How to choose and buy a domain name?
The choice of a domain name is very important. It would be a mistake to overlook the process of searching for a domain name and to go straight to the purchase.
Si vous prenez votre projet au sérieux, vous devez démarrer avec votre nomIf you take your project seriously, you must start
Many guides on buying a domain name or creating a website overlook this process (unfortunately). It is often assumed that the best approach is to register any available domain name and stop there. However, this is a serious mistake!
Dans ce guide, je veux vous guider à travers mon processus d’achat d’un nom de domaine, en commençant par la façon dont je m’y prends pour trouver un nom.
Ma prise rapide ? Je préfère GodaddyGodaddy.comcomMy quick take? I prefer
Simple et facile à utiliser
Idéal pour les domaines multiples
Transferts de domaines faciles
Comprendre le coût d’un nom de domaine
There are two options to get your domain name:
Enregistrer un nom qui n’a pas encore de propriétaireAcquiring a name that is already registered from the person or company that owns it.
Registering a name that doesn't have an owner yetAcquiring a name that is already registered from the person or company that owns it.
Quelle que soit l’option choisie, vous paierez des frais d’inscription annuelsWhichever option you choose, you will pay for it
Le coût d’acquisitionThe cost
By the way, did you know that recently, someone bought CoolQuotesCollection.com for 2,500 dollars and Boot.com for 70,000 dollars?
There is nothing wrong with registering a domain name that is available, as long as you have thought it through before taking the plunge. I even encourage you to buy those domain names
Furthermore, I suggest you budget for your domain name - especially if it's for your business. The tighter your budget, the more limited you will be in your options.
Comme la plupart des choses bons marchés, un domaine que vous obtenez gratuitement n’est pas très bien vu par les clientsLike most things that are cheap, a domain that you get for free is not very well regarded by customersA non-natural domain name will not bring any good to your brand; he describes this phenomenon as "domain desperation" in his podcast I agree with Anthony Shore from the naming agency Operative Words in saying that Je suis d’accord avec Anthony Shore de l’agence de nommage Operative Words pour dire qu’un nom de domaine non naturel n’apportera rien de bon à votre marque ; il décrit ce phénomène comme “le désespoir du domaine”, dans son podcastLike most things that are cheap, a domain that you get for free is not very well regarded by customersA non-natural domain name will not bring any good to your brand; he describes this phenomenon as "domain desperation" in his podcast I agree with Anthony Shore from the naming agency Operative Words in saying that
Remue-méninges sur les concepts et les idées
The preparation for choosing a domain name requires thorough work.
The required quality here is: creativity.
Your domain name will probably be for your business, campaign, or blog. I bet you already have a few name ideas in mind.
Créer une liste
Think about your project and write down all the words, descriptions, phrases, ideas, mantras, etc. that come to mind. Find as many words as possible. These don't necessarily have to be names, but for now, just concepts.
Quelques règles de haut niveau :
Ne vous préoccupez pas du référencement ou des mots-clés – cela n’a pas d’importance à ce stadeAvoid hyphens.
Évitez les traits d’unionAvoid hyphens.
Utilisez uniquement un Avoid hyphens.comAvoid hyphens. Si vous êtes en Suisse, en France, au Royaume-Uni, en Australie, etcAvoid hyphens., un Avoid hyphens.ch, un Avoid hyphens.fr, un Avoid hyphens.coAvoid hyphens.uk, Avoid hyphens.au, etcAvoid hyphens.
Do not worry about SEO or keywords - it doesn't matter at this stageAvoid hyphens.
Personally, I find that a mind map is useful for this process.
Créer une liste de noms de domaine potentiels
Once you have a complete list of concepts, you can develop a more specific list of names. Start by listing all the names you like. Avoid being too picky, as this will end up limiting your options (especially if you don't have an unlimited budget).
I recommend browsing the following websites to find more ideas. You might get lucky and find something that interests you. If that's the case, add them to your list as well.
BrandBucket – Ils mettent en place des noms de domaine plus créatifs et plus facilement identifiables, puis les vendent- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of J’ai trouvé ici beaucoup de noms auxquels je n’aurais pas pensé par moi-même- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of
BuyDomains- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought ofcom – Ils ont un grand choix de noms de domaine à vendre- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of Leurs prix sont transparents et ils offrent une expérience sans faille- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of C’est toujours mon point de départ et mon approche préférée pour l’acquisition d’un nom de domaine- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of
Sedo- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought ofcom – Probablement le plus grand choix de noms de domaine et l’endroit le plus connu pour acquérir un nom- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of
BuyDomains- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought ofcom et Uniregistry sont les principaux acteurs dans la vente de domaines- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of La plupart du temps, si un nom de domaine est à vendre, c’est souvent l’une de ces deux entreprises qui en est l’origine- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of Je trouve qu’elles sont les plus raisonnables- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought of
HugeDomains- They set up more creative and easily identifiable domain names, and then sell them. I found here many names that I would not have thought ofcomBrandBucket
D’autres outils de dénomination pour élaborer des concepts
Anthony Shore from Operative Word (a company specialized in naming) recommends other very interesting tools to us:
OneLook.com. If you want a name that starts with Bl and ends with rd, and is seven letters long, you can literally search for it using onelook.
