Search for expired domain names
All The Best Names HAD Gone ... Now They're Back Again!
A few years ago the terms "expiring domains" and "on hold domains" were only known to industry insiders. Nowadays, if you don't know your "soon to drop" from your "just expired" you're considered way behind the domain times. So what do all these arcane phrases mean, and more importantly, why should you care?
No Available Names
You should care because expiring domains are now the place to look for the best domain names. We all know that trying to register a new .com name is a tortuous and often fruitless process. You start off with grand visions of registering BestName.com but after spending a frustrating hour being told all the names you short-listed are already registered, you either end up registering eBestName4U.com or nothing at all. But there is a better way...
You should care because expiring domains are now the place to look for the best domain names. We all know that trying to register a new .com name is a tortuous and often fruitless process. You start off with grand visions of registering BestName.com but after spending a frustrating hour being told all the names you short-listed are already registered, you either end up registering eBestName4U.com or nothing at all. But there is a better way...
Vacant Domains
Around 80% to 90% of domain names are inactive:
Around 80% to 90% of domain names are inactive:
Many are or were being held by domain speculators who thought they would get rich registering hundreds of names - and most haven't been able to get rid of more than a few of them.
Some were being held by site developers for future development. Others by big business who often can't even remember having registered them in the first place.
The good news is that for these very reasons, a huge number of these names, currently averaging more than 20,000 every day, are being returned to the available name pool. Why so? Simply because the original registrant hasn't paid to renew them. When this happens, most names are put on hold for approximately 45 days, after which they are available to be registered again by anyone.
So based on the absence of good available .coms, and the massive number of names expiring, the industry is booming. But the question is: how do you take advantage of this situation and register these expiring domains? And how do you possibly know when names you might like are about to expire?
The good news is that for these very reasons, a huge number of these names, currently averaging more than 20,000 every day, are being returned to the available name pool. Why so? Simply because the original registrant hasn't paid to renew them. When this happens, most names are put on hold for approximately 45 days, after which they are available to be registered again by anyone.
So based on the absence of good available .coms, and the massive number of names expiring, the industry is booming. But the question is: how do you take advantage of this situation and register these expiring domains? And how do you possibly know when names you might like are about to expire?
Which Names are Expiring?
To answer the second question first, you need to subscribe to an expiring domains service. There are currently several companies offering this and for a monthly subscription fee, they allow you to search through millions of domain names that are on hold, soon to expire, or expired. They also e-mail you new names regularly. What this means is you are getting up-to-the-minute information on the registration status of all the .coms, .nets, and .orgs in existence.
To answer the second question first, you need to subscribe to an expiring domains service. There are currently several companies offering this and for a monthly subscription fee, they allow you to search through millions of domain names that are on hold, soon to expire, or expired. They also e-mail you new names regularly. What this means is you are getting up-to-the-minute information on the registration status of all the .coms, .nets, and .orgs in existence.
How To Grab Them
The second part of the puzzle is the actual registration of any names you might want. Bear in mind that whilst some of these names might be only useful to you, most of the decent names will be sought by several parties. To give yourself the best chance of grabbing the names you want you need to use a "name-grabbing" service.
The second part of the puzzle is the actual registration of any names you might want. Bear in mind that whilst some of these names might be only useful to you, most of the decent names will be sought by several parties. To give yourself the best chance of grabbing the names you want you need to use a "name-grabbing" service.
