Name Experts Can Help You Buy A Domain Name That Is Already Taken
When it comes to how to buy a domain name from someone else, we know it can feel a little overwhelming. But at Name Experts, well take the time to go over each part of the process with you so that you can secure the right domain name for your company. Working with successful brokers like us can save you a lot of time, money, and hassle when it comes to getting the domain name you want.
When you work with us, youre getting an experienced broker who has the knowledge of current market insights and the chops to negotiate and compromise on your behalf. Let us help you get the perfect domain domain name today reach out to us and let us help you grow your business.
Wed love to answer any of your questions about our services and get you feeling more confident when it comes to buying and selling domains.
What To Do When The Domain Name You Want Is Taken
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Picture this: You’re looking to purchase a domain name. You are starting a company or rebranding your company, and you need a premium domain. The first thing you do is choose a domain name that will provide the best access to your target audience. But upon completing your search, you find that it’s not available because it’s already registered with another owner.
What to do now? You have a couple of options. First, you could perform a WHOIS search to try to find the owner, contact them and make an offer for the domain. Or, you could use a different domain name. As the founder of a domain sales and acquisitions firm, I’ve learned the ins and outs of buying domains firsthand. This article will discuss your options:
Find the domain’s owner.
The first step in finding the owner of a domain name is to perform a WHOIS search on the domain name. The WHOIS search provides information about the domain, such as the name of the registrar, where it is registered, the name of the organization that owns it, the date it was created and updated, and sometimes the contact information of the owner.
The issue with using this method to find the owner of a domain is that many registrars now offer WHOIS privacy service that blocks personal information from appearing on WHOIS searches. With the advent of new privacy laws, many registrars are eliminating WHOIS information all together.
Makean offer.
Consider alternative domain names.
Ensure you’re prepared if you hire a broker.
Change The Domain Ending
So maybe the .com version of your domain name isnt available. Thats not too surprising. After all, .com is far and away the most saturated domain ending, which is to say, youre far more likely to find any given .com registered versus any other domain ending.
If the domain you want is taken, then one option you have is to register it with a different domain ending. But not all domain endings are created equal. There are three main types you can choose from, and you might choose each for different reasons or to serve different purposes. Lets take a look.
Also Check: How To Use A Domain For Email
What Happens If I Dont Renew My Domain Name
Expiration date: If you do not renew the domain by the expiration date, the name will enter a renewal grace period. Day 1 after expiration: The domain will be deactivated and parked, indicating that its registration has expired. Other services associated with the domain, such as email, may cease to function.
What To Do If The Domain Name That You Want Is Taken
So, youve come up with a great domain name⦠only to find out that its already taken. Dont worry! There are many wonderful domain names out there and plenty of ways to find another one that will work for you â or to potentially claim the one that you want. Here are some helpful hints for what to do next:
Read Also: How To Prove You Own A Domain
Your Ideal Domain Name Is Takennow What
Youve just come up with the best idea ever for a business, and the perfect domain name to boot. When you go to register that domain for your website, you realize its already taken. What do you do?In lieu of cueing those tiny violins, its time to re-strategize your domain naming game.
Also Check: How Much Does It Cost For A Website Domain
You May Find That Someone Else Has Snapped Up The Domain Name Of Your Dreams Here Are Your Options
So you have a great idea for a domain name. It will make you millions and be the beacon by which an unprecedented amount of Internet commerce flows your way. You’re excited. You go to a domain name registrar to perform a domain name search and, you guessed it, the name you want is already taken. What now? Don’t worry, you have choices.
Also Check: Where To Register Domain Name For Free
Target The Right Contact Person
In some cases, the Whois lookup is just the start of the process. Some domain owners are very large, corporate power-houses that own hundreds, or perhaps thousands of domain names and the contact information shown may not lead you to the correct person.
Amazon.com is a perfect example. They own more than 41,152 domain names in their portfolio. Many of their domains go unused, and do not resolve. How do you find the person who manages these domains, much less the domain youre interested in, within Amazons 647,500 employees?
Is it the project manager around that brand? Would it be marketing, CMO, Legal, Business Development, Webmaster, Technology etc?
Its a vital step to connect with the correct person, or division within the Company so you dont spend time spinning your wheels and this is where working with a domain broker can be beneficial. They can do the research to identify the owner of the domain and establish contact.
After contact is established, you need to determine whether the asset is indeed available and if it is, will it be within your budget?
Check Domain Availability Conclusion
Choosing a domain is an important decision, and one that can be fraught with difficulties. Even if you dont get the exact domain you want, however, there are plenty of ways to find a suitable alternative.
Lets recap the steps you can take when you find that your desired domain name isnt available:
Read Also: Io Domain Registrar
Also Check: What Is A Tld Domain Name
Resolving A Domain Dispute With A Uniform Domain
Another common legal action to resolve domain disputes is by filing a UDRP complaint. UDRP stands for Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy. It is a process established by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers for resolving disputes over internet domain name registrations. A copy of the UDRP can be found at ICANNs resources page.
The UDRP dispute process is a private arbitration proceeding. It is similar to a lawsuit, but instead of a judge or jury, there is a panel of one or three arbitrators. Other differences include the streamlining of the litigation process, such as less formal rules and procedures concerning discovery and the admissibility of evidence.
A UDRP dispute process starts when notice of the UDRP dispute is sent to the respondent . Almost all domain registrars require domain name registrants to agree to use the UDRP dispute process in their terms of service. But this is only binding on the registrant, not the victim of cybersquatting. In some cases, this can be an advantage for you, especially if the registrant is overseas or beyond the reach of a local courts jurisdiction.
