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Domain Name Goldmines: Expired Traffic Investing In The 21st Century

2009-02-05T05:30:00.001-08:00

I get pretty frustrated when thinking back to the days of seven-figure domain name sales. However, I was only a little kid, but still, I spent hours on the computer playing Descent II with my friends. Oh yes, those hours could have been spent convincing my parents to help me buy domain names like cd.com, tv.com, local.com, interact.net, isp.net, and other incredibly valuable domains. Sadly, other people got to them first, making millions very fast.

Some who fail say that the time to make money in domains is over. They are wrong indeed, as the wealthy domain investors are still buying those domains that will have permanent type-in traffic. Traffic equates to so much easy money that these people don't even develop websites to maximize sales potential. The key concept is to buy the names with traffic, and redirect them to a Pay-Per-Click system that will display PPC ads and pay the owner a percentage of advertising earnings from visitor clicks.

I've picked up a few decent type-in traffic domains such as ecommerc.com, but I simply don't have the money to invest in the names the big dogs are buying. If you have some extra money, I suggest that instead of risking it in something like gambling or trading on the foreign exchange, you should study up on domain speculation, and get started.

You'll probably have to spend thousands of dollars on a wise domain investment, but the return on investment will last a lifetime; or else you can sell it in a couple years for a great profit!

Ian Mason, owner of OPAffiliates.com, your source for <a target="_new" href="http://www.opaffiliates.com">Online Pharmacy Affiliate News</a> and revenue generation techniques.

Ian studies health, weight loss, exercise, and several martial arts; maintaining several websites in an effort to help provide up-to-date and helpful information for other who share his interests in health of body and mind.

Contact Ian Mason by e-mail at <a target="_new" href="mailto:ian@shoppe.md">ian@shoppe.md.</a>

Earn Money With Parked Domain Names

2009-02-05T00:10:00.001-08:00

Do you have domain names that you are not currently using?

Did you know that these domains can actually become a source of revenue for your online business?

There are several companies on the internet that will pay you to redirect your domain to a landing page, filled highly relevant PPC (pay per click) links. The links displayed on your landing page will be optimized based on what keywords are in your domain, and what links previous visitors have been interested in looking at. You can earn real money every time one of your visitors clicks a link on your landing page, in addition to guaranteed ad revenue for each and every unique visitor that you recieve. All this revenue building up month after month can form into a very nice income stream for your business.

Considering the fact that you can earn up to $5.00/click (depending on your domain, and what country your traffic comes from) with this type of program, there is no doubt that domain parking can be an extremely lucrative practice. If you would like to learn more about how to start earning money with your unused domain names and be recieving paycheques by the end of next month, please <a target="_new" href="http://www.domainsponsor.com">click here</a>...

For more internet marketing articles and online business resources, please visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.wealthstream.info">WealthStream.info</a>...

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About the Author: Jeremy Maddock has been a successful internet marketer for over three years, and is the webmaster of <a target="_new" href="http://www.wealthstream.info">http://www.WealthStream.info</a>.

Whats in a Domain Name?

2009-02-03T16:30:00.001-08:00

You've decided to start up your own website. You've weighed all of your options, and have come to the conclusion that you want to purchase web space for your site. Good job; you're one step closer to having your name on the world wide web.

You've looked at different hosting companies, comparing all of the plans and packages they have to offer, and have chosen the perfect one for you. You've filled in all of the important information pertaining to you and your site, and have come to the screen where you're asked to come up with a domain name for your site.

Now what? What are you supposed to put in the box? Do you choose a .com or .net? .org, .biz, .info--what are you supposed to do? So you decide to move on and choose that later. Maybe one will sound better with the domain name you're about to choose.

What next? If your website's titled "My Super-Duper-Brand-Spanking-New Site", are you going to have a domain name like "mysuperduperbrandspankingnewsite.com"? No. That would be ridiculous to type and even harder to remember. You want something that is catchy and easy to remember. Something that'll stand out, but is still relevant to the content of your site.

You decide that "superduper.com" would be perfect for your site. But lo and behold, it's already been taken. Now what do you do? You spent hours deciding that "superduper.com" was the best domain name for you. It just doesn't have that same zing to it when you say "superduper.net" or .info. So now what are you supposed to do? Try adding a hyphen in between the words to see if the name's taken that way. It's a little harder to type because the hyphen's a little awkward when one's typing in a URL quickly, but it'll do the trick if you really want certain words.

So now you've come to the conclusion that "super-duper.com" is the perfect domain name for your site and buy it. Congratulations, and welcome to the world wide web, "super-duper.com"!

Alisha Annas is an 18-year-old student at California State University, Fresno. She's currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. She's used computers since she was two years old and has been designing her own websites since the age of ten. She likes music, reading, writing, and surfing the web.

What is a Domain Name and Why Would I Want One?

2009-02-03T13:10:00.001-08:00

In this article we will cover the basics of what a domain name is, how they work and why you need to have at least one. I am going to try and avoid complicated computer terms and stick to explanations that should be easily understood by someone without a computer science degree.

What is a Domain Name? Before we can go into what a domain name is I'm going to tell you why we need them as the answers compliment each other. The Internet is just a really big collection of connected computers (a network). For the purpose of explaining domain names you can think of the Internet a bit like the phone system and just like the phone system every computer on the Internet has it's own phone number except an Internet phone number is called an IP addresses. This address is made up of up to 12 digits in the form 123.123.123.123, computers use these IP addresses to send information to each other over the Internet.

When the Internet was first created it quickly became clear that these IP addresses were not easy to remember and another method was need to make these addresses more human friendly. The solution to this was the Domain Name System (DNS). Basically the DNS is a really really big phone book for computers. When you type a web site address into your web browser it checks the DNS for that website name and finds the IP address. Once it has the IP address it can then send a message to that computer and ask it for the web page you wanted.

Ok so you know a domain name is part of a web site address but which part? Lets look at a website address so we can identify and discuss what bit of it is a domain name.

<a href="http://www.itxcel.com/index.html" target="_new">http://www.itxcel.com/index.html</a>

The above address is the home page of the itXcel web site. It can be split into 3 main parts. The first part is http:// this just tells your web browser what kind of information it is going to get and how to get it. The last part is /index.html this is name of the files on the remote computer that you want your browser to get. The bit in the middle <a href="http://www.itxcel.com" target="_new">www.itxcel.com</a> is a domain name. This is the name that your computer sends to the DNS to get back the IP address.

So you know what a domain name is and that there is a phone book called the DNS to change your easy to remember domain name into an IP address that you computer can understand. The Internet phone book (DNS) is special in that everyone on the Internet needs to be able to use it. This makes the DNS very very big (100+ million addresses big). Due to the size of this phone book it needed to have a carefully organised and managed structure.

Domain names themselves are split into different levels like a hierarchy. The DNS system uses this hierarchy to search the DNS for the IP address of the domain name it is trying to find. The last bit of a domain, in the previous example the com part is called the top level domain. There are a large selection of top level domains like com, net, org and info. There are also very similar endings called country level domains like uk and de. Each of the top level and country level domains are managed by a different organization, sometimes these are companies or non profit organizations and sometimes governments. In the domain business these organisations are referred to as the registries. Each registry looks after it's own part of the domain name system.

If you decide you want to use a domain name in the top level domain com, like mycompany.com you would have to have this name assigned by the registry that manages that top level domain (for .com a US company called VeriSign). The process of being assigned a domain name is called domain registration.

Domain registration is more like a lease than a purchase. You are renting the second level domain (the mycompany bit) from Verisign for a specific amount of time normally between 1 and 10 years at a time. Most of the organizations that allow you to register a second level domain charge a fee for each year that you register the domain for. With almost all domain names you are also given the option to renew your registration (lease) when it is close to running out (expiring).

Once you have registered a second level domain you are free to create as many third level domains (sometimes called sub domains) as you like. In our previous example the www is a sub domain of itxcel.com.

Most of the registries that manage these top level domain names do not allow individuals or businesses to register domains directly with them. To register a domain you need to use a company like itXcel. We act as a registrar and send all the required information and the registration fee to the registry. Registrars are useful as they hide the differences that exist in each of the registries from the customer and provide a simple step by step process for registering a domain. A registrar also allows you to manage and track all your domains from one place rather than having to deal with a different company for each top level domain.

OK so I know what a domain name is, Why do need one? Can you image what a nightmare it would be if you had an email address like myname@123.246.128.255 or a web site address http://123.246.128.255/? These addresses are possible but not very easy to remember. Now if you register a domain name you could create an email address like myname@mycompany.com and a web site address like mycompany.com. These are much easier to remember and look 100 times more professional.

One of the important points about registering a domain is that once done you have an exclusive right to use that domain for as long as you keep the domain registered in your name. If you do not renew a domain at the end of it's registration period it will again become available for registration by someone else. For this reason even if you don't want or need a web site at the moment, it's still a good idea to register a domain as soon as possible. Just imagine if your competition registered the domain name of your company or product. Although there is a process in place to retrieve these domain it can be long and complicated. It is definitely simpler to spend a little money up front to secure your chosen domain names.

About The Author

Ewan Bain is the general manager at itXcel Internet Limited - Based in the UK itXcel provide Internet services, including domain name registration and web site hosting to small to medium sized businesses and home users.

To find out what domains are available and to quickly and cheaply register them visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.itxcel.com">http://www.itxcel.com</a> now and enter your desired name in the domain search box.

For further information please visit our website.

Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo

2009-02-03T05:30:00.001-08:00

Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo

This is a recent example of our experience selling a .co.uk domain name via Sedo. If you are new to domains or Sedo this will give you a guide on the process and the time scales involved.

Negotiations

This is the hardest part of selling a domain ? how much to ask? Ask too much and the buyer may lose interest. Ask too little and you may not get the best price possible for your domain.

You can use www.domainprices.co.uk to get an idea of recent .co.uk domain sales prices or ask to an appraisal on the www.acorndomains.co.uk appraisal forum.

Come up with a price that allows you some room to haggle but don't get so greedy you scare off the bidder. This can be an anxious time, waiting for the domain prospect to come back with an offer.

Transaction Fees

Do not forget to allow for Sedo transaction fees and Nominet transfer fees during the negotiation stage.

We asked for the buyer to pay Sedo's fees (10% of sale price) and the Nominet fees on top of the sale price, which they agreed to.

Agreement Reached

We started negotiations on our domain on the 21st June and reached agreement on the sale price and fees on the 1st July.

Sedo Transfer Process

Having agreed the sale price, Sedo sent the buyer an Invoice on the 1st July.

The invoice is in your name and is placed in the buyer's user account.

Once the buyer has made payment (into Sedo's Escrow account), Sedo ask the buyer to make a transfer request at thier registrar or if the buyer has an account at the domain's current registrar, they ask you to move it to his account.

NB: Make sure the administrative email address for your domain is active and that you can receive emails from it or you will have trouble with the transfer process.

Once the transfer has been completed and the WHOIS information shows the buyer's name, Sedo send you the money.

Tip: Add your bank details to your Sedo account if you want to avoid Paypal fees for receiving the money.

Nominet Transfer Forms

Sedo didn't ask us apply to Nominet for the domain transfer forms. Their emails are worded towards .COM domain name transfers.

We knew we would need these so as soon as we agreed a price we emailed Nominet to request them and they arrived 2 days later.

This will save you time.

Sedo receive Payment

We chase Sedo on the 5th July as we had heard nothing. This prompted them to chase the buyer for payment. Sedo advised that the buyer said they were making a bank transfer of the funds that day.

We chased again on the 7th July with a response from Sedo that it would take a few more days. So much for electronic funds transfers!

Sedo confirmed receipt of the money on the 11th July

Finalising the Transfer

Sedo sent us the Buyer's details for us contact them about sending the Nominet forms.

We already had the forms in hand so signed and sent them on the 12th July.

On the 18th July we chased Sedo for any news, they contacted the buyer to see if they had received the forms.

22nd July we noticed the Nominet WHOIS showing the buyers details.

(This is a little unsettling, your domain has been transferred but you have no funds).

Money Money Money

26th July we received an email from Sedo saying they had sent the money to our account. They also stated this can take up to 7 business days.

We received the money on the 29th July.

Start to finish, 38 days.

Helen Sherritt is owner and administrator of <a target="_new" href="http://www.acorndomains.co.uk">http://www.acorndomains.co.uk</a>, the UK's leading domain name forum and resource centre.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.DomainPrices.co.uk">http://www.DomainPrices.co.uk</a> shows recent .co.uk domain name sales prices.

How to Choose the Right Domain Name

2009-02-03T04:20:00.001-08:00

What's in a name? Everything! A domain name is the first thing that pops up when people are exploring through a search engine or directory, so it's important to come up with something clever that also spotlights the focal point of your business. By "clever," we don't mean a silly pun that will cause your face to turn red with embarrassment in a year or two after the novelty has worn off. Your domain name will be your "Internet identity," so it will be helpful if it closely matches the name of your business, product, or service to make it easier for people to remember and find you; thereby distinguishing you as leader in the marketplace or business.

Every time you send out an email you will be promoting your business because your domain name will also be used as your email address, thus making it easier for customers to remember you by. Plus, when you're sending out emails to someone who isn't familiar with your business, they may intrigued enough to take a closer look at the website, especially if the name is catchy and interesting.

An additional marketing strategy will be to print your website on everything related to your business - stationery, business cards, mailers, advertisements, signs, etc. So the idea is to come up with a domain name that has obvious business and/or commercial potential.

How Do I Choose My Domain Name?

Ah! Good question and we're glad to provide that answer for you. It's going to require a little brainstorming, but you may be pleasantly surprised with some of the ideas you come up with.

Ask co-workers, friends and associates, as well as family members, to jot down names and words they think best describes your business. Browse through circulars and look at classifieds and magazine ads to see what headlines grab your attention.

You can even use your own name for your domain if it is easy to spell and remember, but not lengthy. This would be helpful in establishing recognition in the name-face marketplace. Of course, if you have a common name, chances will be that someone else has beaten you to it. In that event, you might be able to use your initials combined with your last name.

Consider your target market and do a search on different types of categories in your business to see what keywords consistently pop up. One young entrepreneur did this very thing from his college dorm room, by creating an online marketplace to buy and sell unused event tickets called TicketAdvantage.com. This venture grew so quickly, that by the time Adam Witty (founder and CEO) graduated from college, his former hobby and now full-time business, had blossomed into a partnership with a national promotional baseball tour across America.

While you are thinking about names, have some fun and go to NameBoy.com. This is a free tool that is entertaining to play around with while searching for a keyword generated domain. It will tell you what is available and what has been taken, while offering a variety of other suggestions.

Keep it Short!

We caution you to try and keep the domain name as short as possible, as this will make it easier for people to remember you, while lessening the chances of errors when someone is typing it into their browser. Ideally, if you had a casual encounter with someone while discussing your business and/or products and you told them your website address, you would want them to be able to remember it until they get back to their office to jot it down.

For instance, Bavoy is an organic food distributor. Although they have a bavoy.com website; their main website has a domain name that features their number one product, healthyhearth.com. Which site do you think gets the most hits? The second one, because (1) it is named after their main product, (2) the name is intriguing, and (3) it's much easier to remember and spell correctly. Plus, visitors are automatically redirected to their main Bavoy.com site. Neat trick, huh?!

For primary domain names, it's best to keep the name to 20 characters or less. If you want to have a long domain name (up to 63 characters) for search placement purposes, make this your secondary domain with a redirect to your main site.

Excuse Me, Is This Name Taken?

With hundreds of thousands of domain names already registered, don't be surprised if you find that your choice of domain has been taken. It can be difficult to come up with a fitting name, so it will be helpful it you have several to choose from. When you have a short list of names, put them in order of favorites and look them up on a search engine to make sure they are not already taken. Then, go to the site you plan on using to register your domain and look the name up again to confirm it has not been taken.

Domain Extensions

The big daddy of all the domain extensions remains .com, with other popular extensions as .co, .net and .org. Country code domains have been created to be used by individual countries as they are deemed necessary. A popular, widespread example for the United Kingdom is .co.uk or .org.uk.

During the Internet boom in the 90s, there was a great deal of concern that the supply of available domain names would not be adequate to support the rapid growth. Therefore, new extensions, such as .info, .biz, .tv, .ws, and .cc were created to spread out the pool of unique domains. However, it is not recommended that you use these, unless you are purchasing them in conjunction with your main domain. If you are using a lesser known extension because the .com domain was already taken, there is a great likelihood that your clients will forget the extension and will type in the domainname.com instead of domainname.biz, and be directed to a different site, or even worse, your competitor. So stick with the more easily remembered extensions such as myname.net or myname.com.

So Now What?

Don't wait another minute! Once you have found the perfect domain name and you know without a doubt it is available, register it before someone else snaps it up.

You can shop around for inexpensive places to register your domain name, but I urge you to use caution. Make sure that the company you are registering with has been around for a while, because if they disappear overnight as some do, it may be difficult to renew your domain name the following year and you might lose it, which could be disastrous.

All registrars generally require the same type of information when registering your domain name: Name of company or individual; administrative contact; technical contact; billing contact; DNS server settings; and payment information. If a registrar does not ask for any registrant information, but skips instead to the payment section, you might want to skip them. There are some unscrupulous registrars that will fraudulently register themselves as the "registrant," although the client may be shown as the contact person, which means the registrars own the domain name, not you. In any event, carefully read the terms and conditions before proceeding.

Some registrars will offer packages, like registering your domain name for free if you purchase a web hosting plan from them. And some of these are really good opportunities, but again, use caution when looking at these hosting plans and check out their reliability and how long they have been around.

That's it! You are now on your way to becoming a top-notch Internet marketer and rapidly build and promote your business. This is the fun part, so enjoy it!

Charlene Davis is an experienced and published freelance writer specializing in business, technical subjects, and e-commerce. She is the coauthor with Jacquelyn Lynn on Make BIG Profits on eBay: Start Your Own Million $ Business, Entrepreneur Press, 2005, and How to Start a Senior Services Business, an Entrepreneur Media start-up guide.

