How To Buy A Domain Name
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Getting a domain name for your website is easy. If you have never done it before, do not worrythere are only four steps.
Throughout my career, Ive bought a lot of domains names from different vendors. Some of those experiences were significantly better than others.
This guide will explain my four favorite ways to buy a domain. One of those methods will even get you a free domain name for the first year. Ill also show you how to buy premium domain names and ones that arent for sale.
No matter what domain name you want, by the end of this post you will know how to get it. Keep reading, or jump ahead if you know what you need.
What Makes A Domain Name A Premium Domain
In website design, many individuals are unsure what a premium domain name is. Isn’t it true that all domain names function in the same way? Yes, every domain name performs the same technical job. Some are far more precious than others. You’ll appreciate your personal need for premium domains once you grasp what makes them worthwhile.
Premium Domains On Godaddy
Makefort said:I was browsing other domain offers and I saw 1 with a premium tag but it was around 700£. Whats the deal here? The only thing the GD explains is that they can introduce you to the seller, but with such a high price, why would you go for it?
So, I was searching up for available domain names and I came across some of their available offers.For a .com offer I was given this£12.99* £0.99* when you register for 2 years or more. 1st year price £0.99 Additional years £12.99 1 year for 1£, it really sounds nice. Sure, you are registering for more than 1 year, so there is that to keep in mind, but what I am interested in is their premium selection.I was browsing other domain offers and I saw 1 with a premium tag but it was around 700£. Whats the deal here? The only thing the GD explains is that they can introduce you to the seller, but with such a high price, why would you go for it?
What are their benefits?
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Premium Domain Listings With Godaddy And Escrowcom
Outstanding customer support, transparent transactions and a reputation for being 100% reliable are just some of the many reasons why so many buyers prefer using Escrow.com when purchasing any online. Escrow.com is a reliable financial transaction management service that provides unbiased support to buyers as well as sellers in online transactions.
Businesses of all sizes and their web designers know that with GoDaddys premium domain listings and Escrows safe, secure transactions site, they can have numerous premium web listings and never pay a premium price.
GoDaddy is a one-stop shop for web sites, domains, e-mail marketing and sales, web site hosting and web security.GoDaddy offers premium site listings both as a commission and in an auction format. With annual plans starting as affordably as $1 a month, any business or individual may design, host and secure their personal or business web site and know that they are working with and are secured by two of the top names in web security and secure internet transactionsGoDaddy and Escrow!
Heres how GoDaddy and Escrow work together to guarantee customer satisfaction:
GoDaddy makes sure web site owners and web designers have everything they need to create secure, easy-to-use business and personal websites, business blogs and email marketing campaigns. The ability to pay through Escrow.com assures buyers that the transaction will be carried out quickly and securely through a reputed third party.
Premium Domain Name Faqs
Do premium domain names function the same as “regular” or primary registration domain names?
Yes, they do. Functionally, premium domain names and primary registration domain names are the same.
Domain names save us from typing long strings of numbers or IP addresses into our browser bars every time we navigate the Internet. They function as virtual addresses, telling computers how to find their desired destinations on the world wide web.
Have all premium domain names been used for past websites?
Not necessarily.
Domain investors are known to purchase or register premium domain names because of their profitability. In these cases, the investors generally sit on the domain names because they know that somewhere out there is a perfect buyer who’s willing to pay top dollar for the name.
On the other hand, some premium domain names have a rich history. They may have been used on websites in the past and attracted tons of internet traffic. In this scenario, that domain’s history is most often a boon to the eventual domain name owner. There may still be people typing that domain name and trying to reach the previous site so think about it: That’s guaranteed traffic reaching the new domain owner’s site
There’s always the chance that the premium domain name was associated with a spammy website in the past, putting it at risk of being on Google’s “bad side.” While this is not the most common scenario, it’s worth reviewing the history of a domain name before purchasing it.
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How Do You Know If A Domain Name Is Premium
The easiest way to determine if a domain name is premium is the price you see when you search for it for a domain registrar. Likewise, you can use a premium domain checker for this task.
