Who Do I Buy A Domain Name From

How Do I Find The Best Available Domain Name

If you have an idea for the name you want, start by searching for that. If the name isnt available, well show you our best recommendations for similar, available domain names. Or, if you dont have a specific domain name in mind, just type in keywords that describe your website or project, hit search, and check out the suggestions.

Dont Stunt Your Growth

When choosing a domain name, it pays to think ahead.

For example, you might want to avoid including the one product you sell now in your domain name if you plan to expand your product line in the future. Likewise, including a location is your domain name is a smart move if youre planning to do business locally but could stunt your online growth if youre planning to expand to new areas.

Give yourself room to grow.

Should You Add Domain Privacy

Another consideration to keep in mind is to decide whether you want to add domain privacy or not. Domain privacy allows you to hide your private information so nobody can see it when they perform a WHOIS lookup. This is useful as it protects your information from getting scraped and used by online scammers and spammers.

You can easily add domain privacy during the domain registration process.

GoDaddy offers full domain privacy and protection packages for both individuals and businesses. This service protects your private information, prevents domain-related spam, and it can also safeguard your website from accidental loss of domain due to expired credit card, potential hacking attempts, and deter domain hijackers.

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How To Buy A Domain Name

Before we go any further, its worth noting that its only possible to register an existing domain name with a valid domain extension that other people or businesses dont already own.

Were going to dive deeper into the steps to register a domain name from where to get a domain name to finally getting into the website registration process.

Here are the five steps to buy domain names:

How Do I Buy A Domain Name

Congrats! You found an available name and youre ready to make it yours. Simply add the domain name to your cart and start the checkout process. During checkout, youll make some decisions like how many years youd like to register it for, if youd like to add site hosting, email, advanced security, auto-renewals, and other features.

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Connecting Your Domain Name To Mailchimp

Whether youve bought your domain through Mailchimp or a third party, you can transfer your domain name and connect it to your Mailchimp account. Once connected, you can use that domain with a custom landing page or Mailchimp-hosted website. If you dont already have a website, Mailchimp offers a free website builder that you can use to make your brand stand out with no coding skills required.

Determine If The Domain Seems Attainable

If a domain is unavailable from a registrar, try going directly to that website and see what you find. If theres an active website or business using that domain, it might be tougher to acquire.

But if you dont see an active site, theres a good chance that domain will be for sale.

Heres an example for management.com:

Clearly, not much is happening on this site. So if you wanted this premium domain, there is a pretty good indication here that its for sale.

In some cases, youll even see text like buy this domain or information that says this domain might be for sale. All of these are good signs that the domain is attainable.

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How To Register A Domain Name With Hostgator

Next, well explain how to get a domain name on HostGator . Part of the same group as Bluehost, it offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop website builder and feature-rich web hosting services.

The first step to buying a domain name on HostGator is to open the Domains page on their website. Insert a domain name and on the search field and press the Enterkey.

If the domain is unavailable, pick a recommended alternative with a different domain extension or name variation.

The cost for a .com domain at HostGator is similar to Bluehost, starting from $12.95/year. Bundling the item with a privacy and protection feature is also possible, costing $14.95/year. Pick between one, two, or a three-year registration period, then click Continue To Checkout.

Now, create a HostGator account and fill in your billing information. HostGator has two payment options credit card and PayPal.

Before finalizing the purchase, HostGator will preview the order. Here, you can set custom nameservers to point the domain name to a third-party hosting account if desired. Click Place Your Order once everything looks right.

Finally, HostGator will send a domain ownership validation request to your registered email address. Remember to click on the link within 15 days to prevent the domain from temporary suspension.

Besides the steps above, HostGator also offers a domain name registration service via their support team. However, this alternative method is only applicable to certain TLDs .

Verify Your Email Address

After you buy a domain, you must verify your email address to complete your domain registration. Check your email account for several emails from Shopify that you need to review. These emails include details about the following:

• confirming your purchase
• verifying your email address
• managing how your data is shared.