For more information, visit her website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.cdavisfreelance.com">http://www.cdavisfreelance.com</a>

Domain Names 101 - A Dummies Guide to Choosing Great Domain Names

2009-02-02T16:20:00.001-08:00

When it comes to choosing your domain name, do not allow yourself to get stressed out or worry over choosing the perfect domain name that will make your website a success. When it comes down to it, there are several things you can do to ensure you choose the best type of domain for your business, and after that any number of domain names will work effectively for you. However, you need to read the following suggestions and follow them in order to avoid any costly mistakes to your traffic and business due to a bad domain name.

Tip #1 Short and Sweet

You will want a domain name that is short and sweet. There are many reasons for this, however if you have a short domain name it will be easier for people to remember and revisit not to mention tell others about. Also, if your domain name is short, other websites linking to your site will not have to worry about broken URLs and invalid web pages.

Tip #2 Make a List

You should definitely make a list of the domain names you like the most, but it is best if you make a list of themes rather than exact domain names. The reason for this is there are so many domain names on the Internet that finding an easy one is not so easy. So, come up with themes you are interested in and then start searching from there.

Tip #3 Be Open

Do not set your heart on one particular domain name, especially if it is a generic one because odds are it is taken. You will only be disappointed and unhappy with any other domain name. Do not set yourself up like this and realize ahead of time that you will need to be really creative with your domain name and open to new ideas and options.

Tip #4 Search for Options

Once you have your list of themes and ideas you want for a domain name you can start searching online. There are plenty of websites that will allow you to search and register different domain names. Most likely, several that you search for will be taken and the program might suggest you take that domain name with a really large number on the end or other variations that are available. In general, you do not want to do this because it is more difficult to remember your URL and you will get a lot of your traffic misdirected.

Tip #5 Dot Com

There are many kinds of extensions or suffixes available for URLs from com to .net and .biz to .info. While all of these are options and your particular desired domain might be taken under .com and available under tv you should consider long and hard before doing this. The reason for this is everyone knows about .com and if they are thinking of your website they will probably search for it as .com first. So, having a .com will keep people from getting confused. Also, if your keyword URL exists as a .com and you choose .net, you will probably lose customers and traffic to the other site because people know to go to .com.

Michael Turner reveals step-by-step how you can <a target="_new" href="http://www.powertraffictactics.com/">increase search engine traffic</a> in his free 7 part mini-series. Grab it now at <a target="_new" href="http://www.powertraffictactics.com/">http://www.powertraffictactics.com/</a>

How To Really Profit from Domain Names

2009-02-02T11:20:00.001-08:00

Have you heard about domain names that sold for over a million dollars? Inspired by this, you imagine registering a great domain name, hanging onto it for a while, and then selling it off to become the next multi-millionaire. It could happen, but don`t count on it!

First of all, many of the truly great domain names are already taken. Second, the dot com bust took some of the wind out of inflated domain name prices. (If you sell your domain name for millions of dollars worth of stock in a publicly traded dot com flop, what is the name really worth?)

The cybersquatter buys domain names totally on speculation. Sometimes he will register names of famous brands, companies, or individuals. Time and again, these domain name speculators learn the hard way that they must respect intellectual property rights. They hope that some large corporation will pay big bucks to them for the use of the company`s own (already trademarked) name. Instead, they end up with threatening letters from a law firm for their attempts at extortion.

However, you can still make money from domain names if you are sensible in your approach. Here are some suggestions on ways to profit.

1. Affiliate Programs: Use your domain name to promote an appropriate affiliate program. Either redirect to the affiliate site or write a review that links to them.

2. Informational Sites: Create content and then profit from it by earning advertising revenue through Google AdSense or a similar program.

3. Redirect to Your Own Site: Some reasons you might want to do this include preventing competitors from using a particular domain name and benefiting from searches some users perform by domain name. (For example, if they wanted to order flowers, they might just type "flowers.com" in their web browser. You could get some traffic and sales this way.)

4. Product Sites: Create your own or sell someone else`s product appropriate to your domain name.

5. Park Your Domain Names: You might feel that your name has real potential for resale value. There are companies that will allow you to park your domain on their servers, advertise that your name is for sale, and split advertising revenue with you.

The trick is to generate traffic for your domain name. That traffic in turn will create revenue. Then, when you go to sell your domain name, you will have a few things going for you.

First, you will have a fully developed website. A fully constructed building on a piece of land increases the value of the real estate property. Similarly, the value of your domain name is enhanced by a complete and operating website.

Second, you have traffic. Just as a shopping mall with no traffic results in no sales, so a website must have traffic to generate income.

Third, you have income. An income property, such as an apartment building, can be appraised on the basis of its income (as well as other factors). Similarly, the gross income, net profits and cashflow of a website have value. For example, if someone offered you $1,000 for your domain name and website when it was generating $10,000 per day in profits, you would likely laugh at him.

You really can profit from your domain name investments by adding value and properly developing your web properties.

For further information about profiting from domain names, visit <A target="_new" HREF="http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/domain-names.html">http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/domain-names.html</A>

RESOURCE BOX:

J. Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., <a target="_new" href="http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/">http://www.popeconsultinginc.com/</a> has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years.

For valuable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit: <a target="_new" href="http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/">http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/</a>

How to Conduct a Domain Name Search and Why Your Domain Name Matters for Long Term Branding

2009-02-02T09:50:00.001-08:00

Creating a website is not just about designing your pages and including all the important information, it is also about creating a domain name that relates to your products and services and that is also easy to remember and spell for your customers. A domain name that is easy to remember will have more return customers and more word of mouth advertising than domain names which are hard to spell, remember, or both.

When it comes to searching for a domain name, all you have to do is go online and search for ones that you are interested in to see if they have been taken or not. There are hundreds of sites that will let you search domain names in hopes to sell you the domain name and then get you to buy their web hosting services as well. To start your domain name search, however, you should follow a couple of basic steps.

* Come up with a variety of domain names you are interested in. When you have a variety of unique domain names, you can start searching to see which of them are available.

* Don't set your mind on one particular domain name. The reason for this is most common domain names are taken, so you will need to be creative.

* Make a list of general types of domain names you are interested in and start searching.

* Stick with a .com, don't opt for .tv, .biz, or any other suffix if at all possible especially if that exact domain name is taken as a com. You will end up losing business to that site.

Now that you know some basic steps to follow for searching your domain name and choosing one, you need to understand how important it is to choose a good domain name rather one that has some other meaning that customers will not understand. For example, you might want to make a domain name up of all of your children's names, while this is very sweet it has nothing to do with your services and will be hard to remember. Instead, choose something that has something to do with your business and services that is short, sweet, and easy to remember. By doing this people will be able to remember your web address and visit it often. If you do not follow these suggestions, obtaining brand recognition will be difficult if not impossible. People will not remember how to get back to your website because your address was either too obscure, too difficult to remember, or just too long.

If you follow these suggestions you will end up with a URL that will lead to long term branding for your website and products and since this is your business, this should be what you are after. Keep this in mind when you are tempted to name your website after your childhood nickname or long lost pet!

5 Tips For the Perfect Domain Name

2009-02-02T01:40:00.001-08:00

What is a domain name? A domain name is the location of your website on the Internet. Your domain name will be what you become known by online so it's important to get it right.

Each website on the Internet is labeled with something called an IP address which is the actual address of the website online. A typical IP address looks like this: 159.134.27.64. Remembering a string of numbers like that is difficult so a domain name translates all those numbers into something like amazon.com. This is far easier to remember.

#1 Dot what?

Each domain has what's called an extension. The most well known of these extensions is .com. This, however, is not the only type of domain extension available. There is also:

.net

If you can't find your preferred .com domain name you could always choose the same domain with a .net extension. It might not have the same ring as a .com but is still as just useful as a .com.

.org

These domain extensions were orginally designed for educational and more formal websites. Anybody can register a .org however so you have more options for domain selection.

.info

A more recent introduction to the domain name game are .info domains. Many of the valuable .info domains were bought up overnight but there's still a huge range of good .info domains available. With a little creativity you could really make a .info work for you e.g. www.moviereview.info.

Bear in mind that most web surfers tend to remember .com more easily than anything else.

#2 Branding vs Business Name

There is an age old debate on the whether or not you should establish a brand name online or use a domain that more actually reflects your real business. Let's look at Amazon as an example. Amazon sells books online. Most people setting up a business would have chosen say www.booksonline.com instead of amazon.com Amazon has since established itself as a brand name of global recognition - proving the value of building a brand name.

You'll need to choose between the two. Brand name or your own business name. Consider how your domain sounds, how it might look on a business card and how well it relates to your business.

There's no one right answer to this question. You need to choose what makes most sense for you, your website and your business in general.

#3 Hyphenated or not

This is another area of debate. Should your domain be one single word or should the words be separated by hyphens? There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches. Single word domain names can be easier to explain, use on header paper and lend themselves to brand names very well.

Single word domains are in very, very short supply.

Hyphenated domains names can be slighltly more difficult to explain, may not look as well on headed paper and possibly harder to establish as a brand name. There's no shortage of multiple word domains.

The single biggest advantage a hyphenated domain has is that search engines can "read" the domain more easily. For example in a domain like foreignholidaysonline.com the search engine can only read the first word "foreign" and that's it. It can't tell anything else about the website domain name.

If you hyphenated that to foreign-holidays-online.com the search engine can read "foreign", "holidays" and "online" as separate words and therefore knows that this website is about foreign holidays.

A well chosen hyphenated domain name can be just as effective as a single word domain name.

#4 Your Domain Registrar

These are the people you pay to register the domain for you. There are dozens if not hundreds of these companies out there so which one do you choose? This takes some research but things worth checking are:

<ul>

<li>Do you retain sole ownership of the domain or do the registrar keep some level of control over it?

<li>Search Google for any horror stories relating to the registrar

<li>Does the registrar allow you to transfer the domain to another registrar?

<li>Is there an online control panel for domain administration?

<li>How easy is it to change the domain Name Servers?

</ul>

Shop around for domain registrars. What you really want to find is a previously satisfied customer to ask questions before you buy.

#5 Cheap Domain Names

You can save a lot of money on the domain names you purchase. A typical .com domain costs about $15 to register from most registrars. However you can get the same domain for as little as $7.95 from other, very reliable, companies.

Oddly enough some of the cheaper domain registrars are more reliable, have fewer horror stories and offer equally good customer service as their more expensive competitors.

Are there any disadvantages in using a discount domain registrar? Will it affect your website in any way? The answer to both is a definite No.

This article was provided courtesy of Domain Tutor where you'll find tons of information on how to <A target="_new" HREF="http://www.domaintutor.info">register a domain name</a>

The net-Domain: Backbone of the Web

2009-02-01T06:40:00.001-08:00

We do not always realize that figures are just quantity and can deceive about quality.

In spite of the fact that the net-domain is only the No. 4 in terms of the number of domain names registered, it works as a backbone of the web. The net-domains build the largest Top Level Domain by number of hosts, or machines connected to the Internet. More than 44 percent of name servers use net-domains. We presume, that programmers and other technical experts have a more narrow emotional relationship to .net than to .com. Their sympathy for .net is just greater than for .com.

Historically .net was once reserved for providers. This might have still an influence to the technical use of .net and the importance of this use. Every programmer and hostmaster has an idea of .net, but not every programmer and hostmaster has an idea of .com. In some way .net stands for the web.

Other facts:

-- 31 percent of all page views are dependent on a net-domain for resolution

-- 32 percent of all B2C e-Commerce in 2004 is dependent on a net-domain for resolution. <a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/net-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/net-domain.html</a>

About The Author

Hans-Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN Registrar Secura

<a href="http://www.com-domains.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domains.com</a>; <a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Domain Squatting Explained

2009-01-31T15:40:00.001-08:00

The one thing that annoys me most about the topic of domain names is when trying to find a domain name for a new site only to find most of the names I come up with are already taken. Even more annoying is that these names are not being used for a site that relates to the domain name.

Domain squatting or cyber squatting is the term used for someone who registers a domain with no intention of using it, that would otherwise be used for a site relating to the domain name.

Let me give you an example, recently I came up with an idea for a site and there was a couple of domains that were ideal, keyword1keyword2.com and the plural version, so I checked to see if they were available. I found that both the names I thought would be perfect were taken. Both domain names were directed to a generic search page whose sole purpose is to make money off of direct type ins.

Now I haven't given the names as I don't want to give away my idea and I don't want to give the sites any free advertising. This is not a one off incidence but something that happens quite often, especially with domain names with good or popular keywords. This activity is not illegal unless you use a trademark name, but it is against the ethics of what the internet is about.

There is a difference between domain squatting and domain parking and that difference is intent. If you register the domain with the intent of using it in the future for a purpose relating to the domain name then you have just parked the domain. If you register a domain with the sole intention of making money from reselling it or getting revenue from people typing in the domain name then that is domain squatting.

As I have explained it is not illegal it is just unethical, it is a free market economy and people are motivated by profit. I do not agree with domain squatting as it forces webmasters like myself to use domain names that are far from perfect, take this site on <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">domain names</a>, this name was far from my first choice. It also misleads internet users as the expect a site to be related to the keywords in the domain name making the internet less user friendly.

Find out more about <a target="-new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">domain names</a> and get some advice before registering your next domain.

How to Sell your Website

2009-01-31T10:20:00.001-08:00

There are hundreds and thousands of websites on the internet today being bought and sold and there are many places you can sell your website such as ebay and website brokers. Though this article we will explore each of these possibilities in greater details.

Ebay - Selling a website on ebay can perfect for some and completely useless for others. As most people know ebay, it gets millions of hits every minute from people looking for everything from hair nets to race cars. For starters this is a great way to get word out that your website is for sale. It has lots of people viewing your ads but keep in mind your competition is feirce as so many people post sites for sale on ebay. To sell your website on ebay it has to stand out from the rest.

Forums - Forums tend to be a great place to sell websites. They tend to ask alot more questions about statistics and revenue than most other places but if you have a quality site you can sometimes get alot more for it buy selling your website in forums. Good forums for this include <a href="http://sitepoint.com" target="_new">sitepoint.com</a>, <a href="http://geekvillage.com" target="_new">geekvillage.com</a> and <a href="http://webhostingtalk.com" target="_new">webhostingtalk.com</a>.

Website Brokers - Website brokers normally go out and try to get you the best possible price for your website. They tend to have contacts in the industry and will get into contact with people you can't or dont even know exist. They generally charge a fee of around 10%-15%. There are a few websites around where you can post your website up to brokers - kind of like a cross between ebay and a brokers firm.

Sell to your visitors - A commonly used technique to get a good profit from the sale of your website is to post a 'site for sale' link or image on the frontpage of the site for sale. This targets the audience to people interested in the topic of the site. But be warned not all of these people are or want to be webmasters.

Personal Contact - If you have a low budget, selling your website though your personal contact can be very rewarding. This takes everyone else out of the equation and you pay no broker fees or ad fees. If you plan on selling your website this way make sure you know enough people who would be intrested in the site.

Website Checklist

Before you get to putting up website for sale ads and hiring a site broker, there are a few things you will need. Firstly, find out in detail your statistics. This including unique visitors per day or month, bandwidth used per month and current and past revenue for the website. Most people who are in the industry will ask for the pagerank of the website too. You can find out your page rank by downloading the google toolbar and re-visiting your website. A pagerank is considered by most webmasters as being a large factor.

About The Author

Matt Dobinson is the owner of <a href="http://PageBrokers.com" target="_new">PageBrokers.com</a> - A website dedicated to buying and selling websites online for the best possible price.. He also runs <a href="http://WebmasterFreebie.com" target="_new">WebmasterFreebie.com</a> - an online community for webmasters.

1-800-Get-Rich Can Toll Free 800 Number Domains Pay Off?

2009-01-31T08:30:00.001-08:00

The toll free number 1-800-Get-Rich belongs to the Resorts Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. Perfect vanity number for a casino, right? Well apparently not. Their website shows the actual numbers, 1-800-438-7424 for the marketing department of Resorts Atlantic City. Those NUMBERS are nowhere near as memorable as is the mnemonic device of letters representing those numbers on the telephone keypad. It makes you wonder, did the casino have bad luck (no pun intended) or receive bad publicity for their 800-Get-Rich phone number?

Doing a Google search for 1-800-GET-RICH returns several spoof articles using the toll free number to make light of get rich quick schemes. Seems as well suited to a casino as to satire, since gambling represents the ultimate get rich quick scheme.

But on the web there's a another element to toll free numbers you must consider. 800 numbers are used as domain names which seem to stick in our memory as a web address just as well as a phone number. Resorts Atlantic City Hotel Casino should buy the domain name www.1800getrich.com from the current owner and assign their marketing department toll free 800 vanity number to the Casino instead.

The domain name www.1800GetRich.com is for sale as of this writing if you visit that web address. You can be certain that the current domain owner knows that the toll free vanity telephone number is owned by Resorts International Hotels www.resortsac.com which matches the domain www.1800getrich.com. It has to be enticing to think a large international hotel corporation may want his domain.

The casino owns the toll free number but isn't using the mnemonic for the numbers (GET-RICH for 438-7424). Makes you wonder about the history of the domain name, since WHOIS records show it was reserved only this past May of 2004, AND the history of the vanity number since it is going unused, at least on the web site. Hmmmm...

There are vanity phone number resellers online that actually specialize in providing 800 numbers with matching domain name for those seeking the consistent branding for their business. Clearly this is simply a marketing ploy by savvy 800 number vendors, as those domains may be full of hyphens and may cost more than they should due to the perception of value-added.

An interesting aspect to toll free numbers as domain names is that of 1-800 copyright and trademarks. Take for example, the well known flower retailer 1-800-FLOWERS.com where they use both the domain name and the toll free number. Both are copy- righted and trademarked names and essential to the business.

Legal precedent allows trademark owners to confiscate domains from "cybersquatters" who buy domain names containing trade- marked or copyrighted words and phrases hoping to sell that domain back to the trademark holder. But it is less clear an issue when it comes to descriptive toll free and vanity phone numbers. How about 1-800-PINDROP.com - which you would think would be registered to Sprint Communications? Curiously, as of October of 2004, this domain was available. What do they use? www.pindrop.com (without the 1-800) goes to Sprint.com.

