When you’re starting an online business, one of the first things to do is buy a domain name. It identifies your website and helps customers find you online.
在这篇博文中, we will walk you through how to find, purchase, and set up the perfect domain name for your company.
Why You Need to Buy a Domain Name
第一的, let’s answer the burning question most beginner online sellers have: what does a domain mean in business?
A domain is the address people will use to find your website, and it’s an important part of your branding. 例如, Google’s domain is google.com.
The suffix that follows the domain name in a web address is called a top-level domain (顶级域名), also referred to as a domain extension. There are different kinds of domain extensions; 例如, .com, .网, and .org are all TLDs. For a business domain, we recommend a .com domain because it is the most popular and memorable.
学到更多: 什么是域 & 为什么您的业务需要它
Here’s why you should buy a domain name for your business:
- It helps customers find you online. Customers type in a domain name in the browser to find your website.
- It makes your business look more professional. Having a domain name shows that you’re serious about your business and helps you build credibility with potential customers.
- It’s an important part of your branding. Businesses often use their brand name as the domain name, which helps with brand recognition.
How to Come Up with a Domain Name for Your Business
The domain name you choose will be the address of your website, so it’s important to choose one that’s easy to remember and type.
Here are some tips for coming up with a domain name:
- Keep it short and simple. A domain should be easy to spell, 发音, remember and type
- 使用关键词. Keywords can help with your website ranking in the search results
- Avoid using hyphens. Hyphens can make it harder for people to find your website
- 使用熟悉的域名扩展, 例如 .com, .组织, .网
- 尝试域名生成器 如果您不确定如何命名您的网站. 例如, 精益域搜索或 DomainWheel
使用 DomainWheel 生成域名创意
学到更多: 8 选择域名的最佳实践
哪里可以购买域名
购买域名, 您可以使用域名注册商. 这是一家管理域名并向公众开放的公司.
有许多域名注册商可供选择, 例如GoDaddy, 谷歌域名, 名称廉价, 徘徊, 或梦想主机. 他们都以不同的域名价格提供不同的扩展名.
Understanding the Domain Buying Process
Once you’ve come up with a domain name, it’s time to see if it’s available, using a domain availability checker. Most registrars already have domain availability checkers on their websites.
You will run into one of the following scenarios:
- The domain name is available.
- The domain name is already registered.
- The domain name has expired.
Let’s see what you can do in each of those cases.
How to Buy a New Domain
If you run the domain name search on the registrar’s website and the name you came up with is available, the rest is easy. Add a domain name to a cart and proceed to the registrar’s checkout to buy it.
A registrar lets you know if the domain name is available
恭喜! You now have a domain name for your business.
The Best Way to Buy a Domain for an Online Store
If you need both an online store and a custom domain, Ecwid by Lightspeed is the perfect option. It’s an ecommerce platform that also provides you with a custom domain for your online store.
与Ecwid, you get a secure domain with a free SSL certificate and WHOIS privacy protection. Buying a domain via Ecwid takes minutes, and best of all, a domain is set up automatically. That means you don’t have to manually connect your domain to your online store!
Another perk of buying a custom domain via Ecwid is that it’s cost-efficient. 通常, you have to renew your domain once a year, and some registrars don’t miss the chance to raise a domain price when the period renews. 与Ecwid, there are no hidden fees or high price jumps when renewal comes around.
Learn more about buying a custom domain via Ecwid in this article:
What to Do If Your Domain Name Is Taken
所以, you run a domain availability check on the registrar’s website, and it turns out the domain name you want has already been registered by someone else. Though disappointing, this doesn’t mean the end of your domain dreams.
One way to deal is to come up with an alternative domain name. 有时, you don’t even need to change the name itself — just changing the domain extension can do the trick. 例如, instead of awesomecakes.com you can go with awesomecakes.net.
Most domain registrars do the work for you and show the available alternative domain names if your preferred name is already taken.
Google Domains shows which extensions are taken and suggests alternative ones
If you don’t like the suggested domain alternatives, you can go back to the domain generators to come up with a new name. 通常, it doesn’t take too long to find a suitable option for your business. 然后, the rest is pretty straightforward — add a domain name of your choice to the cart and proceed to payment.
在极少数情况下, you can’t go with an alternative domain name. 例如, if you have a very specific brand name that has already gained recognition and you can’t change it without confusing your existing customers.
幸运的是, you can still get the domain of your dreams, even if it’s already taken.
How to Buy an Expired Domain Name
Every domain name is registered in one-year increments (minimum: one year, maximum: ten years). If the owner doesn’t renew the subscription at the end of the domain registration period, the domain becomes “expired.”
Once the domain owner fails to renew the subscription, it goes through the following stages:
- Expired: Usually lasts between 0 和 45 天. The domain owner can renew the name during this period.
