How To Get A Great Domain For Your Website

Anyone that knows me knows that I am a domain name honk.  The domain market is where I got started and I’m very thankful for that. I consider a domain name to be the foundation of any website and I place a tremendous amount of importance in choosing the right one.
 
Value Play – Background Info
While many consider domain names to be over priced in the after market I still consider premium keyword names to be undervalued as a whole.  I have personally bought numerous names for 5 figure sums and have sold into the 6 figure range (WT.com). All of these transactions represented value plays.  A premium keyword domain name affords a website many luxuries that include, but are not limited to:

• Higher Search Engine Rankings
• Brand Visibility
• Visitor Confidence
• Highly Targeted Direct Navigation (Type-in) Traffic
• Higher PPC Advertising Click Through Rates (and lower costs)

 

In high cost, high spend niches I’ve had 5 figure domain purchases pay for themselves in under 3 months.  I am not saying you have to back up the Brinks truck for a domain.  Not at all.  I just want to help you understand my perspective before digging into this article.

Types of Domains
When searching for a domain name I organize them to 4 basic categories. 

Keyword Domains
A keyword domain is simply a domain that is just a keyword.  Popular and commercial keyword domains are highly sought after for all of the reasons listed above and demand top after market prices.  Keyword domains can be further broken down into 1 word, 2 word and long tail keyword options.  The longer domains will generally have lower search volume, but many are still available for registration.
(examples: Insurance.com, Food.com, WeightLoss.com, WebHostingReviews.com)

My Take: When I talk about spending 5 figures on domains names they fall into this category.  I love category defining keyword domain names for so many reasons.  There are typically only 1 or 2 really premium keywords in a specific niche and getting one of those keywords in the .com extension is a big time trump card.

Brandable Domains
A brandable domain is one that isn’t a topical keyword and does not typically  let the audience know the nature of the website.  Those that do are generally a catchy misspell or variation of a relevant keyword.  Brandable domains can include non-topical dictionary words.  There are far too many variations of brandable domains to list but short domains are the most popular because they are easy to remember.  Many of the top websites online are built on brandable domains.  It is important to note that most also started with a large budget.
(Examples: Amazon.com, Google.com, Digg.com, Twitter.com, Flickr.com)

My Take: Websites built on brandable domains are tough to pull off without a large budget.  Most short or catchy sounding .com domains will typically fetch a decent premium in the after market.  I avoid these names for development in general as they cost more time and money to build the audience and don’t offer the SEO benefits of a nice keyword domain.

Descriptive Domains
A descriptive domain gives insight to the subject matter of a website.  They typically include key terms about the topic but are not significant keywords.  Descriptive domains can also include related phrases, jargon or slang words.  These domains can offer a solid brand presence and can often be found available to register or at lower after market prices.
(Example: DayJobFreedom.com)

My Take: I like descriptive domains when the top keywords are unavailable at a price I consider a value and when I have some other concern with a longer tail keyword domain (ie: length, spelling, possible confusion).  I like that descriptive domains can let the user know what to expect before they visit the site.  There is an SEO drawback with no keyword in the domain name though.  I rarely choose a descriptive domain but did for this site because the mass saturation of domains in this niche and the related asking prices in the after market.  

Hybrid Domains
I classify hybrid domains as keyword domains with an added descriptor at the beginning or the end of the domain.  Many examples have become popular, such as e or i names. Decent hybrid domains can typically be found available and account for many of the new registrations today.  Using a popular keyword at the beginning of a hybrid domain can also produce excellent SEO results.
(Examples: e[keyword].com, [keyword]world.com, super[keyword].com)

My Take: I really like hybrid domains when I can’t get a good keyword domain.  I especially like a top keyword at the beginning of the domain name because it offers really nice SEO benefits.  Although many of the popular hybrid names bring a premium in the after market there are still plenty to register with some creativity.  I think hybrid names are great for affiliate based sites.
(Note: I chose descriptive over hybrid for this site because the best hybrid names I could find were very long with Internet/online marketing as a primary keyword.)

Rules – Extensions, Dashes & Numbers
Other considerations when choosing a domain name are the extension as well as the use of dashes and numbers.  I’m going to break it all down below, but I strongly suggest you always go with a .com domain with no dashes or numbers as a general rule.

Extensions
Always shoot for .com.  It is the standard and everything else will leak some traffic to the .com version of your domain.  There are a few exceptions. If you have a localized audience then the corresponding country code extension (such as .de, .co.uk, .us) can be a great fit.  I’d want the .com as well if possible.  If your primary concern is search rankings then other top level extensions such as .net or .org can help you get ranked for exact match keywords.  I would not recommend anyone go with another top level extension such as .info or .biz.

Dashes
I try to stay away from dashes all together.  However, a dash separating a top 2 word keyword .com maybe be better than alternative options.  I would never suggest having more than 1 dash.  I would also never recommend a dash on a non .com domain name.  Multiple dashes may get some results for top keywords in the search engines but they look spammy and will get a low response rate.

Numbers
As with dashes, I dot not advise getting a domain with a number in it unless it is absolutely relevant.  

Keyword Research
Once you have your topic/niche picked out for your website it’s time to look at the options.  I suggest starting with the Google Adwords Keyword Tool.  

