written by
Joe Uddeme
How to Buy a Domain Name
How to Buy a Domain Name Owned by Someone Else
Negotiating a Domain Price
What is a Premium Domain Name & Why You Should Buy One
How to Choose a Domain Name
How to Value a Domain Name
Domain Names for Startups
How to Buy a .com Domain Name
Things to Watch Out for When Buying a Domain
Domain Name Investing
Buy & Selling Domains
Best Domains to Buy
Before getting excited about the domain name you want being available, ask yourself why it is up for grabs – especially if it appears to be a great name. Many domain names on the open market have a hidden past – as NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme explains…
Let’s say you just found out you can secure a domain name that matches the name of your new business. Or maybe you’re doing it the other way around and want to start with an available domain name that you’ll build your business around.
Now let’s suppose it’s one of those short, snappy modern domain names made up of five letters that don’t mean anything.
Now press pause.
Before you plan the entire history of your brand around these five letters, it’s advisable to perform some due diligence – just as it is when buying any domain name.
When buying a car, it’s helpful to have a trusted mechanic perform an inspection and to review the vehicle’s service history before handing over your cash. A similar thing applies to purchasing domain names.
It’s necessary to perform proper due diligence – or you risk wasting money. This article will give you a due diligence checklist to follow to ensure you make a worthy purchase and ensure you don’t buy a domain name with a damaging hidden past.
Key Takeaways
Due diligence means investigating the details of a business or person that you want to enter a commercial transaction with. It’s necessary because it helps you understand the nature of what you want to buy, the risks involved, and anything else that could be a hindrance.
Not conducting domain name due diligence before buying can cause trouble. For example, you may buy a domain that has been blacklisted for spam activities and wonder why your website isn’t getting traffic. Or why any email sent from your domain goes to the recipient’s spam folder.
You could also buy a stolen domain and be subject to lawsuits accusing you of theft – or one that used to be an adult site. The list of potential risks is endless, so always carry out domain due diligence before any purchase.
WHOIS is a public database containing information about domain name owners. You can run a WHOIS lookup to trace the ownership of a domain name, and it’s advisable to do this for any domain you want to buy a domain name.
Check the WHOIS history for at least a year to see if there were any ownership changes. If you notice any, you can contact the prior owner to ensure that they actually transferred the ownership and the domain wasn’t stolen. Domain thieves try to sell domains in a hurry, and this process helps you avoid buying a stolen domain and exposing yourself to legal troubles.
Because of Europe’s GDPR data protection laws, you may not be able to see details about a domain’s owner (it’ll appear as redacted). However, access is granted to certain licensed third parties that, in turn, offer that data to people for a fee. DomainIQ and DomainTools are two examples of such parties.
The WHOIS lookup will help you verify that the domain is owned by a legitimate buyer and not a hacker. After that, the next step of the domain name due diligence is to check how the domain was utilized in the past. What type of website was it used for? Is it something that could have gotten it into a blacklist?
A good website to check a domain’s history and utilization is the Wayback Machine. This is a digital archive that lets you see how the website for any domain looked in the past. The idea is to ensure that the domain was used for appropriate activities.
If it was used for nefarious things like unregulated gambling, domain name scams, or data theft, it’s a signal to stay clear because the domain may have been blacklisted by search engines and email providers.
Ensure that the domain name you want to use is not similar to an established trademark because this can lead to infringement lawsuits and a possible court order to hand over the domain. There was a popular case of an entrepreneur called Mike Rowe, who registered the “MikeRoweSoft.com” domain for his software company. Microsoft, the well-known software company, filed a lawsuit alleging trademark infringement, and Mike Rowe had to hand over ownership of the domain in exchange for an Xbox and some certification training.
If the domain name you want to buy is similar to an established trademark, it’s best to avoid it and go for something else.
Another important part of the due diligence checklist is to see how the domain name performs on search engines. If you can’t find valid results when you input the domain name of a search engine, it’s a signal that it may have been blacklisted due to past activity. Check if there are backlinks from nefarious sites pointing to the domain because that represents another red flag.
It’s also important to see if a domain has been marked by email blacklists. If so, emails from that domain will likely end up in the recipient’s spam folder instead of the main inbox. Popular email blacklists include Spamhaus, Barracuda, and Proofpoint, and most of them let you run a simple scan to see if a domain is part of the list.
Once you have ticked all the boxes in your acquisition due diligence checklist and decided to proceed with the purchase, there are some essential tips to follow.
