What if the domain name I want is taken?

If the domain you want is taken, first find out what is actually on it: a real business, a parked page with ads, a "for sale" notice, or nothing at all. That tells you whether buying it is possible and roughly what it might cost. Often the better move is a small change to the name, such as adding your town or trade, which costs the normal registration fee and nothing else. Only pay a broker or a seller after checking who you are dealing with and using a payment method that protects you.

Step 1: look at what is on the domain

Type the domain into your browser and see what loads.

A working website for another business. It is in use. Unless that business is closing, assume it is not for sale. If it is in your trade near you, choose a clearly different name so customers do not confuse you.
A page full of ads and "related links". This is a parked domain, often owned by an investor who buys names to resell. It may be for sale, sometimes at a high price.
A page saying "This domain may be for sale", often with a price or a "make an offer" button. The owner wants to sell, usually through a marketplace.
An error, or a blank page. Someone registered it and is not using it. They may have forgotten about it, or may be planning to use it.

Step 2: check who holds it and when it expires

Go to ICANN's lookup tool and type the domain. It shows the registrar, the dates it was created and last renewed, and its expiry date. The owner's name and contact are usually hidden for privacy, but the record often includes a way to contact them through the registrar, such as a web form or a forwarding email address.

A domain registered many years ago and renewed regularly is someone's long-term property. A domain registered recently with nothing on it may be a reseller's stock.

Step 3: decide whether it is worth buying

Ask yourself honestly how much difference this exact domain makes. For a local business, customers mostly find you through your Google profile, your reviews and word of mouth, and tap a link rather than type an address. A domain that is slightly longer, like harborbakeryportland.com, works nearly as well as harborbakery.com for most of them.

Buying makes more sense when:

Your business is well known by that exact name and customers will type it.
A similar business could buy it later and catch your customers.
The asking price is reasonable for what it saves you.

Buying a taken domain safely

If it is listed for sale

Domain marketplaces handle the sale and the transfer. When you buy through one:

Use the marketplace's own checkout. It holds the money until the domain is moved to you, which is the protection you want.
Check the price includes the transfer, and whether a renewal fee applies straight after.
Be patient. Transfers can take several days.

If you contact the owner directly

Use the contact option shown in the lookup record or on the parked page. Keep the first message short and friendly, say you run a small local business, and ask if they would consider selling. Do not say how much you need it.

If they agree on a price, use an escrow service, a company that holds the payment until the domain has been transferred into your registrar account, then pays the seller. Never pay by wire transfer, gift cards or cryptocurrency directly to a stranger. If the seller refuses escrow, walk away.

If it might expire soon

You can place a backorder with a registrar or a backorder service: if the current owner fails to renew, the service tries to register it for you as soon as it becomes available. Many people place backorders on the same names, valuable domains are rarely let go, and several services may compete for one domain. Treat it as a long shot, and read the terms: some charge only on success, some charge up front.

Traps to avoid

Fake urgency. "Another buyer is interested" or "price goes up tomorrow" are sales tactics. A real seller will still be there next week.
Premium pricing at registrars. Some names show as "available" but at a premium price far above the normal fee, and the renewal may stay high every year. Check the renewal price, not just the first year.
Registrars who register names you searched. If you search a domain on a shady site and come back days later to find it taken, you may have been watched. Search on a well-known registrar and register promptly once you decide.
Scam "your name is being registered" emails. Emails claiming someone overseas is about to register your business name in other endings and urging you to buy them first are a well-known scam. Domain renewal scam letters and emails shows how to spot these and similar ones.
Trademark issues. If the domain contains a well-known brand name, buying it can lead to a legal complaint. Ask your attorney before buying anything close to someone else's mark.

Good alternatives when you cannot have it

Small changes often give you a domain that is just as easy for customers:

Add your town: harborbakeryportland.com, portlandharborbakery.com.
Add your trade: millerroofing.com becomes millerroofingco.com, or millerroofs.com.
Use a short word customers already use: "the", "shop", "get", "call" or "home" can work: theharborbakery.com, callmillerroofing.com.
Use a different ending: a .net or .us, if the .com is not a similar business. .com, .net or .biz explains the trade-offs.
Use your own name: for a trade where you are the brand, janemillerroofing.com is clear and personal.

Avoid hyphens and numbers as a fix: harbor-bakery.com sends customers who forget the hyphen to the other one.

Test any alternative with the phone test: say it to three people and ask them to write it down. How to choose a domain name for your business has the full set of checks.

What to do this week

Type the taken domain into your browser and note what is there.
Look it up at lookup.icann.org for the registrar and expiry date.
Write down two or three alternatives and run the phone test on each.
If you decide to buy, use a marketplace checkout or escrow, and check the renewal price.
Register your choice in your own name, with auto-renew on.

The domain gets people to your door; the website is what they see when they arrive. If your current one needs work, you can see your site rebuilt first and point your chosen domain at it when you are ready.