Domain Name Search

Finding the Right Domain Name

Not all domain names are created equally. Depending on what your website is for, there are different tricks to naming it that can increase traffic. 

Here are some tips if you’re creating a domain for…

A Brick and Mortar Business:

When searching for your domain, choose one that’s easy to spell and (just as importantly) easy to pronounce. This makes it easy to remember, and ensures the highest possible traffic.

You’ll also want to avoid using numbers and symbols, as they can get easily misinterpreted, especially when trying to verbally communicate the website to someone. This goes for abbreviations, too. 

If you’re creating a domain for a local business, consider making it location-specific. If you own a car wash in Minnesota, for example, you could go with “minnesotacarwash.com.” This is easy to communicate verbally, which makes it easy to remember. Additionally, this can help you rank higher on Google searches in the area.

You can even get creative with your domain’s suffix. (The suffix is the “.com,” “.org,” etc.) If you own a restaurant, you might decide to use “.eat” as your suffix. The key is to keep it short and easy to remember. However, while suffixes are fun to play around with, people are more familiar with “.com,” and they often feel it’s more professional. 

Once you’ve got the perfect name, it’s time to register that domain!

A Web-Based Business: 

If you’re starting a blog or online business (like an affiliate website), the same general rules apply: search available domains for something memorable and easy to say and type, and avoid using symbols and numbers.

And, just like with a local business, it’s a good idea to use heavily-searched keywords in your domain name. For example, if you blog about the world’s craziest haircuts, you might choose “magicmullets.com.” 

You can use your domain’s suffix to register for another keyword. To continue with the haircut theme, you might decide on “mohawks.hair.” You’re only limited by your own creativity. 

A valuable use of your time is to search various social media platforms to see if your desired name is available on all of them. Getting the same name for all your social media makes it that much easier to build your brand.

Once you’ve got the perfect name, it’s time to register that domain!

Investments

Investing in domain names can bring a great ROI. Don’t believe it? Just ask the man who bought Google.com for $12 in 2015.

But you don’t have to catch a billion-dollar company’s mistake in order to make money purchasing domains. Here are just a few ways you can make it well worth the investment.

Check Expired Domains

Each month, millions of domains expire due to neglect or disinterest. Expireddomains.net is a good resource for this. for finding them. Additionally, you can use WHOIS to search out domain names you personally like, find out when they expire, and act fast when they do. 

Make an Offer

Use WHOIS to look up domains you personally think are catchy or worth investing in. If they’re already owned, you can make an offer to the site owner for purchase, with the intent to sell at a profit down the line.

Register in Bulk

This can be a very economical way of investing. Essentially, you create a list of available domains you’d like to own, then buy them in bulk in multiple variations. (Example: BuyMyDomainInBulk.com, BuyingMyDomaininBulk.com, and BuyingTonsofDomainsInBulk.com, with multiple TLDs like .net, .org, etc.)

Buy at Auction

Get your blood pumping with a good ol’ fashioned auction. 

Stumped on Choosing a Domain Name?

Just input relevant keywords into the domain name search to search available domains and see available recommendations similar to your desired domain name. 

Even if you don’t use the recommendations, they’re usually enough to spark a new idea and get the ball rolling again.

Choosing the Right Top Level Domain (.com, .net, etc.)

What is a TLD?

A Top Level Domain is simply the last part of the domain name. Also known as the suffix or domain extension, it’s the “.com,” “.org,” etc., that comes at the end.

There are two main differences from an owner’s perspective: price and name recognition, with name recognition being the more important of the two.

Prices for most TLDs range from $10 per year, for cheaper TLDs, such as .com and .us, to around $30 or $50 per year for .online and .store.  For most businesses with less than twenty domains, this yearly price difference will not make much of a difference. 

Name recognition, on the other hand, is a larger consideration.  It encompasses several aspects for visitors, such as reliability and business location.

When they were originally created, a website couldn’t use certain extensions if it didn’t qualify for them. For example, a for-profit company could not use “.org.” But this has become much more lenient over the years, and limitations have become fewer and fewer.

There are, however, still some limitations. For example, “.gov” can only be used by government agencies, “.edu” can only be used by educational institutions, and “.us” is only available to U.S. citizens and organizations with a presence in the U.S.

TLDs can be a great way to make your website stick in people’s minds, if used correctly. However, this is often easier said than done. 

The key to choosing a great custom TLD is similar to choosing a great overall domain name: it should be short, interesting, and easy to remember. 

That’s why “.eat” works better than “.restaurant.” It’s quick, punchy, and memorable. 

Check out our comprehensive list of TLDs to view your options and inspire creativity.

Important Included Features

Not all domain registrars provide the same features. Here are some important features you might want to make sure are included with your domain registration. (Note: All of these features are standard with a domain at C-DR.)

Domain Forwarding and Masking

Direct any domain name you own to your website. Anyone who types that domain name into their browser is taken directly to your website. (For example, you can buy the domain “bestminnesotahaircuts.com” and have it link to your personal blog.)

This is a great way to take advantage of keyword searches in search engines and drive traffic to your site.

Domain Locking

Prevent accidental or intentional transfers of domain ownership and stop people from redirecting your nameservers. Basically, this makes sure your domain remains under your control.

Total DNS Control

Manage your domain name system (DNS) records and set your email, FTP (file transfer protocol), sub-domains, and website location all from one control panel. Essentially, it’s a one-stop shop for configuring your domain’s behind-the-scenes activity.

Change of Registration

Assign your domain name to someone else or change the contacts for your domain online, anytime.

Status Alerts

Monitor the status of your domain and get instant alerts if there’s been a change.

Auto Renew Protection

Ensure expiration dates don’t sneak up on you by renewing your domain registration automatically.

Privacy Options

Most of the domains you buy from C-DR include free Privacy Protection forever. This protects your personal details with anonymized information in the Public WHOIS directory and prevents spam with a private email address for domain inquiries. Due to registry restrictions, some domains are not eligible for privacy protection. Please see the Domain Name Proxy Agreement for details.

We also have two other, more powerful, protection options, which you can choose when you checkout:

Full Domain Protection
Prevents hackers from stealing your domain or making any other unauthorized changes.​
Requires your approval via 2-factor verification for vital changes like deleting or transferring a domain.

Ultimate Domain Protection
Everything in Full Domain Protection, plus:
Hold on to your domain name for an extra 90 days if your credit card or your billing method expires.