Domain Names 101

The right domain name is vital
for growing your web presence

Domain names are fundamental building blocks and components of the Internet, and as such, serve as the electronic equivalent of your company's storefront and location.

The better the location (i.e. the easier it is to remember the domain; the easier it is to type it in; the better the domain fits your product, company, or service), the easier it will be for your customers to find you online.

Without a great domain, your customers and prospects might not be able to find you on the Internet. With a poorly selected domain, it may be challenging for potential customers to find you at all. With the right domain, it will be much easier for customers and prospects alike to locate your business.

Choose your domain first!

When launching a start-up, new product, service, or company, the most important step in the process is finding the right domain name. While this may sound counterintuitive, companies sometimes make the costly mistake of investing in an identity only to discover that the name they want to use is unavailable.

The old adage “you get what you pay for” applies when considering your domain name. There is a reason why some domain names are cheaper than others. Domains with dashes, longer domains, and domains that don't succinctly describe your company, product or service are likely to be less expensive because they are less valuable.

Think “location… location… location”

Because your domain is much like real estate, the same basic rules apply to the value of a domain. In the same way that premium location influences the price-per-square-foot (the relative value of physical real estate), there are several “location” factors which drive the relative value of your domain.

The gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

This is a category of domains that ends in three or more letters, such as .com, .net, .biz, .info, .edu, .org, etc. The most widely recognizable, and valuable, gTLD is the .com. "Dot com" is literally the gold standard. It is the most sought after domain extension in the world. Nearly every major business in the world operates on the .com extension.

The descriptive nature of your domain

A domain that succinctly describes your product, service, or company,
is inherently valuable.

Candy.com and Cars.com are good examples of generic, yet descriptive domains.
Consumers interested in buying candy or looking for cars may intuitively type
these names in to their web browser. On top of that, it is extremely easy
to remember Candy.com in the future as well.

Unusual names, or word combinations, that are easy
to remember and easy to type are also valuable.
These may not describe a product, but they are
memorable and can be molded into lasting brands.

Roku.com, for example, was an excellent domain
acquisition. In a vacuum, Roku doesn't mean anything.
The domain name, however, is short and easy to remember. Through branding, Roku has established
itself as the household name for delivering streaming movie and television programs over the Internet.

When you think about it, most major brands did not have much of a meaning before they were created such as Twitter, NetFlix, Roomba, or the NFL. Yet these companies have made their way into most people's lives.

Other factors which influence the value of a domain

There are other factors that may influence the price of and value of a domain. For further reading, visit Domain Valuations.

How does ownership of a domain work?

In order to acquire a domain, you will need to first register the domain. The company that
provides this service is called a "domain name registrar.” The domain name registrar provides
several basic services.

First, the registrar maintains ownership records with the domain registry, and ensures that you will retain registration rights to your domain name for as long as you agree to pay registration fees for the domain.

Second, the registrar provides the domain management platform that enables you to use your domain. As the owner of your domain, you have the choice of registering your domain with any registrar.

What happens when you purchase a domain name from HugeDomains.com?

HugeDomains is the registered owner of every domain listed for sale on our site. When you purchase a domain from us, you are purchasing exclusive registration rights to that domain.

Once payment has been received, we will have the current registrar create a new account for the buyer, we will request that the domain be transferred to the buyer's account, and we'll relinquish control of the domain at that point. The buyer will in turn become the new registrant (registered owner) of the domain, and will assume full control of the domain.