18 February, 2014
Buying an established domain does have some potential advantages, but there's a lot to be said for registering a new name.
An established domain name may have some sort of established search engine and traffic history - but when it comes to search engines, a bad history could handicap a new site under an old domain from the outset.
Registering a new domain is also significantly cheaper than buying an already registered domain through an auction or via direct negotiation with its registrant.
It's a bit of a myth that all the good names are gone as a name is what you make it; assuming you follow some basic name choice guidelines.
A good example is Google. Prior to 1997, the word didn't even exist. The name "Google" originated from a misspelling of "googol", which is a number represented by a 1 followed by one-hundred zeros.
Within 10 years of it first being used, it was so prevalent in communications that google was included in the Oxford dictionary.
Other popular company and domain names based on made up words include Skype and eBay.
The key to choosing a good invented name is ensuring it is short, memorable, easy to pronounce and easy to spell. It's also possible to come up memorable domains by combining two words that may not seem to be related, but with one word relating to the topic or sector; e.g. HotMail.
So don't sweat it if the domain of your dreams isn't available - start thinking outside the box a little and you may wind up with a name that is far better and save a bundle of cash in the process.
Pick up some more tips for choosing good domain names.
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How to register a name: Enter your choice in the search tool and click 'GO'. If after the check the domain names search results show your choice is available, you will then have the option to proceed to purchase registration; which is a very quick and easy process - start a search and find your ideal website address now.
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