When and Why Should you Secure Multiple Domains

Posted by Stoney DeGeyter

There are many different reasons for purchasing multiple domain names, and each reason has its own set of benefits and uses.

I’ve written quite extensively before about how to select the best domain name for your business. It is also a good idea to secure alternate versions of your primary domain name as a means to prevent competitors from trying to squeeze in on your name and branding efforts. Buying multiple domain names is a great strategy that can be used to capture additional type-in traffic, secure other branding avenues you may wish to pursue, or simply to prevent your competitors from securing them.

Type-In Traffic

Many URLs are purchased simply to capture type in traffic. Type-in traffic is when someone goes to the address bar of their web browser and types in keywords.com instead of performing a keyword search on a search engine. Securing domain names with a fair amount of type-in traffic can be a great boost to sales. If you sell bean bags, your main URL might be BarrysBeanBags.com. To capture potential type-in traffic you might also secure and redirect the following:

• KidsBeanBags .com
• BeanBagChairs .com
• BeanBagFurnture .comMisspellingsIt is always a good idea to secure potential misspellings of your domain name. I recently did a radio interview and at the end of the interview I provided my domain name. Unfortunately I did not take the time to actually spell it out. Upon realizing my error, I immediately went out and purchased multiple spellings of my URL to redirect to my main site. 
  • PolPositionMarketing .com
  • PullPositionMarketing .com
  • PollPositionMarketing .com

  This allowed me to capture all traffic from any listeners that may have had a different spelling of my site in mind, which increased my visitor rate from those who listened to the broadcast substantially.

  Along with misspellings you should also consider purchasing plural and/or singular versions of your domain.

  YourDomainSucks .com

  If you are in a highly visible industry you might want to consider getting yourdomainsucks.com. Several years ago someone put up an anti AOL website at aolsucks.com (You can see a version of this at

• http://web.archive.org/web/19980111060209/http://www.aolsucks.com/).Who might do such a thing? A disgruntled x-employee, a customer who had a bad experience or even a former spouse or partner. Setting up and hosting a website is relatively easy, and often bad press travels a lot further with a little effort than good press with a lot of effort.

  There are some significant drawbacks from trying to capture all negative versions of your domain name. You’ll have to grab all hyphenated, non-hyphenated, plural, and misspelled variations. That can be quite a bit. Take that even a step further, you’ll want to buy the .net, .org, .info, .biz and .us (or your country code) variations. Don’t forget YourDomainSux.com or YourDomainReallySucks either.

  Is it worth trying to get all those variations? You’ll have to decide. For some “any press is good press.” For others, not so much. In any case, someone registering a “sucks” version of your domain name is likely to create a legal battle that perhaps neither side wants to engage in.

  Hyphenated Versions

  I mentioned above that you should not purchase a hyphenated URL for your main site. For marketing purposes, however, there are sometimes legitimate reasons to do so. My business owns PolePositionMarketing.com and Pole-Position-Marketing.com. I purchased the hyphenated version simply to prevent a competitor from securing it and stealing my branding. I also have the option of using the hyphenated versions for other marketing efforts, but I don’t recommend doing so unless you are fully aware of the potential ramifications.

  Use Proper Redirects

  When setting up multiple domains such as those mentioned above, it’s important that you set up each one properly. Setting up domains improperly can lead to duplicate site/content penalties on the search engines which will ultimately be bad for business.

  The best method of setting up multiple URLs is to set up a 301 permanent redirect. The 301 redirect tells the search engine that the URL it is trying to access has been permanently moved to a new location, presumably your main URL. The cool thing is that when a visitor types in the redirecting URL they are automatically flipped to your main site.

  Many websites employ on-page JavaScript or meta refresh redirects, or even worse, framed pages pulling in the main site. These methods are effective from the user standpoint but not from the search engine standpoint. The 301 redirect is generally the safest method of redirecting users.

  To set-up a 301 redirect you’ll want to talk with your web host, as different servers require different methods if implementation. When redirecting multiple URLs there is a neat little trick that saves hosting fees that you’ll want to use.

   

  1. Take one of the redirecting URLs and host it on the cheap. This is the URL that will be set up with the 301 redirect to your main URL.
  2. Take all your other URLs and park them to point to the URL above.

  With this method, you pay for only one additional hosting account ($5 at the most) and all your URLs will automatically flip the visitor and the search engines to your main URL.

