How To Get A Domain Name That is Taken Belonging To You

 How To Get A Domain Name That is Taken Belonging To You

How To Get A Domain Name That is Taken But Not Used

You sit glaring at the screen, thinking that there must be some mistake. Maybe if you refresh a couple times, it will fix itself.

You came up with a creative business name, have your new logo design, and even snatched the Facebook page and Twitter handle, but after a search for the right domain, it’s taken.

If someone else owns the domain, what can you do?

This happens, as getting the perfect domain, although such a seemingly small task, can be one of the greatest challenges you’ll have in building your digital presence.

Find out what it means if your domain is taken, and the next steps you can take to secure one for your brand.

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Why is my domain taken?

Some businesses or entrepreneurs make a living on domaining. They purchase a list of domain names to make money by following current trends, interests, or habits. For instance, if someone purchased www.KanyeforPresident.com, they’d be domaining on the chance that Kanye West will actually run for President of the United States in 2020.

A domainer takes a small risk by investing in the domain and paying for its annual fee, but there’s no promise he or she will be able to profit from that domain. In this case, someone domaining is betting on the chance that Kanye West, a big star with millions of dollars, would pay him or her thousands to secure that domain name.

What can I do if my domain is taken?

See if the taken domain is for sale

Sometimes, the domain name may have been purchased by a legitimate business owner, but they never ended up doing anything with it. If that’s the case, you can use the Namecheap.com WHOIS lookup to explore if you can contact the owner of the domain and purchase it at a fair price. You may have to pay a premium, but it’s worth a try to grab the perfect domain.

You can still get the point across and convey your brand by using an abbreviation of your business name in the domain. For instance, instead of www.AcmeCompany.com, you may opt for www.AcmeCo.com.

The easiest way to try out abbreviations is to open up your word processor and create a list of potential abbreviations. Then, copy and paste that list into Namecheap.com’s Bulk Registration tool to see what is available.

Use a new top-level domain

Without compromising the integrity of your domain name, you can simply change the domain ending (aka the top-level domain). Of course, the most used top-level domain is .com, but you have a variety of top-level domains at your fingertips, including .net, .biz, .co, .business and more. Using a top-level domain that applies to your business will help to further convey your brand and the products or services you offer.

Use a tagline or slogan instead

Instead of www.yourbusiness.com, consider using your tagline or slogan instead, assuming it’s short. A realtor client we’ve worked with for quite a while opted to purchase www.DependonDakota.com because her slogan played into her brand, and it was easy to remember for everyone who had seen her marketing campaigns. Another example, Nike uses www.JustDoIt.com and points traffic using a redirect to www.Nike.com.

Consult a web design expert

Believe it or not, this type of situation comes up every single day. If you’re currently working with a web design expert, then lean on them to help you navigate this new domain terrain. Chances are your web designer has run into this situation before and can come up with some creative ideas to find you a domain name that fits your brand.

Putting it all together

You may find yourself at a digital chasm with your domain taken, but it’s not the end of the world. Whether a professional domainer, a fellow business owner, or a domain squatter currently owns your ideal domain name, the steps above can help you attach a relevant and professional domain name to your website. Stop helplessly glaring at that screen, and start getting your brand or business a piece of the internet.

Learn to buy, sell, and invest in domain names like a pro

Academy Domain Name Investing

This course will teach you how to successfully invest in domain names using a proven learning program, methodology and toolset, and provide access to a community that supports investors at every stage of their unique domain name journey.

 

What Will You Learn?

Successfully valuing, buying and selling domain names can take years to master. With Domain Academy, you can accelerate your learning journey to only weeks.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Introduction to Domain Names

In this section, you will learn some technical aspects of what a domain name is, review a short history of domain names, and understand the foundational “nuts and bolts” of the domain industry. You will also learn the value of a brand and how supply and demand affect domain names.

Domain Name Keywords

The lessons in this section will teach you the different types of domain name keywords, including industry terminology. You will learn everything from generic keywords to brandables to acronyms to numerics. After this lesson, you will understand the foundational building blocks of what makes a domain name, as well as how to classify them.

Valuation Metrics

In this section, you will learn every type of metric that can cause the value of a domain name to increase or decrease. We go into detail on prefixes like “my” or “e,” when you want a singular versus plural, how simple word placement can ruin a domain, why search volume matters, how usage limitations can kill a domain name, and much more.

Valuation Tools

Which tools matter and which tools are a waste of time? We’ve analyzed all of them and recommend which ones are best for you. In this section, we will walk you through video tutorials of the most important aspects of each tool.

Domain Name Valuation Tutorials

If you can’t value domain names, then you’ll never be successful buying or selling domain names. In this section, we’ll walk you through — step-by-step — how to do domain name valuations of each type. You learn how even a slight variation can crash a domain’s value. Then you have an opportunity to practice your newfound skills.

Buying Domain Names

This section of the course is about the art of buying domain names. You will learn where, when, and how to buy domain names. We cover all of the marketplaces, industry standard tools and strategies involved — from creating a buyer’s profile all the way to buy-side negotiation tactics like anonymity and using a broker-buyer.

 

Selling Domain Names

Once you know what domains to buy, the next step is understanding how to sell them. This section teaches the Domain Academy 8×8 Sales Matrix© and focuses on both passive and active sales channels. We show you the right and wrong ways to sell your domains and recommend which marketplaces will provide the highest return on your investment.

Running Your Investing Business

With the skills to start a domain name investment company now under your belt — if you so choose — you’re ready for this final section of the course. Here we cover the basics of financial matters, such as P&L statements and cash flow, as well as provide a roadmap to get started in domain name investing. To ensure you avoid common pitfalls, we also include lessons on paying your business taxes and protecting your investments from frivolous UDRP actions.