Domain names are highly valued—and for good reason. Just as location is crucial in real estate, domain ownership is essential for establishing an online presence. A domain serves as the Internet equivalent of an address, making it easier for people to find a business or website online.
Picking the wrong one can cause a site to be lost in the sea of other domains on the web before it even gets traction. Find the right domain name, and it’s bound to make the right impression on potential customers.
Here’s a guide on how to find the perfect domain name, register it, or buy a domain from someone else who owns it.
The search for the best domain name also starts with a simple search. Using a tool like GoDaddy’s domain search bar, type out some ideas and see what suggestions come up.
Remember one crucial tip when browsing: pick a short and easy-to-remember domain name. Skip domains with hyphens or numbers because they aren’t highly rated and are difficult to resell.
Check domain extensions. The two to three letters that follow a name also matter. The next section will discuss these in greater detail.
Once a name is picked, it’s time to check the domain name availability. Note that good names tend to be unavailable and might need to be bought from their current owners.
Top-level domains (TLDs) are the letters that follow the final dot after the domain name. Popular TLDs include:
The TLD .com is still the primary choice for many domain owners. However, established businesses like Apple and Twitter have incorporated some unlikely domain extensions (itun.es and t.co) that may signal a shift in preference in the years to come.
Those lucky enough to find the availability of their desired domain name free can buy and register it. To protect their brand, it’s recommended that would-be domain owners also register the misspelled versions of the name.
Domain availability registration is done through registrars, who rent out domain names usually on a per-year basis. Here are some major domain registrars and what they’re best used for:
Each registrant has a protocol for signing up for a domain, some even doubling as a website builder.
To recap, these are the steps to register a premium domains availability, from picking a name to renewing it.
Domain providers offer a variety of term lengths when a domain name is registered. One year is the norm, but registrants like GoDaddy offer terms as long as ten years for .com Domains.
Yes. Finding a domain free of charge is possible. Some domain providers offer a year of registration upon signing up or if a customer purchases a hosting package, which includes a free email.
Other ways to get a free domain name include:
The main con of going this route is that free domain providers give out domains with non-standard TLDs, which might make the web address look unprofessional in the browser.
A subdomain is a section of a primary domain (blog.website.com). Some web hosting companies will give subdomains for free.
Similarly, these hosts will incentivize customers to promote their products and services in exchange for a free domain and free email. Don’t expect to get the desired domain name or much assistance from their support team.
When a domain name is unavailable, a domain broker service is the way to go. Hosting providers can checkout if multiple domain names are available and then negotiate the purchase of a website from its current owner on another person’s behalf.
Searching for a domain name that best suits your product or services can spell success for your business online, so paying extra for the domain you want is part of the investment for some.
As of 2024, there are over 350 million domains registered worldwide. Some are more valuable than others—often by a considerable margin. So, it’s no wonder people have come to view these valuable domain names as prized investments.
That’s right. Domains can be ‘traded’ like stocks or ‘flipped’ like real estate property for a profit. Investors find a domain that has the potential to be in demand for a low price and then resell it for a higher price later.
The average price of a domain name sold in the aftermarket is in the thousand dollars, but some premium names have been listed for over a million.
Here are the three main ways investors make money off of domains.
Remember that, like regular investing, putting money on domains comes with risks. The market can fluctuate, and the actual value of a domain can be challenging to determine.
A domain name search with the following characteristics can increase an investor’s chance of getting a good return on their investment.
If the dream domain name you want is unavailable, don’t lose hope yet. There are several ways to get the right website name and achieve an online presence without paying for the service of a domain broker.
This option is an excellent alternative for a one-name business. Pick an easy to use verb appropriate to the name for your online brand and place it in front. A good example is Pocket, a social bookmarking service using the domain getpocket.com.
Similarly, a brand can add any appropriate word to its name if its desired domain is taken. An example is the in-flight Internet provider Gogo, which uses gogoair.com.
If the .com version of the domain you're looking for already has an owner, the next best thing is to opt for a domain with a country code TLD. The following ccTLDs are popular: .co.uk and .com.au,
Another way to incorporate a business location into its domain name is through abbreviation. For example, a cleaning service based in Florida can use cleaningfairyfl.com if it’s the available domain.
When domain owners register their domains, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) requires them to disclose personal contact details such as their name, email address, phone number, and address.
This can lead to unnecessary exposure, resulting in owners receiving spam or, worse, being targeted for domain theft. The good news is that many hosting services and website builders offer users domain privacy for fraud protection.
For example, GoDaddy and Web.com replace their users’ info with proxy info in the public domain directory WHOIS.
So, what is WHOIS? The simple answer is that it’s a directory with the expertise required to record who owns a domain and how people can contact it. The WHOIS database is primarily designed to help maintain the integrity of website ownership and domain name registration process.
The information that can be found on WHOIS will let you know;
As a query-response protocol, WHOIS submits a search request to the WHOIS server, which then searches the database and delivers a response. Thus, WHOIS is both a protocol and a lookup service.
Interestingly, the WHOIS database isn’t centralized but distributed among several registries and registrars. So, how can people use WHOIS to reveal a website’s ownership? Here are three ways.
Network administrators and security professionals use the last two methods. Let’s keep our focus on the first, which is the most user-friendly option.
Performing a domain pursuit is the same regardless of the lookup search tool. It’s a straightforward process that involves these steps.
In addition to the information on site owners, lookup tools will display a domain’s date of creation and registry expiration.
The WHOIS database contains over 13 billion records. Given how quickly information becomes obsolete, it’s hard to gauge which ones are accurate at any given time.
Some domain owners fail to update their site’s information, and some registrars aren’t strict about enforcing data accuracy practices. Privacy tools can also now display proxy information in the WHOIS database.
Domain owners who want to update their WHOIS information can contact their registrar. Changes in the records are reflected in the public database 24 to 48 hours after submission.
ICANN is the main governing body associated with the WHOIS database. It requires that all information submitted be accurate for a domain’s registration period and regulates the registration and ownership of domains.
Although it has its faults, the WHOIS database is ultimately a helpful domain checker resource. It gives easy access to necessary information that may be useful for law enforcement, domain investors, and regular netizens.
For example, law enforcement agencies can use the WHOIS lookup tool to discover who is behind the operation of fraudulent websites that perpetuate phishing, spamming, and other online crimes.
The WHOIS database can also serve as a one-stop place for domain investors to monitor their portfolio of websites. They can keep track of domain expiration dates and ensure their contact information is current. It can also respond to any FAQ you'd like answered. Of course, having the owner's contact information for a potential domain investment is another perk.
Meanwhile, Internet users who want to verify the legitimacy of an online shop before making a purchase can use the WHOIS lookup tool to help them avoid potential scams.
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