Purchasing an expired domain can be a smart and cost-effective way to enhance your online presence. Expired domains often come with live traffic, search engine authority, and a history of backlinks, offering a significant advantage over starting a website from scratch. Whether you’re looking to boost SEO, build a new website, or secure a brand name, finding the right expired domain requires research and strategy.This step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process—from identifying potential domains to completing the purchase—helping you make informed decisions and successfully invest in an expired domain to support your goals.
The best part of auctioning is that you can set a maximum bid and can use proxy bidding so that you don’t get caught up in a bidding war. The winner of the bidding war will get the domain.
From a freelance graphic designer to a brick-and-mortar store owner, everyone has a business website these days. However, establishing credibility, generating leads, and converting those who are interested into paying customers largely depends on the domains’ quality.Want to give your website the boost it needs to really take off? Simply put your money on a quality expired domain.
If ignored, it enters into a grace period, usually last for up to 45 days depending on the registrar. Owner still has all the access in this period and can re-register it without facing any penalty. However, the service associated with the domain stops functioning.After grace period, a 30-to-60-day redemption period is activated now. Owner lose access, and all of its activities are now suspended. The owner can still renew the domain, but a redemption fee along with the registration fee will be charged.If not renewed, now it enters into pending delete phase, usually last for 5 to 7 days. The owner can no longer renew it and becoming available for re-registration upon completion of pending delete phase.The domain is finally deleted from the registry now. It’s an expired domain now and anyone including the original owner can register it as a new domain.
The Insider’s Guide to Purchase High-Value Expired Domains
You can buy an expired domain using multiple methods. From making a direct offer to tense bidding, choose your option that best suits you.Make a Direct Offer
Your target domain may not expire yet, but you think you need it, make a direct offer to the current owner. Use WHOIS database to find out who currently owns it or contact a domain broker service who can negotiate a price on behalf of you.
Take Part in Auction
By far the most popular and commonly used method of buying an expired domain. There are a number of auction platform that has millions of expired domains listed in their inventory. Subscribe to any one of GoDaddy.com, NameJet.com, Namecheap.Com or DropCatch.com to participate in domain auction process.
The best part of auctioning is that you can set a maximum bid and can use proxy bidding so that you don’t get caught up in a bidding war. The winner of the bidding war will get the domain.Backorder
If your targeted domain isn’t expired yet but will soon, you may opt for a backordering service. Make a backorder with a registrar to get the domain when it expires. Just keep in mind that, if your target happens to be anyone else’s target too, then it may lead to an auction.
Drop-Catching
Also known as domain sniping is an automated system to register domains instantly after they become available. This happens only with highly competitive or valuable domains. It’s a legitimate way of buying high value domains. However, you need to be cautious that your pre-application doesn’t violate any trademark issues.
Are Expired Domains Worth the Hype?
Yes, they are. Expired domains are kind of a goldmine. Entrepreneurs, marketers, and website owners can be equally benefitted from the valuable attributes an expired domain carry. You can jumpstart a new website or direct some traffic to an existing one if you buy an expired domain with established backlinks, brand potential, and existing traffic.
From a freelance graphic designer to a brick-and-mortar store owner, everyone has a business website these days. However, establishing credibility, generating leads, and converting those who are interested into paying customers largely depends on the domains’ quality.Want to give your website the boost it needs to really take off? Simply put your money on a quality expired domain.Understanding the Basics of Expired Domain
If you wish to try your luck on expired domain, a deep insight on how it works will make things easy.Why Domains Expire
Expiration of a domain basically refers to a registration period that is over. A domain comes with a registration period of 1 year, which in some cases extended to up to 10 years. Owner needs to re-register it within this period for a fee. If fails or wish to let it pass, the domain goes through a process and becomes an expired domain.Types of Expired Domains
Basically, there are three types of expired domain; deleted, pending delete, and auction domains.Domain that has passed through the expiration and deletion process and now available for re-registration as a fresh domain is known as deleted domains.Pending delete refers to the domain that has gone through its grace period and redemption period, but the owner opted not to renew it.Auction domains are the one listed in various auction platforms and available for anyone. Any individual or institution can now bid for them. Highest bidder will have the domain.Life Cycle of a Domain
Domain’s life cycle basically refers to the stages a domain name goes through. It starts with registering the name and ends with either deletion or renewal. Anyone can purchase the domain name if not registered yet. Once registered, its active life cycle is started and the owner has full access to do whatever he wants to. Registration usually lasts for 1 year; in some cases, it can be for up to 10 years. Upon completion of the 12-month period, registration needed to be renewed.After completion of the registration period if the owner wishes to not to renew again, the domain expires. Before expiring, owner will be served an expiration notice prior of 30 to 90 days.
If ignored, it enters into a grace period, usually last for up to 45 days depending on the registrar. Owner still has all the access in this period and can re-register it without facing any penalty. However, the service associated with the domain stops functioning.After grace period, a 30-to-60-day redemption period is activated now. Owner lose access, and all of its activities are now suspended. The owner can still renew the domain, but a redemption fee along with the registration fee will be charged.If not renewed, now it enters into pending delete phase, usually last for 5 to 7 days. The owner can no longer renew it and becoming available for re-registration upon completion of pending delete phase.The domain is finally deleted from the registry now. It’s an expired domain now and anyone including the original owner can register it as a new domain.What Influences the Price?
There are a handful of elements that directly influence the price of an expired domain. Such as,Name
For domains, easy to spell, short name that resonate with audiences are in high demand. Short and memorable names are good for branding and often command higher prices. TLDs also play a key role such as .com, .net, or .org are generally more attractive than that of .biz, .info, etc. and are fairly pricier.Domain Age
Aged domains are considered better than a fresh one. They often have a proven history of backlinks, command good authority, and credibility with search engines. Therefore, are believed as more reliable and trustworthy in yielding quick outcome.
Backlink Profile
Buying expired domains for backlinks is a common practice among the professionals. Quality backlinks such as Nytimes.com, Forbes.com, or Huffpost.com significantly boost an expired domain’s SEO value, so does its price. Other than that, domains with a fresh backlink profile command a higher price than those with spam or irrelevant links.Thus, backlink profile analysis is one of the keys to getting a clue how much it may cost.
Traffic History
Website’s visibility and search engine ranking largely depends on how much organic traffic it attracts. Domains with consistent traffic deem valuable and are considered safe to invest even if the price goes high.
Past Use
Domain history check is a must before you place an order. Domains that used for lawful businesses such as blogs or content in the past are pricier than the ones used for spam, scams, or black-hat SEO tactics. Positive use also influences other domain metrics like Domain Authority (DA), Page Authority (PA), and Spam Score. Domain with high DA and low spam score is worth more while domains with penalty history reduce the value significantly.