It appears there are wide inconsistencies in using toll free 800 phone numbers as domain names but they can be memorable, which is one measure of a good domain name. They also aren't limiting as to word length. I've always felt it's a bit odd to type in 1800keywordphrase.com as a domain name, but only because there is no hyphen in it. 1800 looks like eighteen hundred and is just as strange as typing 247 for domains as a suggestion they are always open, more often seen as 24/7, but domain names can't have that slash mark in them.

As a matter of fact, I've always disliked numbers of any kind in domain names - especially those using numbers in place of the words "to" (up2me.com)& "for" (good4you.com) But, as owner of http://website101.com I'm at odds with the dislike for numbers in domain names. Still, it works better than 1800website.com or 1-800-website.com, both owned by Verio Web Hosting and both purchased in August of 1996, but neither have web sites configured at those addresses. They must not have been a worthwhile domains, yet they keep them.

If it offers you another option for a memorable web address, 800 number domains may be worth considering.

Mike Valentine operates WebSite101 domain name tutorial <a target="_new" href="http://WebSite101.com/Domain_Name/">http://WebSite101.com/Domain_Name/</a> Free domain lookup tool to find out who owns domain names at <a target="_new" href="http://website101.com/Domain_Name/Domain-WHOIS-database.html">http://website101.com/Domain_Name/Domain-WHOIS-database.html</a> This article written for 800 Numbers Toll Free <a target="_new" href="http://800numberstollfree.com/toll-free-800-number-index.htm">http://800numberstollfree.com/toll-free-800-number-index.htm</a>

How to Get Rich Playing With WORDS!

2009-01-31T00:20:00.001-08:00

How many times have you read or heard on the news that someone hit a state lottery? Winning Millions of Dollars.

The odds of winning a major state / multi-state lottery is for example: 1 in 120,526,770 is your chance of winning the most popular multi-state lottery in the U.S. Power Ball.

Trying to guess which of the 1 to 53 and 1 Powerball number from 1 to 42 will come out on is mind boggling and to make it even tougher; the rule is that you must get the 1 in 120,526,770 right on the night that you play.

No holding onto your ticket and see if it comes out in a couple of weeks. If you don't hit it on the date on your ticket. You can just trash your hard earned $1.00. If you purchased plays 10 then, just lost 10 of your hard earned dollars!

There is BETTER game for you to play with better chances to win (sort of speak)! One day as I was cruising down the information highway I came across some information that made me slam on my breaks! People were playing the NEW Lottery!

This Game is so cheap that it comes out to about 0.025342465753424657534246575342466 (my trusty calculator) per day to play. Being terrible with numbers I'm not even going to attempt to figure out what the odds of hitting this lottery is! One thing I'm sure of? this NEW Lottery has to have much better odds! What makes it special to me is; it's for those of US who love letters and words.

I called it the Name Game.

One Play gets you a whole year to hit! Just about anyone can play it for less than pennies a day (refer to the 0.025 number above ?.)

Simply come up with a domain name and buy it. Within days you could be on your way to Literally Millions!

Imagine if you were the one who came up with and bought Business.com.

You would have hit that Name Lottery for $8 million dollars! Yes, 8 Million! I repeat, that's $8,000,000,00!

Business.com is the current record holder for that highest paid domain name.

It took the spot from Compaq who paid something like $3.300,000,00 million for the the domain Altavista.com back in February 3, 2000. You probably recognize the Altavista name now but before Compaq bought it, it was likely a big dude in the world of internet. Has these Million Dollar Figures made you decide to Play the Domain Lottery. If so here is a tip or two to get you started. The most popular web address (not the same as email address) end in .COM. The second most popular is .NET

The absolute major combination hit is to have a .COM consisting of just one word i.e. business.com if that isn't available go for it's sister version business.net. These names all go for just under $10.00. (If they aren't already taken!

Just thought of one could you could you hold on please while I go check it out? ???? Thank you for waiting however I just tried business.TV and it is already taken and is probably up for sale. Once you purchase a domain name it's yours. You can transfer it, let it just sit there or SELL IT!

In fact there is so much money to be made in domain names that there are companies who do just that. They put you domain name up for sale on their site!

You are charged a listing fee; usually starting at about $50.00 to $250.00. If your domain is sold through their site you are charged a commission fee which can be anywhere between 5 ? 10% of the purchase price.

During the research for this article, I came across one which charges just $0.79 cents to list a domain name and NO Commission fees.

All in all when you are getting paid $8 Million for simply coming up with a name.

I'd say that's a great way to hit any lottery, without having to get dressed, hurry to the convenient store before the deadline cut-off time!

Now: What would I do if I hit one of these Domain lotteries? I must state like many other multi-million dollar lottery winners. I'd keep working because words and writing is a part of me and is what I love!

Happy Domaining to You All!

Terri Wells
<a target="_new" href="http://www.kingdom-domain.com">http://www.kingdom-domain.com</a>
<a href="mailto:twells@writeme.com">twells@writeme.com</a>

Terri is a freelance writer, writing articles for businesses for a small fee.

Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo

2009-01-30T18:50:00.001-08:00

Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo

This is a recent example of our experience selling a .co.uk domain name via Sedo. If you are new to domains or Sedo this will give you a guide on the process and the time scales involved.

Negotiations

This is the hardest part of selling a domain ? how much to ask? Ask too much and the buyer may lose interest. Ask too little and you may not get the best price possible for your domain.

You can use www.domainprices.co.uk to get an idea of recent .co.uk domain sales prices or ask to an appraisal on the www.acorndomains.co.uk appraisal forum.

Come up with a price that allows you some room to haggle but don't get so greedy you scare off the bidder. This can be an anxious time, waiting for the domain prospect to come back with an offer.

Transaction Fees

Do not forget to allow for Sedo transaction fees and Nominet transfer fees during the negotiation stage.

We asked for the buyer to pay Sedo's fees (10% of sale price) and the Nominet fees on top of the sale price, which they agreed to.

Agreement Reached

We started negotiations on our domain on the 21st June and reached agreement on the sale price and fees on the 1st July.

Sedo Transfer Process

Having agreed the sale price, Sedo sent the buyer an Invoice on the 1st July.

The invoice is in your name and is placed in the buyer's user account.

NB: Make sure the administrative email address for your domain is active and that you can receive emails from it or you will have trouble with the transfer process.

Once the transfer has been completed and the WHOIS information shows the buyer's name, Sedo send you the money.

Tip: Add your bank details to your Sedo account if you want to avoid Paypal fees for receiving the money.

Nominet Transfer Forms

Sedo didn't ask us apply to Nominet for the domain transfer forms. Their emails are worded towards .COM domain name transfers.

We knew we would need these so as soon as we agreed a price we emailed Nominet to request them and they arrived 2 days later.

This will save you time.

Sedo receive Payment

We chase Sedo on the 5th July as we had heard nothing. This prompted them to chase the buyer for payment. Sedo advised that the buyer said they were making a bank transfer of the funds that day.

We chased again on the 7th July with a response from Sedo that it would take a few more days. So much for electronic funds transfers!

Sedo confirmed receipt of the money on the 11th July

Finalising the Transfer

Sedo sent us the Buyer's details for us contact them about sending the Nominet forms.

We already had the forms in hand so signed and sent them on the 12th July.

On the 18th July we chased Sedo for any news, they contacted the buyer to see if they had received the forms.

22nd July we noticed the Nominet WHOIS showing the buyers details.

(This is a little unsettling, your domain has been transferred but you have no funds).

Money Money Money

26th July we received an email from Sedo saying they had sent the money to our account. They also stated this can take up to 7 business days.

We received the money on the 29th July.

Start to finish, 38 days.

Helen Sherritt is owner and administrator of <a target="_new" href="http://www.acorndomains.co.uk">http://www.acorndomains.co.uk</a>, the UK's leading domain name forum and resource centre.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.DomainPrices.co.uk">http://www.DomainPrices.co.uk</a> shows recent .co.uk domain name sales prices.

Liberalization of in-Domains?

2009-01-30T11:40:00.001-08:00

Communications and IT Minister Dayanidhi Maran has -as Hindustan Times reports-some advice for Indian patriots: use in-domains for Websites and e-mail IDs to popularise Indian identity in the world.

With India emerging as a global "labor" for IT, Indian companies should change the domain names of their Websites and e-mail IDs to in-domains, just like other countries.

"In every part of the world, the practice has been to use the short form of the respective countries at the end of the domain names by companies and individuals," the minister said during his first speech as IT Minister.

"During my trips abroad, I have always noticed that people have their e-mail IDs with the initials of their country in the end. For instance, in Britain, the Websites or e-mail IDs have at the end .co.uk, in Singapore it is .co.sg, in Japan it is .jp, in Hong Kong it is .hk and even in Pakistan they have .co.pk. But in India, we are still reluctant to use .co.in or .in. Why this hesitation?", Dayanidhi Maran has asked in an interview.

Therefore the minister has been urging upon Indian captains of industry, heads of organisations and individuals to switch over to use in-domains in order to indicate that their website or e-mail ID originates from India.

"I have made this appeal to representatives of the IT industry here, which is considered the IT capital of India. Once the tech industry migrates to this new identity, it will set a trend for the rest to follow in letter and spirit. They need to change the domain names of their companies or organisations by registering their Websites or mail IDs only once for identifying themselves with their motherland," Maran says.

"Though we are not making it mandatory, we are coming out with a number of schemes for Indian companies or organisations to make this transition soon. The ministry will shortly come out with an action plan to enable a smooth migration to either .co.in or .in," the IT minister explains.

The Indian IT-minister seems to be aware, that it is very bureaucratic in the moment to register in-domains. Indian companies need a lot of paperwork in order to get a domain at co.in , .in itself is reserved for Indian providers, not open to all Indian companies. "Foreign companies", explains Hans-Peter Oswald, the CEO of ICANN Registrar Secura (https://www.domainregistry.de/in-domain.html), ,,can only register the own name at .gen.in."

About The Author

Hans Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/in-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/in-domain.html</a>, <a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/in-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/in-domain.html</a>; <a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Investing in Great Domain Names when They Come for Sale

2009-01-29T20:20:00.001-08:00

Domain names are not just online identities anymore they are the most important asset an online company owns. There are businesses being spun out because the owner stumbled on a good domain name. These folks are minting money like hell that they use this revenue to build more and better businesses. Have you invested in stocks and found that a small bad news would completely change the value of the stock? Rather invest in online domain names they are relatively easy to acquire and maintain. The initial acquisition cost is sometimes high but most often in the right hands this will be gold mines that can bring in 10 times more revenue per year than the initial investment each year. Have you owned real estate property as investments? You know that their value goes up slowly but surely. The domain names are similar to the land you buy, you can change the home you build on top as many times while the land value goes up. Acquiring land is important like that the domain names are important to buy when one good one becomes available. For example patriotism is a good theme and it is evergreen, owning a domain name that deals with patriotism it is a good investment. Like this there are many common themes that you can invest on which are long term great investments.

There are many ways where you can go to find good domain names that come for sale like afternic. But you got to constantly look for the good ones. More so often the owners don't want to reveal that their domain name is for sale. So you got to maintain a lot of contacts who can bring you the news about the great domain names for sale. When you buy the domain names, be sure to transfer the name immediately and create a website for it. You can park these domain names and make more money through redirect traffic as well. Don't pay the asking price try to get more details on how long the person has owned the website and whether it is listed in a blacklist. This is critical blacklisted domains are cheaper as they take time to heal. Also you may don't want to miss out the domain names which have good websites that has been drawing traffic. The other important factor to look for is the pagerank of the website the higher the PR the more valuable the domain name is. You may also want to make sure they are listed in search engines. This will ensure you can have some good free traffic while you work on the business model.

There are many additional factors that determine the value of the domain. But there is the additional perceived value for a domain name that when factored in will either diminishes or increase the value. The rough equation for looking for domain value is
(Domain Name quality) + Page Rank + SERP + (perceived value) + current relevance
You got to understand the last factor as well. The domain name may be a hot cake now or in some yesteryear and the search engines give it good placement for keywords for thing that were popular like John Kerry a few years back now it doesn't have value. So make calculated judgment and be a good businessperson while negotiating. Take into consideration how important the domain name is for your long term business aspirations and its short term value. You should also take into consideration the investment potential.

One example of a great domain name that is for sale on the <a target="_new" href="http://www.patriotic.com">Patriotic<a> theme is patriotic.com. You can find similar dictionary domain names rarely but look out on the Internet for great domain names like this.

Author does freelancing through the no fee free <a target="_new" href="http://www.freelancefree.com">Freelance<a> website freelancefree.com

8 Tips for Choosing a Domain Name

2009-01-29T18:40:00.001-08:00

If you're just starting out on the Internet, choosing a domain name is one of the first major decisions you will have to make. I won't say that choosing a name for your site will determine the overall success or failure of your online business. It will, however, affect almost every aspect of your business. Finding a good domain name requires extensive planning.

I would like to offer some tips for successfully choosing a domain name:

1) Use the .COM extension. This is still the number one choice for the majority of online businesses. While, .NET,.ORG,.INFO,.BIZ, and .US are viable alternatives they are not as widely recognized as .COM. The .COM extension will immediately give you and your business more credibility. Also, because we are creatures of habit many people automatically include .COM when typing in almost any web address, so why not capitalize on human nature?

2) Keep it Short. Whenever possible your domain name should not be longer than 13-15 characters, numbers, or hyphens. It is much more difficult for the average person to remember longer variations of a web address.

3) Make it Sticky. You want your domain name to be easy to remember. Make it stick out in people's minds. Be creative. Be Unique.

4) Minimize Confusion. You should never lose a prospective customer because they misspelled your domain name, or they used the wrong extension. If you can afford it, register other variations of your domain name and have them redirect to your main site.

5) Include Keywords in Your Domain Name. Try to include at least 1 and if possible 2 keywords in your domain name. Many of the experts believe this can help with the way some of the search engines index and rank your site.

6) Be Descriptive. Your domain name should have something to do with your business. Make it descriptive of your site, your product offerings, or your service.

7) Search for Deleted Domain Names. Domain names that were once registered but have expired turn up every day. With some research you might be able to find one of these names that would be a good fit for your business. You can search for deleted domains at <a href="http://www.deleteddomains.com" target="_new">http://www.deleteddomains.com</a>

8) Check for Trademarks. You should do this before registering your domain name. Search as many existing trademarks as possible and look for possible conflicts. Obviously you want to choose a name that is unlikely to cause you any legal problems. Trademark research can be done at the following sites:

U.S Patent and Trademark Office - <a href="http://www.uspto.gov" target="_new">http://www.uspto.gov</a>

Thomas Register - <a href="http://www.thomasregister.com" target="_new">http://www.thomasregister.com</a>

The Trademark Association - <a href="http://www.inta.org" target="_new">http://www.inta.org</a>

Nameprotect - <a href="http://www.nameprotect.com" target="_new">http://www.nameprotect.com</a>

If you need help with researching your domain names try the following websites:

1)Nameboy - <a href="http://www.nameboy.com" target="_new">http://www.nameboy.com</a>

2) GoDaddy - <a href="http://www.godaddy.com" target="_new">http://www.godaddy.com</a>

Both Nameboy and GoDaddy are well-known registrars and will allow you to search for and register domain names.

You can register a domain name today for less than it costs for a nice lunch. There is really no reason not to put forth the effort and money to register a domain name that you can begin building your online presence with.

Your domain name is your first chance to build credibility with your visitors. Keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a great first impression.

Remember, choosing your domain name is one of the most important first steps you will take in building your online presence. Make it a step forward. Happy Hunting!

About The Author

David Cooper is the editor of the 1Source-WebMarketing Newsletter. David specializes in helping people with their internet marketing efforts by offering real world tips and strategies. Subscribe to his FREE newsletter at: <a href="http://www.1source-webmarketing.com" target="_new">http://www.1source-webmarketing.com</a>

<a href="mailto:dave@1source-webmarketing.com">dave@1source-webmarketing.com</a>

WhyYouNeedThatPerfectName.com!

2009-01-29T08:40:00.000-08:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet"
-Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

A rose perhaps but not your domain name!

Welcome to the dotcom bubble! Here, any successful e-tailer should tell you that there's more to a name than just the name itself. This article serves precisely that purpose ?against the backdrop of quality domain naming strategies and styles, auctions, speculators and court conflicts, to convince you why your online endeavor needs that perfect domain name.

There's no point in coming up with that absolutely fabulous idea for online selling plus a perfect site to launch from, as long as you don't have 'the' name you need. Choosing a name that will eventually contribute to your brand equity, profits, internet marketing and above all -your online credibility, shouldn't be done haphazardly. Especially, since it's so easily purchased (for a low startup capital), easily maintained and one that, if you choose, may be disposed off at a substantial amount. Intentionally or otherwise, your domain name becomes your de facto brand name, a location or an experience your visitors relate to in the long run. Even if you plan to sell it later on to prospective buyers, it is only an asset! Your challenge is to come up with that one name to funnel visitors through.

Brandmeisters today seem to understand the significance of site names, especially since the emergence of a number of me-too sites. Like a Washington Post reporter put it ? "feature for feature, service for service, discount for discount, even annoyance for annoyance", a number of sites may turn out to be a close match to yours. Quoting Rebecca Saunders, author of the Big Shot series, "Names have to sound fresh and new even if the site duplicates one already on the net. Names should stir the imagination or otherwise gain the surfer's attention. Further site name should be as simple as possible, they should be believable, and they should be easy to pronounce, pleasing to the ear, easy to spell and therefore easy to look up on a search engine." Here's more on building your handle.

The 'aha' name

Domain name consultants will serve you innumerable dos and don'ts on internet domain naming ? a feat that could leave you grumbling with limited choices. Personally, your domain naming methodology need not be absolutely conventional, as long as your imagination is not slave to impractical logic and common sense.

Begin with a paper, pencil and loads of patience. Consider seeking the advice of kith and kin, while you scramble ideas in your brain. Follow closely on what you ought to and ought not to consider. For example, consider characteristics, features, advantages and possibly anything that relates to your products and services. Now try to come up with a domain name that either addresses that one fundamental concept of the site, or that weds two or more key concepts in a single name. All the while, keep in mind, your site's goals, the image you wish to portray and your target audience. Don't compromise on your image-how you want your company to be perceived and it's relation to your core business memorability. Jot down your list of ideas. Then narrow it down to those names you think are most reflective of your products/services. Most importantly, determine if the domain name you like is available and that it doesn't violate any existing trademarks or copyrights. The last thing you'd want is your hard thought idea of that domain name accidentally offending a fellow netizen. Make sure that it doesn't mean something entirely different in another language and that you don't spare chance for the public to associate anything negative with it (easier said than done!). Care for the ins and outs of classic and non classic approaches in domain naming? Read on.