You should create a spreadsheet to track each step of the domain name sale. The spreadsheet should contain sections like “current status”, “date transferred”, and “price”. This will help you stay on top of every detail of the imminent domain acquisition.
Escrow refers to a neutral third party that holds the money before it is transferred from the domain buyer to the seller. It’s necessary to use an escrow service to prevent yourself from falling victim to fraud. The escrow service will hold the money that you’ve agreed to pay for the domain and only disburse it if the seller fulfills all the terms of the deal.
When you acquire a domain, the buyer will have to transfer it to your registrar for it to officially become yours. A domain must be at least 60 days old to be transferable according to rules defined by ICANN, the governing body for domain registration. The owner will need an authorization code from their registrar to authorize the transfer to your own registrar. Once this is complete, the domain is officially yours.
If you need help with domain name due diligence, you can hire a professional domain broker with experience in appraising and investigating domain names.
The broker can help you decide if it’s a worthwhile purchase and also negotiate a good price with the owner. Check out our post on domain name negotiation tips for further insight into this exciting and complex world!
Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]
Updated for 2026 | Securing the perfect domain is crucial for setting your business apart –and that’s where domain name brokers come in. In this comprehensive review, domain industry expert Joe Uddeme highlights 10 of the best domain name brokerage services and explains their pros and cons.
When you buy a domain name, you purchase a piece of digital real estate. But what, exactly, are you getting for your money? NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme unravels the elements of a domain name – so you’ll have a clearer understanding of the architecture behind them. A domain name is an address you type into your web browser whenever you want to visit a website. It is arguably one of the most important assets any business can own. While ‘domain name’ is an all-encompassing term, a domain is actually made up of multiple parts. Understanding these elements can give you a clearer picture of the domain name investing world and ensure you’re well-informed before buying a domain name or asking a skilled domain broker to negotiate the purchase of one on your behalf. Key Takeaways Domain names – an introduction The 3 types of domain name Domain TLDs for beginners Why not check out our article about why choosing a .com domain name still makes sense for most businesses? What are domains? A domain name is a human-readable address that directs you to a particular website available on the internet. It’s akin to the address for your official residence or workplace. When someone wants to visit you, they come to your address. Similarly, when someone wants to visit a website, they type in the domain address in their web browser. Any domain name has four main components; Domain name: The name of the domain itself. Top-Level domain (TLD): The suffix that appears after the domain name, e.g., .COM and .NET. Subdomain: A domain that is part of another primary domain. It is also known as a third-level domain. Protocol: The system that specifies how information from the domain is transferred to your web browser. It is either HTTP (insecure) or HTTPS (secure). Take https://www.nameexperts.com/, for example. NameExperts is the domain name .COM is the top-level domain WWW is the subdomain HTTPS is the protocol The 3 Types of Domain Names There are three main types of domains, including: 1. Top-Level Domains A top-level domain (TLD) is the final section of a domain name. It is the last segment of text appearing after the dot symbol. For example, in Google.com, .COM is the top-level domain. Ever since the world wide web’s inception, .COM has been the most common top-level domain. It was originally used to designate commercial businesses but has become the de-facto TLD for most websites. Another popular TLD is .NET. It was initially meant for internet service providers and networks but is now available to anyone who wants it. Because NET signifies network and technology, this is an ideal option for technology companies. Yet another well-known TLD is .ORG, which was originally used to designate not-for-profit organizations. Till today, most people associate this TLD with non-profit organizations and social causes rather than commercial businesses. The .ai TLD is another popular one today – especially for tech firms. There are two main types of top-level domains; Generic TLD A generic top-level domain refers to domain name endings with three or more characters, the type that you’d most likely recognize. .COM, .NET, .ORG, .INFO, and other common domain endings fall under this category. Before 2011, there were barely two dozen domain extensions classified as generic. That year, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) expanded the number of generic domain extensions from 22 to over 1,200, opening up more opportunities for individuals and businesses to acquire domain names. Country-Code TLD As the name implies, these are domain extensions associated with specific countries. ICANN assigns country domain endings to each formally recognized nation and sovereign state, and these nations collect a royalty on every sale of their assigned TLD. For example, Tuvalu, a small island nation, earns 1/12th of its annual income from its .TV domain extension. Other popular examples of country domain endings include .US for the United States of America .AU for Australia .DE for Germany .CA for Canada .CC for Cocos Islands .AE for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), etc. 2. Second-Level Domains A second-level domain is directly below a top-level domain in the domain hierarchy. It is the part of the domain name that comes right before the top-level domain. For example, in NameExperts.com, NameExperts is the second-level domain. The second-level domain is usually a combination of words describing the business or service of the domain name owner – and it pays to match this to the name of your business whenever possible to strengthen your brand. In the above example, NameExperts describes the business of a professional domain name broker that helps customers to acquire valuable domains. A second-level domain can include letters, numbers, and hyphens. Symbols are not allowed. 