{"id":21445,"date":"2019-03-06T02:19:43","date_gmt":"2019-03-06T07:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/?p=21445"},"modified":"2020-12-14T15:14:32","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T21:14:32","slug":"is-domain-name-available","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/blog\/is-domain-name-available\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn How to Check Domain Name Availability"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019re really excited about the website idea you have. You can picture what you want it to look like and have a rough idea of the content you plan to include. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before you start building out your website, you need to figure out what its name will be. And that\u2019s a question that\u2019s complicated by the fact that you can\u2019t choose just anything-it has to be something that has the <\/span>domain name<\/span><\/a> available.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

How Domain Names Work<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How domain names work<\/span><\/a>  is that they are the main address for a website online. A domain name is what people type into their browser to bring up your website, like <\/span>www.cutepuppypictures.com<\/span><\/i> or <\/span>http:\/\/homemadesoaps.net<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While technically, you have an IP address that identifies where your website lives on the web for other computers, the domain name is a name you choose that better matches what your website is. It\u2019s easier for your visitors to remember, provides your website\u2019s main identification online, and is an important component in how well you\u2019ll perform in the search engines. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your domain name doesn\u2019t technically have to match your website\u2019s name, but if you want to avoid confusing your visitors and pick something that will be easy for them to remember, it should. Make sure to take your time when <\/span>choosing a domain name<\/span><\/a>, this is not something you want to rush and regret later. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to consider what domain names are available before you decide what to name your website or business. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding the Right Domain Name<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a lot that goes into choosing a domain name. Your domain needs to succinctly sum up what your site is about while being catchy and easy to remember. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your domain will define your brand and be the first thing that visitors see. As a result, your domain will create either a good or bad impression of your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some tips for finding the best possible domain name for your new website:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Connect Your Brand to Your Domain Name<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You want your domain name to be a differentiator. Having a unique domain name will always be better than a generic domain that sounds all-too-similar to competing sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you\u2019re launching a brand, chances are you\u2019re doing something different than the competition. Make sure that your domain name reflects this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, think of sites like Google, DropBox, Zillow, Facebook. All of these sites have unique and memorable names. Whether you\u2019re creating new words from scratch or combining two unrelated words, one thing is for sure: they stick in your mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Keep the Character Count Low<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a general rule, the shorter the domain name, the better<\/strong>. It might be very difficult to find a shorter domain name as most of these were purchased a long time ago. But, you still might be able to find a unique word or combination of words that are still available. When in doubt, go for something memorable over something long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about when you\u2019re telling your friend about a website. For example, they\u2019re more likely to remember catgram.com<\/a> over picturesthatiloveaboutcats.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Make Your Domain Easy to Pronounce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your domain name needs to be easy to remember, and part of that is making it easy to pronounce. When someone thinks about your domain name, they shouldn\u2019t have to look it up in a dictionary to get the spelling right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You want to make it easy for other people to pass on your domain name, whether that\u2019s written or spoken.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Avoid Numbers, Hyphens, and Other Characters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A memorable site name can go a long way towards helping your site gain traction. One quick way to make things more difficult is by adding hyphens or numbers to your domain name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hyphens not only make it more difficult to pass on your domain, but it\u2019ll probably lead to a lot of misspellings and people not being able to find your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, what\u2019s easier to remember and type into your browser? C-N-N.com<\/a> or CNN.com<\/a>. Or how about Face-book.com<\/a>, or Facebook.com<\/a>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The same goes for numbers. Adding numbers to your domain can come across as spammy and much more difficult to pass on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find Out: Your Domain Name Availability<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you already have a name in mind for your website, you can use a domain name checker to find out if it\u2019s available. We have our own domain name checker at https:\/\/www.hostgator.com\/domains<\/span>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"check<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The search will show you:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n