How to Get a Domain Name That Has Already Been Taken?

A lot of people who are thinking making money online have probably thought of setting up a webpage with their own domain name. This is an important decision and there are several factors that have to be considered. For starters, the domain name you are thinking of having should be one of a kind and not yet taken up.

How to Get a Domain Name That Has Already Been Taken?

The bad news is that most of the common names have already been registered and the chances of getting the name you really wanted is next to impossible. The ever growing demand for .COM names have made even common real words difficult to acquire.

Can it still be possible to obtain your preferred domain name? There are several ways that one can use to increase their chances of getting that domain name that they wanted if it has already been taken.

1. Use “Whois”

You can check the registration status of the domain name that has already been registered using “whois”. Just visit whois.com and you will get details about the owner of the domain, date of expiry and email address if they do not have a privacy protection for the domain. With this information, you can decide whether you can buy it from the domain owner, look for another domain name or wait for it to expire for you to take it.

2. Contacting Domain Owner

If the contact information for the domain owner is available, you can email them to inquire whether they are willing to sell it to you. Most domain owners will sell the domain especially if they are not using it or the domain is about to expire. Be willing to negotiate on a price as you are likely to pay a little bit more. During negotiation, it is important to remain objective and not to pass out as being desperate as this will make the domain owner raise the asking price even higher.

If you cannot undertake effective negotiations on your own, you can let a domain broker do it for you. Most domain name companies have brokering services which is the most effective way to get the domain name you desire. This service, however, does not come cheap.

3. Use Marketplaces and Auctions

If your desired domain name redirects you to a parking space, then it is most likely to have been listed for auction. Parking pages are essentially domain names that are filled with ads. Once you notice this, some of the common domain auctions and market places that you can visit include:

In the event you fail to get your desired name, you will definitely find a good alternative. You should also be aware that even a domain that you think is less attractive can turn out to be a great choice if you consider how engaging it can be.
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4. Backorder the domain

No matter how active a domain name is, it will have to expire at one time or the other. This is the best time for you to purchase the domain name. Upon placing a backorder, the domain registrar will make the domain available for you to register the time it expires. Backorder will be effective if the domain name you are seeking to buy is inactive and the current owner does not want to renew it.

it is important to know that backordering does not happen on the exact day the domain expires as the owner is usually given a grace period to decide whether they want to keep the domain or not.

Featured post: Overview of GoDaddy Backorders: Fast with Automatic Bidding

This clearly shows that one can never fully rely on backordering even though it can help you acquire your domain name. Additionally, some people consider backordering a risky move as some domain registrars don’t want to get involved while others delay in informing you availability of domain name upon expiry.

Being safe when buying a domain

Despite the fact that most people believe buying domains is a safe and risk free business, you should put in place measure to ensure you are safe during this process. Some of the safety tips you can employ include:

  • Do not buy a blacklisted / penalized domain
  • Do not sent your payments via wire transferor bank
  • Determine the real value of a particular domain name before making an offer to buy it
  • Do not buy a certain domain name if it is not that essential

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