  In marketing, every little bit can help. Even if a redirected domain name only results in one additional sale every few months, it may not be long until that one sale is a significant one. Whenever you think of a possible domain name that might be used to drive traffic away from your site, go grab it right away. If the domain is already purchased I recommend keeping an eye on it in case the owner forgets to renew it, in which case you can buy and hold on to it for your own benefit.

  Read this article and more at the E-Marketing Performance Blog. Stoney deGeyter is president of Pole Position Marketing, a search optimization marketing firm providing SEO and website marketing services since 1998. Stoney is also a part-time instructor at Truckee Meadows Community College, as well as a moderator in the Small Business Ideas Forum. He is the author of his E-Marketing Performance eBook.

Your Domain Can be Stolen

Posted by Patrick Connor

Believe it or not, even thieves are already high-tech these days. Browsing the net and reading through online forums, I came across a startling story about how thieves have found their way to infiltrate the world wide web. I read about a lady who was planning to put up a web page of her own. As the normal process dictates, she first thought of a domain name for her website. She chose her own name and had it checked in CNet Domain Search page for domain registrations and found out that it is very much available. A couple of days later, she checked it again and was shocked to discover that her name is already taken. She found out that her name is already a domain name registered to a firm with the name Chesterton Holdings.

The helpless lady brought the matter to the attention of Larry Seltzer, a columnist of eweek.com and a staunch critic of cyber crimes. Larry Seltzer investigated the matter himself. He checked the website whose domain name is that of the lady’s. He immediately came to a conclusion that firm who “owns” the website and its domain name is a domain squatter, one among many domain squatters scattered all over cyberspace. Seltzer saw that the website is full of advertisements all domain squatters are associated with. He even claimed that the advertisements were syndicated through information.com. In Seltzer’s column in eweek.com, he followed the next events regarding the theft of the lady’s domain name. He reported that after a number of days, Chesterton, the bogus owner, has already let go of the stolen domain. He said this could have been prompted by the low hits or very few visits the site had. Apparently, silly domain squatters do not stay long in a domain, which is not lucrative for them. Squatters are somehow wise, at least in that sense.

The question that was immediately formed in my mind that Mr. Seltzer also posted, is how in the world was Chesterton able to register someone else’s name to be its domain name? Moreover, why was the squatter allowed or given the permission to have ownership of a domain that is obviously not theirs? Anyway, I think my questions are unanswerable as of the moment. Even big companies and other established domain owners cannot exactly explain how domain theft is being successfully done. I bet you have also heard of the stealing of panex.com’s domain. Well, if you have not, the bottom line is that even the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), whose mandate is to police the world wide web, failed to fully account the culprit behind the theft.

Curious about how rampant domain theft is, I made a little cyber investigation and probed on my own. I logged on to search.com, a property of CNet domain, and searched for the availability of my own name. I guess you’ve already guessed the result. Yes, my own name is already a registered domain name. With whom is it registered? Bingo! It is with Chesterton Holdings. My possible domain is already stolen. But I am confident the squatter will leave sooner than I think. My name is unpopular nor does it sound good to generate thousands of hits and visits. There is no way that notorious domain thief can make profit out of my unpopular name.

Though my stolen (domain) name is not much of a big fuss for me or for others, domain theft is an issue of great concern for other web owners. It is alarming that theft incidence can happen so easily and victims cannot do anything to account for the theft done.

Who is behind this syndicated theft? I do not think we can answer right now. Who is to be blamed for the proliferation of cyber thieves? We can go on pointing fingers but still not quell domain theft. I guess the only question we can answer as of now is who is already registered in a particular domain and who is not — thanks to whois, a *querying database*. Whois is a transmission control protocol(TCP)-based query or a response protocol. It is utilized to identify the owner of a domain name, an IP address, or an autonomous system number on the internet. But then, it is also very probable that domain squatters are using whois to know which domain, in the form of people’s real names, can they squat in.

Domain theft and squatting is really a complex and alarming matter. This issue is a concern for current domain owners but more so to those planning to put up a website. This issue is most especially pertinent to those who are planning to put up an online business and use a website for marketing. I guess the best that people can do is to seek only the services of trusted web servers and hosts for domain registrations to ensure the security of their domain.

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Why Top Level Domain Names Mean Better Search Engine Rankings

Posted by Paul Wolbers

With the recent explosion in the availability of website domain name extensions (i.e. .com, .net, .ws, and others) it’s never been easier to register a domain name that is highly descriptive of your website’s subject matter.

