3 Ways to Generate Ideas for a Great Domain or Company Name

If you ever wanted to start a new website or online business, you’ve no doubt thought about the brand or name that you would use for it. While this might seem easy enough, it’s actually quite tough. With hundreds of thousands of domain names being registered daily, it’s amazing that there are still any decent domain names left — at least in the .com, .net and .org TLD form. There are plenty of other extensions to choose from, but they just aren’t as brandable or desirable.

With all of this in mind, it’s important to create a well-known, understandable and trusted name for your site or brand once you do decide to go live. After all, look at any of the top internet brands in the world today, and they mostly all have a unique, generic or one-word domain name that makes them easy to find online. (ie: Target, Google, Apple, Facebook or Mashable)

The good news is that even if your first, second or third choice for a name isn’t available, there are still other options out there to help with this process. I’ve personally been using a wide range of methods to secure some really great domain names over the years. Some that I would have gladly paid thousands for, but was able to scoop up sometimes for under $100 each!

Before giving up and settling on a domain or brand name that just doesn’t fit, try each of the methods below.

Domain Name Generators

Heading over to your favorite domain registrar and filling out the domain registration form one name at a time and trying to find a winner is always exciting… but it can also be quite tedious in the process. Not only will this be a huge waste of your time, it will also limit your options for finding other available domain names you simply may not have thought of.

A better option is to simply perform a bulk-search or use a domain name generator tool to help with the process. Generators are also great because they can provide you with related keywords or phrases you might not have thought of otherwise. Your awesome domain name is waiting to be registered… a domain name generation tool can help you find it!

Search Domain Name Brokerages

The business of domain names is a massive one and continues to grow in size daily. As more domains get registered and the chances of getting your hands on a great one continue to diminish, the value of such domains continues to rise in value. A perfect example of this would be your personal name. If someone already owns it as a domain, it’s likely gone for good — so what are you going to do if you want to create a new site or brand? If you don’t have any other matching TLD options, you might end up going with a completely unique or catchy domain name, or one that simply combines two great keywords that would represent your brand.

This is where the business model of domain names definitely comes into play. New businesses, brands, and startups are created every day… and they each need a great name for their sites. Name Perfection is a domain marketplace where you can search through a wide range of registered domain names that are focused on startups and catchy business names. You can also sort through domains on their site by category, keywords, pricing and more. You can see a few examples of their existing domain names for sale below.

Another site worth mentioning for finding unique and available domain names is Flippa.com. Just like they have an auction marketplace for buying and selling websites, they’ve recently added domain names into the mix as well. With the listings on Flippa constantly being updated from active users on the site, it may take some time for you to skim through the site and find a winner — but still, it’s another good resource to add to the mix.

Domain Name Expiration Services

One of my favorite methods for getting my hands on great domain names is through expiration services like Pool and NameJet. The concept behind these sites and marketplaces are quite simple. Domain names get registered and if then if they aren’t renewed, they get expired. Sites like Pool and NameJet scoop up as many expired domain names as they can, then sell them in an aftermarket to their customers. Domains will usually start in the $70+ range, and the pricing will go up as other customers bid on the domains.

These services are great for putting in your personal name as a domain and simply forgetting about it. You never know when a great domain name might get expired, but through these type of expiration services, you might just get lucky!

How to Get Your Hands on a Great Domain Name

At the end of the day, it really comes down to only three options for getting a great domain name… and they are the following:

1. Get really lucky and come up with something original
2. Make a nice investment in a premium domain name
3. Hire a brokerage or domain expiration service and wait

When it comes to representing your website or brand, you simply can’t go wrong with a great domain name. To see the type of money we are talking about when it comes to investing in a great name, be sure to check out this list of top selling domain names.