Top 5 things to look for if you are trying to BUY a domain

The Internet is like a vast ocean which on the first go seems endless. As of January 2015 report, there are about 876 websites. However, do you ever wonder that out of these many websites how we hear about only a few? Because only limited hundreds of sites makes it presence felt while rest of the others dwells in seclusion. Take a look at this crazy Internet Map to know the percentage share of each website across the web. The first and the foremost thing that can bring direct traffic to your website is your domain name. Simple, easy to catch, and overtly relevant domain name will define your business’ online presence.

Therefore, it is very crucial to take a patient approach while eyeing to buy a domain name. Plenty of service providers can avail you with the domain of your choice. But before proceeding to buy domain name, the paramount importance should be given to few of the points as mentioned below

Old domain or a new Domain

You must know the essential difference between buying an old, used domain, and getting a new name altogether. An aged domain will have its security perils while it also brings a better Domain Authority than the new one. The Alexa ranking of such domains is always better than the fresh one. With high MoZ rankings, you can be sure of the organic traffic to flow in.

However, you must also bear one fact in mind that old domains might get little expensive, and also you will not get much choice in that.

On the other hand, there are new domains which will give you the option to choose from the available keywords, but that will not get you a good authority. The MoZ rankings will almost be nil, and you will have to work hard, really hard, to get traffic to your website. These domains are relatively cheaper to buy and give you much control as well.

Choosing a relevant Extension

Many people underestimate the power of domain extension and ultimately fail to achieve the set targets. It is because they do not consider domain extension as important as the domain name. While .com is pretty much dominating the internet, it is wise to find the extension that works perfectly for your business name or related field. While .net, .org, and .com are old and around on the web for a long time, newer ones like .biz, .info, .shop, etc. might reflect the purpose in a better way. You can access the entire list of such extensions over here.

Also, embrace the fact that most people will have the ‘.com’ recall value so don’t attempt too exotic a name for anyone to remember with the extension. Because in this case you will be missing out on much traffic.

SEO Relevance

No matter how food the content of a website be unless you are getting some good traffic, it is a sheer wastage. As Google search engine emphasizes on the relevance factor, it is important for a domain name to reflect what the content exactly stands for. You might have a humoral or a funny name, but if it does not echo the content, then you might even observe a stark bounce rate. However, it does not mean that you name it annoying and silly such that user refrains from even clicking on that link.

Most of the times business domain names work well with the uniqueness it has to offer and gives a good amount of direct traffic. It is not that impossible to get the traffic on your relevant domain name with consistency social media postings and updating content. However, you must efficiently utilize the keywords and weave them effectively around your content to rank better in the search engine.

Look for Domain Auctions

Domain auctions are the best place to be if you are about to buy a new domain. Plenty of websites like eBay and Flippa offers intuitive space for the buyers to come and bid online for the domain. In a highly competitive auction, you may well end up getting your desired domain at a relatively cheaper name.

Therefore, it is ideal to look for the domain auctions before buying a domain name. There are a good amount of domain names that may be relevant to your website up for the takings from these sites. You can find plenty of relevant domain names here.

Be aware of Copyright Infringement

The last thing you would want to happen with your domain name is getting accused of IPR infringement. Make sure you check and recheck few relatable domain names few number of times before finalizing the one. Chances are, there may be people using the almost the same domain name as you and hold a big brand. If you interfere in their traffic, then they own the rights to sue you for the using the similar domain name if in case you offer the same content/services.

If you plan to buy a domain name for the business, then you may refer to Copyright.gov or uspto.gov (both limited to the US) to check for the trademarked company name. These patent and trademark office is equipped with the trademark electronic search system to make the entire search activity a little easier for you. Alternatively, for someone of you based out of Australia, you can always refer to asic.gov.au to search for the registered business name and avoid domain name clashes.

It is ideal to do a good amount of exercise with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and Bloglovin’ to search for the blog/business name that reflects people currently blogging or generating content on their names.

After all, this is not an exhaustive list, and you must follow many other exercises like going after uniqueness, narrowing your focus, and great research to find a valuable domain name as well. The bets practice is to consider domain name as an asset and treat it like so because in a longer run you are bound to realize that all these things are worth it.

About: UTiwari

Utkarsh Tiwari is a Vice President and business strategist at Peerbits & Yelowsoft, one of the top iOS app development companies that delivers high-end mobile app solutions to Startups, SMEs, and Enterprises. Being an evangelist in the startup fraternity, he also holds a prolific experience in expanding a small business with expertise in strategic planning, marketing, business development, and resource management. Most of the peers in his company addresses him just with his initials - ‘UT’


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