With this tool you can enter your the primary keyword or keywords for your topic to see the Google search volume and Adwords advertising competition for your terms entered and related keywords.

When using the tool use the advanced options to select your target location and language.  You might also want to select the radio button to show results for “Ideas containing my search terms” if your search results are too generic.

Once you’ve made your search you will want to sort by “Local Monthly Searches” to find the terms that have the most search volume.  You will also want to note the competition bar for each term.  Higher competition keywords are derived by the amount of advertisers bidding on that keyword within Google Adwords as well as the bid prices.

The screen shot below shows the search results for the office desk keyword

After reviewing some topical searches make a list of primary keywords you would like to target as well as some longer keywords that would be attractive alternatives.

Note: I also like to use a paid keyword tool called Market Samurai in addition to the Google tool.  They have a free trail available here.

Starting The Search
Now that you have a list of keywords it is time to see if they are available.  You can run this search at a registrar such as Godaddy or use a whois service like DomainTools.com.  I personally prefer a domain software called Domain Research Tool which also lets me send offers but it is more for a person that does this on a regular basis.

If you are in a competitive market there is a good chance none of the keywords will be available.  If you do happen to find a good keyword.com available then you probably want to register it and call it a day.  

If none of your keyword options are available in .com you should make a note if any of the .net or .org (or your local country code extension if you have a regional target audience) alternatives are available.  At this point you will also want to start searching for some descriptive and hybrid terms that fit your purpose.  Make a note of all of the domains you find available.

Marketplaces and Resellers
To further exhaust your options it is a good idea to search your key terms at some of the larger domain marketplaces and resellers.  You will sometimes find reasonable buy it now prices on keyword domains and there is a decent chance one or more of your target keyword domains are for sale at one of these locations.

I recommend checking: BuyDomains, Sedo, Afternic, Fabulous Domains and Godaddy.

To Buy Or Register
Assuming none of the top keyword domains were available it’s time to start weighing your options.  Before you do that you might want to step back and take a look at what a significant domain name could do for your websites/business and what you would be willing to pay for a high quality domain.

If you have a generic product or service a matching generic domain could mean everything.  On the other hand, if you are starting a personal blog you might want to consider an available registration.  Bottom line here is that it is a good idea to estimate the  benefits of a premium domain and set a tentative budget.

For pricing expectation purposes the median after market domain sale at the time I’m writing this article is $2,750 according to DNJournal.com. You might also want to check any domain of interest at Estibot, an auto-appraisal website. I don’t put much stock in appraisals, and Estibot is often way off but, it is one of the better guides online.

Making Contact With Registrants
So your favorite keyword domains are already registered and you haven’t found any great deals with after market sites.  No problem.  Let’s do a little digging to find out how much it will cost to snag one of your preferred domains that is already registered.  

The first step is to visit each of your desired domains to see if there is already a developed site.  If there is just a parking page of ads, no content or if it does not resolve (best case) you have a good acquisition prospect.  If there is a fully developed site it will probably be a lot tougher and you might want to consider removing it from your list unless you have a bigger budget.  (Note: I like buying existing websites for additional benefits of domain age, search engine saturation an search engine rankings but they can get very expensive)

After scanning the options it’s time to go back to DomainTools.com or another whois service and find the name, email address and phone number of the registrant.  You might also want to look at how long the domain has been registered.  The domain age has a positive impact on search rankings and also gives some insight into how much the registrant has invested in the domain.

Now that you are armed with the registrant info of your prospective domains you can start making contact.  I prefer to use an email first, call second approach.  I’ve found that when I call first I can catch people off guard and get a negative response which is tough to recover from.

I start with an email that contains the domain name as part of the subject.  In the email you will want to write a few sentences at minimum so the person knows it was written specifically to them.  Express your interest  in the domain and ask if they would consider selling it.  I also recommend making a decent offer if you really like the domain.  Be sure to include your phone number as well.  This lets them know you are serious and some people would much rather negotiate a sale over the phone.

If you don’t get a reply to your email in a day or two you will then want to move on to a phone call.  I find that I get a warmer response on the phone after sending an email.  The domain registrant knows that I am serious and they have had time to think about selling the domain, assuming they read the email.  

From the point of making contact is becomes a game of negotiation.  Try not to be the first person to put  number out unless your are making an offer.  A good way to get the domain owner to give you a number is to ask for a ballpark price.  If you do negotiate to a price point you like make sure the seller is willing to use an escrow service such as escrow.com for the transaction.  You might have to cover or split the escrow fees but it is worth the peace of mind.  I’d also like to note a pet peeve of mine.  Don’t make multiple offers unless you are willing to honor them.  Backing out of an offer after it is accepted is bad business.

Tough Calls
OK. Hopefully by now you will have some options.  Ideally, you will have a few domains available to register, a couple of after market options and sell prices from a few of your desired domains that are already registered.

This is where it gets hard to give advice because there are so many variables that could play into the decision. My decision making from this point is based on tacit knowledge.  

I suggest you ask a few friends for feedback and go with your gut.  If you are still stuck you are welcome to comment here for advice or ask me directly via the contact page.

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