A domain name is usually the first thing your customer notices in your URL. Hence, it’s important you find a good fit under your website domain and hosting plan.

A domain name helps direct your customers to your website. It is an easy form of your IP address that guides your customers to your website. This comprehensive guide will help you understand how to purchase a domain name. So, if you are looking for an Australian domain name for your website, keep reading.

How to Buy a Domain Name?

1.       Find A Domain Registrar

Buying a domain name starts with finding a perfect domain registrar. You must make sure that ICANN accredits the registrar you choose. ICANN is the responsible institution that coordinates all the numerical spaces online.

2.      Choosing A Domain Name

Choosing a domain name is more challenging than buying one. You will encounter situations where not just the first or second domain name but sometimes even the tenth domain name has been taken.

To make things simpler, start by choosing the perfect domain name extension that fits your domain well. There are various types of top domain extensions considered under the category of top-level domain –

• Generic domain names like .com,.org,.online, and .net
• Country code domain names like ..us for the USA and .uk for the United Kingdom.
• A domain name that points to a specific type of institution, such as .gov for government or .edu for education.

3.      Check Availability

Now check whether it is available for you. There are domain checker tools available, mostly made available by your domain registrar.

4.     Buy The Domain Name

Once you land on the perfect domain name of your choice, then it is time to add it to the cart. Also, consider checking details like any services you took alongside, such as whether you registered the domain name for a year or multiple years. Ensure you keep a note of all these details.

Please make payment using a comfortable method. Remember to double-check the transaction you are about to make. Once you are done with payment, you will receive a confirmation receipt via mail.

Can You Purchase A Domain Name That Has Already Been Taken?

Yes, you can buy a domain name that already has the owner or taken. How? First, get all the details of the website owner whose domain name you want to buy. Next, you’ll need to —

1.       Hire A Broker

Domain name brokers are experts who know inside and out of the domain and hosting industry. They can help you negotiate the cost of the domain with the owner.

2.      Show Your Interest

Whether you get the contact information through a broker or by your own means, immediately contact the seller and share your interest in the buy. If the seller also shares your interest, you can buy the domain following the next steps. If not, you need to drop the purchase plan.

3.      Make An Offer

While making the offer, understand that it should be formal and in writing. The offer should include details of the domain you want, the price you’re offering, your contact information, and your terms.

4.     Transfer the Domain Name

Once you make the payment, get an ICANN-accredited registrar. You can use the same one that the old user was using. However, every registrar has a systematic internal transfer process that expects both parties to confirm the transfer.

So once you confirm within 60 days, the registrar will verify the transfer and notify you of the fee payment.

Conclusion

Buying a domain name is an important aspect of your website. Therefore, it is extremely important to buy the right domain name. You can purchase a new domain name, a used one, or a parked one.

You can find many providers for web hosting in Australia that offer domain registration as part of their plans, so make sure you check for that when you buy web hosting services.