A domain name is a crucial piece of your online business. It is the first thing customers think of when trying to find you online. People will search for your business using the most logical name so it's important that the name you choose ties back to your business and brand. The problem is you cannot always get the one perfect domain name that is exactly what you want. That's when you turn to the domain name aftermarket.

The domain name aftermarket, like the real estate market, is highly competitive and subject to investment and speculation. Speculators will buy domain names (demand is highest for short and memorable .com domains), in the hope that they are wanted by a future business owner who wants an online presence or a current business trying to protect their brand. Many of these high-demand domains are bought solely for the purpose of resale.

On the flip side, this robust aftermarket brings with it the tools you can use to find and secure the domain name you want, even if it's already taken.

Domain Resellers
With more than 75 million .com domains currently registered, chances are high that you will not be able to find the exact domain name you want. If you are not willing to consider a different extension (i.e., .net, .org, .biz) your next choice is to look for similar domain names which are currently registered but available at a premium price. These "premium names" are available for sale by the current domain holder and can be registered through a domain reseller.

Premium domains are priced higher than unregistered domain names based on a variety of criteria including the number of years the domain has been registered, the relevancy and popularity of the keywords in the domain name, and the online traffic it generates. Resale domains are available for immediate registration at a price agreed upon between the domain registrar and the current registrant. No bidding or negotiations are required. You can get a list of premium resale domains with many registrars including the Network Solutions Premium Resale Domains inventory.

If you are not interested in an alternative resale domain, there are other options available to obtain the name you want directly from the current registrant. You can make an offer to obtain it from the current registrant or you can back order the domain name from an expired list.

Make an Offer
Anyone can search the public WHOIS database of domain names to find the contact information of the current holder of any registered domain name. You could do this yourself and then send a request to purchase the domain from the current registrant, or if your domain registrar has an anonymous offer service, you could let the registrar make the offer on your behalf. This is a very fast and efficient way to find out if the current holder of the domain name is interested in letting it go.

Using an offer service allows you to remain anonymous and to stay out of the negotiation process. If the current domain name holder accepts your offer, the registrar will then oversee the payment and the transfer process to move the domain name into your account.

Expired Names
If you are unable to obtain your favorite domain name by making an offer, your next step is to check for names on an expired list. Did you know that when a domain name term expires, the name is not immediately available for anyone to register? Most business owners aren't aware of the 30-day grace period place on all expired domains during which the current registrant can choose to renew. If you find a domain name on an expired list, you can place a backorder to register the domain as soon as it is released. This is done through an aftermarket domain name registrar like NameJet.com. Because others might be interested in the same domain name, placing a backorder does not guarantee the domain name will be yours, but it does give you the chance to bid for the name in a private auction. NameJet.com will notify you if there are other bidders for the same domain name. If there are no other back-order requests, you should be able to register the domain as soon as the grace period has expired.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Expired Domains - Do Your Homework
Before registering an expired domain name, you should learn if websites associated with the domain name are compatible with your business and in favor of the search engines.

If an expired domain name has a favorable Google® page rank, it may help you start out closer to the top of search engine results pages rather than spending time (and money) clawing your way up from the bottom. It's true that some expired domain names can help you get a jump start to online success, you'll need to do your homework to avoid choosing an expired domain - or a "used Web address" - that can cause trouble for your online business.

Before registering an expired domain name, determine if the nature of the previous site's content could help or hurt you. While it's important to increase traffic to your site, your focus should be on attracting traffic which is relevant to your business. You can check domain names at Internet Archive, a non-profit website which stores copies of previous site versions dating back to 1996. You can view these sites by typing the domain name into the archive's Wayback Machine.

Next, find out if the previous site remained on Google's good side. If it violated any search guidelines it could be difficult (if not impossible) for you to get indexed on the search engine's results pages. Just enter "cache:domainname.com" in the Google search box and you'll see a snapshot of the site taken by Google® the last time it crawled the Web. This version of the site was used to generate the index results - if you can't find it, there could be a problem.

While you're at it, take a look at the backlinks (other websites which link to you) of expired domain names. Search engines tend to stick to the notion that you're only as relevant as those sites with which you associate, so avoid domains associated with spamming. You can check domain names for backlinks at Google by typing "link:domainname.com" in its search box.

Alternative Extensions
When you have exhausted all your after-market attempts to secure your domain name of choice, it is time to consider using an alternative extension like .net, .org, .biz, or .us. While .com is the most popular domain extension, it can also be impossible to find the name you want using this extension. As the domain extension market expands people are also finding unique ways to take advantage of new extensions. For example, many country specific extensions can be used to represent a regional location, like .la for Los Angeles, or to represent an industry or activity, like .im for instant messaging. In fact, it is a smart move to protect your brand by registering multiple extensions of the same domain name. You can learn more about this in "Why You Should Register More Than Just .Com."

Once you get your domain, it's crucial to keep it safe by registering it with a stable and reputable registrar. You can set-up automatic renewals to ensure your domain name will not expire and protect it with tools like private registration and domain lock. Remember that your domain name is one of the most important aspects of your online business so take the time to find the name you want. Do not be afraid if the name you want is taken, there are options available to you to get a name that will work for your business.