After the parties are notified and a complaint is filed, the respondent can file a response brief. Then the complainant can file a reply brief responding to the registrants arguments. After that, a panel hears the arguments from each side.
In a UDRP dispute, as the plaintiff, you will always need to show:
Verify Your Site With Google Search Console / Webmaster Tools
Google, as you may know, isnt actually the internet, nor does Google actually search the entire World Wide Web.
What Google actually does is search their index of the internet. This index is created by relentlessly scanning the web for new sites, pages and content. This is how Google can provide search results so quickly.
This makes Search Console an absolute necessity for any website looking to get found online via search.
Not only does it help Google find your site in the first place , but it also helps them keep track of changes and updates to your site, such as new pages and content.
Since Search Console spots any errors Googlebot may find with your web pages, you can easily identify and fix common problems including
- Penalty notices
You dont need to use Search Console in order to be included in Google search results, but you get a heck of a lot more control over how Google processes and views your site and its content so why wouldnt you use it?
Setting up Search Console is pretty straight-forward, and it wont take you long to get to grips with the basics either.
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Make Sure It Hasnt Been Taken
Theres nothing worse that could happen to the founder of a new venture than finding the perfect name and then realizing that its been already taken by the competition.
Before you settle for your business name, double-check that there isnt any other company with the same or almost identical name and that the domain for your name is still available.
Abbreviate The Domain Name
You could go for a suitable abbreviation as your domain name if the whole domain name is Taken. And if you have a really long brand name, we suggest you go for abbreviations regardless of whether or not you get the complete domain with the .com extension. You should also go for the abbreviation if thats how your business is already popular among the crowd.
Three brands that have gone for abbreviations in their domain names:
Recommended Reading: How To Make A Good Domain Name
Abbreviate Your Brand Name
This method of selecting a domain name shortens longer business names down to one focus word with post-nominal letters. This option may not suit every industry but abbreviating a brand name may keep your target audience interested while still having a top-level domain. If youre considering this option, look at the full domain name youd like to register. If your company is called Joans Hardware Store, consider JoansHS.com or JoanHS.com as potential domain options.
Ensure that you check all abbreviations for potential problematic meanings no one wants to shop from Debbies Beauty Office . This option isnt ideal but will bring a .com domain registration for those wishing to stay with the most popular suffix.
What Can I Do If My Domain Is Taken
See if the taken domain is for sale
Sometimes, the domain name may have been purchased by a legitimate business owner, but they never ended up doing anything with it. If thats the case, you can use the Domain.com WHOIS lookup to explore if you can contact the owner of the domain and purchase it at a fair price. You may have to pay a premium, but its worth a try to grab the perfect domain.
Try an abbreviated version of the domain
You can still get the point across and convey your brand by using an abbreviation of your business name in the domain. For instance, instead of www.AcmeCompany.com, you may opt for www.AcmeCo.com.
The easiest way to try out abbreviations is to open up your word processor and create a list of potential abbreviations. Then, copy and paste that list into Domain.coms Bulk Registration tool to see what is available.
Use a new top-level domain
Without compromising the integrity of your domain name, you can simply change the domain ending . Of course, the most used top-level domain is .com, but you have a variety of top-level domains at your fingertips, including .net, .biz, .co, .business and more. Using a top-level domain that applies to your business will help to further convey your brand and the products or services you offer.
Use a tagline or slogan instead
Consult a web design expert
Recommended Reading: How To Change My Domain Name On WordPress
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:
Find Out If The Name Is Taken
In most cases, if someone is already using a name, you cannot legally use it. By law, the name of your business canât be the same as or very similar to an existing corporate name or trademark. Even when it is legal to use an existing business name, it can be a disastrous marketing mistake. There are a few places you should check to see whether a name is taken:
Also Check: How To Redirect A Domain On Godaddy
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.
Add A Verb To Your Original Domain Name
Is your preferred domain name already taken? You should add a verb to create an action-oriented URL. This is the case because the most effective web addresses combine words that are both descriptive and differentiated.
Why does this work? Adding a verb to an existing domain name improves the branding, describes the purpose and tells you what it does. It also keeps things fresh which can have a positive impact on the search rankings.
Adding a verb to a domain name can provide a huge benefit to discoverability, and also help you stand out in the search engines.
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Include Your Country/ City In The Domain Name
This is similar to option 2 and 3, and works if .com.au isnt available. This option works best if your business is going to stay national . If you find that your perfect URL is taken try and add au or aus to the domain name.
As well as this you could go even more local. For example if you were a cleaning business in Sydney, your domain name could be cleanerssydney. However, this does add potentially a barrier if you are looking to expand in the future.
It is important to think about the likelihood of business expansion or similar. If you include a geographic location, especially something as specific as a city, users are likely to think you only operate that area alone.
Buy Similar Domain Names
Purchase easy misspells and other popular TLDs if they are available to keep anyone from squatting on your business name.
This could be costly later once you have built up a brand and the domain squatters know that you dont really have any negotiating leverage.
I once worked with a global brand that had to spend a couple of thousand dollars per domain name to successfully reclaim domains that could have been purchased for a few dollars when they first launched.
Recommended Reading: How To Connect A Domain To A Website
You Can Always Buy The Domain
You can get a couple of similar sites underneath your name and see if something else works better for you. This is especially great if they are affordable. You can also buy the actual domain from its owner. However, if the site is used for commercial use and it is doing pretty well chances are slim that youll end up with it as a rightful owner. Try to contact the owner directly and see if you can make a trade or if they are willing to sell it to you and at what price.