The domain name is the first point of your website that people see before they even click through to your url. When your site shows up in the search engines or as a link on another site, your domain name will tell people what the site is about.
If your domain name is completely irrelevant to your site topic, then people are less likely to visit. In addition, if your domain name is very long or looks 'spammy,' then the first impression is that your site is not very professional.
How to Find Good Domain Names
Choosing a good domain name is not difficult. Finding an available domain that you like can be tough; but if you search hard enough and take in all possibilities as far as where you can buy a domain, you will get lucky eventually.
You are not limited to buying domains from domain registrars. While it can be fun finding available domains and registering them, it can be even more exciting finding old, established domains which are for sale.
Where to Register Domain Names
There are many places where you can register domain names, including:
- GoDaddy
- Namecheap
- eNom Name.com
- Moniker
- Dynadot
- Yahoo!
- MyDomain
- Dotster
- Register.com
The above registrars are all ICANN accredited and provide .com, .net, .org, .info and many other extensions for registration.
Where to Buy Used Domain Names
If you want to buy domain names that are old, has page rank or would just rather not register a new domain, then you can search domain auctions and for sale websites.
Many forums have people selling domain names including forums like Digital Point, Sitepoint, DN Forum and Namepros. You will find many cheap domain names there, just do your due diligence to avoid being scammed. Research the history of the domain names before buying, and never spend more than $1000 on a domain name without paying through Escrow for safety reasons.
Alternatively, you can visit the domain name aftermarket from GoDaddy at tdnam.com. This site has tens of thousands of used domains for sale from $5 up to the six-figure mark. There are both auctions and buy it now listings there.
Other auction sites include Pool.com, Afternic, Sedo and SnapNames. You should become more familiar with domain terminology and market trends before buying domain names at auction, as the price can easily become out of hand.
Which Domain Extension Is Best?
In just about all cases, .com should be the domain name extension that you aim to acquire. There are a few exceptions to this, namely .org for non-profit organizations, .tv for sites focused on television, and international extensions for sites based in certain countries.
Regardless of which alternative extension you choose, aim to also own the .com version so that you protect your brand against copycats or competitors. .Com always has, and will probably always be, the most popular and well-known domain name extension.
Whichever method you choose to buy domain names, make sure they match your websites, are short and memorable, and will attract users to click through to your websites.
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