For those who are ready to launch their new company’s website, one of the first steps is securing a domain name for said company. A domain name is the address or shortcut to a website and, for companies, usually involves the company name or an abbreviation of it. A good domain name can even make searching for your company's website easier if the user does not know the address itself.

However, it can be difficult to find the right domain name or it can be taken already. What is a company to do?! These are some notions to consider in this process. 

How much is the domain name truly worth?

If you are dead set on the domain name that is already taken, the process of buying a domain name can be a bit harder, but there are ways to get around this. Our Dallas web development agency always tells clients to check out Google Domains or the most common one GoDaddy. 

Each domain name will cost money to keep and ensure that it is yours. The prices vary on individual domains and the company’s needs. For example, a .com with Google Domain can cost about $12 per year; on the other hand, a .tech can cost $40 per year. Premium domains, which are generally highly-desirable, can cost even more.

During this time, check out the website that already belongs to another company to see if it is active or inactive.  Oftentimes, if a domain is inactive, that company may be willing to sell their domain name to you. 

Is it worth contacting the current company or would it just be a better investment to simply find an alternative? 

Alternative options 

Alternative options are great for companies who are set on their perfect domain name. A great example of this can be with Facebook. Facebook has a slew of similar domain names for all of their different options available through the platform. If you type in fb.com it still takes you to the Facebook app itself. 

Check for other domain extensions, as well. If the .com domain is taken, what about the .net or .co or .org? Oftentimes, these may be available. Likewise, when purchasing a domain, it’s usually a good idea to buy the same domain in multiple extensions and redirect them all to your primary domain. This keeps others from purchasing and using them and causing confusion with users trying to find your site.

Check for trademarks 

A large company that is an established company in search engines and has trademarks might own the rights to those names. Sometimes companies try to mimic those names a bit for their perfect domain, but this can cause a number of legal issues. 

Any Dallas web development agency would recommend that your company brainstorms a different name to ensure there are no SEO complications or legal battles in the future. 

Still need a bit of help? No worries as a leading Dallas web development agency, we have handled this for clients a couple of times! Contact us today for your website design and development project!