arghyle

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If you buy a lot of domain names then you probably already knew that this was happening, but it’s finally been confirmed- there are “leaks” in the whois search system. This means that if you search for a domain name sites can find out about it and buy it out from under you. This used to happen after a few days, sometimes, but now it can happen in as little as two minutes, according to some reports. Once they have your domain name, they will park it and then probably offer it up to you for sale or even to rent. I’ve seen some okay, not great, domain names renting out for $30 or a month.

What should you do about it?  There is not a whole lot you can do, but you can be smart about things and prevent problems before they happen.

Defensive domain buying tips:

1. Be careful where you search for names!
   The is the most important step. I’m not sure if someone gave me this advice or if I read it, but don’t search anywhere besides a billion dollar registrar. This means absolutely no plugins, no small time whois sites, and don’t ever just type the name into the address bar (ISPs sell this information, including the names of domains that do not exist).
2. Search to buy
   If you are searching and you see what you want- just pull the trigger. If it’s just one or two domain names, it will be under $20 then you have a year to decide. If you only buy domain names for future projects than this system works well. For the average web worker, who just ones a few domains, maybe a dozen or two, it is better to pick up what they want and not use it than to lose out on something solid.
3. Don’t be cheap with TLDs
   If you are going to use the .com domain, you might as well pick up the .net and .org as well. It hurts to have to spend three times as much as you wanted, but if you pick up one domain the chance than the other TLDs will be purchased by someone else increases exponentially. I’ve even heard about people buying the other TLD (or a domain like yours) soon after you do and offering to sell you the one they just picked up! Quick note- I don’t really other with other TLDs like .tv, .us, .info, etc because of how rarely the average internet user bothers with them, aside from major destinations.
4. Consider the typos and mistakes
   If you are investing in a domain name set and you want to get really defensive, consider buying the mistakes people may make. For example, when I bought xyzcomputing.com and realized it was getting some attention, I quickly increased my portfolio from xyzcomputing (com/net/org) to include xyzcomputers, xyzcomputers, xyzcomp, and some more. For these I focused on the .com names as my losses to xyzcomputer.org could not be significant. As for typos- if your domain is common spelled wrong, buy the right way and forward with it so you don’t lose those people.

So where should you be looking for domain names? Probably at the largest, most reputable organization you can find. I have used GoDaddy without any problems, but I have heard complaints about domains being “tasted” though they have strongly denied any claims of this. Any public company should be trustworthy, as any question of integrity would threaten their core business. I have always had luck with domaintools.com and would recommend them if you are looking for a great place to start.

Finding the right domain name is only going to get harder in the future so you have to great creative about coming up with a name. Once you do you have to make sure you get it, as buying a domain name or having to rent one is a less than ideal way to start your site, especially if you don’t expect it to generate any income. Buying the domain you have your heart set on is becoming more is becoming increasingly common, but the prices are so inflated that it is just not a possibility for most people. What this all comes down to if you need to be defensive about your research and name sure to expose yourself to the least amount of risk possible.

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