Ever searched for a domain name only to find that it’s already taken? Or perhaps you found an available domain but its price is a lot higher than all the other ones you’ve seen? Then you’ve already come across the world of premium domain names.
Premium domains are exactly what they sound like. They are domains that are more expensive than normal. There are many reasons why a domain will be considered premium, but it is usually clear why one domain name is worth more than another. For example, it shouldn’t be a big surprise that car.com would be worth more than automotive-in4mation123.biz.
In this article, we’ll go over what exactly a premium domain name is and how you can get one for yourself.
Premium Domain Name Definition
A premium domain name is a domain that is already owned by a person or registry. Its cost can be significantly more than a typical domain purchase — anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of dollars — due to its perceived higher value. The higher price will apply to the initial acquisition of the domain, but it will renew at the regular renewal price for whichever domain extension it uses.
A domain becomes premium when someone believes that a particular domain name is more valuable than the average domain. Domains are considered premium for a large number of reasons including length, keywords and brandability. To go more in-depth, check out our post on how to calculate your domain name’s value.
To become premium, the owner will use a marketplace service like Afternic to set a price and list the domain. Potential buyers can then either go directly to the marketplace to browse available premium domains or will see these in results when searching a domain provider like Hover.
Not all premium domains are set by individuals. Some registries (the owners of domain extensions like .club or .info) will set a higher initial price of domains that they believe are premium. It’s not always clear which premiums are set independently or by registries, and the process of buying one won’t be noticeably different for you.
How To Know If A Domain Is Premium
The biggest giveaway will be the price. Domain pricing can vary depending on which extension you use, but for the most part they will fall within the $10-$30 range. When you see a price that is drastically higher, chances are you’re looking at a premium domain.
Searching for easypasta.com on Hover, we can see that the domain is more expensive than all of the other listings. It also explicitly says “this is a premium domain,” which should add more clarification.
How To Buy A Premium Domain
Buying a premium domain that the owner has listed on an aftermarket marketplace works just the same as purchasing a regular domain name:
- Search for a domain.
- Add the domain to your cart.
- Sign in or create an account with your domain provider if you don’t have one already.
- Enter your contact information.
- Check out.
You’ll then be the proud owner of a new domain name, and it will renew at the extension’s regular price for any subsequent years that you own the domain.
Behind the scenes, a number of things can happen that will affect the time it takes to transfer ownership over to you. Some services make this process easy and others require a bit of back and forth, which can take a few minutes or a week as we gather the necessary information and make sure everything is transferred smoothly. Whatever the specifics may be, we’ll handle it for you and ensure a secure transfer.
What If The Domain Isn’t For Sale?
So far we’ve looked at domains that the owner is looking to sell, but what about domains that the owner has not thought about selling yet? If you want a domain that someone owns but isn’t actively seeking a buyer, it’s possible to approach them and see if they’d be willing to sell it. This will usually involve a higher than average price since the owner will need enough of an incentive to part with their domain.
If a domain name is taken and the owner isn’t trying to sell it, we display a “Make An Offer” link which will connect you with DomainAgents. They will find the domain’s owner, negotiate a price and, if the owner is interested in selling, ensure a secure transfer of ownership.
It’s possible for you to approach the owner yourself, but things can get very tricky when it comes to the actual transferring of the domain. You’ll need to really trust the owner to not run off with your money before transferring the domain, just as the owner will need to trust that you won’t take the domain and never pay them. A service like Escrow will help facilitate a safe transfer, but you’ll save yourself a lot of time and headaches by using a service like DomainAgents to do all the work for you.
Why Buy A Premium Domain
Get The Best Domain Possible
You should buy a premium domain for the same reason you’d buy a non-premium domain: to give your website a great name. Sometimes you’ll be lucky and the perfect name is unregistered, but in many cases, it will already be taken.
Add Authenticity
A domain name with the best keywords in your niche can play a significant part in establishing your website as an authority.
Even though the movie was not liked by the vast majority of critics and received a score of 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, the fact that comicbooks.com enjoyed the movie seems credible enough to counter the negative reviews that most other outlets have given it.
Get Visitors Who Skip Google
As much as Google has taken over how we find content online, many people still bypass search engines altogether and enter a domain name that they believe will take them to a relevant website in their address bar. A premium domain will ensure that you capture these visitors who otherwise might not have found your website.
One Of Many Startup Costs
There are many initial costs involved with starting a new project, and a domain name can be one of them. If you’ve found a premium domain that you know will be perfect for the brand you’re trying to build, you’ll thank yourself later for spending the extra money and getting the best domain possible for your site.
Hover’s goal is to help you find the best domain, whether that means buying premium domains or regular domains. To find a domain name for your next big idea, head over to hover.com and search for one today!
