Are You A Domain Buyer? Here’s How It Works

What Is A Domain Name and Why Do I Need One?

Domain names are one of the foundations of every global brand – they’re your calling card online. In this post, domain name expert Joe Uddeme explains how they work and how to secure the right one for your business.   You probably know more domain names than phone numbers these days. Think of all the news sites you know the address of – plus Amazon, Apple and all those big brands whose website URLs you can guess because nine times out of ten, it is their brand name + .com. While the world of domain names is easy and familiar at face value, behind the scenes, there’s a lot more going on. If you’re getting ready to buy a premium domain name – one costing in the thousands that will be memorable and potentially valuable for a business in the long term – you need to have a solid grasp of what you’re getting into. To stop you from confusing domain names with websites or even website hosting services, this post is a great place to start. Key Takeaways What is a domain name How does a domain name work How to choose the right name for your business Securing a name that will keep your business on track   What Is A Domain Name? To put it simply, a domain name is the address of your website. It is the phrase or word that you will type into your URL bar of your browser to find your website. For example, our website is https://nameexperts.com/ You can purchase domain names through a domain registrar, through a hosting provider, or let a domain name broker help you. What is the DNS? You can’t really answer the question, “What is a domain name?” without addressing DNS. Domain names are part of a large network called the Domain Name System (DNS) and it is managed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). The ICANN is a non-profit organization responsible for management and maintenance of the DNS, as well as regulating domain registrars. How Does the DNS Work? When you type a domain name into your browser, your computer will check if you’ve previously looked at that domain. If not, then your browser will contact the local DNS server to pull it up. Your local DNS server breaks down the domain name into sections. We’ll use our name again as an example. There are three parts to nameexperts.com – www., nameexperts, and .com. The .com is known as a top level domain (TLD) and the local DNS server will search for this section first, and then serves to find all the details of your domain name and send that information back to the browser you’re using. There are obviously a lot more technical steps to it, but that’s the basics of how the DNS works. Let’s talk more about what you really need to know – what types of domain name extensions are available.   Different Types of Domain Name Extensions All domain names are made up of a website name (nameexperts), and a top level domain (.com). Though the extensions can vary, we think it is useful to know the differences between the types of top-level domains available so that when it’s time to choose your domain name, you choose the right one. The two types we are going to talk about today are Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) and Sponsored Top-Level Domains (sTLDs). Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) Normally, the best course of action is to choose a reputable TLD like .com, .net, or .org. But because these are so popular, there are millions of domain names that have been registered to date. So the name you want might be taken (read our post: “How to buy a domain owned by someone else”) – or it may be hard to find a name that works. Here are some of the most generic TLDs: .com (commercial) .info (information) .org (organizational) .net (network) .biz (business) Sponsored Top-Level Domains (rTLDs) In addition to gTLDs, there are also some top level domains that are sponsored by organizations or agencies for very specific and often exclusive use. Here are some examples you’ll recognize: .gov (used by the US government) .edu (used by educational institutions) .int (used by international organizations) .mil (limited to US military entities only) Subdomains We thought we should also mention subdomains. A subdomain is also known as a third level domain and is an extra part of a domain name. They are viewed as separate websites by the search engines, so creating subdomains can help improve your site’s SEO. Specifically, a good time to use a subdomain is for a blog. It might look like https://blog.nameexperts.com.   How To Choose The Right Domain Name Now that we’ve answered what is a domain name, we want to help you choose a strong domain name that accurately reflects your business. Ideally, you want to be easy for your target market to remember and be something that is timeless. Your domain name broker can help you find the perfect domain name and get you started with the process that goes along with it. Begin by doing some research on keywords that are relevant for your business. Whether it’s the name of your business or another keyword that relates to your business and you want to rank for it, this type of domain name will help improve your site’s SEO (search engine optimization). Another tip is to keep your domain short and memorable. You want it to stand out but be easy to remember – try to keep it to three words or less. You also want to make sure you avoid numbers and hyphens. People won’t remember where they go and they might mistype. Which leads us into another tip for choosing your domain name, make sure it is easy to spell. Shy away from words with multiple spelling variations or one that might be difficult to pronounce. Think long term. You want a domain name that supports the growth of your business and will last for years to come. Changing your domain name later can really hurt your business.   Working With A Domain Name Broker – The Easy Solution Getting your domain name right is crucial for your business or organization. It can help define your brand and form a lasting impression on your audience. Do your research, and then if you’re serious about securing a seemingly unavailable name, reach out to a domain broker. We can help you buy and register a name – even if it belongs to someone else. We can also advise on strong alternative names for your business. NameExperts.com has a selection of highly commercial names available for sale at any time. At the time of writing, these included eight.com, proud.com, fate.com and nickel.com.   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]  