For example, if you want to create a website about search engine optimization, it would make sense to use a domain name including the phrase “SEO” or “search optimization” or something similar. However, you can bet that many other people have had the same idea, so “seo.com” is no longer available, nor is “seo.net”, .org, .biz, or any other simple domain name with a top level extension.

Additionally, it’s a fact that most people who are searching on the internet are going to give top priority to websites with top level domain names like .com or .net.

This is simply a matter of these being original suffixes, and the average web surfer believes that they have more credibility and authority.

This is especially important if your website is selling or promoting your business or products, as these factors translate into how trustworthy your website may or may not be in the mind of the web surfer.

To put it simply, A top level domain name extension is one of your strongest sales tools.

Many people believe that the search engines will give more weight to your domain when considering your site for search engine rankings. Keep in mind that there should be a clear relationship between your domain name and website theme to increase your chances of ranking well in search engines.

Here are a couple of tips that may help you to bag that all important top level domain name for your site.

First, try a plural version of your key phrase. So, in the example above, you might check out the availability of top level names using “search-engine-optimizers”, rather than “search-engine-optimizer”.

However, when used on its own, this tactic may be a bit too obvious, and more often than not, when the singular version of a phrase is taken, so is the plural.

This second little trick is far more effective and well worth trying if you are looking for a top level name for your site. The trick is - Numbers.

Not numbers at the beginning of the domain name - that’s already been done to death and you only have to look at a list of expired domains to see how many owners of such addresses just allow them to die. Why? Because they don’t work very well with search engines or with real people - and something like “0000seo.com” just looks wierd.

So that’s not likely to be of much benefit to your site. But numbers in the “body” of the domain name itself, especially the numbers 2 and 4, very possibly will be.

Why?

The number 2 is a simple substitute for the word “to” or “two” and 4 can be read as “for” or “four”.

Now combine that with one other little substitution trick. Take the word “You” and substitute the letter “U”, and finding a good top level domain name that still relates very closely to the site subject matter becomes relatively easier.

Let’s take our SEO example to demonstrate how effective a strategy like this can be. Using all three of the highlighted tricks, try searching for “seo4u.com” or “searchoptimizers4u.com”. Still available? If not, how about “seo4us.com” or “searchoptimizers4me.com”?

Even if all of these are now taken, all you need is a bit of imagination to create a “.com” domain name that relates directly to your subject matter. An easy but effective method of grabbing good a top level domains for your websites.
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Internic: A Domain Name Registry, What’s It All About?

Posted by Rick McManus

As domain names continue to become widespread, the number of people who often look for the best domain names registry on the web also rises. Given such fact, many companies that are mainly concerned on domain names now create a certain development in the primary functions of their company and so opened up to become a domain name registry.

So these days, the evolution of the domain name registry becomes so widespread that many companies on the web are now acting as one. Well, when speaking about the domain name registry, it is interesting to learn that we are basically dealing with an organization or a group that is responsible for assigning domain names for the TLD that they handle. As such, the domain name registry has the duty to make an up to date global DNS tables to which all of the name servers use to resolve the domain names.

For particular mention, one of the best and trusted domain name registry on the web that greatly served the domain name consumers with great and excellent domain name registry services is the InterNIC. But what really is the function of the InterNIC?

Before anything else, the term InterNIC stands for the Internet’s Network Information Center. This domain name registry was founded to give the people with the public information regarding the internet domain name registration services. So to better serve the people with such major purpose, the InterNIC as a domain name registry really function for updating the internet domain name registration frequently.

In terms of the multiple, great services that this domain name registry offers, services like the accredited registrar directory, registrar problem report, Whois data problem report system, the InterNIC FAQ, and the registry whois are mainly included. Each of these services has their own function and distinction. And since we are particularly concerned about the domain name registry in this article, let us then focus on the main points that the InterNIC registry section holds.

The InterNIC is generally a domain name registry for .com, .net, and .org domain names. As such, they really updates all of the information regarding the registered domain names to better feed the domain name consumer with the latest and up-to-date information. It is also interesting to know that for the successful search for their covered top-level domain names will contain only technical information regarding the registered domain name and referral information for the registrar of the domain name.

Today, the InterNIC still continue to serve the domain name consumers with the best services, and as such they continue to create certain developments in the overall system. So if you want to find some of the available domain names, then this domain name registry is just there on the web to serve you.

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Domain Name Transfers

Posted by Barry Davis

Transferring a domain name can be as easy as signing up for a forum or as difficult as recreating the Mona Lisa. Here are some ways to make a transfer go smoother and some key points to remember on the domain name transfer process.