3. Third-Level Domains The third-level domain, or subdomain, is the part of the URL that comes before the second-level domain. The most common subdomain is www., which refers to the world wide web. Third-level domains are not mandatory, so you can have a fully functional domain name without the www part. Some website owners create third-level domains to represent a different section of their website. Examples include: Shop.mywebsite.com refers to the e-commerce section of a website. Blog.mywebsite.com refers to a blog attached to the website. Support.mywebsite.com leads to the customer support section of a website. Understanding Domain TLDs A domain name is the most important property for anyone who conducts business online. Hence, it’s crucial to understand what they are and the different types of domain name extensions to use for a website. The information above should help you figure out how to structure your domain, but if you need help, we’re experts at domain selection and helping you buy the perfect domain. About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact the NameExperts team at: [email protected]
Looking to buy domain names in 2025? Here’s Name Experts Director Joe Uddeme with a roundup of emerging trends and things to look for when adding a name or two to your portfolio. Buying the right domain is crucial for a successful business, which is why our professional team at NameExperts.com makes sure to stay on top of emerging trends. What was right for your business a decade ago – probably your brand name + .com – might still be relevant today, but there are newer alternatives and domain name combinations that consumers are comfortable with, too. Purchasing premium domain names is a great idea for any emerging business that wants to scale their brand. Top companies around the world are teaming up with domain brokers to help them buy premium domain names at the best prices – and with their anonymity preserved if necessary, too. Save money, add credibility, and give your company equity value when you work with experts like us. Key Takeaways GDPR has changed the rulebook There are now more TLDs (.com, .ai, .io, etc.) than ever – but not all are popular Catchy ‘meaningless’ names can become very valuable Trend #1: Easier Identity Protection Have you heard of GDPR? When it comes to identity and privacy online, it can be very difficult to identify actual ownership of domains – which is why we recommend working with a top domain broker who has the skills to properly identify owners and help you navigate the domain world. The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is a new and strict set of rules and regulations that mandate how businesses that gather customer data and also how they must protect that data. It also outlines severe penalties for companies that violate the GDPR. This can make it that much more challenging to identify who owns what. No matter the size of your company, if you’re doing business in Europe, you should be thinking about how you’re protecting your employees’ and clients’ information online. Trend #2: Reduction In GTLD Registrations TLDs are the letters found at the end of an internet address, such as .com, .net or .org. Any TLD that isn’t representing a country or territory is known as a generic top-level domain. The New gTLD Program was an initiative coordinated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which has increased the domain name system. With the introduction of new top-level domains, it was meant to enhance competition and consumer choice when it comes to domain names. It also brought many new safeguards to help support a secure, stable and resilient internet. Though there is a rise in new generic top-level domains or gTLD registrations, the trend is that many registrations are not being renewed – meaning there is limited value in this type of asset. There are so many different domain identifiers, like .law, .brand, .legal that it is easy to get carried away. We believe these new registrations will continue to decline and buyers will focus much more on sensible and dependable options such as .com, .co, .net, and .org. However, there are several newer options that can be worth investigating. These include .ai domain names and also .io, which are beloved of tech brands. Trend #3: Interesting Combinations and Lateral Thinking Verbs and action phrases at the start of a domain name are in vogue. Things like ‘get’ or ‘try’ – resulting in www.getselfhelp.co.uk, for example. Thinking laterally also leads to the likes of Zyro and Figma, which have become highly-prized brands based around words that didn’t exist. We regularly help clients to align themselves with strong and/or catchy names that appear to be unavailable. It’s one of the many reasons that people turn to a domain broker. As well as helping you to choose a strong brand name that has long-term value, we bring expert negotiation skills to the table. We also take care of every element of the transaction – from soup to nuts. Our team offers a full-service domain name brokerage experience for each one of our clients. It’s our mission to protect our clients’ anonymity and deliver great results. From domain name acquisition to the divestment process, we have the knowledge you need to help you grow your business and protect your assets. About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]
Name Experts offers personalized domain brokerage services, assisting clients in buying or selling premium domain names with expert appraisal, negotiation, and complete transaction management while ensuring confidentiality.
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