How to Buy a Domain Name – 10 Tips to Follow Before Buying

Picking a domain name for your brand should be given the respect it deserves. After all, says NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme, it could make or break your business.   Among the most crucial decisions in establishing an internet presence is picking a domain name to buy. Ignore the trends and fads of the day and pick a name that makes sense for your company or subject matter a decade from now. When you choose well, you can rest assured that you have a valuable piece of digital real estate that is woven into the overall success of your business. Here are 10 suggestions that will help you to make a fantastic domain name purchase.   1. Do your homework Just a small amount of research can go a long way when buying a domain name. Find similar websites and check out your competitors’ domains using a website like Compete.com. Use dnpric to determine when a domain name was last sold, for how much, and the web hosting agent. You can search by keyword, which will help provide the popularity of particular words in a domain name. While any research is better than none, plan to put aside days or even weeks to properly research the right name for your brand – something that will help it to grow. If you need some guidance and an insider’s eye, an experienced domain broker can help you come up with – and secure – the perfect name for you. 2. Buy a domain name people can remember Even if you’re planning on optimizing the website for search engines so that it can be found when people search for “used boats in Dallas” or “hair styling near me”, you still need a domain name that individuals can remember and type. Anyone hearing your name needs to know how to get right to your business without you having to say things like “the number 4,” and “dash-dash.” It’s also wise to avoid words that have more than one spelling if your customers are likely to be confused and type in the wrong name. Alternately, you can purchase both versions of the name and guide visitors to the one you prefer – safe in the knowledge that your backup site will scoop them up if they make a mistake. Avoid anything mysterious like “voodrifunk” or “flambinastic” that might sound fun but is so out there that people will have difficulty remembering it. 3. Avoid slang terms Stay away from slang terms and instead select a name that will continue to be meaningful in ten years. This may also help your title be known and remembered by non-native speakers. Even if you don’t intend to conduct business globally, this strategy can help your neighborhood audience also. 4. Purchase a domain that is shorter rather than longer The longer your domain name is, the harder it is for people to remember. And the greater chance you have of someone misspelling some of the words. Most good single word domains are long gone (read “what do to if the domain name you want is taken“), but it’s still possible to avoid super-long alternatives by getting a little creative. For those who have one word in mind that’s not available, consider adding an adjective or verb in front of it and seeing if those variations are available. Perhaps not “GetAppple”, as that would likely lead to a world of trademark issues and other legalities, but you get the idea. Think of your domain name as part of your brand, and be sure it matches how you want visitors to consider you. 5. Stick with .com if you’re able to Most individuals assume that a domain name ends in .com – it’s just become the default for most of us. If you purchase a domain name with a different extension or “TLD” as they are known (.net, .info, .org, etc.), you will have some additional work to do if you want to get people to keep you in mind. However, do not automatically assume you should only ever buy .com domains. Many websites have done very well with different extensions – such as last.fm 6. Do not buy trademarked domains Even if you’re not intentionally trying to create confusion, you are most likely to face some legal challenges by purchasing trademarked terms in your domain name. To be safe, look for U.S. trademarks at www.uspto.gov and be sure no one owns a trademark on the name you’re contemplating. 7. Do not buy a domain name that is too similar to an existing website Even if the wording, name or expression in the domain name that has caught your eye is not trademarked, do not buy it if is is merely a variation of some other domain name. This applies to plurals if the singular is taken (mediatemple.net vs. mediatemples.net) and hyphenating a term (media-temple.net). 8. Avoid buying hyphen domain names If you have to go with hyphens, do not buy a domain with more than three of them. It is just too messy. 9. Avoid numbers People may get confused about whether the amount is a digit (3) or a word (three). If you would like a number on your domain name because there’s a number in your organization’s name, purchase both versions (word and digit ) and redirect one to the other. 10. Check availability on social networking sites When you’ve got a name picked out, see if this word or phrase can be found on social networking sites like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and Tumblr. Even if you don’t intend on using social media straight away, you will want the option when you are ready, and it is easiest if you can use the identical phrase on each website.   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]

How Accurate Is GoDaddy’s Domain Appraisal Tool?