Unless you are a domain name squatter or a start-up capitalizing on domain names - save those tongue-twisters, masqueraded phrases and unpronounceable names.

Your creativity levels, thought and effort should be directed towards one that's short and sweet. Though, a long name, embedded with your major keywords, can get your site a high search engine ranking, there is no reason you should take advantage of the 67 character limit provided for domain names. Besides, you are too late now. The record of the longest domain name has been set by a Welsh village, with its registration of llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com.

Concentrate on your visitors comfort levels. Leave them no scope for confusion and no loophole to err. Give them a name they can easily guess (without having to quip over the spelling and the location of hyphens) and hopefully, they'll reciprocate with more clicks.

You could always rely on those prefixes (e, i, net, web, the, my) and suffixes (world, business, company, store). The power of vowels unleashed, you'd generate a potential brand name. E.g. ebay.com, ivillage.com, pcworld.com, smallbusiness.com

Lucky the business if it's creator has that perfect proper noun to lend his site a name. Atkins.com named after Dr. Atkins and Dell.com after its founder and CEO Michael Dell. A traditional business moving online could capitalize on it's established brand name. Even acronyms could yield quick domain names. Microsoft is an acronym for MICROcomputer SOFTware and so is Yahoo for Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.

Targeting search engine rankings ? e.g. Yahoo that follows alphabetic classification of websites ? consider site names beginning with the digit 1 or the letter 'a'. Jeff Bezos, the creator of Amazon.com, cites this as one of his reasons for the name's choice.

But for those of you driven by the age old myth ? that search engines have a liking for words that are separated by dashes- wake up! Today, when search engines focus on the site content, hyphenated names have no influence. Domain names with or without hyphens is in itself a topic for a forum. A good idea is to register both options if possible and redirect visitors to one site. Walmart.com never let go off it's original registration (wal-mart.com), even after it changed name. Now both names take you to the same site.

Think of it on a broader angle. A few dollars spend to secure all possible variants of your name (with alternate extensions) will secure your visitors, otherwise likely to contribute to competitor site traffic. More - register possible names your visitors are likely to associate to your domain. The retailer Buy.com registered the domains: "10percentoffamazon.com," "10percentoffreel.com," and "10percentoffegghead.com". Proctor & Gamble is an extreme case of this blanket approach. It registered hundreds of generic domain names relating to all aspects of personal hygiene and healthcare: pimples.com, badbreath.com, underarm.com, diarrhea.com etc. They advertise only one, but use the others to bring traffic, and point all the domain names to one site.

Though generic names can't be trademarked, are sources of controversy and usually unavailable (if not, costly), your prospective domain name could sound of the genre of women.com, Hotels.com, Furniture.com, Art.com and shoes.com. Nonetheless, the loss of uniqueness in generic names is a serious reason for their unpopularity among namers. Now guess why Amazon was'nt named book.com and ebay not auction.com.

So, if the dictionary lets you down, do not fret to think of words that are arbitrary, previously unheard of and totally unrelated. Yahoo, Google and BlueTooth.com don't owe their origins to the thesaurus. Sometimes it pays to be whimsy!

allthegoodnamesaretaken.com

In just around 2 years, the number of website names registered has grown from 200 to a voluminous 125,000 per month. And as yet, already over 1.6 million domains have been registered, including the subtitle above! Chances of you finding a 3 character .com domain name unregistered (not on sale!), are thin? very thin.

Here's the good news. Everyday, around 20,000 domain names expire and get deleted. In addition to the generic domain extensions such as .com, .net, etc. there are approximately 250 different international domains each with their own two-letter country code extension. Speculations of new TLD (Top Level Domain) names include .firm, .store, .arts, .info, .nom, .biz, .pro, .aero, .coop, .museum and .name.

So, don't settle for the first domain name you think of! Although the supply of domain names is diminishing daily, it's better to expend more thought at the beginning and save money later. Don't let the gold rush skate your decision (and later leave you to regret over an unmarketable name). Then again, don't sit just hatching ideas. Even as you read this, someone halfway across the globe might be beating you to your choice!

Some are just registered by entrepreneurial opportunists hoping to make a fast buck by selling it on. If your choice is taken, the easiest, cheapest and most reliable solution would be to register another name. Did you know that the auction site eBay.com was the second choice of it's creator after his initial pick EchoBay.com was taken? A good name is a legal name!

Nonetheless, if you own a successful site, that just can't do without that colonized ideal name, you better ensure your pockets are deep because the owner at the other end knows that there's nothing quite like the commercial value of a domain name. The highest publicly known sale of domain name was the sale of Business.com for $7,500,000 to eCompanies, a business incubator.

Domain names have been turned into a marketing bargain with its parking capability. A business can register or buy a name for later use. And there are sites that do nothing but park potential names mostly sold for fire-sale prices later on! A Belgian doctor, Dr. Lieven P. Van Neste owns well over 200,000 domain names. It's a fine pursuit, if you care to keep your distance from brand infringement. In the past, speculators have faced legal charges on trademark violations from the bigwigs (including Microsoft) for having registered microsoftwindows.com, microsoftoffice.com, AirborneExpress.com, CitibankMasterCard.com, HewlettPackardss.com, and Wall-Mart.com. Domain name conflicts that grabbed headlines - Yahoo vs. "yahooka.com" (a marijuana site), Nissan Motors vs. Nissan Computer Corporation. One that caught my personal appeal - Archie Comics company's trademark driven domain dispute with Veronica.org, a website set up by a loving dad in honor of his 2-year-old daughter Veronica!

From McDonalds to MTV, a lot of press on online brand infringement ( the hijack of popular brand names) has filled the air. Even as I write this, Google Inc. is being challenged the right to use the name "Froogle" for its online shopping service (a New York based carpenter owns Froogles.com - web shopping site).

Each year, about 250,000 cases are decided by the US federal courts. If you have no time to sort it out the good old fashion, you should consider devising a strategic approach for domain naming, reflected in sound corporate policy and executed with effective management. Toady it's a topic of senior boardroom meetings where competent professionals are assigned to conduct name searches (a less costly venture compared to the possible consequences of dealing with a complaint of infringement.) Take lessons from corporate folklore on the long term effects of a carelessly chosen domain name. People who learnt things the hard way include Art-U-Frame.com that paid $450,000 to acquire the name art.com.

The crux

Your domain name is more than a ubiquity. You have no other billboard or bypass to your site. Statistics prove that direct navigation or guessed URLs account for majority of the traffic to a site (64.43%), much more than the search engines can bring (35.55%). Eat, drink and sleep on your idea before you move to register that killer name. Don't hassle, thinking there are nodomainnamesleft.com (that's taken too!). Your share of homework should save you a lot of misery down the road.

Besides, if you can't trademark your design scheme, product idea and marketing strategy, here's something you can. Your domain name is perhaps the only thing that you can own on the Internet. Remember, there's always more to a name than just the name itself! Happy naming!

Liji is a PostGraduate in Software Science, with a flair for writing on anything under the sun. She puts her dexterity to work, writing technical articles in her areas of interest which include Internet programming, web design and development, ecommerce and other related issues.

Sub Domains - An Inexpensive Solution to Grow Traffic

2009-01-27T14:10:00.001-08:00

Read this brief article that reflects what we learned about subdomains and their important role in effective internet marketing.

A sub-domain is a section of your main web site, set up and recognized as it's own cyber real estate. There is usually no cost or very low cost to set up multiple subdomains on your hosting account. Sub-domains are folders located within a directory of your main site and carry a pre name to your existing domain.

Example ..

<a href="http://www.masteradvertising.com" target="_new">http://www.masteradvertising.com</a> is our main domain name.

But we use many sub domain names for our research areas, script testing and growing development areas.

Such as ..

<a href="http://traffic.masteradvertising.com" target="_new">http://traffic.masteradvertising.com</a>

(for our traffic exchange)

<a href="http://mail.masteradvertising.com" target="_new">http://mail.masteradvertising.com</a>

(for our members free mail service)

<a href="http://team.masteradvertising.com" target="_new">http://team.masteradvertising.com</a>

(for our admin team members) and so on ...

To best utilize your subdomains, it is important that they all remain o?n the same subject area or theme. Our site pertains to online advertising. It would not benefit us to launch a pet store under <a href="http://pets.masteradvertising.com" target="_new">pets.masteradvertising.com</a>.

Each subdomain can serve as another gateway into your main establishment, for visitors, testing marketing strategies, and search engines too!

Since creating content for a website takes time, often webmasters simply modify the existing text of the main site and reuse it on the subdomain site. It is important that the content is not exactly the same and that the subdomain does not simply redirect to the main site. Otherwise, search engines may not index them and you may even may even get tossed from the engines database.

Subdomain websites can be submitted to the search engines just like your main site. If your website is doing alright in the search engines, then imagine having five more websites out there for the spiders to find. Five more listings means that web surfers have five times as many ways to find yournetwork of websites.

More and more search engine algorithms take into consideration the number and ranking of sites that link to you. By linking your sub-domains to your main site and to each other, the ranking of all of your sites is improved.

Your subdomains provide a great area for testing banner exchanges and other advertising resource mediums, without cluttering up the main site. Each sub domain will carry it's own traffic statistics, and campaigns can be tracked efficiently by ones self with server stats or other preferred tracking methods.

Get creative and branch your services and products out between your subdomains yet centering them around and connected via your main site. It will increase your keyword density and rankings per sub domain and most consumers are more comfortable working with a specialized area then a o?ne-stop shop.

About The Author

Dawn Wentworth

<a href="http://www.masteradvertising.com" target="_new">http://www.masteradvertising.com</a>

Resources and Research into Traffic Generation

<a href="mailto:submit@masteradvertising.com">submit@masteradvertising.com</a>

Before You Register a Domain Name for Your New Online Business...

2009-01-26T16:50:00.001-08:00

Recently I made a mistake that may cost a great deal of traffic to my new web site.

Let me explain...

I studied so many books about Internet marketing over the last couple of years that I decided to start a new web site, and share my knowladge and experience with other fellow Internet marketers.

Since I read lots of information about search engine optimization (SEO), I intended to optimize all of my web pages for search engines from the beginning on, expecting Google to be my number one source of traffic in the near future.

I did an extensive keyword research using WordTraker, made a blueprint for my product and article pages, and the time has come to choose a great domain name for my new project.

I went to GoDaddy, the famous domain name registar, tried this and that, and finally came up with a beautiful domain name related to Internet marketing - netmarketingstrategies.com

You probably know that Internet marketing is a very competitive niche, so I was glad that this domain name was still available. I registered it immediately.

My site was up and running in 48 hours. Now I needed some fresh web content, and to get indexed by major search engines as soon as possible.

So, I spent a week or two writing search engine optimized content for my new online business.

I usually don't submit my new web sites to search engines for indexing. I prefer when my sites are found on other web sites and get spidered automatically.

One of the easiest ways to have a link to a web site from other sites is by writing and distributing high quality articles. So, I wrote an article about two-tier affiliate programs and submited it to major article directories.

Within a couple of days I searched for my article title in Google and noticed that it did great. Publishers liked my article and they were publishing it on their web sites and newsletters.

I expected my home page to get indexed very fast.

Time went.

Each week I searched Google to see if my site has already got indexed. It didn't.

I decided to see if my domain has been spidered by other major search engines. Yes, both Yahoo and MSN got it. So, what went wrong? Why Google won't index my home page?

Here's what I think went wrong: my further investigation showed that the domain name had already been used by another webmaster and had been expired half a year ago when I registered it. It seems that the previous domain name owner was using unfair search engine optimization strategies and his web site was banned by Google.

I sent a request to Google explaining the situation and asking to lift the ban from my web site. I am not sure if they will listen and help me.

I am ready to register a new domain name in a few weeks time if I still cannot get my site indexed by Google.

So, don't make the same mistake I did... If you intend to optimize your new web site in order to receive traffic from Google and other search engines, make sure to check out if a domain name you've selected for your online business is not banned by Google before registering it.

Gerardas Norkus has been marketing online since 1997. Take advantage of his battle tested Internet marketing strategies that could quietly make you huge profits every single month. Take 7-part e-mail course at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.netmarketingstrategies.com">http://www.netmarketingstrategies.com</a>

Domain Name Forwarding and Search Engines

2009-01-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

You own a single site, but several domains - perhaps you wanted to make sure that even if your customers misspelled your domain name they'd get to your site, or perhaps you'd like to have a specific domain name direct to a page deep within your site - whatever the case, there are some important considerations surrounding multiple domain names routing to a single site and search engine submission.

Search engines like Google and Yahoo won't always wait around for you to submit a site - Googlebot and Yahoo Slurp (which you may recognize from your server logs if your site has been up for a few weeks) are constantly running across new domain names to index. It's a good thing - unless your domain names are being forwarded incorrectly.

What constitutes and incorrect forward?

Many major domain name registrars offer a "Domain Name Forwarding" feature which, while it may be the easiest way to forward your domain, can cause some real problems when search engine spiders like Googlebot or Yahoo Slurp visit your site.

Here's what happens:

<li>The search engine spider pulls your domain name (usually from http://www.whois.sc/ )</li> <li>The spider visits your website, using the domain name forwarded through your domain registrar</li> <li>Your domain registrar is using a Temporary Redirect (most likely because it's assumed that you'll point the domain name to a new hosting account sooner or later), frames, or other incorrect forwarding method</li> <li>The spider indexes your site</li>

But what went wrong? Your domain name registrar did its job, and sent the spider to your actual site when it visited the domain name you registered. The spider did its job and read the content of the page or pages it found, and then incorporated them into the search engine index. Everything's copacetic, right?

When the search engine spider read the page, it associated it with your alternate domain name, the one that was supposed to be forwarding to your primary domain name. This means that the search engine has effectively tracked down what it will quickly identify as duplicate content - and, after years of dealing with sites trying to sell Viagra on the sly by duplicating their content across hundreds of pages, today's search engines will respond to duplicate content with a drop in your ranking.

Given enough time, you may find your site has been banned from the search engine index.

What's the solution?

Your domain names need to be routed from the domain name registrar to a hosting account - from the hosting account (and this varies - consult your technical support provider for the account) you'll need to set a Permanent Redirect to your main site.

A Permanent Redirect is logged as a code '301' (thence, it is often referred to as a '301 Permanent Redirect') - if you have multiple domain names which you wish to direct to a single site, it may be especially useful for you to consider a website hosting account which offers multiple add-on domains and subdomains to accommodate all the domain names you'll need to forward.

Dan LeFree is a Web Design and Development Consultant specializing in database applications for e-Commerce storefronts, custom realtor websites, and other small business tools.

ICANN Registrar: Great promotion by is-domains!

2009-01-26T00:50:00.001-08:00

ICANN accredited registar Secura is announcing today, that the company offers is-domains to persons and companies outside from Iceland.

The is-domains, which are the domains from Iceland, belong to the domains, which become more and more attractive.

The is-domains are specially interesting, because in English, "is" has a meaning. You could make a combination with files, which form sentences like http://www.tommy.is/at/home or http://www.tommy.is/superman.

ICANN accredited registrar Secura can register an is-domain at once, if the domain name is available.

Only companies from Iceland can register is-domains. A company from Iceland acts as trustee and is registering the domain for the customer. The company from Iceland confirms, that you have all rights at these is-domains.

About The Author

Hans-Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/is-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/is-domain.html</a>

<a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Secrets of Expired Domain Name Traffic

2009-01-26T00:30:00.001-08:00

One of the biggest challenges to a webmaster is how to generate traffic. More traffic to your website equates to more sales. So how does one generate extra traffic to their website? Search engine optimization, email campaigns, pay-per-clicks, banner advertising, are among some of the tactics that are popular. Another method of generating traffic is through expired domain names.

Step 1: Find a domain pending expiration

Every day thousands of domain names are released. Many of these expired domain names were active websites that have already been promoted by the previous owner. A few of the domains that are released daily are valuable because of their age and the number of links that they already have at various locations over the Internet. How does one find these domains? There are many means at which you can research these domains. There are newsletters to which you can subscribe and request to receive a daily email with up-coming expired domains. Go to google and enter "search for expiring domains". There are hundreds of thousands of locations at which you can find domains pending deletion. One site we often use is Expired Domains. This site is focused on just one thing: helping people find the perfect domain name for their website. Another example of a newsletter for web marketers is NitroMarketing.com? a newsletter specifically aimed at helping web marketers. Once you find a domain that you want, at google enter links:domain.com (replace "domain.com" with the domain you are researching) ? this will show you how many links this domain already has. This will tell you the value of the domain. You want to look for a domain with a respectable link popularity of around 500 to 1,000.

Everyday, hundreds of developed and thriving websites expire Yet, these sites still receive endless traffic from the search engines and links to them Identify these hot sites, make use of their expired traffic, and make $$$

Step 2: Bid on the domain: If you have decided that you want a domain that is pending deletion, you can bid on it at one of the many sites that have auctions or bidding forums. Bidding and winning these domains is not something that you can leisurely embark upon. It takes time and persistence. However, if you spend a little bit of time every day, you will get great domains at a low price. Some auction houses that we recommend are namewinner.com or enom.com. Most require no deposit to begin bidding, but they will ask that you confirm your identity via telephone or electronic means. This is in an effort to reduce fraud and keep the prices lower for legitimate bidders. After you have established an account, and you have found a domain that you want to try for, open a bid on that domain. Start low, but keep a watchful eye on the date and time that the bidding stops. Twenty minutes before the bidding is scheduled to be closed on that domain, re-visit their site and watch the top bid. Refresh your screen every minute to see the current highest bid. If the price gets too high for your budget, stop. But if you can afford the current high-bid, you might want to keep bidding in order to win that domain. If the bidding stops and you are the current high-bid, then you have won that domain.