If you don’t receive an email about verifying your email address, then check your email inbox’s spam folder or resend the verification email from your Shopify admin. If you don’t verify your email address, then your domain might be suspended.

Note

If you already own a domain through Shopify that’s registered with the same first name, last name, and email address, then your email address might be verified automatically. If your email address is verified automatically, then you won’t receive an email about verifying your email address.

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What Should You Look For In Registrar When Buying Domain Names

Even if you only have plans to register a single domain for the time being, choosing a quality registrar can still pay off. After all, you will have to renew that domain at some point, and you may wish to register others down the line. Plus, transferring a domain from one registrar to another can be a pain, so youll want to avoid going down that road if possible.

With that in mind, heres what you should be on the lookout for when choosing where to register your domain:

• An easy-to-use interface. This is vital for any online service youre going to use regularly.
• Low prices for domain registrations and renewals. Shop around before you settle on a registrar, and see how much it costs to get the same domain from multiple places. Chances are the difference wont be that much, but saving a few dollars never hurt anyone.
• Advanced domain management features. At the very least, any registrar you choose should provide you with the option to hide your information from people who want to peek at your domains records.
• Web hosting plans. This one isnt a deal breaker, since a lot of people prefer to keep their hosting and domains separate. However, if youd rather have everything under one roof, you should opt for a provider that offers both services.

How Much Does A Domain Name Cost

The exact cost of your new domain name will vary based on the registrar, the specific top-level domain you’ve chosen, and the quality of the domain name. Domain.com is proud to offer more than 300 unique TLDs to help your new website stand out. Some domains may be pricier due to their intrinsic benefits, like being short and memorable, or the use of very competitive keywords such as cars.com. Browse our premium domains to jumpstart your website performance.

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Can I Transfer My Domain Name To Another Host

Transferring your domain name can be done here.

Specific transfer instructions can be found at the support center of your new host.

Before you transfer your domain, you need to create a new hosting account.

An authorization code from your current host is required to transfer your domain. The code is used to prevent unauthorized transfers.

Regardless of which hosting provider you choose, these steps will serve as a general guide.

Find Out Who Owns The Domain Name

Once youve determined that the domain isnt being used for an active website, your next step is to find out who owns the domain. The easiest way to do this is by using a WHOIS service. Theres a number of websites where you can do this sort of lookup, but, most of the time, youll get a set of standard information from any of them:

• when the domain was registered,
• who the domain was registered by,
• how to contact that person or company,
• and even when the domains current ownership expires.

You may also see other information related to the purchase, but for the purposes of getting that domain, the owners email address is really what you want.

Example results of a WHOIS lookup:

Some domain owners will have purchased privacy protection and their names wont appear in a WHOIS search. In these instances, it will be difficult to purchase the domain unless you can find it on a domain auction site or marketplace like Sedo, Namecheap, or Flippa.

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Choose Potential Domain Names

Now you can develop a more refined list of potential names.

Start by listing all the names you like. Since you might not have an unlimited budget, make sure to dig deep here. You cant be too picky yet, because that will end up limiting your options. Write down everything you think might work.

I recommend browsing through the following websites to get more ideas. You might get lucky and find something you like just by browsing. If you do, add those to your list as well.

BrandBucket They put together more creative, brandable domain names and then sell them. Ive found a lot of names here I would not have thought of on my own.

BuyDomains.com They have a huge selection of domain names for sale. They have transparent pricing and offer a seamless experience. This is always my starting point, and preferred approach to acquiring a domain name.

Sedo.com Probably the biggest selection of domain names and the most well known place to acquire a name.

BuyDomains.com and Uniregistry are the biggest players in selling domains. More times than not, if a domain name is for sale when I type it into my browser, it is one of those two companies that is behind the sale. I find them to be the most reasonable. HugeDomains.com is another one I have bought from.

