Learn from My Mistake! Purchase Your Domain the Moment You Can!

[CityGarden]

I am just starting on this journey and have been debating on two very different names for my program the last couple weeks.

Both names were available last week and I decided to just wait and check deeper with my state etc. to make sure the names were not too close to another biz etc. and wanted to decided on which one first.

I waited not even a full week, went on today and the one I decided on is taken with the .com AND they already have a wix page up on it connected to another wix page. So tonight I had to send an email to a complete stranger who lives across the world, hoping she will be willing to sell me that domain (at an obviously higher cost than I could have purchased it for last week).

Learn from my mistake. That said I did purchase the other name I was considering this evening, won't make that same mistake twice so I purchased it just in case for just one year - I sadly though now am more connected to the name I chose.

Another options is I also can add the word "the" for the domain and can use that i.e. thecitynamechildcare.com vs citynamechildcare.com and that is still available but I have not purchased that yet ---- do you all think that would work or should I just change the name all together and mourn the loss as a lesson learned?

[CityGarden]

Update I have now gotten a response to that email I sent and she is not interested in selling it.... I am so kicking myself I could have avoided all of this for $20 or less just last week. eek.

[Blackcat31]

Update I have now gotten a response to that email I sent and she is not interested in selling it.... I am so kicking myself I could have avoided all of this for $20 or less just last week. eek.

I added a - and got a domain name. For ex:

Instead of Blackcat.com it's Black-cat.com

NOT the one I wanted at the time but it would do.

I signed up for the notices that let you know when the domain you do want is up for sale.

A month later it was up for sale and available...I jumped.
Now I own both Blackcat.com and Black-cat.com (not really those domains but you get the point)

I hope the domain you want comes up for sale in the future for you but for now, I would consider adding a "." or a "-" and see if that works.

[Thriftylady]

I still haven't figured out if it is really worth it to get a domain name?

[LysesKids]

I still haven't figured out if it is really worth it to get a domain name?

I've owned mine for 10+ years ... I also own the .com that is my actual name. I have been fighting for another one over 13 years; it was for another business which I service marked so the owner of the .com can't use it but he refuses to sell it unless I will pay over $1000. He ups the amount yearly too. Makes no sense for him to hold onto something when he knows I am the only one that can legally use it - I'm not rich, but he seems to think I am

[Thriftylady]

I've owned mine for 10+ years ... I also own the .com that is my actual name. I have been fighting for another one over 13 years; it was for another business which I service marked so the owner of the .com can't use it but he refuses to sell it unless I will pay over $1000. He ups the amount yearly too. Makes no sense for him to hold onto something when he knows I am the only one that can legally use it - I'm not rich, but he seems to think I am

I guess my question is what is the point? What does it gain you?

[LysesKids]

I guess my question is what is the point? What does it gain you?

Recognition... after so much time my daycare name (unique in it's own right) can be pulled up online and parents can see where i use to live and can understand why some of my references were from out of state until recently ( I use to travel a lot).

I hook into the right web search places with the right search words, Google, yahoo and similar can pull up my name if parents punch in childcare in "wherever you are". Local searches essentially... it use to be only daycare centers came up on the pages, now I do too

Also if parents see an ad, it's easy to just type in the .com and they get all the info they need inc rates, ages taken, policies etc... my website does my marketing for me essentially. Saves time interviewing families. I also know if I move again that more than likely nobody else will have the name, so my .com wouldn't have to change.

[Blackcat31]

SOOOOOO much easier to tell parents "Here's my website Blackcat.com" verses having to ask them to write it down "blackcat/weebly/free/website.com"

If your domain name is short, simple and DIRECT then interested families and clients can easily remember it, share it and find it.

THAT ^^^ is the benefit for me.

[Mike]

Now we're into my other profession. One thing me and the board owner have in common. I went into website hosting, design, and domain registration in 2000. By 2002 I was only doing part time reno work. Went back to full time reno 6 years ago. My website business is still going, just not profitable.

Domain names are a tricky business. If you want a website, you want a domain name. YourBusiness.weebly.com doesn't sound as professional as YourBusiness.com. There are now literally hundreds of other TLD (.com etc) options out there, like .family, .social, .rocks, .space, .life, .....
Some can sound quite interesting.

Adding a hyphen to a domain does have one problem. Verbal communication. If you tell someone your domain, you have to say "business hyphen name dot com" which has 2 issues. Doesn't sound so great, and when they go type it in, are they going to remember the hyphen. In my opinion, if you can put a word before or after that sounds good, that's the best choice.

[thrivingchildcarecom]

I agree with Blackcat. Do what you have to for now and just watch for when the more desirable name becomes available. In the meantime, you might even come up with an even better name.

I know what you mean though. I have a GoDaddy account who charge little for domains so anytime I think of a good one, I jump on it. If I don't use it, I could always sell it.

[daycarediva]

I shortened my domain, and if I continue to do childcare (I'm on the fence going forward after Sept) I am thinking of changing my name, which I already purchased just in case.

[NillaWafers]

My .com wasn't available so I used .net. Have you looked into other suffixes?

[Crazy8]

I threw "home" into mine - as in home daycare instead of just daycare, it makes the website longer but I also use it in my actual title anyway. When I started my referral agency wanted us to call ourselves "family child care" but I discovered the average parent has no clue what that meant - home daycare was much more self explanatory, although it doesn't completely eleviate the "is this a daycare center?" calls.

[Crazy8]

another option is including your 2 letter state abbreviation if it flows well like "xyzdaycareFL"

[CityGarden]

Well in all fairness the second word was "atelier" which I doubt most parents would recall the spelling of so I just went with firstwordmycity.com I could go with firstwordatelier.net or .org but this might have been for the best since someone mentioned keeping it simple helps for parents.....