Before you go to your registrar’s home page or call any support number, take a step back and make sure you know what you want to do! I can’t stress this enough: if you are confused as to what you want to do, then you will probably confuse the customer service representative and that’s not good! We are going to assume that you want to take a domain name that’s registered with a certain registrar and move the domain name to another registrar. Please take note that the ONLY thing this accomplishes is that the domain name is now “leased” by a different company, that’s it! This has nothing to do with your website, your email, your DNS, or anything like that! The most common mistake is when someone’s webhost tells them to “transfer” the domain name to different servers. What they are talking about is something called DNS and that’s another article on its own. So if you’re still with me and want to change the registrar of record for the domain name, then please continue.

If you have gotten this far then you probably have another registrar in mind where you want to move the domain name to. That’s great! Many people ask which companies I recommend and from personal experience I would say use GoDaddy or Network Solutions. While the price difference is considerable, they both have different things to offer so it comes down to what you want and what you need.

The first thing that needs to be done for a domain name transfer is the transfer needs to be initiated. The only company that can initiate a domain name transfer is the gaining registrar (the company you want to move the domain to). No one else is able to do this, so either call up the new registrar, or go to their website to initiate the transfer. You will most likely need to set up an account if you don’t already have one which only takes a few minutes. Initiating the transfer is quite easy as most registrars have a very simple online process. While each registrar is different, the process is usually as simple as logging into your account, clicking on something that says “transfer domains”, typing in the domain name, and clicking “ok”.

Now the transfer is in motion! Here’s what happens behind the scenes to your domain name - it’s important to understand this so you know what’s going on at all times! The gaining registrar sends an email to the admin contact in the WHOIS database for this domain name. In that email, there is a link the admin needs to click on and actively accept the transfer of the domain name. If the admin contact fails to accept the transfer via this hyperlink, the gaining registrar will acknowledge this as rejecting the transfer. The time limit to accept this transfer request is usually around 7 days.

If the admin contact’s email address in the WHOIS record is not correct, then it needs to be updated before anything else. This process can sometimes take a while depending on the account information the registrar of record has in its database. This is a very good reason for initiating a transfer well before it’s due to expire.

Now, if the admin contact approves the transfer request, then the gaining registrar sends a notification to the registry for the domain TLD. The registry checks the status of the domain and tells the gaining registrar if it’s ok to continue or not. In order for a domain name to transfer, it has to be in an ACTIVE status. If the domain is locked, pending delete, in redemption, inactive - anything other than ACTIVE, it will not transfer. This is important to know because most people transfer a domain name when it’s about to expire or just after it expired. This isn’t good because most registrars will deactivate a domain name shortly after expiration which will automatically block transfer requests. And before you ask, yes, they have every right to do this and they do not have to reactivate your domain name for you until you pay them a renewal fee. So make sure you initiate a transfer early - I recommend at least 14 days in advance, but more if possible. The domain name also needs to be registered with a given registrar for at least 60 days. This means you cannot purchase a domain name and then transfer it to another registrar of record in less than 60 days. You also can’t transfer a domain name, and then transfer it again within 60 days.

If the domain name is in an ACTIVE state and has been registered for more than 60 days, the registry informs the gaining registrar that the transfer process will continue. The registry then informs the losing registrar that a transfer request has been made for the domain name.

This part can be tricky depending how your current registrar handles outbound transfer requests. ICANN states that the gaining registrar is the one who carries the burden of proof of authentication. This basically means the gaining registrar is responsible for contacting the correct person (admin contact) and getting their explicit approval for the domain name transfer. The losing registrar does not have this burden, and therefore is not bound to the same specific rules as the gaining registrar. The losing registrar may contact the admin contact, the registrant, an account contact - whoever they deem fit for a domain transfer approval.

The losing registrar has 5 days to respond to the registry. If the losing registrar does not respond to the registry in 5 days, then the registry automatically assume the transfer was approved by the losing registrar. This means that if the contact who received the losing registrar’s email took no action, deleted their email, or chose to ignore it, the transfer request would be considered approved from the losing registrar.

I’d like to point out the potential danger that can be caused here. There is potential for someone trying to take control or ownership of the domain name by initiating a transfer request. If they can somehow get the transfer request to this step, and the contact on record for the losing registrar does not receive the email or takes no action, the transfer will be automatically approved! For this reason, it is always recommend to be with a registrar who has some kind of “domain locking” or “domain protect” feature.