Step 3: Receive the traffic: Now what? You have a great domain? you can park that domain so that it redirects visitors to your main website. With domain parking, visitors will automatically be re-directed to your main website. Some web hosting companies charge a small fee for domain parking. WebsiteSource.com offers free unlimited domain parking to its web hosting customers. If you maintain the domain's registration every year, you could have targeted visitors to your website for less than $15 bucks a year. Cheap targeted traffic really does exist!

Results: Increase your company's unique brand recognition with more exposure. Increase your traffic = increase sales.

About the author: S. Rosendahl is a Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. <a target="_new" href="http://www.websitesource.com">http://www.websitesource.com</a>. Her established writing skills coupled with experience in the <a href="http://www.websitesource.com" target="_blank">website hosting</a> industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.

The Growth of ru-Domains

2009-01-25T20:00:00.001-08:00

The registry of ru-domains reports, that the number of domain names registered in Russia's national domain, the ru-domains, has increased 19.82% in the first half of 2004 to 256.356 ru-domains.

Ru-Center compares this to the growth of 2003, which was 16.02% for the first half of 2003.

The increase among ru-domains in Russia is coincident with the rising numbers of Russian Internet users. Ru-Center explains, that the weekly users numbered 5.9 million June 2004 , 1.4 million more than one year earlier. The number of Russian Internet users is expanding 30% a year.

ICANN accredited registrar Secura is accepting registrations of ru-domains by non-russian enterprises and private people. According to the experience of this registrar, the ru-domains owned by foreign registrants is growing rapidly (<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html</a>).

About The Author

Hans Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="http://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html" target="_new">http://www.domainregistry.de/ru-domain.html</a>; <a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Understand the Domain Name System

2009-01-24T18:00:00.001-08:00

Ever wonder why DNS systems came into existence? Efficiency. Every computer has a distinct IP address, and the Internet needed an elite method for obtaining these addresses and for managing the system as a whole. Enter ICANN. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Number manages the DNS root of the Internet domain namespace. ICANN's role is to manage the assignment of identifiers, ensuring that all users have unique names. The DNS system is run by a series of servers called DNS servers. ICANN manages the root DNS domains, under which are the top-level domains. It also manages: Organizational domains Geographical domains Reverse domains Beneath the top-level domains are other naming authorities such as Nominet, the UK's naming authority. How does a DNS Query work? The process occurs in two parts. Firstly, a name query begins at a client computer and is passed to DNS client service for resolution. When the query cannot be resolved locally, DNS servers are queried. For example, when a web browser calls the fully qualified domain name www.discountdomainsuk.com, the request is passed on to the DNS client service to resolve the name by using locally cached information. If the query is held in the cache, then the process is complete. If, however, the query cannot be answered locally, the DNS client service uses a server list (ordered in sequence) to query external DNS servers. When a DNS server receives a query, it first checks to see if it is authoritive for that domain name. If it is authoritive, it resolves the name, and the process is complete. If the DNS server is unable to resolve the query, it in turns queries other DNS servers, using a process known as recursion. DNS servers make use of root hints to assist in locating DNS servers, which are able to provide the required result. In this way, DNS queries are minimised and the Internet is able to operate quickly and effectively. A typical query may run as follows: Client contacts Nameserver A looking for www.discountdomainsuk.com. Nameserver A checks its cache, but can't answer, so it queries a server authoritive for the Internet root. The root server responds with a referral to a server authoritive for the .com domains. NameserverA queries the the .com server and gets referred to the server authoritive for www.discountdomainsuk.com. Nameserver A queries this server and gets the IP address for www.discountdomainsuk.com. Nameserver A replies to the client with the IP address. Queries can return answers that are authoritive, positive, negative or referral in nature. In the event of a negative answer, another DNS server is queried.

--------------------------------------------- Clare Lawrence is CEO of Discount Domains Ltd ? A leading UK provider of <A target="_new" href="http://www.discountdomainsuk.com/">Domain name registration</A> and <A target="_new" href="http://www.discountdomainsuk.com/webhosting.php">Web Hosting</A> services. Please feel free to re-publish this article provided this reference box remains together with a hyperlink to <A href="http://www.discountdomainsuk.com/" target=_blank>http://www.discountdomainsuk.com</A> Clare can also be contacted on clare@discountdomainsuk.com. ---------------------------------------------

Domain Parking Explained

2009-01-24T14:30:00.001-08:00

Domain names are being snapped up all the time so if you have thought of a cool domain name for a future project then it might be wise to register it now. There is a chance that if you leave it too late someone else may register it. While your planning your site you can park the domain name.

Domain parking is a process where you register a domain and do not enter the domain name servers of your hosting company. Usually the domain registrar will park your domain by default on their server, this means that if you type your domain name into a web browser you will arrive at a default page provided by the registrar.

If you are going to hold onto the domain for a while or not develop a site straight away then you may want to consider a domain parking service that offers you revenue from your parked domain. Domain parking services such as <a target="_new" href="http://www.trafficparking.com/">Traffic parking</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.sedo.com/">sedo</a> offer revenue sharing from your parked domain.

Revenue sharing from a parked domain works by traffic being directed to a search page or pay per click page where any visitors to your parked domain may click on the ads and you receive a percentage of the revenue from this.

Traffic parking claims that a parked domain receives on average 8 hits per month but a popular domain name may get thousands of visitors due to direct type ins and miss typed domains. Unless you have a popular domain name it probably isn't worth the effort to use a revenue sharing parking service and just use your registrars default parking page.

So domain parking is a process where you register a domain and leave it until you are ready to use it. You may or may not have a parking page where any stray visitors will see a default host parking page or if you use a domain parking service an ad targeted page.

Allan is the webmaster at NameSearchDomain.com where you can find out all about <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">Domain names</a>.

Investing in Great Domain Names when They Come for Sale

2009-01-24T14:10:00.001-08:00

Author does freelancing through the no fee free <a target="_new" href="http://www.freelancefree.com">Freelance<a> website freelancefree.com

Why to Register md-Domains?

2009-01-23T13:00:00.001-08:00

What is .md?

.md is the web address that identifies you, your company or your organization with the healthcare industry. Thousands of professionals and companies in the healthcare industry are already utilizing .md for their branding and marketing efforts, including some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. .md is a valuable and unique asset that can be used as an intuitive and dynamic communication tool.

<ul>

<li>.md is the perfect web address for medical professionals and healthcare companies</li>

<li>.md is a permanent professional address</li>

<li>.md is a dynamic communication tool and distribution channel for participants in the healthcare community</li>

<li>.md may be used to protect your brands and trademarks to prevent international cyber-squatters from purchasing your domain names and using them for other purposes</li>

<li>.md may be used as a unique, intuitive, and available promotional tool to market prescription and OTC drugs</li> </ul>

.md Focus: Healthcare

We are developing an Internet domain for the global healthcare community where participants in the healthcare sector can acquire valuable .md domain names that correlate precisely with the marketing of their core business practices and new products. .md permits corporations and individuals to establish a unique Internet presence that carries an automatic, intuitive association with healthcare and other medical services and applications.

Growth of the .md Registry

Since becoming operational, there has been significant interest in the .md TLD. The wide adoption of .md, prior to launching a formal .md marketing campaign confirms the need and desire for a top level healthcare centric domain. The number of .md registrations continues to grow exponentially with this exposure.

The leading adopters in the .md registry are:

<ul>

<li>Physicians</li>

<li>Medical Schools</li>

<li>Private Practices </li>

<li>Health Clinics</li>

<li>Drug Development Companies </li>

<li>Pharmaceutical Companies</li>

<li>Health Insurance Companies </li>

<li>Medical Laboratories</li>

</ul>

Additionally, Fortune 1000 companies have adopted .md as part of their global brand marketing strategy. These include companies from the following industries:

<ul>

<li>Telecom</li>

<li>Banking and Finance</li>

<li>Entertainment</li>

<li>Media</li>

<li>Consulting</li>

<li>Automotive</li>

<li>Travel</li>

<li>Insurance</li>

<li>Retail</li>

<li>Technology</li> </ul>

About The Author

Hans Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/md-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/md-domain.html</a>

<a href="http://www.com-domains.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domains.com</a>

<a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Why to Register md-Domains?

2009-01-23T05:10:00.001-08:00

What is .md?

<ul>

<li>.md is the perfect web address for medical professionals and healthcare companies</li>

<li>.md is a permanent professional address</li>

<li>.md is a dynamic communication tool and distribution channel for participants in the healthcare community</li>

<li>.md may be used to protect your brands and trademarks to prevent international cyber-squatters from purchasing your domain names and using them for other purposes</li>

<li>.md may be used as a unique, intuitive, and available promotional tool to market prescription and OTC drugs</li> </ul>

.md Focus: Healthcare

Growth of the .md Registry

The leading adopters in the .md registry are:

<ul>

<li>Physicians</li>

<li>Medical Schools</li>

<li>Private Practices </li>

<li>Health Clinics</li>

<li>Drug Development Companies </li>

<li>Pharmaceutical Companies</li>

<li>Health Insurance Companies </li>

<li>Medical Laboratories</li>

</ul>

Additionally, Fortune 1000 companies have adopted .md as part of their global brand marketing strategy. These include companies from the following industries:

<ul>

<li>Telecom</li>

<li>Banking and Finance</li>

<li>Entertainment</li>

<li>Media</li>

<li>Consulting</li>

<li>Automotive</li>

<li>Travel</li>

<li>Insurance</li>

<li>Retail</li>

<li>Technology</li> </ul>

About The Author

Hans Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/md-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/md-domain.html</a>

<a href="http://www.com-domains.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domains.com</a>

<a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Choosing Your Domain Name ? Internet Marketing

2009-01-21T18:10:00.001-08:00

This is actually an important key to your business and sometimes its success. I will explain why through-out this article.

Firstly when choosing a domain name you can use letters, numbers or hyphens however you can't use hyphens at the beginning nor the end of your URL. You can use up to 67 characters.

Choosing a smaller domain name will help your website be more easily remembered for repeat vistors (who don't bookmark your website but wish to return). Problem is most of the smaller domain names are taken these days.

Choosing a name that is relevant and rich in keywords for your product or service will enhance your chances of being found in the search engines. From my knowledge using hyphens can actually give you a better position for example, if you are selling horse shoes you might choose a domain name that looks like this: www.horse-shoes.com

Some of my websites are found by someone typing this as a keyword www.horse (example only) and that's all they type. If you type that into google you'll see that all domain names that start with www.horse are brought up first!

You may also want to consider buying the domain names such as if you wanted www.horse-shoes.com also buy www.horse-shoes.org and .biz and .us? This can help ensure that someone doesn't take any business from you simply by buying your name and replacing the .org .net .us .biz etc.

If you have an already establish a company name and already well known then you would want to obviously choose that as your domain name.

? Joanne King - http://www.joesy.com

Get your Free book on "Affiliate Marketing ? Quick Start Guide" by visiting <a target="_new" href="http://www.joesy.com">http://www.joesy.com</a>.

You are welcome to reprint this article on your website or send to your mailing list however it may not be edited and the link in this bio must stay active. Cheers =)

Expired Domains Explained

2009-01-20T15:10:00.001-08:00

It is annoying to find that you have a great idea for a site but when you start searching for a domain name to match you find every possible combination has been registered. Don't worry all is not lost there are still the expired domains to check.

Not everybody reregisters their domain names. For whatever reason, financial or otherwise good domain names come back onto the market. These are expired domains and you can get your hands on them.

The first stage of an expired domain goes through is the registrar hold. This is a period of up to 45 days where the registrar may pay the renewal fee for the domain in the hope that the expired domains owner registers the domain name again. The registrar may wait the full 45 days or decide to let the registry know sooner that the domain fee has not been paid. This means the name goes into the redemption period.

The expired domain is now in the redemption period which lasts for 30 days. The domain is now back in the hands of the registrar as the original owner has not paid the renewal fee. For the original owner of the expired domain to get their domain name back they are likely going to have to pay a hefty fee to the registrar.

The domain is now in pending delete which is the final status. This means that expired domain is back on the market. On the 6th day on pending delete the domain name is now available to everyone.

The expired domain is back on the market. Now is your chance to grab the domain you are after. I will talk about the best way to increase your chances of this in my next article at <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com">Name search domain</a>.

Allan is the webmaster at NameSearchDomain.com where you canfind out all about <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">Domain names</a>.

The truth about hyphenated domain names

2009-01-20T01:20:00.001-08:00

There is a lot of confusion about the use of hyphens being used in domain names. While researching hyphenated domain names I found a lot of conflicting information so I will give you a distilled view of what is currently believed to be the facts regarding hyphens in domains.

When I started <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">Name Search Domain</a> I had a lot of trouble finding a domain that I could use to reflect the topic of my site. After quite a bit of research I decided on NameSearchDomain.com, without hyphens.

It used to be the case that using a hyphen to separate keywords in your domain name would give you a better ranking in the search engines. For a while this was the case but due to the over zealous use of keywords in domain names, search engines now consider this as a spamming technique. Using hyphens in your domain name still makes it easier for search engines to read but it generally will not benefit your ranking.

If you use an unhyphenated domain name like myself using keywords it is generally believed that search engines such as Google can pick out the keywords. If you use hyphens then the keywords are easier to pick out from your domain name. So if there is no search engine benefit to using hyphens and keywords in domain names why do people still use them. The answer is undoubtedly anchor link benefits and ease of readability.

If you have hyphens in your domain name it is easier for a human to read and recognise the keywords in a domain. Take a look at specialistcheeseemporium.com or visit specialist-cheese-emporium.com. It is quite obvious that the hyphenated version is going to be recognised more easily.

Recognising the domain name is one thing but entering a domain name into your browser is another. It is easier for someone to type the unhyphenated domain name and it is easier for someone to give out the domain name to a customer if it doesn't have hyphens in it. Some people may not know what a hyphen is.

There is believed to be another benefit of keywords in domain names and that is anchor links, that is keywords in back links to your site. If a webmaster links back to your site from their site they often use the domain name as the anchor text. This is obviously good for you as it helps in reinforcing those keywords with your site to the search engines. So if your site is specialistcheeseemporium.com they may type this as all one word or possibly as specialist cheese emporium. For the hyphenated version they would probably type specialist-cheese-emporium.com.

So when choosing your domain name and deciding on whether to use hyphens you need to consider how the domain name is going to be interpreted and used by other people, not machines. I chose my domain name without hyphens purely because most people will type domains without the hyphens. I do use hyphens but only in my filenames as this makes it easier for people to read and people are less likely to type in a page name as they are a domain name.

Find out more about <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">Domain Names</a> at Name Search Domain. Stuff you need to know if you are thinking of buying a domain name.

Eu-Domains For Everybody

2009-01-19T20:00:00.001-08:00

Cologne,10 July 2004. ICANN accredited registar Secura announces today, that the company is accepting applications for the sunrise and real time period of eu-domains (<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/eu.html</a>).

Sunrise Period

You should send now to your applications to secure your rights at the new eu-domains. The eu-domains will be the most important event since the introduction of com-domains.

There will be a Sunrise Period (Phased registration for those holding prior rights to a name) at the eu-domains.

The Sunrise Period of eu-domains will have two phases:

The EU Regulation stipulates that the registry must make a sunrise provision at eu-domains to allow those with 'prior rights' to a name to apply for registration of eu-domains in advance of beginning general registrations. The PPR states that the sunrise period (phased registration) of eu-domains will take place in two phases each lasting two months.

During phase one, public bodies and holders of registered Community or national trademarks will be able to register their names.

During phase 2 those who may register in phase 1 may register their eu-domains as well holders of other rights recognised under Community law or the national law of an EU member state. Eu-domains registered during the sunrise period must be an exact match for the prior right claimed and documentary evidence must be supplied to proof the right.

Live Registration: First comes-first serves

Some weeks after the Sunrise Period eu-domains goes live and general registrations of eu-domains will begin and registration of eu-domains will be done on a first come first served basis for any eu-domain not taken during the sunrise period.

About The Author

Hans-Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited registrar Secura GmbH

You can reprint or republish these articles for free if these three lines are at the end of the articles:

<a href="http://www.com-domains.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domains.com</a>

<a href="https://www.domainregistry.de" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de</a>

<a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

WhyYouNeedThatPerfectName.com!

2009-01-19T06:40:00.001-08:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose,
By any other name would smell as sweet"
-Shakespeare (Romeo and Juliet)

A rose perhaps but not your domain name!

The 'aha' name

Unless you are a domain name squatter or a start-up capitalizing on domain names - save those tongue-twisters, masqueraded phrases and unpronounceable names.

allthegoodnamesaretaken.com

The crux

How To Make Great Money Part Time Buying And Selling Domain Names - Part One

2009-01-18T10:00:00.001-08:00

This truly is the business to get into in 2005. It's a red hot opportunity that savvy investors can make a killing on when you know how. And this article will walk you step-by-step through the money-making process.

Don't be put off by the term "investors". I'm not talking big money down here. As long as you've got a spare ?5 a week then great money can be made for only half an hour of your time. Like the sound of that? Thought so.

There's a few ways you can make money buying domain names and selling them on for profit. And I mean PROFIT. You'll see why people will be scratching at your door to buy off you in just a moment.

Let's start with the basics.

All domain names are only registered for a limited amount of time.Registrars can choose to use the name for a period of between 1-10 years. After this the rights to these domain names expire and the user has to renew the name again. If they don't do this it will be placed on hold for a short time and then deleted. This means it is then availible for anyone who wants to buy it!

This Is Where You Can Cash In!

20,000 expired domain names are made availible each and every day. Some of them are very attractive and well-established names.

Example. Last year the owners of Race.com carelessly didn't renew their registration fee. It was grabbed (the term used to describe purchasing an expired name) by a savvy 'investor' for a few pounds and sold for thousands and thousands back to the old owner.

The owner was willing to pay huge sums for to the investor because he had built up qualified traffic over X amount of years and didn't want to lose all the previous custom.

Now I admit that making a sale for thousands is rare, but is certainly possible.

The likeliness is that you can buy a domain name and register it for ?5-?50 and then sell it on for anything from ?150 - ?1000. Do this with five domain names a week, and your looking at a big sum of money for only a couple of hours work.

