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Buying a Domain
Name
Over the past several years
there has been a boom in domain name speculation, and as a result,
it is very possible that the domain name you want is no longer
available. If you have searched for every possible domain name you
can think of, only to find that none of them are available, it may
be time to think about purchasing an existing domain name from a
domain name reseller or individual owner. The fact that a great
majority of domain names have been registered as investments, means
that there are a number of excellent domain names for sale over a
wide price range. In order to get the name you want, when you want
it, and at a price you can be comfortable with, consult the
HostSearch Domain Name Buyer's Guide.
Domain Name Buyer's Guide
Buying a Domain Name from a
domain reseller or individual owner can be a difficult, costly
procedure, which is why we at HostSearch have come up with some tips
on the domain buying process, and a step-by-step guide to save you
time and money.
Tips When Buying a Domain
Name
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Remain Anonymous
When purchasing a
domain name, it is essential to remain as anonymous as you can
throughtout the entire process, in order to keep the price as low
as possible. Domain names do not have fixed prices, and therefore
the price of a domain name comes entirely from negotiations
between buyer and seller.
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Do Not Disclose That You Plan to Develop a
Site
If a domain name reseller or individual knows that you
plan to develop a web site, specifically a commercial website, the
price of your name will skyrocket, and you could end up paying
five to ten times the market value for your domain name.
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Do Not Disclose Your Full Name or Personal
Information
It is extremely easy for someone to find out a
great deal of information concerning you and your personal
financial situation over the Internet. Therefore, it would be a
good idea to create an alias web-based email address to conduct
your negotiations.
Step One: Is the
Domain You Want For Sale?
The first step in the
domain purchasing process is determining whether or not the domain
name you want is for sale. In order to obtain this information, try
visiting the site in question. When you visit the site, there are a
number of possible results, which are covered individually below:
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You discover a functioning, operational
site.
If this is the case, it is very likely that the
domain name is not for sale, however, you may still want to write
an email to double check.
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You discover a "For Sale" page.
This is
a good sign, as it means the name is available; however, before
you put in a bid you should do some research concerning the market
value of the domain name, which could save you a quite a bit of
money.
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You discover a page inviting you to join a
domain broker or auction site to bid on the name.
This is
also a good sign, as it means the name is available, but again,
before you put in a bid do some research on the market value of
the name.
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You discover a generic "bookmark" page, from a
domain registrar.
In this case you will have to conduct a
WhoIs Search to determine the owner of the name, and then contact
him/her by email.
WhoIs Searches
WhoIs Searches are the best
way for you to find out contact information about any registered
.com, .net, or .org domain name. Simply enter the domain name you
want, and either .com, .net, or .org in the search box provided
below.
Look up a domain name using
WHOIS:
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If the domain name you want
was registered with Network Solutions, a WhoIs Search will not
provide you with the email address of the domain name owner. In this
case you will have to use the administration contact email for your
inquries. A number of domain resellers use their WhoIs Search ID's
to display the availability of their domain name, so if you get a
WhoIs ID like this: BuyThisDomainName@anymail.com, you can move
along to the bidding process.
Step Two: Creating
a Budget
After you have determined
the availability of your desired domain name, the next step is
creating a budget for the purchase of your name, and getting a
reliable estimate of its value. You can get a decent estimate of the
value of a domain name by getting it appraised online for a small
fee. Another way of creating a budget for purchasing domain names is
to make an estimate of how much the name means to you, and in
commercial applications, your business. Regardless of how high or
low you set your budget, it is extremely important to abide by it.
Getting caught in a bidding war for a domain name is a great way to
end up paying way too much for your domain name, especially when
there are plenty of good domain names available for
purchase.
Step Three:
Deciding Where to Buy
After you have decided to
purchase a domain name, you need to decide where you are going to
purchase it from. There are several methods of purchasing a domain
name, including private sales, through a domain broker, or via
auction. Each of these methods has a variety of advantages and
disadvantages, which we have broken down for you below.
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Private Sale
Private sales are the most
complicated way of purchasing a domain name, and also the most
risky. That being said, private sales can also be the cheapest way
of purchasing a domain name, and are not subject to comission
fees. Think twice before you try to purchase a domain name
privately, because you will be responsible for transferring the
domain name, and will also have to deal with how to arrange
payment, escrow, etc.
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Negotiated Sale via Domain Broker
This
is probably the most convenient way of purchasing a domain name,
as you will be guided through the entire process, and will also be
able to remain anonymous throughout. However, some domain brokers
charge a fee for buyers. In addition, the purchasing process is
likely to take a long time, and you will probably have to make the
initial offer, which puts you at a disadvantage. If you do decide
to use a domain broker, make sure to bid low, and increase your
bid in small increments.
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Sale via Auction
This is probably the
riskiest way of purchasing a domain name, but can result in a low
cost, quality domain name. With domain auctions, you must be
careful not to get caught up in a bidding war, as you can never be
sure that the other bidders are truly interested or not. In
addition, most domain auctions require some sort of membership,
and can take a long time to complete transactions.
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