If the transfer is approved, then the losing registrar notifies the registry. The registry then moves the domain name from the losing registrar to the gaining registrar’s account. The registry then notifies the gaining registrar that the transfer has completed and the gaining registrar notifies the person on the account where the domain transfer was initiated.

Is this complicated? Well it certainly can be. However, it’s best to understand this because you’ll be surprised at how many customer service representatives don’t even know the details of this process. And the worst thing you can do is “take someones word for it” when it comes to your domain names! I hope this helped out a few people and remember: lock your domains, always make sure the contact information in both the WHOIS record and your registrar’s account is up to date!

Domain Name Dispute – How Do You Do It ?

Posted by Rudolf Freidlander

Have you heard the term “domain name dispute”? Or, are you familiar with the domain name dispute? If not yet, then it’s not a big problem though. This article will provide you some facts about the domain name dispute for you to better comprehend what the nature of this thing is and why does it surface, so you better read on.

What is a domain name dispute?

This is a common query that needs to be answered. Well, the domain name dispute is said to surface over domain names that may have been formerly held or over domain names that may be the same to a trademark or service over which you have the authority. Aside from this, there are some domain name disputes studies which show that oftentimes the domain name dispute arise over domain names that were formerly held and were not properly renewed and paid for. But how come that such domain name disputes arise? One reason for that is perhaps due to incorrect e-mail addresses or let us says other mistakes and miscommunications. So once the domain name becomes accessible, another domain name consumer may legitimately own it regardless of whether you used to own it or not.

In terms of handling these domain name disputes, it is interesting to know that all of these disputes may be handled through the ICANN’s Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy or UDRP. All of those official registrars are absolutely bound by these policies. And speaking of the UDRP, it is commonly noted that this process sets forth all the regulations for handling the domain name disputes including the negotiation and court moves.

Under the UDRP, all the registrars in the top-level domain names such as .com, .net, and .org are subject to follow the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy. Under this matter, some types of trademark-based domain name disputes should be resolved by agreement, court move, or arbitration prior to the registrars’ suspension and transfer of the domain names. Besides, the domain name disputes are also alleged to surface from abusive domain name registrations that may be addressed by accelerated administrative procedures that the owner of trademark rights performs through filling a complaint with an accepted domain name dispute resolution service contributor.

The dispute service providers, as organizations permitted by the ICANN, thus holds the responsibility to arbitrate the disputes. And in case of a domain name during a dispute, it is important to know that the domain names cannot be cancelled, suspended or even transferred during a domain name dispute.

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Changing Domain Name – The Best Way !

Posted by Rudolf Freidlander

Accept the fact that there are really some times that you need to change your domain name. Changing domain names is not in fact a very rare situation, but the fact that is widely common today. Many were now changing domain names for certain purposes, and along with that, many people were also encountering problems.

The process of changing domain names, according to some veterans in the field of domain name, is somewhat very time-consuming and the potential for some mistakes is very huge. Well, every problem has its own solution, right? So a fairly simple solution and a safe alternative for a smooth and seamless switch in changing domain names is made possible through the application of the mod_rewrite and a .htaccess file.

Now, what is a mod_rewrite and .htaccess file?

According to certain studies, a mod_rewrite as it becomes important in changing domain names is an Apache module that grants the mode for the rewriting of the URL. Many considered this tool for changing domain names as transparent to the end-user and thus require no special software on the user’s end.

In an instance of changing domain names, the user who applies the mod_rewrite in changing domain names will still see the old domain name in their browser address bar on the first page that they visit, but then will typically be seeing the content under the new domain name. By using the mod_rewrite in changing domain names will also provide you with a very user friendly search engine.

On the other hand, the .htaccess file plays a role in changing domain names as containing particular Apache directives for specific requests, including security, redirection issues, and it also contains the answers on how to handle certain errors. Such function of the .htaccess file is very necessary in changing domain names for the reason that the Apache that it contains is a very common web server that helps a smooth and easy process of changing domain names.

Knowing the facts about those two important tools, it is therefore important to note that before you do anything, you should consider some issues that surround such the domain name change. These issues must be considered for these will help for a smoother transition. So according to some experts for changing domain names, the first important move is to check the web host to make sure that they support the mod_rewrite module, otherwise the attempt procedure will not work. Then it follows that you must activate your new domain name. It is just necessary that you ensure that the file base construction and naming is accurately similar when it was under the old domain name.