It's not just businesses that have carelessly let their domain name that will buy off you. It's other businesses too that will buy the name to get the old owners' traffic. It's a legitamate way of increasing your customer base.

And if the old owner and a new potential owner get into a bidding war...well..the sky really is the limit.

So there's two main reasons why people will be willing to pay YOU a couple of hundred pounds for a domain name.

a) They carelessly let the domain name expire. That means that they will pay you to get the name back to ensure that they don't lose their existing traffic that they may have built up over years and years.

B) They are a business in the same field as the one that has let the name expire and therfore will pay you to secure the exisitng custom of a rival.

Here's step-by-step how you go about this fantastically profitable part time business.

There are several sources of expired domain name information and reserach tools, some free and some that require a payment of a fee.

www.wehavethem.com supplies lists of names due to be deleted. Www.DeletedDomains.com allows you to do some searching free and more extensive searching for a $99 annual fee.You can search for names that are due to be deleted and also allows you to bid on newly deleted names that have already been grabbed by other 'investors'.

What you are looking for is an expired domain name with traffic in the last month of anything over 1500. Ensure that the site is an actual consumer site. There's no point buying a domain name if the previous site wasn't selling any goods.

If you see a site that had tens of thousands of visitors in the last month GET IT. The likeliness is that the previous owners will be itching to get their name back off of you due to its obvious success.

Also if you see a name with a large qualified traffic thats due to expire and has a high traffic volume use an automated grabbing system such as www.snapnames.com and www.pool.com. These will ensure the second they become availible you will have registered them. The cost is about $60 but only if they get the names for you. Definately worth it in my eyes.

Remember you could easily sell the name for hundreds, maybe thousands.

In part 2 we'll take a look at how you go about selling the names once you have acquired them. But in the mean time here's a few domain names which were up for sale at the time of writing this article. Now obviously not all names sell for this much, but it's a very real possibility that you could stumble across a gem in your business.

my.com $750,000
lovelife.com $350,000
fights.net $16,000
diet.us $35,000
askdoctors.com $7,500
dietary.info $6,000
lovemaking.info $10,000
textmeassage.net $17,000
ejobmarket.com $1,800
smokers.tv $5,000
teens.org $22,000
raregifts,com $20,000

The profits in this business are like no other. Now it's your turn to get your hands on your share in the billion dollar industry of buying and selling domain names.

Until next time...

Jonathan Street

Jonathan Street is a master at making vast sums of money for very little investment. Direct mail, mail order, selling domain names, eBay...you name it - he's making money from it. He's also the author of "How To Make ?5,000 - ?10,000 A Month From Home". A book which he invites you to get for free from his ever popular web site.

For FREE info and to get a copy of Jonathans book go to: <a target="_new" href="http://www.millionaire-enterprises.com">http://www.millionaire-enterprises.com</a>

Domain Name: Why Do You Need One Anyway?

2009-01-18T00:00:00.001-08:00

I come across sites all the time that are obviously hosted for free. Why obviously? Because they have no domain. Having no domain can cost you big time.

You have taken the time to put together a great website. You have collected pictures, designed or bought a nifty template, and filled it with great text. Your website is ready to go. Everything looks great ? until you decide to host your site on a free hosting account provided by your ISP. Big mistake.

Having no domain name is no big deal if all that you will ever do with the website is post family pictures. A domain name is mandatory though, if you plan to do business online. If you don't take your business seriously, why should anyone else?

Domain names build trust in your website visitors

One of the biggest barriers to doing business online is the lack of face to face communication. When people can't look into your eyes and size you up in person, they are slower to trust you. In the absence of being able to talk face to face, your website and everything about it, communicates trust, or the lack thereof.

Registering a domain name is an important first step to building the trust your visitor has in you and your company. Always keep in mind that trust is much easier to lose than it is to build in the first place. It takes a long time to build trust but it takes no time at all to destroy it.

Domain names are portable

When you go with a generic website address from your ISP, the few dollars you save per year are far less costly than the lack of mobility to you get with a free website address. You may have hopes that your part time web project will one day lead to a full time income. When you have a free website address, you are stuck to that ISP. In contrast, when you own a domain name, you can take your domain name to any web hosting company you choose.

As the traffic to your website builds and your website climbs in the search listings, changing its name later is impossible without taking a big traffic hit. When you have a domain name however, changing hosts will have very little effect on your traffic. This is even more important if your website is suddenly hit with a major increase in traffic. You may need to change web hosts but if you don't have a domain name, that traffic may disappear. On top of that, if you start using too much bandwidth on your free hosting account, your provider will most likely pull the plug.

Domain names make it easier for your prospects to email you

When you have a domain name, it looks more professional. Having an email like jack@yourdomain.com looks far better and is easier to remember than jack.lastname@yourisp.com. Easier for your prospect translates into more money earned for you.

Domain name registration is a no brainer and something you should do right away.

Joe Duchesne is president of <a href="http://www.yowling.com" target="_blank">Yowling</a>. <a href="http://www.yowling.com" target="_blank">Business web hosting</a> and domain registration are two of the services they offer. Reprint freely as long as you keep both clickable links found in this resource box.

Five Ways To Profit From Public Domain Information

2009-01-17T14:00:00.001-08:00

Ever wondered why Walt Disney never got sued for intellectual property theft?

C'mon, the guy ripped off so many Hans Christian Anderson and Grimm Brothers' fairy tales! And he never paid the said authors any royalty fees! Granted that they're dead, but shouldn't their families be entitled to proceeds from their works? Such would be a small price to pay, considering the accumulated wealth of Walt Disney's billion dollar enterprise.

But alas, Mr. Walt Disney, you see, is a marketing genius. He knew how to exploit the allowable usage of public domain information, and he built for himself an empire in the process.

And if Walt Disney can do it, so can you! After all, we all have access to public domain information. We don't even need a touch of that famous Disney magic. We just have to weave our own creative spin on things.

But first, the basics?

Public domain information is defined as any body of creative works and other knowledge that is not protected by US copyright laws. Copyright protection needs further verification, but by force of statute, works done prior to 1923 are public domain information. The law also includes works done prior to 1978, for as long as the life of the author plus seventy years does not exceed the current year.

The term "body of creative works and other knowledge" includes literary works, music, movies, artworks, scientific ideas, and inventions, just to name a few. So, quite literally, public domain information is an ocean of many promises and splendid discoveries for anyone who would decide to dip their feet in its inviting waters.

And public domain information is free. Everything that you'll earn from it is net profit!

Walt Disney made good use of public domain information by making updating old classics into movies for the new, during his time at least, generation. That was the creative spin he used to market works that are quite archaic to make them seem new and fresh. He found his audience, and he made his fortunes. There's no reason why you can't do it.

Ah, budget constraints you say. But we are internet marketers, dear friend. That's the beauty of the web, you see. Seldom do we have to spend a substantial amount to invest on something. Many avenues are available for us to make good use of free public domain information!

Here are some ways to use public domain information. They would surely earn you significant gains!

1. Republish old literary works as e-books. The classics you see in bookstores are prime examples of earning from public domain information. The publishers did not have to buy the rights for the books they have decided to distribute. You could do the same with e-books. Search your local library for old works, and scan them. Convert the images to text with a text bridge program, edit errors, package them nice in .pdf format, and you're all set to market a royalties-free product!

2. Republish old articles as special reports. Granted that you're not likely to find an internet marketing articles circa 1923, but there are still some interesting pieces from that era. Just the other day, I saw a person make 43 sales for a special report he made out of a 1914 article on dog grooming.

3. Make downloadable albums of old songs. Here's your chance to make MP3 downloads that are actually legal. However, please bear in mind that only the songs are free game. The performances of certain versions (i.e. the London Philharmonic Orchestra's version of a Beethoven classic) are separate copyrights in themselves. It would be best to make your own version from the public domain compositions.

4. Offer downloadable movies. Just like Walt Disney, Ted Turner has made a killing with public domain information. One of his channels, Turner Classics, shows pre-1923 movies which he can rebroadcast without having to pay any royalties. You could do the same by offering old movies for download.

5. Make posters of timeless masterpieces. You could also search the web for high quality images of classic paintings and sketches. These digitized masterpieces can easily be reproduced as posters which you could sell to the millions of art aficionados worldwide.

Cedrick Reese is the webmaster of <a target="_new" href="http://www.eclectic-info.com">http://www.eclectic-info.com</a>, Start an easy Home-Based Business through Affiliate Marketing and Adsense. Other sites include <a target="_new" href="http://www.Your-RealEstateCourses.com">http://www.Your-RealEstateCourses.com</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.PremeirHosting.com">http://www.PremeirHosting.com</a>

Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo

2009-01-17T05:10:00.001-08:00

Selling a .co.uk Domain Name via Sedo

This is a recent example of our experience selling a .co.uk domain name via Sedo. If you are new to domains or Sedo this will give you a guide on the process and the time scales involved.

Negotiations

This is the hardest part of selling a domain ? how much to ask? Ask too much and the buyer may lose interest. Ask too little and you may not get the best price possible for your domain.

You can use www.domainprices.co.uk to get an idea of recent .co.uk domain sales prices or ask to an appraisal on the www.acorndomains.co.uk appraisal forum.

Come up with a price that allows you some room to haggle but don't get so greedy you scare off the bidder. This can be an anxious time, waiting for the domain prospect to come back with an offer.

Transaction Fees

Do not forget to allow for Sedo transaction fees and Nominet transfer fees during the negotiation stage.

We asked for the buyer to pay Sedo's fees (10% of sale price) and the Nominet fees on top of the sale price, which they agreed to.

Agreement Reached

We started negotiations on our domain on the 21st June and reached agreement on the sale price and fees on the 1st July.

Sedo Transfer Process

Having agreed the sale price, Sedo sent the buyer an Invoice on the 1st July.

The invoice is in your name and is placed in the buyer's user account.

NB: Make sure the administrative email address for your domain is active and that you can receive emails from it or you will have trouble with the transfer process.

Once the transfer has been completed and the WHOIS information shows the buyer's name, Sedo send you the money.

Tip: Add your bank details to your Sedo account if you want to avoid Paypal fees for receiving the money.

Nominet Transfer Forms

Sedo didn't ask us apply to Nominet for the domain transfer forms. Their emails are worded towards .COM domain name transfers.

We knew we would need these so as soon as we agreed a price we emailed Nominet to request them and they arrived 2 days later.

This will save you time.

Sedo receive Payment

We chase Sedo on the 5th July as we had heard nothing. This prompted them to chase the buyer for payment. Sedo advised that the buyer said they were making a bank transfer of the funds that day.

We chased again on the 7th July with a response from Sedo that it would take a few more days. So much for electronic funds transfers!

Sedo confirmed receipt of the money on the 11th July

Finalising the Transfer

Sedo sent us the Buyer's details for us contact them about sending the Nominet forms.

We already had the forms in hand so signed and sent them on the 12th July.

On the 18th July we chased Sedo for any news, they contacted the buyer to see if they had received the forms.

22nd July we noticed the Nominet WHOIS showing the buyers details.

(This is a little unsettling, your domain has been transferred but you have no funds).

Money Money Money

26th July we received an email from Sedo saying they had sent the money to our account. They also stated this can take up to 7 business days.

We received the money on the 29th July.

Start to finish, 38 days.

Helen Sherritt is owner and administrator of <a target="_new" href="http://www.acorndomains.co.uk">http://www.acorndomains.co.uk</a>, the UK's leading domain name forum and resource centre.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.DomainPrices.co.uk">http://www.DomainPrices.co.uk</a> shows recent .co.uk domain name sales prices.

Customer Excellence Returns to Web Site Hosting!

2009-01-17T04:10:00.001-08:00

For those of you with Web sites, you probably know what a "host" is. It's a company that provides a location, or address, on the Internet where your Web site resides.

In other words, just like a physical business needs an address, so does a Web site. You can't have a Web site and just "stick it up" on the Web. Unless you want to set up your own server, you have to go through a hosting company who gives you that address, including server space and bandwidth, that enables the search engines and visitors to find your site.

Let's look at some common problems we often have with hosting companies:

<ul>

<li>You can never find an actual person to talk to! They may have a 24-hour customer service line open, but you can never get through to a real person.

<li>Hosting companies often think that the "lowest price" will always get the sale, but they fail to realize that what people really want is excellent customer service, servers that are up almost 100% of the time, and a variety of services that come with the hosting package.

<li>Many hosting companies don't provide any other functionality other than Web site hosting. They don't provide a "control panel" full of goodies such as PGP secure e-mail, shopping carts, log analysis, database creation, etc.

<li>Guess what? Technical support people often don't make the best "customer support" people. They may be technical gurus, but their main interest lies in their high tech servers and other functionality, rather than solving the simple problems of their customers.

</ul>

In other words, weak customer service is a major problem with the majority of hosting companies these days. Solution:

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Combustion Hosting Company, and to say I was impressed is a vast understatement.

Here are some things that struck me as unbelievable. When the phone rings, whoever answers the phone is required to stand up to answer it and talk. After all, the sheer act of standing up requires that they're alert and are listening to your problems and concerns. And, you actually speak to a "real" person!

With Combustion, if you have a problem, they don't just "tell" you how to solve it, they solve it for you! Also, their services certainly aren't limited to "hosting." They can set you up with an account to where you can access the Internet through local access numbers no matter where you travel.

Their prices are extremely reasonable -- much better than I had been paying previously. Plus, the "extras" I've received by going with Combustion are amazing.

But the one thing that makes Combustion shine over most Web hosting companies is their devotion to providing good customer service, and this is an area in which they truly excel.

So, if you're in the market for a new Web site, or if you aren't pleased with your current host, consider Combustion Hosting. It will be one of the smartest moves you could ever make for your Web site. <a href="http://www.combustionhosting.com/moreinfo" target="_new">http://www.combustionhosting.com/moreinfo</a>

If you want further proof as to the benefits of using Combustion, read: this article.

About The Author

Robin Nobles is the Co-Director of Training of Search Engine Workshops with John Alexander. They teach 2-day beginner, 3-day advanced, and 5-day all-inclusive "hands on" search engine marketing workshops in locations across the globe. She also teaches online search engine marketing courses through <a href="http://www.onlinewebtraining.com" target="_new">http://www.onlinewebtraining.com</a>, and she's a member of Wordtracker's official question support team. With partner John Alexander, she's co-authored a series of e-books called, "The Totally Non-Technical Guides to Having a Successful Web Site." And, they opened a networking community for search engine marketers called The World Resource Center for Search Engine Marketers.

<a href="mailto:robin@searchengineworkshops.com">robin@searchengineworkshops.com</a>

How Can You Choose the Best Domain Name?

2009-01-16T15:00:00.001-08:00

It's all in the Name

The domain you use for a particular site can have a huge impact in the way that humans and search engine spiders perceive it. Domain names were once so expensive that only those wanting to protect a brand or who could afford them owned them, now they are commonplace and if you know where to look, you can pick up a domain name for free.

Now that they are much easier to obtain, it is hard to take any site that does not have it's own domain name very seriously. Without a domain name, a company is likely to be passed off as amateurish or seen to want to cut corners to save money. If you have a company site and you still haven't got a domain name for your website, then you might want to think about getting one!

Make it Memorable

The best domain names are those that people can remember, because if your visitors can remember it, they are more likely to come back. If you do not already have a company or other name selected for your site, then it is often a good idea to make your domain name the brand for the site. Tying your site name to the domain is just one way you can help your visitors remember how to find you again.

Tips for choosing the most memorable domain name. keep it short and easy to spell.

make use of keywords or popular search terms whenever possible.

generic terms are like gold dust if you can get them.

the more unusual but familiar sounding a domain, the better.

add a twist, some domain names are remembered for being different to what you would expect to find there (e.g. monster.co.uk)

One of the major problems of trying to promote a specific domain name is that in general, people (or sometimes browsers) assume that they end in a .com. If your site uses a domain other than a .com, then you may want to make the domain your site identity, otherwise you could have your visitors remembering the domain name but not the extension and going to related site that isn't your own!

Domain Branding

If you purchase your domain with the intention that it will become the brand that you promote, then it is worth taking into account the specifics of the domain. Keywords can play an important part in your brand, particularly if it is specific to your industry, as they will help to make your domain name memorable while improving your search engine rankings. In the case of directories such as Yahoo and DMOZ sites are usually listed in alphabetical order, so anything starting with A, B or C has a much better chance of being higher on the list than those starting with X, Y or Z, and so is more likely to be noticed. Don't however be tempted to use a domain that has been "padded out" to get a high position in an alphabetically sorted list; not only will it look tacky and amateurish, but most directories use human editors who would pick up this obvious trick and either correct it or ignore the site altogether.

Top 5 Web Hosting Review - www.pickto.net

Online Business Partner(<a target="_new" href="http://pickto.net">http://pickto.net</a>) - our website provide web hosting guide, Web hosting review and business plan tips to user.

How to Profit with Domain Name Speculation

2009-01-16T13:00:00.000-08:00

Domain Name speculation has become big business. According to recent study, the average domain name bought and sold by domain name speculators realized a 377% profit. In addition, the average domain name was sold in 12.5 months.

Domain name speculation involves finding domain names that appear valuable, and waiting with the domain in hopes that someone will want to purchase it in the future. With a great domain name like business.com, this can yield huge returns. Business.com was sold for over $7 million!

When domain name speculators buy a domain name, they generally put up a page indicating that the domain is for sale. This becomes a sort of free advertising, whereby someone interested in that domain name will naturally check out the site to see if it is a competitor, or if the domain can be purchased.

But selling the domain is not the only way domain name speculators make money. In addition to advertising that the page is for sale, most domain speculators park their domains with a domain parking service. These services store a simple website for free, and place content sensitive advertising on the parking pages. They share advertising revenue with the owner of the domain. In this way, domain name speculators get free website hosting for their domains, along with occasional advertising revenue.

There are important considerations that must be taken into account before embarking on a domain name speculation career. While it is always advisable to purchase any really high quality domain name available, actually making a stable income from domain name speculation can require significant resources. It will cost a considerable amount to purchase the domain names necessary to make a stable income, and it is certainly no get-rich-quick opportunity.

