The domain you choose for your business is an opportunity to brand yourself. It’s like the billboard and the front door to your business. Many times you will find that that perfect domain you want is already taken. You may have set your heart on a domain and want to know how to find domain owners.
When you want to find out the domain owner of a website, you sometimes end up finding just the host instead of the owner. Sometimes you may find nothing at all.
A popular domain can be a precious treasure, but before you begin your hunt, you’ll need a clear purpose in mind. Work out the what and the why that surround your need for this domain, and then ask these three important questions:
1. Why do I need to find the domain owner?
2. What will I gain afterwards?
3. How much is a good domain name worth to me?
Before diving into the details of finding the domain owner of a website, lets consider the importance of the owners details.
Why Find Out Who Owns A Domain Name?
There are numerous advantages to finding the domain owner. Some of them include the following:
1. Hundreds of domains are sold on a daily basis. If you’re interested in buying an existing domain, finding the contact details of that domain owner is the first obvious step. Doing so will help you to get in touch to discuss the details and probability of a sale. You will be able to inquire about the domain sale in details directly from the source, the owner.
2. If you need a specific domain name for your site, but it is already used by someone else, you can contact the domain owner directly and make an offer for your domain purchase.
3. Domain age can also be calculated online. So before buying a domain, you can check the renewal period, and make a smart bid to the owner as you negotiate for a successful purchase.
4. Checking the owner of other domains can aid you with your own websites as well. When you look up the details of a domain like its age, links, and owner information, you can get a ton of information about these websites and compare them with your own. This presents the opportunity for great competitive analysis.
5. You want to sell your services or product to the domain owner.
If you need to, you can also ensure that your personal details are showing correctly on domain owner checkers online.
Why can’t I find domain owner details?
When a domain is bought ICANN requires registrars to provide them with contact information (such as name, email, address, and phone number). These details are then added to the Whois database. This database lists the owners of every domain name online, and it can be searched by anyone on the Internet.
But what if you don’t want people to see your details. You may worry about your privacy and with good reason. There are always people looking to scam people online so it is good to be alert and aware of risks. If you buy your domain from Namecheap then you can benefit from their free WhoisGuard service.
WhoisGuard hides this information so protects you from spammers, marketing firms, and online fraudsters. Instead, the Whois database will display generic WhoisGuard contact information. Some domain registrars will charge you for a privacy service but with Namecheap you get this domain privacy protection for free.
Finding The Domain Owners
If owners haven’t protected their identities then there are numerous resources which can be helpful in finding domain name owners. Some of them are:
Whois.net
Whois.net is an excellent tool for finding domain owners. All you have to do is type the domain name in the search bar, and the owner details will be displayed to you. It is an excellent tool because even if you do not know the domain name, you can search the keywords. Once the domain is searched successfully, an extensive list of information is shown about the domain itself.
This information includes the domain status, date of creation, last date when the domain was updated, and the period of domain registration expiration. If the details have not been hidden by WhoisGuard it will also show the registrar of the domain, their email and contact details,
All of this information is important. It will give you an idea of whether you should buy the domain on the basis of the creation and expiration date. For example, you might want to buy a domain that was created 20 years ago. If a domain is due to expire the next year, there are minimal chances at best that the owner will sell it to you. Not only that, but you will need a considerable amount of money to buy such an old domain.
Whois.net provide a lot of information about the domain and its owner, but some other resources can give out more comprehensive information about domains you’re interested in.
DomainTools
DomainTools is another great resource. The website has many of its own unique and special features along with those provided by WhoIs. Every detail about the domain given by Whois.net is shown by the DomainTools as well. You can also see other information about the site structure itself like response code, the type of the server it uses, the number of pictures on the website, links and their types, and even its SEO score are all displayed.
This information is essential when you’re setting up a similar site to your competitor’s. You can check the details of your competitive websites online easily and plan your marketing strategies according to the information readily available to you. You can also analyze your own website quickly and easily and make any required changes for improvement.
What To Do After Finding The Domain Owner?
The answer to this question depends on your own requirements. What was your purpose of seeking out the domain owner in the first place?
If you want to buy the domain, you can contact the domain owner via formal email and ask him or her to sell their domain by making an appropriate bid. Another option you can use it hire a domain name broker to manage the negotiations and transfer process. Sedo and HostGator Domain Tool, are two of the many popular domain brokers.
If you want to sell your product or service to that domain owner (a lead) you can contact the owner directly with a detailed offer.
If you need more detailed information fast on domains and websites you might also want to consider Domain Lead Pro. This is one of many programs that can automate, simplify, and significantly hasten the process.
