When the time comes to set up your own internet business one of your first thoughts is to buy a domain name to establish a web site for your new business. You may spend a lot of time dreaming up possible names and testing their availability but there is another option you should consider -- buying an existing domain name.
Obviously you do not want to buy an existing web site for your new business as you wish to create a web site that accurately reflects your business vision, but there are a number of advantages to buying an existing domain name and if you do not yet have your heart set on a new domain name you will likely find an existing domain name available at a price not much greater than you will pay for a fresh name and an existing domain name brings a number of advantages. Buying an existing domain name can be a great way to jump start your new internet business for three reasons.
One of the primary advantages of an existing domain name is that it already has traffic flowing toward it. Obviously the amount of traffic will vary greatly depending on what the current owner has done for promotion but any traffic is more than the zero visitors a fresh name will deliver.
Another advantage is from search engine optimization. Many domainers will have at least put in a small amount of time optimizing their domain name portfolio for search engines. Others put in a great deal of time and effort targeting key words and making sure the domain name is listed. It takes time for various domain names to work their way into search engine listings and if someone has already done that work for you then you are ready to capitalize on their groundwork as soon as you take over the name.
A third advantage is that the wild frontier of short, targeted, key word domain names is over. It is not impossible but very difficult to find an unregistered domain name in a short, catchy phrase and even more so if you have a specific key word in mind. However, many of the domainers who registered these domain names did so as an investment rather than a long-term project of their own and so are willing to sell. The only way to acquire many of these great domain names is by purchasing an existing domain name. You will not be able to find one to register fresh.
Choosing the right domain name for your internet business enterprise can be an exciting and challenging time but if you take the time to learn more about the available domain names you can buy then you just might find the bargain of a lifetime and start off your business with a bang. If you are just starting out and looking to establish your own internet presence then you should look into buying an existing domain name to give your new web business a jump start in terms of traffic and search engine marketing.
A domain represents the unique name assigned to an organization or individual on the Internet. For instance, we are all familiar with names such as google.com, microsoft.com, and so on. A particular name (domain) may only be owned by one person or company. To use an analogy, a domain represents your "street address" where you live on the Internet. It uniquely identifies where you can be found. Having a straight-forward, easy to remember domain is crucial to your business success.
The domain name is comprised of several parts. The last part of the domain (e.g., .com) is referred to as the top-level domain (TLD). In theory, the TLD represents a type of entity. For instance, .com stands for "commercial". It was originally meant to be for commercial enterprises (business), but that has become something of a misnomer as even people with personal websites use the .com TLD.
Other popular TLDs include: > .net - originally meant to signify Network organizations such as Internet Service Providers (ISP) > .edu - Education establishments (colleges/universities) > .mil - Military > .org - Non-profit organizations > .gov - Government organizations > .biz - a business > .name - individual/person > .info - information service
There are others as well such as: .aero, .pro, .coop, and so on. In addition, there are TLDs assigned to countries (e.g., .ca for Canada).
Before you can launch your site on the Web, you will need a domain name. There are literally hundreds of millions of domains already taken so you may have to be creative in finding the name you want. It can be frustrating at times, so brew yourself a pot of coffee or grab your favorite beverage before you sit down to find that special domain that will become your address on the Web.
Several months ago, I was attempting to acquire a domain for a customer. I tried just about every combination of his actual business name to find one that was available. As is becoming much too common, I ran into a brick wall. Out of sheer frustration, I just randomly pounded my fingers on my keyboard and came up with sdfsdfsdf.com. I submitted that to the domain search. You probably know the punch line. To my total amazement that name was already taken. At that point, I decided I needed to take a walk around my garden.
But there is no way around it. If you plan to put your own site on the web, you will need to identify an available domain. Once you do so, you should purchase that name immediately as it may not be available the next day. If the name you want is already taken, you will have to find a different one. For instance, if you wanted the domain CandlesForSale.com, that is already taken. However, the name CandlesForSale.biz is available (as of the date this article was written). You could select the .biz name, or try to find an alternate such as Candles4sale.com, candles4u.com, candlesonline.com, and so on. All of those of course, are taken. By trying the different combinations you would find that candles-forsale.com is (currently) available.
It is much easier to find available domains ending in .biz,. info, and so on. The major problem with using any of these is that people are just inherently conditioned to type in the .com extension after the business name. If you did register the candlesforsale.biz name mentioned above, it is quite likely that people surfing the Web would type in candlesforsale.com instead. That of course, would lead to a competitor, which is not what you want to do.
Selecting just the right (available) domain name for your business can be a frustrating process, but it is important to get it right. Many people I have spoken to don't seem to realize that your domain name is part of your branding; it represents who you are on the web. In many cases, the domain name is the first piece of information a potential customer may have about your business. Your domain name is every bit as important as the logo you put on your business card. If all else fails, check some of the domain auction sites to see if there is a good match available. You will have to pay more than normal, but in the long run, it may just be worth it.
Be creative, stay patient, and don't break your keyboard as you go through this process.
Both Deanna Mascle & Rishabh Bathla are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.