As a domain name speculator, you should carefully analyze the domain name registrars and communicate with them about bulk purchasing opportunities. A domain name speculator will be buying many ? perhaps even hundreds ? of domain names daily, and should therefore find the best discounts on domain names. Many registrars will allow for domain names to be purchased in bulk at substantial discounts. Taking advantage of these opportunities will likely be the difference between success and failure at this type of enterprise.

Deciding which domain names to purchase can be challenging. It is very difficult to find high quality .com names. But don't rule out country-specific extensions. As countries get their own extensions, a new world of high quality available domain names is opened up to speculators. New top level domains are being created all the time, and most recently a .jobs domain name was created. A name like computer.jobs could prove very valuable in the long term.

While a lot has been mentioned of purchasing names like Mcdonalads.com, this practice is not particularly productive. Trademark laws allow corporations with trademarked names to take domain names that violate their trademarks. So rather than getting a big paycheck for registering a company's trademarked name, you're likely to be served with a lawsuit demanding you forfeit the name to them.

Domain name speculation should be viewed for what it is: an investment opportunity. Like all investments, the returns will be predicated on the wisdom and decision making skills of the investor.

Rex Ryan maitains the website:

<a target="_new" href="http://www.domainnamesnews.info">http://www.domainnamesnews.info</a>

8 Million de-Domains

2009-01-16T09:20:00.001-08:00

DENIC, the registry of the German Top Level Domain (TLD) has announced, that it has received the eight millionth application for the registration of a de-domain. The de-domain has the position as the world's favourite Country Code TLD, ahead of .uk, which has about 3.7 million registrations. The de-domains are also numerically stronger than nearly all the generic Top Level Domains that are used throughout the world, such as .org, .net, .info and .biz. Only one the com-domain with more than 30 million domains is more often registered than the de-domain.

October 2004

.de 7.981.014 (Increment compared to one month ago: 89.793)

.at 367.987 (Increment compared to one month ago: 4.766)

.com 31.017.772 (Increment compared to one month ago: 750.631)

.net 4.999.073 (Increment compared to one month ago: 88.952)

.org 3.138.385 (Increment compared to one month ago: 37.607)

.info 1.919.331 (Increment compared to one month ago: 683.846)

.biz 1.041.432 (Increment compared to one month ago: 13.118)

.us 881.411 (Increment compared to one month ago: 6.395)

The de-domain is not totally liberalized, as it seems. Foreign companies and individuals can register also de-domains and sell products and services to the attractive German market by websites, but they must have a German Admin-C. DENIC-Member and ICANN accredited registrar Secura provides automatically this German Admin-C during the registration process. <a href="https://www.domainregistry.de/de-domain.html" target="_new">https://www.domainregistry.de/de-domain.html</a>

About The Author

Hans-Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="http://www.com-domain.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domain.com</a>; <a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

All-time Record of Domain Registrations

2009-01-16T09:00:00.001-08:00

The number of registered domains has reached an all-time high of more than 60 million domain names worldwide.

Figures show that country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) are the fastest growing market, while general demand for new domains remains strong. The most popular domains are still the com-domains. The growth of com-domains is tremendous.

Experts think, that the growing sale of com-domains reveal a revival of the "New Economy". Some experts even argue, that this growth of domain names is an early indicator of persisting economic growth in the USA and the whole world.

The com-domains remain the most popular domain with about a 45 percent market share.

New generic Top Level Domains outside of .com, .net and .org, become increasingly popular, including aero-domains, biz-domains, coop-domains, info-domains, museum-domains, .name-domains and pro-domains.

Oktober 2004

.de 7.981.014 (Increment compared to one month ago: 89.793)

.at 367.987 (Increment compared to one month ago: 4.766)

.com 31.017.772 (Increment compared to one month ago: 750.631)

.net 4.999.073 (Increment compared to one month ago: 88.952)

.org 3.138.385 (Increment compared to one month ago: 37.607)

.info 1.919.331 (Increment compared to one month ago: 683.846)

.biz 1.041.432 (Increment compared to one month ago: 13.118)

.us 881.411 (Increment compared to one month ago: 6.395) <a href="http://www.com-domains.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domains.com</a>

About The Author

Hans-Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN Registrar Secura

<a href="http://www.com-domain.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domain.com</a>; <a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

Whats In A Name: Selecting the Right Business Name

2009-01-14T23:40:00.001-08:00

With all that's written about selecting a domain name, I thought I would address the ART of selecting a name for your business. It's by no means an easy task or one that should be taken lightly. So here we go.

Ask 500 people, already in business, how they decided upon their business name and you will get 500 different answers. Everyone has a story behind how they chose their business name. Even if the business is named after their own birth name, there's probably a reason why this was done.

When you open a business, in a sense, you are giving birth. This new birth was created from an idea by you or your associates. It will have its own bank account, it's own federal identification number, it's own credit accounts, it's own income and it's own bills. On paper, it is another individual! Just as if you were choosing a name for an unborn child, you need to spend considerable time in deciding upon your business name.

There are several reasons why a good business name is vitally important to your business. The first obvious reason is because it is the initial identification to your customers. No one would want to do business with someone if they didn't have a company name yet. This makes you look like an amateur who is very unreliable. Even if you call your company "Bill's Lawn Service", a company name has been established and you are indeed a company. People will therefore feel more comfortable dealing with you.

Secondly, a business name normally is an indication as to the product or service you offer. "Joan's Typing Service", "Karate Club for Men", "Jim-Dandy Jack-of-all-Trades", "Main Street Laundry", "Missy's Gift Boutique" and "Star Publishers" are all examples of simple business names that immediately tell the customer what product you offer.

However, most people will choose the simple approach when naming their business. They use their name, their spouse's name, their children's names or a combination of these names when naming a business. The national hamburger-restaurant chain "Wendy's" was named after, owner, Dave's daughter. Actually, research has proven that these "cutesy" names are not the best names to use for a business. Many experts claim that it makes the business look too "mom-and-pop-sie." But this depends on the business. If you are selling something that demands this mood or theme to appeal to your market, it's okay to use this approach.

Names like, "Sensible Solutions", "Direct Defenders", "Moonlighters Ink", "Printer's Friend", "Strictly Class", "Collections and Treasures", and "Starlight on Twilight" are all good examples of catchy names. These types of names relate to your product or service but serve as a type of slogan for your business. This is a big help when marketing.

When you name a child, you may not decide upon a definite name until after they are born. Hospital nurseries are loaded with "Boy" Smith and "Girl" Jones name tags. You do this because a name is sometimes associated with a type of personality. Somehow, I don't think Tarzan and Jane got the message, "Boy"? (dah!). When you name a business you may need to wait until you have a product or service to sell and then decide upon a business name before going into the business itself because your business name should give some clue as to what product or service you are selling. A business named "Joe's Collections" normally wouldn't sell car parts and a business named "Charlie Horse" would not sell knitting supplies.

To generate ideas - begin looking at business signs everywhere you go. Notice which ones catch your eye and stick in your mind. Try and figure out "why" they stuck in your mind. Naturally, the business "Dominos Pizza" sticks in your mind because it is nationally known. These don't count! Look around and notice the smaller businesses. Take your time. Within a few days you should be able to come up with a few potential business names.

Then, when you finally find a few names you really like - try reciting them to other people and get their opinion. It won't be long until your business will have the proper name that will carry it through it's life!

A final thought. Are they kidding? What your company does or long product description, domain names?

Try VeryLongBusinessNamesThatAreHardToRemember.com (and enter it without a typo)?

Well maybe it's just me; but what happened to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid)?

About the Author ---- Jim Capobianco, the author of "10 Steps to Your Own Home-Based Business", has been self-employed for over 25 years, both on and off line. At his web site, Cap-Tech.com and in his newsletter, The Cap-Tech Times, he shares his experience and expertise when it comes to owning your own business. Come pay a visit at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.cap-tech.com">http://www.cap-tech.com</a>

8 Million de-Domains

2009-01-14T09:40:00.001-08:00

October 2004

.de 7.981.014 (Increment compared to one month ago: 89.793)

.at 367.987 (Increment compared to one month ago: 4.766)

.com 31.017.772 (Increment compared to one month ago: 750.631)

.net 4.999.073 (Increment compared to one month ago: 88.952)

.org 3.138.385 (Increment compared to one month ago: 37.607)

.info 1.919.331 (Increment compared to one month ago: 683.846)

.biz 1.041.432 (Increment compared to one month ago: 13.118)

.us 881.411 (Increment compared to one month ago: 6.395)

About The Author

Hans-Peter Oswald
CEO
ICANN accredited Registrar Secura

<a href="http://www.com-domain.com" target="_new">http://www.com-domain.com</a>; <a href="mailto:secura@domainregistry.de">secura@domainregistry.de</a>

A Little Secret About Public Domain Treasures

2009-01-14T08:30:00.001-08:00

I bet this little secret is going to get YOU excited... just like it did me. I just discovered public domain treasures and it's a perfect business opportunity for many new internet entrepreneurs.

Did you know there's a little known loophole in US law that allows anyone to distribute, resell or give away expired copyrighted content? Officially, its called public domain, and savvy marketers "borrow" it to publish instant products.

Public domain refers to anything that is NOT protected under US copyright law. This includes all works published before 1923 and under certain conditions, works published up to 1978. A "work" can be anything, a book, movies, plays, songs, photographs, instruction manuals, posters, courses, reports, etc. You could take these works, repackage them and sell them for a profit. By tapping into public domain content, all the nitty gritty work has been done for you.

There are almost an endless number of ways that you can make money with public domain content. Let me suggest 10 different models you can use to activate and tap the public domain treasures.

Model 1: Resell It.
You can re-publish public domain content exactly as it is. Whether it's a book, a movie or even music, you can take this content and quickly turn it into a product. Just copy it as it is and start selling it.

Model 2: Website Content
You can take the text of the public domain work which relates to a product you are selling or an affiliate program that you are promoting. You then create web pages and include links back to your product page.

Model 3: Repackage
You can repackage a public domain work into a new product. You can use the ideas and some of the content of public domain works to create new and better products.

Eg. Walt Disney characters Snow White, the Little Mermaid were all stories from the public domain.

Model 4: Multimedia
You can change the books in print into a CD or even a video set. Add to the perceived value of the product by offering ways to consume the information. What was once simply a "book" can now be a complete home study course or training program.

Eg. The famous "Think & Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill has been made into an audio CD which is a more convenient format.

Model 5: Reprint Rights
You could sell your version of the information product along with marketing materials. People love reprint rights and it's a quick and easy way to make tons of money immediately. You can sell reprint rights only to a derivative product you have created from the original public domain material.

Model 6: Upsell
You can use public domain works and use then as an "upsell" to a regular version of your best selling product. You simply present your buyer with an additional opportunity to "upgrade" their order or add something to their order.

Model 7: Bonuses
Simply use the work as a bonus to your main offering. People love bonuses and will buy a product just for the bonus, if its unique and not something they've seen all over the net already.

Model 8: Viral E-books
You simply take parts of the book and turn it into a viral e-book by allowing others to pass along or even sell this e-book as their own. Once you trigger the "virus" its nearly impossible to make it stop because people keep passing it on and than these people keep passing it on etc, etc.

Eg. Rebecca fine from Seattle, WA used this exact technique to accidentally launch her six figure business with an interesting book, written in 1910 "The Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace D.Wattles. You can "super-size" this strategy by creating a viral e-book with the material and then including affiliate links that pay you commissions anytime someone buys from your recommended resources.

Model 9: Google AdSense
You can use the material to create an information-rich website and then place a tiny piece of code from Google to run their AdSense program on your site. You'll essentially partner-up with Google and get paid a percentage for everyone that simply clicks on the ads Google places on your site.

Model 10: Articles/ Mini Courses
You could use little contents from public domain works and create a mini-course that people would subscribe from your site. You just load a series of 4 to 10 articles into your auto-responders and it delivers it on a total auto-pilot.

You can also use the material into 500-800 word articles to distribute for free publicity and traffic to your sites. Editors of e-zines and owners of web sites are always looking for hot fresh content and in exchange they'll send you over targeted traffic.

Eg. Matt Furey discovered a little unknown book on "Catch Wrestling" and turned it into a complete manual and video e-course of 12 lessons for his market of fitness and wrestling buffs. He had earned over $1million dollars in sales from this one book.

Among the topics available in the public domain treasures are:

Health & Fitness

Fun & Games

Sports & Recreation

Hobbies & Crafts

Education & Self Improvement

Food & Cooking

Animal & Pets

Home Garden & much much more.

Public domain works provides a huge opportunity to newbies in the internet world to tap these vast treasures. Simply put, you can use these works to instantly create e-books, manuals, articles, reports or any other type of information products in a snap. GOOD LUCK!

You'll find step-by-step advice on 19 killer internet business and internet marketing models as marketed by TOP internet Entrepreneurs at <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-HomeBiz.net">http://www.e-HomeBiz.net</a>. It is one of a kind mini-encyclopedia with Master Resell Rights.

Domain Names and Longevity

2009-01-14T08:00:00.001-08:00

It begins as an idea -- a company name, a business venture, a personal project. You research available domain name options, choose the one you want, and finally register it. Or perhaps the perfect domain was in use before, and you register it after it completes the domain deletion cycle.

After going through the selection and registration process and then using the domain to brand your business, do you want to risk losing your domain?

Of course not.

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A DOMAIN NAME

To avoid losing a domain after you've registered it, let's look at the stages that each domain goes through.

It's available

When you look up the domain in Whois records, it's available for registration. It may never have been registered before, or it may have already been through one or more domain name cycles.

It's active

Someone has registered the domain for the current time period. Domains can be registered for a minimum of one year and up to 10 years at a time. Some country-specific domain name extensions (e.g., domains ending in .uk and .au) can be registered for only shorter time periods. When a domain is nearing the end of its active period, an email notification is sent to the address in the record for the domain name registrant.

If the registrant renews the domain before it expires, it stays active. Otherwise, the cycle moves to the next stage.

It's expired (on hold)

A registrant had the domain name registered but didn't renew it before the expiry date. The domain name registrar may hold the domain to allow the registrant to re-register it, which would return the domain to active status. This time period is typically 45 days, but it may be longer, shorter, or non-existent, depending on the registrar.

The website and email for the domain might still work for a few days after a domain enters this stage. The domain cannot be transferred to another registrar at this stage, however.

It's in the Redemption Grace Period (RGP)

The domain is held in a 30-day redemption period, during which the registrant can still re-register it, perhaps with an additional service fee at this point. The website and email for the domain no longer work. However, the domain is not yet available to the public.

It's pending delete

This registry hold period, the last stage of the cycle, is five days.

It's available

Anyone can now register the domain name. The cycle can begin again.

THE BENEFITS OF LONG-TERM DOMAIN REGISTRATION

It's more convenient

When your domain is registered for several years, you only have to renew it once every several years. You also avoid the inconvenience of possibly having your site and email go down if you miss an annual renewal deadline.

It's less expensive

Some domain name registrars offer a discount when you register a domain for multiple years. In addition, you reduce the number of occasions when you might have to pay a service fee for renewing your domain late.

It's more secure

The chances of your losing your domain because you were away, busy, or didn't receive the email notification about its due date are reduced.

It's more legitimate

It's believed that Google weighs the length of the domain registration when ranking a website. A site with a domain that's registered for several years would benefit from the long registration time over a site with a domain that expires in less than a year.

Savvy customers will also notice how long a domain is registered for. A company with a domain that's registered for a few years is more likely to be around in a few years than one with a domain that's registered for only one year.

THE MANAGEMENT OF A DOMAIN NAME

To keep your treasured domain name from going through the above cycle after you register it, take these preventive steps:

? Register it for several years at a time.
? Register it with an email address that doesn't go with the domain name --- you need to be able to send and receive email about the domain if you accidentally let it expire.
? Keep the address in your Whois records current so that you can receive renewal notices from your domain name registrar.
? Set up a reminder in your calendar to renew your domain at least two months before its expiry date.

These security steps will help protect your domain name:

? Use a complex password with a combination of letters and numbers for your domain name account.
? Turn on the "lock" feature if the extension allows locking. When a domain name is locked, no changes can be made to it. Some domains (depending on the registrar or extension) can't be locked, but other security measures are usually in place to prevent unauthorized transfers or other changes.

Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for <a href="http://www.websitesource.com" target="_blank">http://www.websitesource.com</a> and <a href="http://www.lowpricedomains.com" target="_blank">http://www.lowpricedomains.com</a> with experience in the <a href="http://www.websitesource.com" target="_blank">website hosting</a> industry.

What is a Domain Name and Where to Register?

2009-01-14T02:10:00.001-08:00

A domain name is an alias for an IP address. Now what is an IP address? An IP address is a numeric code that signifies where to look through the Internet for content. An example of an IP address would be 22.226.141.25. Rather than typing in a long and easily forgotten IP address, a domain name helps you by typing an easily remembered name to access the same site.

For example, www.domainsatretail.com is a domain name that points to a specific IP address. People can remember a domain name such as www.domainsatretail.com much easier than they can a long numeric code.

Domain names are everywhere as many use it everyday. Think of search sites. Google and Yahoo both have corresponding domain names www.google.com and www.yahoo.com. If you have ever sent an email you have used a domain name. For example when sending an email to user@sympatico.ca, sympatico.ca is the domain name.

Now that we have a better understanding of domain names, we need to know which domain name to pick and where can we register it. The domain name chosen for a web site can be a very important decision of marketing your company on the Internet. Its quite easy to just say pick a catchy domain that everyone will remember to use and you are set. In most cases it is that simple and you are set on your way to register the domain. However, at times the domain name you want has already been taken. And then you must think of a secondary name that you wish to use that will be just as catchy as the first.

OK, now you have picked your domain name you want. What is next? You need to choose a registrar for you domain name registration. There are many registrars who sign up and are available for the year, but you get no service from them whatsoever. Here are two domain name registrars that I would recommend for completing your domain name registration.

1) Domains at Retail ? registrar that registers domain names. We provide great service and have 24/7 customer support. .com domain names are normally on sale for $8.75 US / year, however they are currently being run on promotion for $7.95 US / year. Visit Domains at Retail at http://www.domainsatretail.com for Cheap domain registration and excellent customer service.

