Monday, April 22, 2024

How To Search If A Domain Name Is Available

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How To Create The Perfect Business Name

How to Find EPIC Domain Names (That Are Available!)

Whats the first thing that people notice about your brand? Its the name, of course! A catchy, relevant, and unique business name will get you remembered and it will ensure instant recognition. Choosing such a powerful name, however, is a complex science that only a few have mastered.

Your business name stands for so many things your values, your beliefs, the benefits that clients could get from an interaction with your brand. What does it take to pack all of this information in a simple word or phrase?

Let us help you generate a business name thats unique, distinctive, and perfectly representative of everything that you stand for. Our business name generator will give you dozens of creative ideas and suggestions you can easily tweak and modify to make your own.

Find Your Domain Name On Your Chosen Domain Registrar Website

Weve already covered choosing your domain registrar. Once you do, look up your chosen domain name to see if its already taken. If it is, the domain registrar will present alternatives either for the domain itself or for the TLD.

It may offer choices such as .net, .org, and .info. Generally, we recommend sticking with a .com TLD because its highly recognizable.

Should I Register More Than One Domain

Yes! Registering multiple domain names protects your brand from domain squatters or copycats who may try to register alternative versions of your domain. For example, if you own coffeelovers.com, you may want to consider registering coffeelovers.net and coffeelovers.org as well. You may want to consider misspelled versions of your domain name too.

Want to learn more?

Weâve got you covered. Heres a few articles about searching for a domain we think youll find pretty helpful:

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Check Domain Name Availability

Our tool checks domain availability by doing a DNS query to get search results as fast as possible. WHOISdomain lookups are much slower than DNS queries, but provide more information about who registered the domain name.

Red results mean the name is taken. Do aWHOIS lookup to see when the current domain registration expires.

Green results mean the name is available and you can register with one of our partners!

Blue results show names for sale. Buy them from one of our auction partners.

Search Features

Tips For Naming Your Consulting Firm

How I Check Domain Name Availability

Creating trust is among the most important aspects of creating your name. Many people opting to start a consulting firm may choose to simply use their name. While this can work to create a more personable experience, it isnt the most eye-catching name. Potential clients may end up scrolling through hundreds of different names without any idea of which to choose.

That said, the name of your consulting firm should still be professional. This is a niche in which its more important to create trust than to have fun or flashy name.

If you dont want to just use your own name, try thinking about some words that relate to what potential clients may be looking for from your consulting firm. Consider words like success, influence, insight or creation. Words like these will paint a picture of success in the minds of potential clients.

Once you have a solid list of words, you can work on combining them to create a unique name. Think of something like SuccessInsight or KeyCreative. Combining words can keep your name simple while still making it more unique and interesting. Its also going to be less likely that the name is already in use.

Also Check: What Is The Best Domain Name For My Website

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!

Renew The Domain Name

Whether you purchased the domain through a registrar or purchased it from another person, you will eventually need to renew your domain. When you renew it will depend on the terms of your subscription: whether its monthly, annual, biannual, or triennial.

Renewing your domain name is critical to ensure 99% uptime and prevent any user experience hiccups. If youre afraid of missing the renewal date, dont fear most registrars will email you to notify you of the upcoming renewal.

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Search For Your Domain Name’s Availability

Once you have found the right domain registrar for you, you’ll need to search for your domain name using the registrar’s search bar. There are millions of domain names out there, with thousands more added daily.

If you have your heart set on a domain name before doing a search, you might be disappointed to find it is already taken. Keep an open mind and incorporate important keywords into your domain when appropriate.

Why You Need A Domain Name

How To Check Domain Name Search Availability

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.

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How To Find A Great Domain Name

The right domain name is critical for search engine optimization . An SEO-friendly domain name is the first green light for high website traffic.

Let’s start by brainstorming on paper. But if your brain is not shifting gears, there are a host of domain finders that can help to crank it up. I am not suggesting that you rely on them, but domain name generators take your keywords and can come up with unique word combinations that you wouldn’t have thought about. A lot of them also allow you to look up available domain names using domain name registrars.

A single domain name search website can give you lots of word combinations to play around with. Let me give you a few more to help you find an available website name you need right now.

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

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Add The Domain To Your Cart And Complete The Registration Process

If your chosen domain is available, congrats! All you have to do now is add it to your cart and complete the registration process. If you dont yet have an account with the registrar, youll be prompted to sign up.

Be sure to follow the steps we outlined in the How to Register Your Domain Name section to ensure youve successfully registered your domain name.

Warning: Try Not To Search For A Domain Name Too Often

How to register your own domain name?

Now that you know how to do it, you might find yourself wanting to claim a domain name for every idea that crosses your mind.

Its tempting!

But for the sake of your bank account, try to maintain a small list of domain names.

Owning domain names you dont use can become expensive. Getting constant renewal reminders by email just adds to the clutter in your inbox.

Happy searching!

To see all the tools I use to run this website and online business, visit my Tools of the Trade page.

