We’ve all been there – you have a great idea for a website, but all the good names are already taken. Don’t despair, there a lot of free (or almost free) tools that can help you find great memorable domain name without breaking the bank.
Check out the list of resources below and feel free to add your own in the comments section below.
1. Nameboy.com
Nameboy.Com is a free domain suggestions tool (others include ShoutDomains.com, NameTumbler.com, etc.) that uses keyword algorithms to automatically create domain names and check them for availability.
Since all domains are generated by machine, most of suggestions are outright unusable, however you can get some ideas by using NameBoy. Free is free.
2. PickyDomains.com
Unlike Nameboy, PickyDomains.com is powered by humans (44,000+ registered contributors and counting). This service isn’t free, but it’s inexpensive ($50) and you pay only if you decide to register one of the suggested domains.
If you don’t like anything, you don’t pay anything. Risk-free crowdsourcing model in action.
If you are good with words, you might want to try it on the contributor side, as 40%-60% of that client fee is paid to the contributor who made the winning suggestion via PayPal.
3. Expired Domains
There are a number of services in this niche both free and paid, easily found via search engine (‘expired domains’, ‘expired domain lists’).
Expired domains are just what their name suggests – domains that have been previously registered and had since become available. Expired domains aren’t all bad, for instance, I’ve recently purchased UnPrice.com for a discount site, which is perfect for my purposes, but there is a lot of digging to be done.
The advantages and disadvantages of buying expired domain are the same – you inherit all the history, which could be free type-in traffic and existing backlinks, but it also could be ban from search engines for violations. Visit StuckDomains.com for a list of expired domains.
4. U.S. Government
If you need domain name for commercial purposes, it might be worthwhile to see if related trademarks have already been registered.
Uncle Sam gives you antiquated but free online service for that. You can also file for trademark registration online, but a brief visit to the site will make it clear why most companies rely on patent lawyers for that.
5. Google Translator
DuraLabs may sound cool, but ‘dura’ means ‘fool’ in a number of Slavic laungages. And if Kurva Technologies opens its office in Poland, expect riots in the street.
While fear of ‘what it may mean in other languages’ may be overblown somewhat, it never hurts to check. You can also use Google Translator backwards.
Some words, like ‘smart’ are overused in domain names. How about ‘cliste’, which is ‘smart’ in Irish. What about Swahili? Give it a try.
Dmitry Davydov is the founder of PickyDomains.com. He has helped to name over 1500 online businesses since 2007. Dmitry can be reached at [email protected].
