How To Get That Coveted Domain Name

It seems like just about every quality domain name is taken. Many belong to individuals and businesses, but the bulk of domain names have been hoarded by domain squatters and are sitting idle or used for affiliate advertising. 

If you’re are one of the many domain name hunters looking to find to find that perfect domain name for a new website, this can be a very frustrating situation.

Fortunately, if you have your eye on a taken domain name, it may be possible to acquire it.

Find Out Who Owns It

The first step in acquiring your desired domain is to find out who the owner is. To do so, you can perform a domain name search on a whois lookup website. These sites enable you to find all available registry details about a domain including when it was registered, the name and address of the registrant, as well as a valid email address and telephone number.

Unfortunately, there are some cases when this information cannot be retrieved.

Private Domain Registration

Many spammers, telemarketers, and other similar undesirables use the domain registry as a source for new leads. Additionally, due to the nature or popularity of a website, many registrants are hesitant to reveal their personal information.

As a result, some domain owners who wish to preserve a bit of anonymity opt for private domain registration services. This means that their contact details are not available via the whois website. Instead, what is listed is usually the name of the private registration company.

To contact the owner, you will need to contact this company and they will forward your request. It will then be up to the owner to contact you.

Incorrect Details

Because private domain name registration can be costly, many people list incorrect information in the registry. Additionally, information can also be outdated if the owner hasn’t updated their contact details.

In this case, getting a hold of the registrant can be difficult. Your best bet is to visit the website and search for contact information.

Is It Expiring?

Every now and then you might get lucky and find a domain name that is expiring. (We did. VelvetBlues.com was previously owned by someone who decided not to renew.)

If you look at the whois details again, you will see that the expiration date of each name is listed, as well as the current status. The expiration period can last up to three months, so if you’re planning to wait it out, you will need to be patient.

Domain Squatters

You also need to be prepared for failure. Many domain squatters are looking to purchase pre-owned domain names. And they have enlisted companies to help them do so. As a result, if you think that other people are interested in acquiring the domain name that you want, you will also need to purchase domain acquisition services.

Most domain registrars offer these acquisition services. However, the prices may be steep, but are generally only paid if they successfully obtain the name for you.

Change of Heart

Don’t get too attached to this new domain because the owner may have a change of heart. In fact, according to ICANN, even after the domain name has expired, the owner has about 30-75 days in which they can still opt to renew.

Fortunately, you still have another option.

Start The Bidding

If necessary, you might have to make a monetary offer to obtain your domain name.

Mano A Mano

The best scenario is one in which you directly contact the owner and agree on a price. If the owner is a domain squatter, be prepared to pay a lot.

Free For All Domain Auctions

Sometimes domain owners want to have an all-out-bidding-war because this usually translates into higher profits, and enables the domain to get its full market value. Clearly, this is not the most ideal situation.

In the end, most people are not willing to pay hundreds or thousands for a domain name, when a $10 domain will suffice. So your best bet might just be to settle for another domain. After all, when it comes down to it, a good domain name might help a website, but it doesn’t ensure success. Consequently, it is generally a good idea to get creative and come up with a new name.