By dado on

Has anyone noticed that there are virtually zero (0) domain names available especially for .com? It seems to have gotten out of hand. Maybe google adsense is fueling accelerated cybersquatting.

My question: how to get a decent domain name? Anybody recommend a service or website?

Comments

iandickson’s picture

iandickson commented

If you want a good name, and it's gone, then you have three options:-

1) Choose another and try and convince yourself that it's just as good.
2) Offer hard cash to the current owner.
3) Get lawyers (but that will only work if you have a good and reasonable right to the name, and they haven't).

People don't like option (2) much, but most names, if not really special, are not that expensive when put in the context of any subsequent marketing spend based around them.

Option (1) has often worked for me - sleep on it and find that you invent a new word that does a perfect job, and since it is new, ain't been nicked.

Option (3) you really don't want to try. I give you Apple vs Apple for the sort of silliness that leads to.

Emediex’s picture

Emediex commented

You are correct about cybersquatting being a problem for domain names, but there are several strategies for finding a URL that will not only help you to be found in the search engines, but also provide a brand for your product or service.

On my website, http://www.emediex.com, you can search for domain names. If the name you want is not available, you will be provided with many optional names, usually with the addition of "online" or "Web." Feel free to contact me for assistance (no charge to Drupal members) in finding a URL that will work for your particular application.

Warm regards,
Mariane
info@emediex.com

Carlos Miranda Levy’s picture

Carlos Miranda Levy commented

Although you may be some 10 years late into the domain purchase lane, I still buy a couple of good domains every month.
I've been able to get such nice stuff recently as buywithme.com, virtualelections.com, thesocialentrepreneur.com, theendlessjourney.com, doingmyshare.com, etc. recently.

Be creative, think beyond a name. In particular, think about a concept that represents your site or project or initiative. Also think about the very nature of it. Another approach is to think of an action related to your project or initiative. There you have 3 sources for names: 1) concept; 2) nature of; 3) action.

Think about it: Google does not mean search engine although it gives a hint of a large number (that was the concept); Yahoo, well related to exclamation and the founders' names, Apple... well legend says they wanted to be tops on the phonebook directory which was how business was done back then!; Drupal, nothing about content management or community there, actually a typo or misspelling that became official...

Mambo... content management? Java... web programming language?

Apparently the only dudes not creative were the guys at MicroSoft (yes, it was a capital S originally).
(grin -- how we love to bash them and biting the hand that feeds us)

See, brand names and domain names need not be mybearportal.com, teddybears4everyone.com (which are available by the way). You can look for an alternative related concept and come up with pawsblog.com or livepaws.com (which are also available). But you can come up with more creative and unique stuff for such a project, dropping the whole bears and paws related names in our example and go creative with your vision and end up with something like 2roamfree.com which is also available.

There, you see. We picked a concept (bears) and in less than 5 minutes we came up with 5 good .com domain names available for it...

------
Con paciencia y calma,
sube un burro a una palma

nbran@www.drupalsites.net’s picture

nbran@www.drupalsites.net commented

Have you tried...

www.1and1.com
www.godaddy.com
www.lowbudgethost.com

Visit...
http://mysoul.go.dyndns.org
My soul...
Find your other... half in life !

dado’s picture

dado commented

Check this out from GoDaddy CEO
http://www.bobparsons.com/DomainKiting.html

If I understand Domain Kiting properly,
The vast majority of the 35 million domains reserved in April were used for 5 days to generate click revenue, then ditched/re-registered repeatedly at 5 days cycles, with no expense incurred.

I wonder if domain name backordering would capture these "kited" domains.

Anybody know how can we identify whether a domain name is being kited and/or likely to be obtainable by backordering?

dado

edrupalec’s picture

edrupalec commented

I've also been able to register domain names. The advice above is good.

However, the link to domain kiting is quite interesting. thank you.

Drupal ecommerce, at http://www.drupalecommerce.com
http://www.drupalecommerce.com/troubleshooting
http://www.drupalecommerce.com/modulesexplained
http://www.drupalecommerce.com/47vs46
http://www.drupalecommerce.com/howto

Briang’s picture

Briang commented

I didn't want to pay out to domain squatters either. I wanted a domain name that was short, easy to remember, and somehow related to my site. I bought http://eventzip.com less than two months ago. I feel your pain. It's hard to find a good one, but keep looking. Why don't you tell us what your site is about and then we can private message you if we think of a good one?

Brian