- Redemption Period: 所有者可以以高昂的域名价格续订. 通常持续 30 天.
- 待删除: 域名将返回注册商且无法续订.
一旦域退出待删除状态, 注册并不总是免费的. 它可以被过期的域名拍卖网站或域名抢注服务抢购.
让我们了解更多相关信息.
域名抢注
一些域名注册商提供域名抢注服务. 这意味着如果你想要的域名被占用了, 您可以下订单并付款. As soon as the domain expires and becomes available, the registrar will buy it on your behalf.
Dynadot shows domains available for backordering
然而, there’s no guarantee that you’ll actually get the domain this way, as there might be other people interested in buying it.
When there are several people who backordered a name, it goes to a domain auction. Your backorder payment will be used to place the opening bid. You can continue to bid on the domain name until you buy it. If the domain price gets too high, 您可以将延期交货信用转移到另一个域名.
过期域名拍卖网站和 Drop Catching 服务
而不是提供延期交货服务, 一些注册商只是将过期域名出售给拍卖网站. 这意味着一旦任何注册名称过期, 它被移交给域名拍卖网站. 这里, 其他人可以竞标该名称. 一旦域被实际删除, 出价最高者得.
以下是一些流行的域名拍卖网站: 廉价市场, GoDaddy 拍卖, 塞多, 快照名称, 名捷.
You can find all kinds of domains on auction sites
Most high-value names will likely find plenty of bidders at any expired name auction. 然而, if there are no bidders for the name, it is released to the general pool. The moment when a domain name gets back on the market is called the ‘drop.’
This is where things get interesting: once the domain is released by the registrar, there is a virtual “free for all” to register it. You can try registering it yourself, but if you are not able to do that, 您可以使用域丢弃捕获服务.
丢弃捕获服务本质上是一个域名注册商，一旦注册失效，它将注册域名, 到期后立即.
水滴捕捉服务通常会向您收取费用. 在大多数情况下, 仅当注册商确实设法为您注册了该名称时才需要支付费用.
一些域名丢弃捕获服务是 DropCatch, Dynadot, 尼多玛, 和泳池.
购买过期域名的步骤
获得域名的最佳方法是向域名注册商或其拍卖合作伙伴进行抢注. 要做到这一点, 按着这些次序:
- 使用 Whois 工具找出域名的注册商. 输入域名并检查其注册商名称.
- 转到注册商的网站并搜索所需的网站名称. 取决于注册商, 他们要么主动提出抢注域名，要么引导您联系他们的拍卖合作伙伴.
- 下达延期交货并完成结账流程.
为了增加你记住名字的机会, 您可以对多个掉落捕捉服务进行延期交货.
一旦域名过期, 可能会发生以下情况之一:
- 案件 1: 该域名有多次抢注. 在这种情况下, 该名称将参加域名拍卖并注册给出价最高者.
- 案件 2: 该域名被拍卖合作伙伴捕获，没有竞标者. 如果您在域名拍卖网站上有延期交货, 你会立即得到它. 否则, 它被一个drop-catch服务捕获.
您可以对尽可能多的服务进行延期交货. 因为只有成功查到名字才需要支付费用, 您不会因重复订单而赔钱.
如何购买现有域名
在某些情况下, 您想要的域名已被他人注册.
幸运的是, 一些域名注册商可以帮助您与所有者取得联系并为所需域名提供报价. 例如, NameCheap 允许您报价, 和他们的伙伴, 域代理, 帮助您联系所有者并保护域名.
一些注册商允许您对已占用的域名提出报价
如果您的注册商不提供此类服务或者您更喜欢 DIY 方法, 您可以自己找到域名所有者并联系他们.
取决于域名及其所有者, 你可能有机会以便宜的价格购买它. 下面显示的步骤是实际的全职域名交易者用来获得便宜域名的.
查看域名当前是否正在使用
第一步应该是在浏览器中输入域名并查看结果. 当您执行此操作时，将会发生以下四种情况之一:
一个. 您看到一个空白页
在某些情况下, 该域只是解析为空白页面或抛出错误消息:
这通常是一个好兆头. 这意味着当前所有者没有使用该名称. 如果您向他们提供合适的报价, 你也许可以买.
乙. 您看到一个现有网站
在很多情况下, 域名将解析为现有网站.
这可能是也可能不是一个好兆头, 取决于网站本身:
- 案件 1: 该网站进行了大量更新并支持实际业务.
- 案件 2: 该网站已经有一段时间没有更新了，并设有一个休闲博客/信息网站.
以防万一 1, 你购买这个名字的机会几乎为零. 很少有企业会放弃他们的域名——即使他们这样做了, 它不会便宜.
以防万一 2, 如果域名所有者愿意出售，您也许可以购买该域名.
