.

GDPR

Also Check: How To Advertise Domain Names For Sale

Can I Register A Domain That’s Expired

Once a domain has expired and the owner has not renewed it during the grace period, the domain may be released. When a domain goes to public auction, you may bid on it and win it that way.

If an expired domain isn’t renewed, redeemed, or sold at auction, it goes back to its registry. The registry decides if and when to release it for registration. Once released, that domain can be registered through any registrar, including GoDaddy.

How To Buy A Domain Name That Is Already Taken

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Will Morris in Business

Choosing the perfect domain name is always a challenge. However, there are more hurdles to overcome if the one you want is not available. If youre unfortunate enough, youll land on the perfect name, only to find out that its already taken.

If you want to buy a domain thats already taken, youll need to do some extra legwork. In this article, well walk you through all the ways that you can buy a domain that already has an owner.

Lets get to it!

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Why Should I Register More Than One Domain Name

There are lots of reasons to own more than one domain name. Businesses often buy misspellings of their names, for example, to capture those Web searchers who aren’t good spellers . Domainers register hundreds or even thousands of domains with the end goal of selling at least some of them at a profit. For them, the bulk domain search tool is a must.

There are other advantages of registering a variety of domain names:

Thanks to GoDaddy’s bulk domain name search tool, you can check the availability of up to 500 domains at once.