How to Offer to Buy a Domain Name

The right domain name can dramatically increase traffic to your site.

With the Internet fast taking over modern commerce, having a presence on the web is a must for any entrepreneur or business. Having a good web presence can be the difference between a successful online business and one that fails. For this reason alone, a great domain name is essential. Consumers frequent sites with good, catchy names that are easy to remember, thus making good domain names a must. Popular domain names could be worth thousands of dollars because of the guaranteed traffic to the site generated by the name alone.

Instructions

1. Locate a domain name that is for sale using a web service that offers listings on available domains. The current No. 1 domain name distributor is GoDaddy.com.

2. Check whether the domain is in use or the name is just reserved. You can do this by navigating to the site URL and checking for updated content. If there is simply a holding page in place (e.g., "Site Under Construction" or "Coming Soon"), chances are the domain is simply reserved.

3. Contact the owner of the domain directly (if contact information is available) to inquire about the price of the domain, or contact the domain owner via your search site (e.g., GoDaddy.com).

4. Wait for the domain owner's response and make your purchase accordingly. If you learn that he is planning to sell the domain via auction, proceed to Step 5.

5. Visit an active online auction to search for the domain name. If it has already been placed up for auction, you may begin the bidding process. If it is not yet in the system, check back daily until it's available. If you're not comfortable bidding on a domain, you may hire a domain broker to do the work for you.

Tips & Warnings

• When you select a domain name, before making an offer, do an appraisal on the domain name to see its value to ensure you're not overpaying for a name.

• Never pay for a domain name up front without the required paperwork or documentation legally transferring the name to your ownership.

References

• Kikabink: "Tips for Making an Offer on a Domain Name"