Tips for Getting Your Dream Domain

You have a great company with great services. Your brand is strong and your business is growing. There is just one problem: you’re missing the domain name of your dreams. (By the way, that’s not to be confused with a full URL – that’s the http://www. part added to your domain name.)

Now, since you’re reading this, we’ll assume that you haven’t been able to snag this super domain because someone has already claimed it. Well, if you’re like many businesses destined for greatness, you can’t just throw up your hands and settle for second best. You want what you want, and you want it yesterday. But, how do you get it?

So glad you asked.

If I don’t have it then who does?

 

The first step in acquiring your dream domain from someone else is to find out who owns the rights to the domain. Perform a “WhoIs” look-up. You can use your preferred domain registrar to do this or Google “WhoIs” to get started. Enter the domain name you’re looking to get into the search field.  Most of the time, the owner’s information is readily available. If it isn’t you might need to do a bit more leg work to get it, but it’s not impossible.

Once you have the owner details, contact them directly. Explain your reason for wanting the domain. Don’t expect them to immediately comply by handing over the domain; rather, anticipate that you’ll need to do some bargaining. Typically this can go one of three directions. Obviously, the worst outcome is the owner turning your offer down altogether. If you’re lucky, they will be willing to sell you the domain for a set price.

Let’s make a deal!

If this happens, and the owner agrees to transfer the domain over to you, it’s best to use a secure online transaction service like www.escrow.com or www.safefunds.com, to protect yourself from fraud and assure the transaction is both legal and legitimate. Although it can sometimes take 10-20 days to complete the transaction, if you do your research, it’s well worth the wait when it’s done right.

They say patience is a virtue.

When you’re not so lucky, the owner may decline your offer. Your next option is to play the waiting game. Several registrars like godaddy.com, gorocketmedia.com, tucows.com, and networksolutions.com offer options like domain monitoring or backordering.

Depending on the popularity of the domain, you might benefit from being in the right place at the right time, so-to-speak. You can improve your chances by monitoring the domain with regular notifications of changes to its status, expiration, registration or name server. If you get lucky, you’ll be able to swoop in and snatch it up when the time is right.

Another option is to decide backorder the domain from a registrar. Provided nobody else has taken this action before you, you get dibs the moment the domain becomes available. Many times this can get complicated. The whole process can turn into a bidding war because someone else can backorder the same domain from a different registrar. In these instances, in can simply come down to how much money you are willing to put up for the domain.

These tips are not absolute. But, if you follow them carefully – and have luck on your side – you’re likely to have the domain of your dreams before you know it!