Web Hosting Reviews & Ratings

January 09, 2009

The Secret to Registering a Good Domain

It seems as if good domain names become more scarce everyday.  Research shows that over 20 million .com extensions have been registered with more than 20,000 being purchased on a daily basis.  A catchy domain can help you generate more traffic, which ultimately leads to more sales for the online business owner.  Considering the demand, it is no surprise that the shortage of domain names have made them hot commodities on the web.  Business.com, Loans.com and Wallstreet.com are just a few of the names that sold for over $1 million.  It's hard to believe that a simple name could be worth so much money.

The Domain Name Game

Yes indeed, the domain game has become big business and more people are trying to get in on the action.  Before it was mainly corporate buyers looking to deal but the gates are essentially open to anyone willing to make a bid.  While domains are sold frequently on the market, they rarely go for as low as $100 or as high a $1 million.  For example, eBay hosts a number of public auctions where names average in range from $500.00 to $20,000 with most of them being somewhere in between.

The Hidden Domain Goldmine

So, how do you obtain a good domain when most of them are gone or out of your price range?  Though most people aren't aware of it, there is a way to get your hands on these precious gems without having to bid an ungodly amount of money.  The answer lies deep in the darkest corners of the web where you probably wouldn't even think of looking; some consider it a goldmine.  We're talking about the massive pool of expired domain names.  Whether you know it or not, domains expire everyday, expanding the vast pool of names placed back on the market.  There are thousands of domains that are either unclaimed or unrenewed, making them available to the savvy buyer.  When someone doesn't pay for their domain name by the renewal date, it becomes expired and goes back on the list of available selections.

Domains are in season, so why would anyone want to lose one?  This could be for many reasons.  Perhaps they simply forgot to renew.  Maybe things weren't going well and the company had to go out of business.  Whatever the case, expired domains are out there and can be yours if you know how to find them.

How to Locate Expired Domain Names

Finding an expired domain wasn't always the easiest task as it required for you to be on alert and most of all, lucky.  You had to find them as soon as they were no longer redeemable by the owner and make a purchase before the next interested buyer.  Fortunately, various tools are now available that make it a lot easier to search, find and register these abandoned domain names.  In fact, some of the more advanced tools keep you abreast on names approaching the expiration date.  This allows you to get a jump on the competition and snatch it as soon as the name goes on the market.

The good domain names are going fast, but they are not totally extinct.  By developing a few strategies, you just may be able to secure yourself a hot one while everyone else twirls in the circle of confusion.

Tags: expired domain names,  domain price,  domain name registration,  domain name,  domain auction,  registering domain names