What if the Domain You Want has been Taken?
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You've just had a fantastic idea for a new business, or perhaps you've just had a brilliant idea for a new website to create. In any case, you do what everyone does (or should do): you go search the domain registrars to find and register a matching domain name.
Domain Name 101
A few things you should know about domain names
- An example of a domain registrar is GoDaddy.com or Register.com.
- Every domain name on the internet must be unique. Two people or companies cannot own the same URL or domain name.
- Capitalization does not matter on the web. ProFusionWebSolutions.com is the same domain as profusionwebsolutions.com.
- ProFusionWeb.Solutions and ProFusionWebSolutions.com are different domains as one ends in .com and one ends in .solutions.
Finding a Domain Name
Unless you have a truly original domain idea that is not based on common dictionary words, you're likely to find that the .com version of your domain has already been registered by someone - potentially even a domain squatter. A domain squatter is someone who buys up potentially desirable domains in order to sell them for a premium later.
With the world's website count exceeding one billion, and climbing daily, finding the perfect domain name can be a struggle. Don't give up on your name concept just yet! You still have a lot of choices for making it into a wonderful domain name.
If you expect most of your traffic to come from sources other than direct type-in traffic, explore other TLDs.
Many users don't care about the type of domain you have, and won't notice if it's a .net, .org, .us, or even .info.
Furthermore, due to the scarcity of .COM names, several well-known companies have chosen to create their online presence on non-.COM domains, so you would be in good company.
Use a new Top-Level Domain (TLD) such as .agency, .jobs, .online, or something similar.
While it may not be as easy for a user to guess your domain name, if your traffic comes predominantly from search and referral sources, it won't matter. Plus some of these can be really fun - .studio is one of my favorites, or .life.
Make a list of synonyms.
To come up with word replacements close to your original idea, use an online thesaurus like Thesaurus.com. This might not be the right move if you already have a well-established business and need your domain name to match your established business name. However, if you are just starting out online, consider using alternate words to create a unique domain name.
Rearrange it.
If your domain name involves multiple words, try adjusting their order.
It's possible that the exact order of your business name or idea won't be available to purchase as a domain name. Try rearranging the words to see if changing the order creates a domain that is available for purchase. For example if you wanted happyplace.com but it isn't available - try placeofhappy.com.
If your ideal domain name isn't more than one word, you might want to consider adding one, which leads us to our next piece of advice…
Include extra words.
Is HappyPlace.com unavailable? Why don't you give HappyPlaceWA.com a shot?
Not only will adding a few interesting descriptive phrases make your domain and business name more distinct and available, but it will also improve the marketing of your business and help people determine what your site is all about.
If you don't have any other ideas, simply add your location, or “online”, or a brief description of your business - “HappyPlaceDogTreats.com”
Hopefully, you get the domain you want right off the bat. But even if you don’t - at least you know there are options, and you can still create a great Website that will get loads of traffic.
Need help registering a domain or setting up and creating a professional website? ProFusion Web Solutions has over 18 years experience building and hosting websites, and we would love to schedule a call.