RhymeZone - Rather explicit but you can also find synonyms and adjectives.
Sketch Engine - This is a very intense linguistic database; it uses a large number of real-world languages. You can search for words that are used nearby or in relation to other words. Essentially, you find words that are already naturally together. This makes your brand name easier to associate, more credible, and easier to adopt. Anthony Shore discusses this further on the podcast "How Brands Are Built".
MRC Psycholinguistic Database - this is a fairly advanced way to search for words with specific criteria. You can use it to find words that start or end with any syllable, for example.
Now that you have a giant list of options, it's time to narrow down the list of names and concepts you have found. But how?
Réduire la liste en fonction de la viabilité
You can quickly narrow down your list by simply typing in the .com for each name you like. Type the name into your browser and see what it contains.
S’il existe un site web établi construit sur le nom de domaine, rayez-le de votre listeIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!). Ce n’est pas une option viableIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!).
Si rien ne se présente, gardez le nom sur votre listeIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!). Cela pourrait signifier que le nom de domaine n’est pas encore enregistré (formidable !)If nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!).
Si une page d’accueil avec des annonces apparaît, le nom de domaine est réservéIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!). Il est déjà détenu par quelqu’un, mais il peut être achetéIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!). Gardez ce nom sur votre listeIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!).
If there is an established website built on the domain name, scratch it off your listIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!). It is not a viable optionIf nothing comes up, keep the name on your list. This could mean that the domain name is not yet registered (awesome!).
Once the list has been narrowed down, the next step is to dig even deeper to determine what your final options will be.
Choisissez votre nom
You are ready to go through the process of choosing your domain name.
Remember these starting rules:
Ne vous préoccupez pas du référencement ou des mots-clés (le référencement est une toute autre histoire ; j’ai effectivement écrit un autre guide sur les outils SEO pour votre site)
Évitez les traits d’unionGuide on SEO tools for your website
Utilisez uniquement un Guide on SEO tools for your websitecomGuide on SEO tools for your website Si vous êtes au Royaume-Uni, en Australie, etcGuide on SEO tools for your website, un Guide on SEO tools for your websitecoGuide on SEO tools for your websiteuk, Guide on SEO tools for your websiteau, etcGuide on SEO tools for your website
Don't worry about SEO or keywords (SEO is a whole other story; I actually wrote another
Next, ask yourself these 10 questions about each of your domain name options:
Vous sentez-vous bien avec ce nom ?
Vous aimez ?
Êtes-vous sûr de vous quand vous le dites ?
Vous vous sentez bien quand vous l’écrivez ?
Quand vous le lisez ?
Peut-on le marquer ?
Est-il unique, facile à retenir et significatif ?
Est-il facile à lire et à épeler ?
Est-ce qu’il passe le test de Google ? Recherchez le nom sur GoogleDo you like it? Idéalement, il ne doit pas y avoir d’autres organisations qui apparaissentDo you like it? S’il y en a, vous devez au moins vous assurer qu’elles ne sont pas dans le même secteur d’activité, ni même dans un secteur étroitement liéDo you like it?
Do you feel good with this name?
L’approche du domaine de départ
Une approche dont je suis fan consiste à utiliser l’approche du domaine de démarrageAn approach that I am a fan of is to use the approach of L’idée ici est que vous pouvez commencer avec un nom de domaine avec l’intention de passer à un autre, plus tardAn approach that I am a fan of is to use the approach of
Let's say you come across a domain name that you really like, but it is out of your budget. For example, when I found a name for my last business, I really liked a name that was already owned by someone (who may not necessarily be looking to sell it). If I wanted to buy it, I would have to offer a lot of money - much more than I am willing to pay to convince its owner. If I wanted to take the startup domain approach, I could have chosen a name very similar to the one I desired (for example, by adding "media" at the end of the name).
In a short time, it would therefore be easier to switch from the first name to the one you really want (just remove the media). Internally, we would only use the desired real name (the one without media).
If you want a concrete example, The Wirecutter recently changed its name to become Wirecutter.
Considérations pour l’approche du domaine de démarrage
Assurez-vous que les noms seront traduits correctementIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready. Les deux noms doivent être très prochesIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready. Idéalement, ils sont si proches que vous pourriez utiliser le nom souhaité partout en dehors du nom de domaine réel, y compris dans votre logoIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready.
C’est un risque – il n’y a aucune garantie que le nom de domaine cible sera là quand vous serez prêtIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready.
