How to Purchase a Domain Name

You have chosen you domain name, the location on the internet where you want to set up house, do business, or just blog. Now comes the moment of truth when you must lay down some hard cash for your own niche on the internet. There are two ways to do this, dependent on whether your name is already owned or if you want to do it on your own.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

What if No One Owns Your Name?

1. Domain name registrar GoDaddy.com Registering your domain name establishes your presence on the internet. Select one of the major domain name registrar, such as Go Daddy.
2. Input your selected domain name and choose the length of ownership, usually expressed in yearly increments.
3. Choose the payment method. Congratulations, you now own your domain name.

What if Someone Else Owns Your Name?

4. You've decided on your domain name and put the name through one of the major search engines, and it returns that your preferred domain name is already owned by someone. Once you finish cursing and swearing, it's time to get down to business. Decide in advance how much you are willing to pay to retrieve your name. Consider how much business you MIGHT generate and assess it with the possibility that you may not get your own name back.
5. Your name is Eddie Ash and you want to buy ea.com? Forget it. There are generally two types of owners to domain names. Legitimate, and squatters. Legitimate owners generally have their website up and running, carry on some form of business, and most probably don't want to part with the domain name. In some instances, you probably don't have enough money to buy out the domain name, particularly if it's something like "www.ea.com"
6. Squatters are generally people who have bought domain names in advance at a very cheap rate, in the hope of making a huge profit later. There are two approaches you can make to purchase the domain name from another owner. Make the personal approach yourself and try to negotiate a fair price. The second is to use a domain name registrar and have them contact the owner as your representative. Such services will usually set you back a small amount, and there is no guarantee of obtaining the domain name. In some cases, the squatter may actually hold out for more money based on your eagerness to obtain the name, and in their eyes, its values increases.

Tips & Warnings

• Every domain registrar takes you to the same internet. Shop around between registrars to examine pricing for domain name registration. It hardly makes sense to buy your domain name at one location when you could have the exact same name from another source at half the price.
• Domain name registrars will sometimes entice you with a selection of domain names at little or no cost, if you sign a web hosting deal with them. Always examine the conditions of sale.
• Domain name registrars may list in their conditions of sale ownership of the domain name even though you have purchased it. Always ensure that you are the owner identity on any purchases.