Pros and Cons of Buying New Domains, Dropping Domains, Expired Domains and Domains For Sale

By Anna Johnson on July 29th, 2010

When it comes to getting a domain name, should you register a new domain, get an expired domain, back-order a dropping domain, bid on a domain name at auction, or buy a domain name for sale or make an offer to a domain name owner?

Following on from my article explaining the differences between each of these approaches (see Should You Register a New Domain Name or Buy a Domain That’s Expired, Dropping or For Sale?) let me outline some of the pros and cons of each.

1. Registering a new domain name

PRO: you get to choose your preferred name.

PRO: you get to choose your preferred domain extension.

PRO: you get to choose your domain name registrar.

PRO: it’s generally cheaper to register a new domain name (sometimes as little as a few dollars if you’re buying a domain with a coupon deal from Namecheap or Go Daddy).

PRO: registering a new domain name is a fairly straightforward process.

CON: the domain name you want may already be registered.

CON: you may not get your preferred domain name extension.

CON: your domain name won’t have any