After that, you create an .htaccess file. It is interesting to know that the .htaccess file in changing domain names can be done with a simple text editor like the notepad, and it should be noted that the file has no tail extension; the name should then be just .htaccess. If done, the syntax should then be inserted. Just be aware that when changing domain names, the old domain name will still appear in the browser window but you are viewing the content of the new domain name. Of course there are still some rules behind these steps for changing domain names, but unfortunately, that is beyond the scope of this article.

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Domaining and Domainers - Residual Income Through Domain Parking

Posted by Cesar Gonzalez

Domaining is a fascinating business and investment vehicle because once the initial investment is made, it is a business that requires minimal attention. This makes it one of the best models of a residual income business on the web. However, this is not to say that domaining is easy. Working as a domainer simply means that you have to invest all your attention, effort and money up front, while researching what domains to buy.

Definition of Domaining

Domaining is basically the business of buying domain names as an investment. When thinking about this business, a good approach is to think of domain names as real estate. Think of them as pieces of virtual internet-land that have some intrinsic value, where the majority of that value stems from their location and from their degree of development. Their “location” is akin to their visibility on the web. Short recognizable names have the best location, and so they are also the most expensive. The buildings on a piece of land are akin to a website developed at a domain name. The website is likely to attract visitors either through it’s content or functionality, and therefore increase the value of the domain name.

Like any mature property business, most of the valuable names have already been snatched up and are only available at a premium. Speculative names are still available, as are names with unproven extensions (.info, .biz, .us, etc.) A big difference in the domain world though is that new names with potential are available all the time, as new phrases and trends become popular, as old domain names expire, and as new technologies emerge.

Monetizing a Domain Name

There are a million way to monetize a domain name if you are willing to develop a website on it, but since this article is about the purest form of domaining, I will only address ways to monetize domain names without developing them.

Reselling Domains - As with any piece of property, your domain may be worth more to someone else than you paid for it. This may be the case if you develop a knack for coming up with brandable names ahead of time (ie. google, digg, myspace, zappos), or if you manage to snap up names related to a developing trend or idea (ie. bird flu, wimax, AJAX). This is a speculative way of making money from domains, but your initial investment of $6-9 per domain won’t break the bank and might create a hefty return. Once you buy a few domain names, list them for sale on websites such as Sedo and DomainState to see if any of them get picked up. Remember, patience is a virtue.

Parking Domains - On the web, targeted traffic is worth money. Targeted traffic are simply visitors interested in a specific topic. If your domain names get traffic (more on this later) you can monetize that traffic by parking your domains with a domain parking service such as Sedo, DomainSponsor or Fabulous. You simply register with the service for free, point your domains to their DNS servers, and voila, you’re done. The service puts up a simple one page website on your domain that has advertiser links and information based on the keywords and category associated with your domain name. When visitors follow those links, you share the revenue generated with the domain parking service.

Finding Domain Names

There are many different strategies for coming up with and researching domain names to buy. There is plenty of (well researched) speculation out there, but there are also many domainers buying names with the intention of creating passive income. For this, the domainers buy domains that receive traffic that can be monetized.

The simplest way that a domain receives traffic without having a website on it is through type-ins. We’ve all been responsible for type-ins before when we went straight to the address bar and typed yahoo.com or money.com or bored.com. Sites such as cellphones.com and business.com get hundreds or thousands of targeted visitors a day through type-ins. Often, people will type their search terms directly into the address bar with .com, hoping to find information of interest. This behavior is characteristic of an internet newbie, but keep in mind that there are more newbies on the internet every day, and as broadband becomes more widely available, this is a trend that is going to continue.

Research time is the biggest investment a domainer makes before buying a name. A great free tool that I use for domain research is Domain All-in-One from DomainState. It allows you to quickly check the availability of domains, as well as look up keywords on Overture and domain popularity via Alexa. Below are a few strategies for picking and finding domain names.

Speculation - If you have a good head for names and can come up with catchy ones that might one day be a company’s next product or brand name, give it a try. Also try to spot upcoming trends and catch phrases, and register names related to them. Names in other languages, and names in other Top Level Domains (TLDs) such as .info, .us, .biz, etc. are also quite open to speculation. Remember though that speculation is just that, and there is no guarantee of a future payoff.

Type-in Traffic - Most obvious keywords and phrases have already been registered, but new ones are coming into the public consciousness all the time. New music trends such as reggaeton, new global scares such as bird flu, and new technologies such as wimax present the early bird with an opportunity to register keywords and phrases that are likely to get more and more type-in traffic. Keep your eyes and ears open and do a little research every day to see what is available.