C. 您看到一个停放的页面
更多时候, 您将登陆“停放”页面. 这些是充满广告和最少内容的简单登陆页面. 域名所有者使用它们从人们直接在浏览器中输入名称来赚钱.
很容易发现停放的页面. 它通常除了广告什么也没有, 以及“查询”域名的链接.
停放的页面通常是一个好兆头. 这通常意味着域名所有者希望通过域名赚钱，并且有动力以合适的价格出售.
D. 您看到经纪页面
有时, 在浏览器中输入名称将带您进入域名经纪登陆页面.
您可以通过页面上的查询表格和经纪公司名称来发现此类页面. 一些域名经纪公司是 GoDaddy Domain Broker, 媒体选项, 和域名控股.
登陆经纪页面并不是一个非常令人鼓舞的迹象. 这通常意味着您正在与非常积极主动的卖家打交道，他们对域名市场了如指掌. 这大大降低了您以便宜的价格获得该名称的机会.
一旦您知道域名的用途, 是时候寻找主人了.
找出谁拥有域名
下一步是找到域名的所有者. 您不仅应该知道谁拥有该域名, 以及他们拥有多少个域名. 这将影响您为该名称支付的价格.
首先在 Whois 网站上搜索您的域名. 您将看到域配置文件, 您可以在其中找到域名注册人.
您还将看到与注册者的电子邮件关联的域名数量. 在域名购买过程中，了解注册人拥有的域名数量非常重要:
- 如果针对电子邮件注册的名称总数非常多 (说, 超过 300), 这意味着注册人是专业的域名交易者, 开发商或大型企业. 这使得讨价还价变得更加困难.
- 如果注册名称总数较少 (在下面 50), 它可能表明业余所有者可能不了解市场域名价格. 在这种情况下, 你也许能得到一笔划算的交易.
在很多情况下, 您会发现注册者有数百万封与其姓名相关的电子邮件. 当域名所有者选择 Whois 隐私时，通常会发生这种情况. 这隐藏了所有者的联系方式.
常见的 Whois 隐私服务是 Domains By Proxy, 域名查询卫士, ETC. 如果所有者选择了 Whois 隐私, 通过电子邮件与他们联系可能很困难. 当您继续下一步时请记住这一点.
对该域名提出报价
如果域名不属于大公司, 不拥有现有企业, 并且不受 Whois 隐私的阻止, 你有很大的机会购买这个名字. 现在, 让我们回顾一下如何从别人那里购买域名. 这样做, 按着这些次序:
1. 在做出初始报价之前研究域名价格.
在您提出报价之前, 研究最近的域名销售是个好主意，这样您就可以了解当前的市场价值. 例如, 查看 Sedo 的域名市场趋势或 NameBio 域名销售数据库.
一般来说, 域名价格遵循这些趋势:
- 使用流行词和 .com TLD 的域名售价数千美元.
- 较短的域名比较长的域名更有价值.
- 全部 3 字母名称 (例如 ABC.com) 去向上 $10,000.
- .净 TLD 的价格是 .com 价格的 1/10 到 1/20.
一旦你有了大概的数字, 继续执行以下步骤.
2. 通过电子邮件发送购买报价.
在尝试购买域名时，您希望向域名所有者发送一封既礼貌又自信的电子邮件. 使用这样的模板:
主题: [域名.com]
你好 [注册人姓名],
我是一名开发人员，有兴趣获取您的域名 [域名].
我可以给你提供 $200 为了它.
问候
[你的名字]
这封电子邮件完成了三件事:
- 主题行可能会错过所有者的垃圾邮件过滤器，并在收件箱中脱颖而出.
- 简短而切题.
- 初始报价表明您愿意为该名称付费.
我们建议从低报价开始 (大约 $100 至 $500, 如果是高价值名称，则更多). 如果您没有收到回复, 尝试再增加几百美元或在您的预算允许的范围内.
快速回顾一下:
- 买: 非专业域名所有者拥有的未使用或停放的域名.
- 避免: 域名经纪公司拥有的现有网站/企业, 专业域名所有者, 和大型企业.
总结一下
Buying a domain name for your business is easy when it’s not already used — all you need is to come up with a domain name and purchase it on the registrar’s website.
If your domain name of choice is taken, that’s not a problem either. The simplest solution is to choose an alternative domain name by coming up with a new one, using domain name generators, or just using a different extension. Most domain registrars will help you out by offering available alternatives.
If an alternative domain won’t work for your business, you can always backorder the domain right on the registrar’s website. 在极少数情况下, you might need to turn to drop catching services or domain auctions to buy expired domains.
If all else fails, you can try contacting the domain owner directly and asking if they’re willing to sell it.
如你看到的, there are many options available. You’re sure to find a domain name that will work for your business. And once you have that, 您距离开设新的电子商务商店又近了一步!
