What To Do If Someone Has Already Registered Your Business Domain Name

With the billions upon billions of websites that populate the World Wide Web, coming up with a unique and memorable site name can be extraordinarily challenging. As if it wasn’t difficult enough to capture the essence of your business in just a few characters, many inspired entrepreneurs find themselves devastated to learn that their perfectly catchy domain name has already been registered, fortunately, these business owners do have several options for working around this surprisingly tricky obstacle.

Altered Domain Address

If you discover that the domain name you want is already taken, you may still be able to register it at iiNet under a different domain suffix. Domain names most typically end with “.com,” but the registered address only corresponds to the specific combination of address and suffix, meaning the same domain name may still be available with suffixes like “.net,” “.org”, and “.biz”.

Another compromise to salvage a great domain name that has been previously registered is to make small character changes to the existing address. For example, “BattleCreekSupplyShop.com” could become “BattleCreekSuppliesShop.com” or “Battle-CreekSupplyShop.com”. Consider a few different variations until you find the one that works best for your business, but be careful to comply with trademark laws when choosing a domain name.

Domain Name Purchase

A domain name can be purchased and traded like any other commodity, and so it may be possible to buy the domain name from its current owner. Both domain name brokers and the businesses themselves can facilitate such a transaction, and although the domain name for an established and successful site may command a premium, getting the ideal domain name for your business may be worth the investment.

Reclaim Your Domain

If you are a recognized business seeking to bring your presence online using your existing trade name, you may have special options available to you for obtaining it should it already be registered. Many business names are protected by trademark law, meaning that the original creator of an intellectual property such as a domain name is the rightful owner and has the right to assert his ownership through trademark infringement action or other avenues of online property protection.

A domain name is a valuable asset, effectively serving as both the welcome mat and the business card of your business on the Internet. This makes them true commodities, and business owners looking to build their web presence have multiple options for getting the right one even if it’s already taken.