Typos - Misspellings of popular domains get traffic through type-ins. This includes domains such as gogle.com or yahooo.com, but also less obvious ones such as celphones.com and homelaons.com. These domains can be lucrative because you can park these domains using the right keyword and create instant revenue. For coming up with likely typos and determining their likelihood, I’ve found SearchSpell to be a very useful tool.

Expired Domain Names - Domain names expire every day without their owners bothering to re-register them. Expired domains may have hosted websites, portals, blogs, or businesses beforehand, and as a result they may have incoming links from other sites and they may come up in the search engines. This means that they are likely to get some traffic, which you can monetize through Sedo or other means. Since this is a such a profitable strategy, you most likely will have to go through a drop-catcher such as Pool, SnapNames, or NameWinner and pay a premium for the expired domain at an auction. Also, keep in mind that the traffic numbers at these sites are likely to drop over time as they fall in the search engine results and users realize the old page is no longer there.

Buying Proven Domains - If you have some capital laying around and are willing to pay a premium for an income stream, then you can buy domains that already have establish traffic and income. These domains can cost anywhere from the 1999 bubble price of $7.5 million for business.com, to more reasonable 5- and 6-figure prices of proven domains today, to a few hundred dollars for a domain with a minor income stream. Good places to start looking are SnapNames, Sedo, and the For Sale forum at DomainState. In this case, your investment might take a few months to a few years before you generate a positive return, but the security of an income has always been an expensive commodity.

Next Steps

If you are new to domaining, take time to learn the business and hold on to your wallet for now. There is a lot of great information out there at resources such as DomainState and DNJournal. Their articles and discussions are a great way to avoid many costly mistakes yourself and to learn where to invest your time and eventually your dollars.

Once you have a grasp of the business and enough confidence to get going, go ahead and start experimenting! Don’t spend large sums of money up front or buy hundreds of domain names at once. But do get started buying a few; one of the beauties of starting in this business is that you can register a domain for the price of a burger. Check out 1and1 and NameCheap. Put them up on Sedo, advertise them for sale, see what you get. And if you want to take the development route, go ahead and put a website up on them.

Be consistent and have fun. Learn about the business daily and try out new strategies until you find one that you’re comfortable with. Play your cards right and you too could soon be making money while you sleep.

Domain Names & Websites

Posted by Josh Greenberger

Does a website come with a domain name? If not, what comes with a website and how do I get a domain name?

New website owners often seem confused about how and when domain names come into play. The questions usually boil down to: “Does a website come with a domain name?” and “If not, how do I get a domain name?”

Web hosting and domain name registration are usually separate services. Although your hosting company may give or sell you a domain name with your website, most hosting companies are not domain registrars, and chances are they’re procuring it from a third party. (Domain registrars often give you a website, but they’re usually not “full featured” websites, and another issue.)

What’s more, despite the fact that hosting companies will generally take care of your initial domain name registration, becoming familiar with the basics of domain name management can save you anywhere from a few bucks to a little bundle. (For the definition of “bundle,” forget Webster’s Dictionary. Look at your monthly statement from your hosting company; if it gives you that sinking feeling, that’s a bundle.)

Registrars like directnic.com and enom.com, for example, charge $15 and $30, respectively, per year, per domain name. In bulk, you can get names at enom.com for as low as $9. And with a little shopping around, you can do even better than this.

Managing your own domain names will usually have its biggest payoff if you should decide to get more than one domain name, a common practice that can sometimes enhance your web presence. How? Let’s say, your business name is “Grumpy’s Hardware and Paint.” Some people know you as Grumpy’s Hardware, some as Grumpy’s Paint, and some as just plain Grumpy. You might want to get three domain names — grumpyshardware.com, grumpyspaint.com, and grumpy.com — so your site can be reached no matter what a surfer enters in his browser.

The way this would work is, you’d open your hosting account using, let’s say, grumpy.com. Then you’d add on, what’s called, “parked” or “mirror” domain names, grumpyshardware.com and grumpyspaint.com. Parked or mirror domains are not separate websites; they simply point to an existing website, grumpy.com, in this case.

The problem is that some hosting companies will charge you setup and/or monthly fees for parked domains. These fees are above and beyond the yearly fees you already pay for registering domain names. And these fees can add up.

By managing domain names yourself, however, you can avoid all “parking” fees, not to mention shop around for a better deal on the names themselves.