Make sure that the names will be translated correctlyIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready. Both names should be very closeIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready. Ideally, they are so close that you could use the desired name everywhere outside of the actual domain name, including in your logoIt's a risk - there is no guarantee that the target domain name will be available when you are ready.
Une note sur les pseudos sociaux
The ideal situation would be to have a domain name that is still available on social networks. But don't make things too complicated for yourself. It is already difficult enough to obtain a good domain name, even without any criteria
How will you choose your social media usernames? You will have a choice. You can be creative, or even potentially acquire the handles from the current owners.
It's a good idea to consider social media handles when making your final decision, but this should not prevent you from choosing the right name.
Acheter votre nom de domaine
At this stage, you should have a shortlist of viable options for your domain name.
Chacune de vos options doit correspondre à l’une de ces trois catégories :
Le nom de domaine est disponible et non enregistréThe domain name appears to be acquired, but it is not certain.
Le nom de domaine semble acquis, mais ce n’est pas certainThe domain name appears to be acquired, but it is not certain.
The domain name is available and not registeredThe domain name appears to be acquired, but it is not certain.
Que faire si le nom de domaine n’est pas enregistré
Dans ce cas, il vous suffit d’aller à Godaddy Godaddy.comcomIn this case, all you need to do is go to
You will know with certainty whether it is possible to acquire this domain name or not.
Vous passerez ici par un processus simpleYou will go through a simple process hereprivacy protection Do not purchase any add-on modules and do not worry about web hosting or any other element yet, except for the " N’achetez aucun des modules complémentaires et ne vous préoccupez pas encore de l’hébergement web ou de tout autre élément, à l’exception de la “protection de la vie privée”You will go through a simple process hereprivacy protection Do not purchase any add-on modules and do not worry about web hosting or any other element yet, except for the "
(D’ailleurs, j’ai dédié un autre guide à propos des bons plans hébergement, et un autre, sur les meilleurs hébergements en 2020By the way, I have dedicated another
In my opinion, GoDaddy is one of the best domain registrars. I use it exclusively! For everything else (besides domain purchase), I do use other providers; each business has its expertise.
Une fois l’enregistrement du nom de domaine terminé, c’est terminé ! Vous êtes officiellement l’heureux propriétaire de votre nouveau nom de domaineauto-renewal Tout ce que vous avez à faire pour aller de l’avant, c’est de renouveler le nom de domaine chaque annéeauto-renewal Si vous ne le renouvelez pas, quelqu’un d’autre pourra vous remplacer en tant que propriétaireauto-renewal Je vous recommande de régler votre domaine sur auto-renouvellementOnce the domain name registration is completed, it's done! You are officially the proud owner of your new domain nameauto-renewal All you have to do to move forward is to renew the domain name each yearauto-renewal If you don't renew it, someone else can replace you as the ownerauto-renewal I recommend setting up your domain on
Que faire si le nom de domaine semble accessible
If the domain name appears to be acquired, but it is not certain - you have two options. Either you try to determine yourself who owns the domain name and contact them. Or you hire someone to do it for you.
If you hire a domain broker, there is not much risk. Sedo is a good starting point. I have already had the opportunity to use their service. Moreover, I have read very good reviews about them.
If you are doing it yourself, you can start by doing a WHOIS search; this step will help you find the owner of the domain. Another good approach is to search Google for the domain name and see if it is linked to social media profiles or other websites.
It is possible that, like me, you may not be able to find the owner. Perhaps they are using privacy protection devices that hide their contact information. Most domain registrars offer these functions for free, so people tend to use them by default. (As I mentioned earlier, you must absolutely choose this function).
This is why it is necessary to hire a domain broker; they have a huge network. They always know who owns what, and if they don't, they have the means to find out.
Another advantage of the broker is that you do not have to deal with the embarrassment of negotiating prices. You have an intermediary who can play the bad guy for you.
Que faire si le nom de domaine est visiblement à vendre
Les noms de domaine qui pourraient être acquis, comme indiqué ci-dessus, peuvent être difficiles à obtenirclearly Je préfère de loin me concentrer sur les noms qui sont clairementThe domain names that could be acquired, as mentioned above, can be difficult to obtainclearly I much prefer to focus on names that are
If the domain name is already for sale, the process is simple. The only thing you really need to think about is negotiating the price.
Négocier le prix
It is often possible to negotiate the price. Depending on your interlocutor, there may be some flexibility to lower the price... That being said, I do not recommend insisting too much or overthinking this matter. It would only waste your time and most importantly, the domain name in question.
Après l’acquisition
Une fois que vous avez acquis le nom de domaine, l’étape suivante consiste à le transférer vers votre bureau d’enregistrement de domaine. Savez-vous quels sont les meilleurs bureaux d’enregistrement de domaineOnce you have acquired the domain name, the next step is to transfer it to your domain registrar. Do you know what are the
No matter how you obtain your domain name, the final step is to have it appear in your account. That's when it becomes official!