Premium domain names often range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars or tens of thousands occasionally. There are also specific characteristics differentiating premium domain names from the pool of all domains, and they include:
Whats A Premium Domain Name Going To Do For Me & My Site
Your business will get a ready-made and memorable brand. Marketing costs will be reduced. After a one-off payment, your premium domain name wont need promoting to make it a household name, its already there!
- Youll spend less on PPC advertising. Organic traffic will be greater from a higher ranking premium domain name.
- Customers will know what theyre going to find on your site. So money saved on promoting your domain name to explain its meaning to your customers.
- Boosted SEO, increased page ranking, and quality traffic. Because your domain name matches what customers are using in searches.
- A money keyword/phrase in your domain name means you can use it in anchor/link text in a natural way, which will improve SEO. A money keyword/phrase has a higher ranking in search results because it matches what customers use in searches.
- The trust and authority of a premium domain name will encourage reputable companies to link to your site.
- A premium domain name will enhance funding and partnerships opportunities with established companies in your industry.
- A short name works well on social media. Using a URL shortener on a long domain name turns it into meaningless characters.
- More beneficial when used for advertising such on billboards, tv, banners, print ads. Being short and memorable, and with no buttons to click, customers will try and be able to remember. Word of mouth referrals are more likely and youll see an increase in direct traffic to your website.
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How To Buy A Premium Domain
Buying a premium domain that the owner has listed on an aftermarket marketplace works just the same as purchasing a regular domain name:
Youll then be the proud owner of a new domain name, and it will renew at the extensions regular price for any subsequent years that you own the domain.
Behind the scenes, a number of things can happen that will affect the time it takes to transfer ownership over to you. Some services make this process easy and others require a bit of back and forth, which can take a few minutes or a week as we gather the necessary information and make sure everything is transferred smoothly. Whatever the specifics may be, well handle it for you and ensure a secure transfer.
Checking The Facts About Premium Domain Names
When you hear about premium domain names, it could mean a listing on the domain aftermarket. Or a high-end name spotlighted by registries. Or maybe even a service to help sell premium domain names. It can get confusing when you start exploring premium domain names, but thats no problem since theyre not really for everyone. Tools out there can help you get more mileage from a standard domain registration, so you can steer clear of premium domain names.
Need help? Call our award-winning support team at 020 7084 1810
Prices exclude applicable taxes. ICANN fees included.
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Sticks To The Users Mind
A premium domain name does this rather easily.
For example, if you are an eCommerce website selling toys, www.toy.store is the perfect domain name for you. Now compare this with a domain name such as www.theonlinetoystore.com or www.buytoysonline.com.
You will obviously remember the first option in the long run because Its short, meaningful, and its literally just two words.
The brevity of a domain name also makes it easy to communicate using online as well as offline media.
Benefits Of Buying A Premium Domain
The most expensive retail space in America is on Upper 5th Avenue in New York City, leasing at $2,250 per square foot per year. The LEGO Store Fifth Avenue, for example, measures 7,100 square feet. So the math says LEGO is paying about $16 million per year to rent that space.
The 5th Avenue retail space is incredibly expensive, yet there are seldom any vacancies . This means a lot of companies are willing to pay a very high price to be seen on 5th Avenue.
Premium domains are the 5th Avenues of the internet. They are not going to be cheap, but there are some major benefits that might make it worth the investment:
- Recognition and Credibility
Many of the stores on 5th Avenue are labeled by the companies as flagship stores. This means the company considers it the lead store meant to showcase its brand and products. These companies are essentially showing off themselves to potential customers. Companies that want to be the best need to act like the best, and that means putting up flagship stores in ridiculously expensive areas. Perhaps that flagship store will never turn a profit, but the company considers its flagship lease to be a worthy investment.
Your domain is your online flagship. Invest in a prime location so you can show yourself off. You want your brand to be sitting on the internet 5th Avenue, not in a strip mall next to a Chinese take-out.
- The First Impression
- Search Engine Optimization Made Easy
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How Much Should You Pay For A Premium Domain
The cost for a premium domain depends on the perceived value to the buyer and the seller. What is it worth to you to get this specific domain name? Whether you are working with an individual, an organization, or a domain marketplace, you may pay the asking price, or you have the option to attempt to negotiate a lower price.