Read Also: How To Find Short Domain Names

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.

Use An Alternative Domain Extension

If your preferred domain is taken and you dont want to opt for an alternative, you can also try using a different TLD. Most site owners purchase domains that end in .com, but that isnt your only option.

Of course, you do want to be careful when choosing your TLD. Often, people will instinctively include .com when trying to visit a website directly, and this is especially true for older demographics. If thats your target audience, or if theres already a popular website at yourwebsite.com that your site might be confused with, it might be better to try an alternative second-level domain.

However, sometimes it does make sense to choose another TLD for your domain. In such cases, keep in mind that certain TLDs apply to specific types of sites and may even be restricted, such as .edu, .gov, and certain location-based domains.

When looking through the available TLDs, consider what might work best for your particular business. For example, if you run a jewelry business and you want an e-commerce website to go with it, you might choose to opt for .jewelry. Of course, there are a lot of fun ways to get creative with your TLD as well.

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Short Or Long They Will Go After It

Take Time Warner Cable for example. They own TimeWarnerCable.com but at the same time, they bought twc.com which redirects to TimeWarnerCable.com. Coca-Cola, owns coke.com, and Volkswagen owns vw.com Neat right? If the brand has a long name, they own the long domain, and they also own the abbreviation. On the other hand, if the companys name or should I say the brand is really short like HP, UPS, Nike, then again they own the .com and in most cases, the short domain opens the website.

Why is shortness an issue? Read here We are out of 4 letter .com domains.

Protip. WordPress, which is not a top 100 brand, owns wp.com.

Choose A Different Domain Name

How to check if your domain name is available with Godaddy

If you cant find out who owns the domain you want, or they arent willing to sell, you may simply have to choose another name. Fortunately, you wont necessarily have to start from scratch.

Instead, you could look at the list of alternatives provided to you by any domain checker tool, and use those ideas to find a suitable replacement. This can save you valuable time and effort, and youll often be able to grab a name thats almost identical to the one you wanted:

Of course, there are other methods for finding an alternative domain name. You can try using a keyword tool to discover promising options. This can help you find terms to incorporate that are relevant to your audience, and have strong search volumes.

As an example, if youre opening an organic cafe, you might find that people often search for organic cafe in combination with the name of their city. In your domain, you could try combining your citys name with the term organic cafe in order to attract traffic.

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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 ICANNs 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.

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Consider What The Company Does

Your domain name can incorporate what you do. Think of a few keywords that represent your business, product, or services, and consider using one or two as part of your domain name. Try to think long-term though. If the company expands in a few years, will the descriptive words you selected still be relevant?

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What Are In Domain Names

Open to registration by anyone in any location, .in domain names often designate an individual or organization based in India. Whether youre a business or charity, blogger or photographer, the .in domain can help you draw a more personal connection with people in India. However, theyre also a solid bet if youre looking for a short domain that anyone will remember.

Imagine using it for email youll have a catchy address that also lets people in India know youre local. And if youre already using a tried-and-true domain, adding dot in will only broaden your reach and can show visitors that youre using the local language and currency.

With An Extension Consistent With Your Project And Your Content

Domain Name Availability Check Godaddy

The extension of the ideal domain name must also respect the two previous tips. If the .com, is the easiest to remember, other possibilities of TLDs can send a signal to your visitors about the nature of your business or your website. A .io will classify you among tech-related websites, a .wiki will clearly underline your desire to create a collaborative encyclopedia on a given subject, a .immo will leave no ambiguity about your professional field.

You can also seek to make a word or phrase by combining your domain name and its ending. This practice, called “domain hack” , very often makes it possible to broaden the range of possibilities to find the ideal domain name for your website. Be careful, however, to carefully consult what is required for registering a domain name attached to a country, in some cases you must be able to prove that we do have a postal address in this country.

Put simply, Gandis domain name availability tool was created for you to find available domains that are right for your website. All you need to do is enter a few relevant keywords into the domain checker tool and select the domain name out of the list of available domains you like best!

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The Total Package For Starting Your Website

A trusted source

Since 2000, we’ve been focused on helping customers find the best domain name as the building block of their online presence.

Everything is covered

A domain name is just the beginning. We’ll help you host, design, and manage your site. We’ll even build it for you, if you’d like.

Simple & intuitive

We integrate seamlessly with WordPress, WebsiteBuilder, and SiteLock, to name a few. Weâll help you get online with ease.

Available Domain Name Checker

The domain name availability checker tool works just like a classic search tool, but for available domains. You only need to type the name that you’re thinking about into the domain name checker and click the “Search” button to check domain name availability. From here, you can choose to refine your domain name availability search using “Filters” to show you available domains based on keywords, whether they’re on promotion, the current release phase, etc. And if you already have a few ideas for domain names in mind and you’re not sure which available domains to choose, the domain name checker tool enables you to search for domain name availability with more than one term at once. There’s no doubt that our domain name checker is a powerful tool in your search for available domains.

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