How To Buy A Domain Name That Is Already Registered

How to Buy a Domain That Is Taken

You've decided to start a new venture and you've come up up with the perfect name. Simply when you search for the domain you want, you discover that someone already owns it. And then what do yous exercise? Do yous give upwardly and modify your business organisation name, or do you figure out how to buy a domain that is taken? If y'all want to choose the latter option, you've come to the right identify.

This guide volition share non simply why it'south so important to get the exact domain you want, simply likewise give you step-past-footstep instructions on how to buy a domain that is taken.

Before we brainstorm; don't only go and become a different TLD

If your desired domain name is taken, you might exist thinking that there's a 3rd option worth considering: getting the same domain but with a unlike TLD, like .net or .org instead of .com.

Nonetheless, this is non a skillful thought. Starting time off, people will never remember what your correct TLD was, and so they will usually go for .com anyway – ending upward at the wrong website.

Additionally, registering existing names can as well result in legal trouble. The owner of the original .com might argue that you're trying to infringe on their make name by registering a similar domain name.

At the terminate of the twenty-four hour period, you lot're really better off either trying to get the original domain proper noun that yous wanted from the starting time, or changing your focus to a different proper noun entirely.

With that said, permit's talk business:

How to buy a domain that is taken

Y'all can buy a domain that is taken by following these steps:

one. Check what the domain is currently being used for

Your starting time step should be to visit the domain you desire to buy. Is there a real website there? Has information technology been updated in the by few years? If the answers to both questions are "yes", the owner of the domain is probably not interested in selling it. If there's a real website but it hasn't been updated in several years, you're more likely to get the domain, but at that place'due south still a strong adventure the owner will turn down to sell it.

On the other hand, if the website you see is only a placeholder, yous tin can arroyo the domain owner with confidence. If the domain possessor buys and re-sells domains on a regular footing, they might fifty-fifty accept a page upwardly linking to the domain buying service they adopt to work with.

Here'due south an example of what a parked domain commonly looks like – owners of such domains are unremarkably just waiting for the right offer to come their way:

parked

ii. Find out who owns the domain name

Once y'all've adamant that the domain isn't being used for an agile website, your next step is to find out who owns the domain. The easiest way to practise this is by using a WHOIS service. There's a number of websites where you can do this sort of lookup, just, most of the time, y'all'll get a set of standard information from any of them:

when the domain was registered,
who the domain was registered past,
how to contact that person or company,
and even when the domain'southward electric current buying expires.

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

Instance results of a WHOIS lookup:

WhoIs search

Some domain owners will have purchased privacy protection and their names won't appear in a WHOIS search. In these instances, it will be difficult to purchase the domain unless you tin can find it on a domain auction site or marketplace similar Sedo, Namecheap, or Flippa.

3. Determine what you're willing to pay

Now that you know the domain is bachelor, and before you contact the owner, decide what you're willing to pay for it. This can be tricky since at that place'southward no agreed-upon value of a domain, only you lot can become an idea of what prices are by searching through a domain market place like Flippa'south.

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 exist used past almost whatsoever business organisation within a given industry (for example, socialmediamarketing.com) has generic value.
Brandability – When a domain lacks generic value or a strong keyword, its main value lies in its brandability. Brusque, memorable names that are easy to spell are piece of cake 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-alphabetic character .com volition cost you a lot.

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

Pointing out specific brackets that brand sense for your desired domain name isn't very doable, I'm agape, so you'll have to do the research on your ain. Equally I mentioned, start past going to Flippa or some other market place and look for domains that are similar to the one yous want. Run across the toll tags on them.

Wait 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 y'all can really afford that domain in the first place.

4. Contact the owner

If your search is successful, there are two ways you tin can contact the owner: by reaching out direct, or past using a domain ownership service.

To reach out directly, simply use the information found in your WHOIS search to send a polite email offer to purchase the domain. Yous tin include some information about who you are and why you want the domain, merely go on your email brief. Include your initial offer in the starting time email to speed up the negotiation process.

If you lot utilize a domain buying service, a broker volition accomplish out to the domain owner and deport the negotiation process for you – a great path to take when learning how to buy a domain that is taken.

godaddy domains

You will have to pay fees for some of these services, but they will also ensure that yous receive your new domain name safely. Plus, those fees are typically relatively pocket-size.

5. Negotiate the purchase

Once y'all've established contact with the possessor, information technology's time to negotiate your terms of purchase. This includes toll, how the domain will be transferred, and what region's laws volition apply to the sale. There are example domain sale agreements available online, simply if this is going to exist a more expensive buy, information technology's always best to speak to an actual attorney earlier taking the leap.

Make certain you consider the safety of both the financial transaction and the domain transfer during this process. Avoid eTransfers and wire transfers. Instead, use a site like Escrow to transfer your funds deeply. Escrow allows yous to deposit the funds first, so the domain owner tin can run into yous're prepared to pay, and so authorize the transaction later when you've got the domain.

If you utilize a service like Escrow, you volition need to transfer your domain separately. Luckily, there are standardized processes for transferring domains. Here'south an example of how things piece of work at DreamHost. Y'all'll observe like tutorials with other domain registrars also.

The other option for making your final buy is to utilize a domain aftermarket service like the one provided by GoDaddy to ensure that all parties are protected during the domain purchase process. Once more, you lot will pay an extra fee for this service, but it will ensure that your money stays safe. Some of these services are connected to domain registrars and may also be able to aid you comport the domain transfer.

How to backorder a domain

The procedure outlined to a higher place is the easiest way to buy a domain name that is taken, but sometimes that isn't possible. If you even so can't go the domain you want, your other option is to backorder it.

Backordering ways that yous wait for a domain's ownership to elapse and purchase information technology the moment it becomes available.

However, keeping track of a domain'southward expiration date manually can exist tricky, so you'll want to use a backordering service.

Some of the popular options:

CatchTiger
GoDaddy
Dropcatch

CatchTiger

However, even if you use a backordering service, at that place's no guarantee that y'all'll get the domain you desire. The current possessor still has to let their ownership of the domain elapse, and many hosting services requite owners an extra grace period where they tin can renew after the official expiration date. Typically, that's 75 extra days.

No luck?

If you lot want to start your new venture sooner rather than later and you can't get the domain you want through the ordinary process, you should seriously consider seeking a different one. If y'all're lost for ideas, check out whatever of these awesome domain name generators. What'south great about them is that they volition suggest a number of options based on your seed keyword.

Have your domain? Expert! Hither's what'south adjacent

With your domain name registered, the next natural step to accept is getting a adept hosting setup, so that your futurity website is off to a bully get-go.

Here's our in-depth comparing of the all-time hosting options available for WordPress.
If you're on the spotter for a cheap host, read this.

Lastly, if your ultimate goal is to start a web log, read this guide of ours. It covers all the steps to building a successful blog – from 0 experience to 150,000+ readers every month.

I promise this guide on how to purchase a domain that is taken has been helpful.

If any of the steps described above aren't clear, feel free to ask away in the comments.

Don't forget to bring together our crash course on speeding up your WordPress site. With some simple fixes, you can reduce your loading time by even 50-80%: