How to Find Out If a Domain Name Is Taken
Finding out whether a domain name is taken is simple and the task may be performed on numerous sites on the Internet. These sites not only offer a search box in which to place the name you would like to check, but you may also buy the domain name of your choice before somebody else pounces on the special name that you have picked. A personal website usually ends in .ws (.website); an organization website usually ends in .org; and a commercial website usually ends in .com---the most popular.
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Instructions
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Go online to GoDaddy (see Resources), to perform a search of the domain name that you want. Type your proposed domain name into the search box that says "Start a Domain Name Search" on GoDaddy's home page. If your chosen domain name is free you have an option to buy and register that name. You may opt to register the name for a minimum of one year to infinity.
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Surf to Register (see Resources), a website has a search box for your convenience to type in your name of choice to see if it's taken. If the name is free you will have options to choose from such as .net, .org and .com. If your name is taken already you will be given other options for your domain name that are usually hyphenated or underscored. If your chosen name was booboo.com and that name was taken, options such as boo-boo.com or boo_boo.com will be offered as suggestions.
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Visit NetworkSolutions (see Resources), which offers a selection of features that are available with the purchase of a domain name, including easy DNS management, 24/7 customer service, domain protect and subdomains.
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Check out BuyDomains (see Resources), a site where you may search for that special domain or browse through thousands of domain names for sale. This site offers plentiful information to enable you to better understand the domain name search and register process.
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Decide what to name your particular website. It is up to you to choose a unique name tailored to keywords that people may type into a search engine in order to find you. For example, if you have a commercial website that sells flowers, you may combine keywords into your website name such as "florist," "sell" and "rose."
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Tips & Warnings
Including keywords in your domain's title greatly increases your chances of being found in cyberspace.
Remember to spell your domain name correctly when typing it into the search engine and registering the name, as the name cannot be corrected or edited once it's submitted. Sometimes domain names are spelled incorrectly intentionally to allow for people who misspell the name when typing them into search engines, thus, attracting more traffic to their sites.