Theres a lot riding on your domain name, so you want to be confident in your choice. If you have the option of paying for a premium domain for your app that offers increased brandability, its worth weighing the value against the cost.
Want to talk about your app idea? Get in touch and well schedule a call.
What Should You Ask Before Paying For A Premium Domain
Standard domains usually cost between $10 and $30, while a premium domain can be hundreds to thousands of dollars. Before you purchase a premium domain, here are some questions to consider:
- Have you explored other options for a domain name? Did you follow a process to try to create a domain name that will work well for your app?
- Will this premium domain name help you draw traffic to your app or help you grow your business? Can you justify the expense against expected future revenue?
- Is the cost of the premium domain in your budget? Do you have the funds to pay for it or can you get access to funds?
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Thoroughly Research The Domain
Much like a used car, domains have histories of use which can effect their valuation. And you dont want to be stuck with a lemon! Fortunately, you can find out all about its past and determine how it will impact your future. Heres what you need to check out: Was the domain sold previously? If so, for how much?http://www.domaintools.com/buy/sales-history/ Was the domain ever used to host a website or blog? http://archive.org/web/web.php Does the domain have any Google penalties or a negative backlink profile? You can use tools like Open Site Explorer or Majestic SEO to checkout backlinks for spam] Is the domain name making use of a trademarked name? Check the USPTO to make sure you are not buying a potentially infringing name which could get you in hot water! For brandable names, do a search in quotes on Google. Are there any derogatory listings involving the name
Startup And A Premium Domain Is It Worth It
As it is generally known, startup is a term that applies to companies or projects that have been on the market for a relatively short time. However, these are companies with potential that are marked by innovation, but also by greater investment risk than traditional ventures, and thus the possibility of greater profit if they are successful.
Startups require founders to contribute a lot of their money or to be able to raise funds from investors who believe in the idea. However, regardless of how the funding is obtained, the most important thing is to advertise the venture as well as possible.
Buying a premium domain can have a significant impact on the popularity of our business, but it is often a considerable investment. Premium addresses are not cheap, and buying the most catchy one for our domain can significantly hurt our wallet. However, it is one of the most important investments in a startup.
If we decide to invest in a domain, the traffic to our site will increase when compared to other sites. The site will rank high in search engines, and as a result, the content on the site will reach a larger audience, including both potential customers and further sponsors of our business.
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Premium Domain Name Characteristics
Not all domain names are created equal. Some are inherently worth more than others, especially to the right buyer.
A premium domain name purchase is an investment in your business and your brand. Despite the heftier price tag, premium names pay off in the long run. Below, we’ll look at various qualities characteristic of these domain names to help us understand why they’re so desirable and commandeer a premium price.
Two Methods For Buying A Domain Name
Fortunately, it doesnt really matter where you buy your domain. At the end of the day, a domain is a domain, and you wont find any variations in quality based on where you buy one.
The biggest difference from one domain registrar to the next is the pricesome offer domains for just a few dollars a year and others can go as high as $20 per year or more. There are two ways to get a domain name, one of which is free for the first year and the other is not.
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So Do You Really Need A Premium Domain
Premium domains are significantly more expensive, so before you buy one, you should weigh the pros and cons, and see if it is worth getting such a domain. In some cases, a premium domain is definitely worth the money, while in others it may be an unjustified expense and a loss of money.
+ You can get the best possible domain. Whether it was the first one that came to mind, or you chose it after a careful consideration, it is clearly your first choice for a domain name. If this is the case and there are no other factors to affect your decision, you can probably go ahead and buy the domain.
+You can invest in a premium domain. If the estimated value of a particular name is high, it is very likely that some company will want it sooner or later. Many domain investors buy such domains and sell them for profit. This refers to domains that are already considered premium ones, not to random available domains that some people register at the standard price and resell for $70-$80.
+ You can monetize it. If your project will earn you some money, it is justified to spend more on a better domain name. The additional traffic the domain can bring you will likely pay off the higher amount you had to pay for it.
Iâve always thought of premium domain names as Internet beachfront property .Itâs interesting how the value of the top names continues to rise even in era of mobile and a multitude of TLDs. Wild.