You have this great idea for a site and you start researching possible domain names. When you go to buy one a few days later, you find that it’s already been purchased. You find this strange because you’ve only told a few people about the name. Now you have to either try to buy the domain name back or think of a new one. Very frustrating. If this has happened to you or you’re thinking about purchasing a domain name in the future, you should take steps to protect your ideas.
As controversial as it may be, many domain registrars will purchase domain names that have been searched (especially if they’ve been searched for a few times) or they’ll sell this information to other companies that then purchase the domain names. It’s not always obvious that it’s the domain registrar because it often will be held by a holding company. Either way, this is very frustrating because instead of buying a domain name for $7 or whatever, now you’re looking at possibly hundreds or thousands of dollars. If the domain name happens to be related to your company name or a trademarked product, you do have legal rights to the name (although it may be costly to secure).
So what should you do to protect your domain name ideas? Here’s some ideas:
- Buy domains you’re interested in. Domain names are pretty cheap. If you have some possible domain names, its probably a good idea just to buy them. If you don’t want them later, it’s just a minimal investment to get rid of them after a year (or sell them later).
- Buy at the same time as you search. If you are searching for domain names, be prepared to purchase the domain name at the same time as the search. Again, it’s a minimal investment if you decide you don’t want it later.
- Search for possible domain names using Google or some other search engine. These searches aren’t quite as easy for domain registrars to find, although they are still public.
- Search for keywords instead of searching for a domain name (using search engines). If a site uses a domain name with those keywords, it’ll probably come up.
- Use whois searches on domain registrars. While these are still giving information to the registrars they’re not a clear indication of purchase intent since whois searches are typically used for more informational purposes.
- Have backup ideas. If your domain name is taken, have back up ideas for related domain names.
- Buy domain names before developing logos or marketing materials. Make sure you secure any domain names before you spend the time and money to develop logos or marketing materials. You may have to change plans if the domain name isn’t available.
- Consider also buying related domains. Along with related .info, .net, etc. domains you may want to consider buying domains with related keywords. Customers often will mistype your domain name, so having related domain names gives you the opportunity to re-direct them back to your site.
A good domain name is an important part of a website and online marketing strategy. When you are investigating possible domain names, pretend that someone is watching you over your shoulder. They may act on anything you deem interesting as soon as you’re done. Just take a few steps to protect what you’re searching for and take action as soon as you can to purchase anything that really is important.
How do you protect your domain name ideas?
(photo by flyheatherfly @ FlickrCC)
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Digital Marketing & Strategy