The fundamentals of domain management begin with two basic methods of directing domain names to your website. That is, the process that gets a surfer from the browser to your website involves a mechanism that takes the surfer (unbeknownst to him) to your domain name registrar and then to your website. The journey from your registrar to your website can be accomplished by one of two methods — “pointing” or “forwarding.” It’s your choice as to which method to use.

What’s the difference? There’s a huge difference.

Although the menus for setting up these features vary from registrar to registrar, the concepts are the same. “Pointing” involves assigning a DNS (Domain Name Server) address, obtained from your hosting company, to your domain name grumpy.com. This is done at your registrar account.

Then, you must inform your hosting company to “set up” grumpy.com on their end, if they have not yet done so. And this is where domain name setup and monthly fees at your hosting company come in.

“Forwarding” (also referred to as “redirecting”), on the other hand, works a little differently. Let’s say you wanted to set up grumpyspaint.com for your website. Instead of using the DNS method described above, you would simply “forward” it to grumpy.com, which would already be pointing to your website. In addition to being a little simpler, it’s likely you’ve just saved yourself some money.

How?

When a surfer enters grumpyspaint.com, they simply get forwarded to your other name, grumpy.com, which is already pointing to your website. It’s almost as if the surfer entered grumpy.com directly. And you don’t need any additional setups at your hosting company when you use this method, no matter how many additional parked domain names you have. So, no setups, no fees.

To put it all together, if you had let’s say 20 domain names, you’d need to set up only one domain name at your registrar using the DNS method, and you’d need your hosting company to “setup” that same name on their end. The other nineteen names would need no setup whatsoever at your hosting company. All you’d have to do is redirect (at your registrar account) all nineteen names to that one name you already have set up. And, thus, you’ve saved yourself setup and/or monthly fees for nineteen parked domains.

How much can you save? Some hosting companies can charge as much as $20 setup and $5 per month for each parked domain. Figure it out.

Be aware that some registrars charge extra for features such as “forwarding.” But there’s no need to pay extra even for this. Many registrars, like directnic.com and enom.com, include forwarding and other features at no extra charge.

So, even if you do not necessarily take care of these domain matters yourself, but relegate it to a friend or coworker, being aware of the ins and outs can help you avoid getting ripped off by a hosting company whose job is not necessarily to keep you informed of the most budget-conscious way of running your operation. After all, the information super highway should be for surfing, not for being taken for a ride.

by Josh Greenberger from shopndrop.com

Domain Name Registration Process Revealed

Posted by Edwardo Mascasas

With the rise of the domain name industry, the domain name now becomes a commodity. It is for the fact that many people today generally cater to such kind of trend in the world of the internet. As such, many people are now looking for some of the possible ways for them to get or own a domain name. So the concept of the domain name registration occurs.

According to many experts and even to those who have tried the process for domain name registration noted that the domain name registration process is just such an easy and quick procedure. Well, the domain name registration will really be made easy if and only if it is coupled with the effort and interest of both the domain name consumer and the domain name registrars. In part of the domain name consumers, it is indeed true that they play a great part in the domain name registration process since it is in their hands that the success of the domain name registration depends. Of course, the domain name registrar also play a part in the domain name registration process for the fact that they are the ones who have the power to amend and control the domain names.

Given such facts, it is interesting to know that when you want to engage in the domain name registration process, you should know that the first move to take is to look for a domain name registrar by any possible means, either by word or mouth, by advertising, or through search engines. Speaking of the search engines, it is fortunate that many companies on the web nowadays specially those who are concerned about domain names, greatly provide domain name search engines to help the people in finding the right domain names for them and so to undergo the domain name registration process. Search engines are then the commonly used vehicle for domain name registering.

Once the domain name consumer is in the domain name registrar’s site for the domain name registration, it is important that the consumer checks the availability of the desired domain name. After such step for the domain name registration, the domain name registrar then communicates with a certain registry to ascertain that the desired domain name is still accessible for purchase or the domain name is already taken by a third party. If it follows that the desired domain name is still accessible, then the domain name consumer will be able to register such domain.

Moreover, it is a common consideration that on the eve of the domain name registration, the domain name consumer enters the contact information and the Domain Name System information for the desired domain. Then, the registry then files the contact information for the whois. Along with that the registry then adds the zone files to the master servers, which on the way tells the others servers on how to locate the consumer’s site. So now the update in the domain name registration should transmit throughout the DNS.

So in the domain name registration, it is then simply considerable that when you go through the steps in the domain name registration, you are actually popping in an entry into a directory of all the domain names and their corresponding computers on the internet.

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