What's in a name? In a word: Everything!Choosing an appropriate domain name for your web site is one of
first and most critical decisions you'll have to make on road to Internet success.
What Makes A Great Domain Name?
Is it punchy, sticks in mind, is short and fits your product/service? Does it begin with a letter closer to beginning of alphabet, instead of towards end? If so, and it's not taken, you may have a winner!
However, with more than 60,000 new domain names being registered each month, many of short, memorable, two-word names have already been snapped up. But don't despair: there are other ways to win at domain game.
Expired or 'On-Hold' Domain Names
Every day, domain names come up for renewal. And every day, owners let them slip away. Why? Either they've gone out of business, or simply forget to renew. You can use free web sites to monitor these domains, and you may get lucky. As a bonus, your new name may come with built-in traffic!
Just be aware: many people are actively searching for good domain names to buy and sell, at a profit. For example, one domain, http://www.business.com, sold for millions! So be warned: if you see a name you want, don't wait - grab it.
I've successfully used lists posted on following two sites: http://deleteddomains.com and http://www.dailyexpireddomains.com. You'll soon notice that some names are available immediately, while some are 'on hold.'
Technically, once expired, all names are available. However those that have expired within past 45 to 60 days are in a grace period. Prior owners are given chance to make good on their debt. If they don't, and grace period expires, name is 'deleted' from master domain registry. It is then available for purchase by others.
