Domain name unavailable? Do not worry !

You have just put together a project for which it is necessary to have a website and you have found the perfect domain name for that? This is a very good thing but there is a problem: the domain name is unavailable.

What to do ? Do not worry. This happens very often. There is already more than a billion web site on the web, just that. There is a lot of risk that your ideas are already taken. Now we will have to find a solution because it is not necessarily possible to change the name of the platform.

Before continuing, you just need to know some basics about domain names. It consists of 2 parts:

1. Name (ex: Tudiohost)
2. The extension, also called TLD for Top Level domain (ex: .com)

It is possible to have different sites with each extension. For example, I can have a site on Gozil.ma and a different one on gozil.ma. Obviously in my case, there is no great interest.

But this can be interesting if a foreign website has already taken the .net for example and he left you the .com.

One last thing to know is that there are two types of extensions that will interest us:

1. gTLD: Generic Top Level Domain. These are the .com / .net / .org / .Host …
2. ccTLD Country code Top Level Domain. These are the extensions related to the country: .fr / .ma / .us …

Here is a long list of available extensions.

 

After we have the basics, we can start to see the list of solutions:

 

• Why not buy it back?

Although it is not necessarily possible to buy a domain name easily. Some times they are cheaper and available on other websites than a registrar (the one providing the NDDs). We must not stop only at the latter.

Indeed, if it is not available on Tudiohost for example, it is not necessary to stop its researches. Try to see if it leads to a website. Sometimes they are bought but not used. If you type the URL in a browser, you come across a message like: ERROR 404.

It’s a good sign ! This shows that the website is available and is more salable.

 

• Try another Extension

.com was the extension you wanted? Unfortunately she is not available.

You decide to take another extension for your website. Look for the extension that best defines what you want to do – you will certainly find the area you are looking for.

 

• Use with a dash

Using a dash may be the simple solution to getting the domain name you want. This is a controversial topic: should we use or name the dash in its domain name and does it affect the positioning in the search results?
The answer is that it’s the same, with or without the dash. The only change is towards your audience and what they think. But we must choose the dash: -, called “dash”.

 

• Add a city or country to the name

You can think of adding your country or a city to your domain name.

 

• Try with abbreviations

Many brands use abbreviations.

If I speak to you about “Hennes & Mauritz” does this speak to you? Or again Louis Vuitton, Moët, Hennessy? These brands are better known by their abbreviation H & M and LVMH even if the latter is a brand rally. It is entirely possible for you to orient your communication on abbreviations.

Sometimes, in marketing, the shortest is the most effective.

 

• Put your slogan

If your slogan is short, it is quite suitable for URLs.

Take their slogan “just do it”. Try to go to justdoit.com, you will see where you are going to fall.

Brands have thought about it and have taken these domain names for themselves and to avoid any hijacking problem.

MacDonald’s has the slogan “I’m lovin it”, it could be original to have imlovin.it as URL but it turns out that going to the URL, it is for sale 200 000 euros.

 

Finally, having an unavailable domain name can be blocking the momentum of launching a website. We must not lose hope and keep his motivation.

The quest for the perfect NDD is complicated and it will be more and more since there is every day, more website in creation.

Source : louismaitreau