Website Design - Database Design - Bespoke Software Solutions - Domain Searches and Brokerage

Overview

Your domain name, also known as the URL, is the web address which your customers type into their internet browser in order to access your site. Seems easy enough, buy a domain name, load website and sit back whilst your customers flock to your site, so why are some domain names worth pence whilst others sell for millions of pounds? Well, in the world of the internet there are many factors that can affect the value of a domain name and hence the price you will have to pay for it.

To provide an insight into factors that affect the cost of a domain name we have produced the list below but this is far from comprehensive and many other less significant issues may affect the true value.

Is The Domain Name Available? Has someone already registered your chosen domain name? If not then great, you will be able to register the domain name for a low annual charge and it will be yours for as long as you want to keep it. If it has already been registered then you must decide whether to look for alternatives or try and buy it from the registered owner.

Is the Domain Name Easy To Remember? A domain name that is easy to remember has a high commercial value because it can be advertised on the radio, television, in printed material and by word of mouth, and people will remember your domain name when they next visit the internet. For this reason it is good to use short domain names which are unambiguous, without numbers or hyphens, and relevant to the product or service they promote. Single word domain names are ideal for this purpose and as a result they cost a premium.

Does the Domain Name Have Commercial Value? Branding potential for a domain name is a key driver of its value. Single word domain names cost the most because it is easier to incorporate and then market the name as part of a brand. Interestingly the domain name doesn‘t necessarily have to be relevant to the brand, for example take "elephant.co.uk" and "admiral.com" which sell insurance.

Is it a Popular Search Term? Search engines use many different properties to determine the order in which they display results. The most important criteria is relevance which looks at the site content but also the domain name, because after all it would be reasonable to expect "florist.com" to be a florist selling flowers. A domain name which is, or contains, a popular search term has greater value because it is likely to be ranked higher in search engine results.

Domain Extension. The three or four letters at the end of the domain name can significantly affect it‘s value. There are two types of domain extension, the TLD (top-level domain) and the ccTLD (country coded top-level domain). Generally TLDs have greater value because they have global appeal whereas ccTLDs are restricted to a specific country or region.

Internet Highway - The World's Biggest Street.

Getting Your Domain Name

The first step is to decide upon a suitable name and maybe a few good alternatives. Your chosen name should be relevant to your business name or the goods and service that you provide. If you haven‘t yet named your business then it would be a good idea to check if you can get the domain name first. This is what we did with Design Atom because we wanted a dot com domain name that was identical to the business name. Once you have selected a domain name then it can be checked for availability and if it is free then it can be registered. If it is already registered and you really want that name then we can try and buy it from the owner. This will depend on whether they want to sell it and for how much. If successful and after paying for it the domain name is registered in your name and moved to your web service provider.

How Can We Help?

At Design Atom we are extremely experienced in domain registrations, the domain resale market and transfers. All of our website packages include free registration of your chosen name, subject to availability, and if it is not available we will suggest some alternatives that are. If you are undecided as to a suitable name, or you would like to acquire a name that is already registered then we can provide the following optional services for an additional fee.

Detailed Domain Search. Based upon your criteria we can evaluate the current market to establish available names, those likely to re-enter the market and those that are already registered. We will produce an extensive list of domain names that meet your criteria, their availability and commercial potential. You can then use the information we provide to select your chosen name and either have it registered or open negotiations with the owner.

Buying Existing Domains. If you‘re looking to buy a domain that is already registered then we can manage the entire process for you. We will obtain a reliable valuation and enter into negotiations with the owner. Many domain owners are individuals that purchased the domain name solely for resale and have expectations that far exceed the true value of the domain name. We can carry out negotiations to attempt to obtain the domain name for a realistic price and produce a logical argument to support your offer. If negotiations are successful we can manage payment, registration and transfer of the domain name to your servers.

If you don‘t already have a domain name for your business it is important to ensure that you obtain one suitable for your needs. Over a hundred million domain names have already been registered, the second hand market is extremely extensive and speculative, and finding the ideal name can often be confusing. We can use our extensive experience of the domain markets to identify and obtain a domain name suitable for your business.

Find Out More

If you‘re looking to obtain a suitable domain name for your business, or you require any aspect of software design then we can certainly help you. To find out more use the "Quick Links" to the right or Contact Us with your requirements.