Check The Pricing Tier

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Does Godaddy Own Domain Names

Domain registrars are the place you go to purchase a domain name. These organizations must be accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers . The best example of a domain registrar is GoDaddy. … They can even build and manage the website and design of their domain on their platform.

How Can I Get A Free Domain Name From Github

You can host your website on your own domain with the help of Github Pages.

You can get your domain name for free if you save 50% on yearly plans.

Every student wants to start their own website. They need a domain name. There are many options for a student to get some resources for free. A resource is a domain name.

A custom domain name makes it easy for people to find you, even though there are plenty of websites on the internet. You can show your digital presence to your customers with domain names. You should focus on getting a domain name.

You can add the domain to your cart by clicking on it. You just need to enter the promo code that you received from the Student Developer Pack in the previous step.

• There is free hosting on the platform. This guide will teach you everything you need to know to host your own free site.
• You can set up your website on the code base.
• There is a domain registration and setup. This is not a free step to register a domain name.
• You need to setup your domain name system.

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Techradar Exclusive Domain Name Deals

Reasons to avoid

With a name like Domain.com, the brand, means business, focusing primarily on small and medium businesses. It offers most popular top level domains, over 25 country code top level domains, and sells premium domains as a broker.

With nearly two decades of online presence, the company which is one of the worlds biggest domain name registrars expanded in web hosting and now ranges a number of products including a full design service and web hosting.

Domain.com prices tend to be average but we have managed to blag a 25% discount off almost everything in your cart*. Non-premium TLD start from $2.99 for the first year . In line with the rest of the industry, they rise significantly after the second year).

You need to pay for privacy protection, a reasonable $8.99, plus you can add email, web hosting, SSL certificates and malware protection, none of which is compulsory. You can stick with its basic website builder which is free with every domain: you get a drag and drop website builder, tons of mobile-friendly templates, up to six pages, SEO tools, Paypal integration and even access to stock image library.

Support is more than adequate with 24/7 chat, email and phone support. Domain.com may not have the cheapest prices but it provides a very balanced offering.

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

IONOS is a very well-known company for its great various hosting plans, and their offering on domain registrars is the same.

Reasons to avoid

Reasons to avoid

Determine What Youre Willing To Pay

Now that you know the domain is available, and before you contact the owner, decide what youre willing to pay for it. This can be tricky since theres no agreed-upon value of a domain, but you can get an idea of what prices are by searching through a domain marketplace like Flippas.

Here are some factors to pay attention to when figuring out how to buy a domain that is taken:

• Keywords Domains with popular keywords in them are worth more because of their ability to rank high on Google and other search engines.
• Generic value A domain that can be used by almost any business within a given industry has generic value.
• Brandability When a domain lacks generic value or a strong keyword, its main value lies in its brandability. Short, memorable names that are easy to spell are easy to build a brand around.
• Age Older domains are generally considered more valuable.
• Length Or rather shortness. The shorter the domain, the more valuable. Usually, landing your hands on a three-letter .com will cost you a lot.

Before you approach the current owner of the domain you want, choose both the base amount youre willing to offer and the maximum amount youre willing to pay they can even be the same number if you want for the domain before you approach the owner.

Look for domains of similar length, similar keyword value, generic value, and similar age, this should help you estimate the price to a degree, and also decide if you can actually afford that domain in the first place.

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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.

Who Is Responsible For Domains

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers is a non-profit organization that creates and implements the policies for domain names. ICANN was established in 1998 to ensure the Internet remains usable by everyone.

ICANN gives permission to sell domain names to companies called Domain Name Registrars. These domain name registrars are allowed to make changes to the domain names registry and pay a small fee to ICANN every time they need to register a domain name.

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Purchase Your Domain Name And Complete Its Registration

Once you settle on a domain name, its time to purchase it. When you buy through Mailchimp, well let you know the annual cost of the domain name as well as any available discounts.

During the checkout process, youll be required to enter your contact information, including an email address, to register the domain.