2) Domains at Cost ? excellent registrar with very competitive prices. I use this registrar for my .ca domain name registrations and renewals. They offer an excellent price ($14.41 CDN per domain name registration) and I am always able to get someone on the phone and my questions answered. Please Visit Domains at Cost at http://www.domainsatcost.ca for .ca Domain Name Registrations!

Good Luck with your domain name registration process and your start to your online marketing!

Michael Kralj is owner of Emenki Web Solutions and Domains at Retail. Emenki Web Solutions are web site designers and programmers based in Hamilton, Ontario, providing businesses with an informative and strategic approach to establishing an online presence on the web.

Please visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.emenki.com/">Emenki Web Solutions & Web Design in Hamilton, Ontario</a> on the web <a target="_new" href="http://www.emenki.com">http://www.emenki.com</a>

Please visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.domainsatretail.com">Domains at Retail - Cheap Domain Name Registration</a> on the web: <a target="_new" href="http://www.domainsatretail.com">http://www.domainsatretail.com</a>

A Very Simple 3 Step Process To Find That Perfect Domain Name Using Some Free Online Tools

2009-01-13T20:50:00.001-08:00

So you finally decided you want your very own home on the World Wide Web. Many people use free services like Geocities or AngelFire for their first home on the Internet. Others jump in and get their very own domain and then set up a hosting account.

Here is a very simple 3 step process to find that perfect domain name using some free online tools

Step 1 Decide on a Theme.

It is very important that you decide on a Theme for your web page. Once you decide on a theme you should pick a Name that works well with your Theme. If your theme is about Pets you wouldn't want your Domain Name to be All-About-Plants. For this example we will choose Debt Reduction and Bill consolidation as our theme

Step 2 Find a Domain Name

Most Internet Guru's recommend that you get a '.com' for your Domain. It is also best to choose a Domain with Keywords that are Popular for your Theme. Again if your domain is about Pets you probably wouldn't want plants as part of your Domain Name unless you are Selling a Vegetarian Pet Cook Book.

If You already have a Domain name in Mind then you can skip to step 3 to see if your Domain is available. If Not keep reading step 2 for helpful hints on finding that Perfect domain Name

If you do not have a Domain Name yet and if you are at a Loss at what name to use don't despair their are a few free online tools you can use. If your web site theme is Debt Reduction and Bill consolidation then you would probably want a Domain Name with one or more of those words in it. If you need help finding Keywords to include in your Domain Name here is a free Keyword Suggestion Tool you can use http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

Now that you have some Keywords Picked out you can use either of these free Online Tools to help you find that perfect Domain Name

http://www.nameboy.com/ http://www.domaininformer.com/tools/

Some suggestions for our Debt Reduction theme is <ul> <li>DebtDispatch.com

<li>Debt-be-Gone.com

<li>Debt-No-More.com

<li>DebtNoMore.com </ul>

Step 3 Register Your Domain

Before you can Register your Domain name you need to make sure it is still available. You can go to the following Whois Server to see if your domain is taken: http://www.internic.net/whois.html You would simply type in one of the names from step 2 like DebtDispatch.com and see if it's available.

Once you have found that Perfect Domain Name and verified it is indeed available Internic has a List of approved Internet Registrars Here:http://www.internic.net/regist.html

You will notice that the List of Registrars is Long and confusing, A very Popular one is Goddaddy.com Their Pricing is very reasonable and they have a great reputation. Nameboy and Domaininformer from step 2 will also register your Domains.

Host Your Domain

Now All that is left is to host your Domain. There are hundreds of Web Hosts available some good and some not so good. It is really hard to know which ones to use. Findmyhosting.com has a Web Hosting rating service where users rate Web Hosts. They also Tell you the Up time History of your Web Hosts. Pick your Host Carefully. You may want to ask some of your friends and Associates which Hosts They use.

Now anytime you want a New Home on the Web Just follow this simple 3 Step System.

About the Author:
Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001 When he Built an Organization of over 100,000 Members

Mike uses and recommends Kiosk Web Hosting
<a target="_new" href="http://ewguru.com/kiosk">http://ewguru.com/kiosk</a>

Get Mike's Newsletter:
<a target="_new" href="http://ewguru.com/newsletter">http://ewguru.com/newsletter</a>

More Articles by Mike:
<a target="_new" href="http://ewguru.com/tips">http://ewguru.com/tips</a>

Protecting Your Domain Names

2009-01-13T16:50:00.001-08:00

Domain Dispute is no longer news unless a Madonna or Julia Roberts type of celebrity gets involved. However, greater now than ever is the risk for domain registrants to lose their domain names when they get involved in a domain dispute. The risk is originated from the Uniform Dispute Resolution Policy (the Policy) approved by ICANN and the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA) passed by U.S. Congress. The direct risk comes from reverse domain hijackers, biased panelists, and the unprepared registrants themselves.

Innocent registrants are prone to ignoring measures to protect their domain names. They tend to think they are safe and would win even if some party would complain to WIPO-the worst arbitration organization for innocent registrants. Thus, they often do not take steps to protect their domain names. As a consequence, they are likely to lose their domain name(s) in a domain dispute. Preparation both BEFORE and AFTER you receive a complaint is equally important. Generic domain names are no exception. <a href="http://Net-firms.com" target="_new">Net-firms.com</a> (<a href="http://usid.com" target="_new">usid.com</a> received a complaint from <a href="http://netfirms.com" target="_new">netfirms.com</a>) and <a href="http://netlearning.com" target="_new">netlearning.com</a> (the registrant received a complaint from NetLearning, Inc.) are just two examples proving how easy it is for a common word domain name to get hijacked.

The following suggestions may be useful when preparing yourself for a potential battle for your domain name(s).

1) Make sure your domain record, including the ownership and administrative contact information, is complete, correct, and current. If it is incorrect, the panelists will take it as evidence against you. Therefore, check your domain record often to see if any change is made without your authorization.

2) Write down your idea or business plan about what you would use your domain for and get it notarized.

3) If possible, register your domain name, i.e., <a href="http://yourdomainname.com" target="_new">yourdomainname.com</a>, as a trademark with the trademark authority in your country. If you registered your domain name as a trademark successfully, it is to your advantage. Once you establish your rights to your domain name(s), your domain name is entitled to legal protection even if it is stolen.

4) If you start up a business, register and or use your domain name as your business name, if possible. Use your domain name with the TM sign on your letterhead, envelope, business card, or wherever possible. When you design your web site, make sure to put the TM sign with your domain name. Print a copy and have it notarized by a local Notary Public. If your site is designed by others, make sure to get a certificate that shows your domain name on it.

5) When you do advertising, make sure your domain name shows up in the ad. If you do online advertising, even with <a href="http://goto.com" target="_new">goto.com</a>, print a copy of your link ad that is properly dated. Keep a copy of that ad and all communications between you and your ad service provider as evidence.

6) If you are not planning to use your domain name in the near future, register it as an intent-to-use trademark with your trademark authority. For coveted domain names, i.e., mostly single worded and popular, yet generic names, you may not be able to get them registered as a trademark. For those domain names, use them as soon as possible for any legitimate purpose, such as for business, non-profit, or even a personal or fun activity.

7) When using a domain name, try to use a fee-based web hosting service that would enhance the impression of seriousness of your business. Free web hosting is costly because it will harm your business in various ways.

8) Never merely put simple links on the pages and never link your domain to porn sites. By doing so, you will be doomed if you come across some self-authorized or puritan panelists.

9) If you consider selling your domain, do not sell it until you establish your rights to it. When you receive any offer to purchase your domain name, do not answer unless you know who the person is. The inquirer may be a spy. Again, talk to a lawyer if possible before you do anything.

10) When challenged directly by a company or individual, you should never answer until you consult a legal professional. Any of your good-willed answers may be used as evidence against you later or help your challenger to shape a plan against you. Do not put out a web site for your domain in a hurry as a response to the challenge you receive. Such an action may prompt some panelists to believe you have done some thing wrong.

11) When you receive a complaint from WIPO, you should RESPOND if you want to defend your domain name(s). Many panelists would treat you lightly and rule in favor of the complainant if you fail to respond. If your domain name is critically important and you are well financed, hire a COMPETENT lawyer! The fee can be anywhere between $1500 and $5000 per response. Or, some lawyers will charge on an hourly basis, usually between $200 and $500 per hour. Do some searching and ask for references when you choose a lawyer. Furthermore, you should consider paying $1500 to have a three-panelist panel. With WIPO, you are likely to lose if only one panelist is assigned to your case. When you request three panelists, you have the right to designate one panelist for the dispute panel. By carefully choosing a registrant-friendly panelist, you will increase your likelihood of winning.

12) If you lose at WIPO, you have 10 days to appeal to your local federal court or the court that has jurisdiction over the registrar. 13) If the challenger goes directly to court to sue you, you should file your response timely. Do not get scared because the plaintiff may do this simply as a tactic to scare you by the fact that a court action is more expensive than dispute arbitration. The most important thing is to establish your rights to your domain name. Keep any and all evidence that is indicative of your using your domain name for a legitimate activity. And finally, be careful to avoid the traps that would endanger your rights to your domain names.

The tips in this article are intended for reference only and should not be construed as legal advice.

About The Author

Dr. Peter Liu is a consultant to <a href="http://Marsgerm.com" target="_new">Marsgerm.com</a> web hosting service at <a href="http://marsgerm.com" target="_new">http://marsgerm.com</a>. He runs <a href="http://www.domainmanual.com" target="_new">http://www.domainmanual.com</a>. Contact him at <a href="mailto:shopseek2@yahoo.com">shopseek2@yahoo.com</a> if you have any comment.

<a href="mailto:new@domainmanual.com">new@domainmanual.com</a>

Get Your Own Domain Name Or Die Online

2009-01-13T10:00:00.001-08:00

Would you buy from someone with an "@yahoo.com" e-mail address? I wouldn't. And the clients I've had the most trouble with use yahoo addresses or other free addresses. I understand that you don't want your regular e-mail address in ads that your run on free ad sites to prevent spam, but lets use some common sense here.

If you don't buy anything from yahoo's off line why would you buy from a yahoo online? If you're serious about your business you have to show it in your actions. The first action to take is to buy your own domain name and use it for all of your e-mails.

Lets say there's a Bob Jones who starts up an online company. Will you be quicker to buy from him and trust him if his e-mail address is "bob@starpower.com" or if you read an ad from "bobjones711@yahoo.com?" He's the same guy, but which address makes you trust him more and believe he's a legitimate business?

Even if you're not ready to put up a site (which you should be if you're marketing online), at least create a professional presentation with your e-mails. They're your main form of communication online and it's the main brand people see when you communicate. Everytime you send an e-mail you're advertising. Do you realize this? You'll never make decent money online if your e-mail address ends with "@aol.com."

When you come up with a great name for your site or business get a ".com", not a ".net" or ".info" or ".tv" or ".someotherwordpeopledontthinkoffirst." If you can't get a ".com" for your name, then come up with another name.

Since my main site is www.NetMarketingMastery.com and that's a bit long to type out, I also use www.nmmastery.com for people to get to the same site and use sopan@nmmastery.com for my e-mail address.

There are 877 and 888 numbers that do the same thing as 800 numbers, but what do you think of first?

Have ever you ever heard anyone talk about 888 numbers? How many times? Okay, now how many times have you heard people talk about 800 numbers? 888 and 877 numbers are known as the step brothers and sisters of 800 numbers.

Similarly, when you want to send a package overnight what company do you think of first? Probably Federal Express because they were the first company to do overnight shipping. You can use UPS or Airborne Express or some of the other smaller companies, but FedEx is the company that gets the most business because they're thought of first. You need to have a ".com" domain because that's where visitors will go first no matter how many new domain endings are created years and years from now.

If you have ".net" domain name then you'll be setting yourself up to lose visitors to whoever has the ".com" domain for your name. Outside of earthlink.net how many ".nets" come to your mind right now? On the other hand, how many ".coms" can you think of?

When you hear about a cool company and want to see if they have a website do you try their name with a ".com" or with a ".net" or ".info" or ".tv" 0r ".anythingelsebesidesa.com?" I'll bet money that you try the ".com" first everytime and you always will because it's always going to be your first choice.

So if you haven't already, go buy a domain for your birth name and get crackin' on coming up with a great name for your business and go buy a domain for that name before it's taken. Honestly, we're talking about a $15 a year investment. If you're not willing to invest $15 into your business then you don't have a business. If you want to be taken seriously you have to have your own domain name or you will die online trying to make money. Period, end of story.

About The Author

Sopan Greene, M.A. is a marketing & life coach & editor of the Net Profits newsletter. Grab Your 2 FREE eBooks & a FREE report: "Million Dollar Emails" "How To Start Your Own Traffic Virus" & "The 13 Deadly Internet Marketing Mistakes Almost Every Business Is Making..." mail to: <a href="mailto:webmaster87-5956@autocontactor.com">webmaster87-5956@autocontactor.com</a>

<a href="http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com" target="_new">http://www.NetMarketingMastery.com</a>

Domain Parking Explained

2009-01-13T07:00:00.001-08:00

Allan is the webmaster at NameSearchDomain.com where you can find out all about <a target="_new" href="http://www.namesearchdomain.com/">Domain names</a>.

Choosing A Domain Name

2009-01-12T14:00:00.001-08:00

--About Domain Names--

Choosing a domain name for your web site is a major step for any individual or organization. You need domain names that are sticky, short, meaningful, easy to remember and at the roll of your tongue!

It is very easy to choose a domain name but difficult to find a good name, simply because of the fact that most of the good domain names are taken up by organisations. These domain name organisations take up hundreds of thousands of domain names and treat them as investments. It is not as easy to choose a good domain name. Sometimes, even web professionals spend hours at their computers to find good domain names!

Domain name registrations are cheap to maintain and subscriptions typically last a year. The subscriptions are renewable and paid to registrars by the design companies.

The most common domain names end with .com, .net, etc. Country specific domain names will end with com.au, co.uk, .co.jp, etc. For organisations, domain names will end with .org or be country specific- .org.au, .org.uk, etc.

Not sure about domain names and web sites? Seek web professional help.

Lester Boey works in an Australian SEO and Web Design company (<a target="_new" href="http://www.definiteweb.com">Australian Search Engine Optimization and Web Designs Company</a>). His life revolves around SEO; providing full-time and freelance seo services to US and Australian businesses. Email: <a href="mailto:projects@definiteweb.com">projects@definiteweb.com</a>

42 Killer Domain Secrets Exposed!

2009-01-12T10:10:00.001-08:00

The Basic Stuff

Every website needs a domain name. Example "WebBootCamp.com" is a domain name. Your domain is your website address, a.k.a. URL (universal resource locator). Should you use your company name for your domain? Maybe, maybe not. Is it memorable? Easy to spell? Does it contain keywords that relate to your business? For more considerations on choosing a domain, I've put together the following checklist.

Pick a memorable name. How catchy is it? Would the average person be able to remember just your website name, without looking through their bookmarks (if they have even bothered to bookmark it, that is)?

Make it easy to spell! Face it, most people can't spell. Try to target for the masses when you pick your name. Think of everyone having a 7th grade education.

Make it short, try for a two or three word domain. When possible, name your company the same as your domain name. Whether you actually add .com to your company's name makes little difference.

Use keywords in your domain. Try services like <a href="http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/" target="_new">http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/</a>, <a href="https://adwords.google.com/select/tools.html" target="_new">https://adwords.google.com/select/tools.html</a>, and <a href="http://wordtracker.com" target="_new">wordtracker.com</a> to see what people are searching for, in BIG NUMBERS, related to your subject.

Don't use numbers or hyphens. These are easily overlooked or forgotten when people type in your domain. Unless you're using a stand out combination like 911alert or 123homerepair, don't go numeric. If you use hyphens, then every time you tell someone your domain, you have to say "it's blah-blah-blah.com - with the hyphens". This is not impressive, and you risk losing traffic to blahblahblah.com. You're asking your potential customers to work harder, to remember tedious details about your name. Simplicity is important, because you want them to find you. You're building a brand here.

Don't buy any other extension except a ".com" This is the best branded domain extension, highly known and trusted. Any other extension is practically worthless, in my book. In addition to being first in the minds of the public, remember also that most people trying to find a company will put a com after that company's name in their browser. It's second nature to most of us. A .org can bring attention for non profits, but even most of those companies will try to purchase a .com as well.

Avoid running names together that end in a vowel and begin in a vowel. EXAMPLE: freeebook.com Also try to avoid having the second word start with the same letter as the last letter of the last word. These combinations can look weird, and are often likely to be misread or simply forgotten. By avoiding these two combinations, along with numbers and hyphens, we make sure our words (and our brand) will stand out.

EXAMPLE: WebmasterNow.com

Good For Starting Sentences, Not Domains

Avoid starting your name with THE, or A, if being used as the word A. EXAMPLE asimplehome.com - "a" is likely to be forgotten. While it is true that directory listings usually list alphabetically, search engines do not.

If you can come up with a catchy name starting with "a", by all means, do so. You may find yourself first in the yellow page listings. Have a look there first, and see what the competition looks like. What are their names, how do they rank?

Now, here's where it gets interesting. You'll see that names starting with numbers get displayed first (for non paid listings). So the big question becomes, is yours the type of product or service that will do well from yellow page traffic? You must carefully weigh this against overall branding of your company.

You could of course, have more than one domain, and more than one brand for your company, but be careful about promoting the same sites with different names to the same search engines. You could find yourself banned from those search engines altogether.

Brand New?

Don't pick your name as your domain name, unless you're famous. Names aren't keywords (won't help your search engine rankings), and usually easily forgotten. Unless you've built a big brand around your name already, stick to a good key phrase! It is much easier to brand.

Who's who, and is my name taken?

To search available domains, and to find out who owns registered ones, use the whois function at <a href="http://www.internic.net." target="_new">http://www.internic.net.</a> If you come across a registered domain, it will show you where it was registered. The next step to detecting the identity of the actual owner, is to visit the registrar (this is where the domain was registered) site listed, and use their whois search. This should provide you with name, address, phone number and email of the rightful owner. Unfortunately, this information is not always available, but it is most of the time.

A Common Myth Equals Missed Opportunities

All the great domains are taken. Hogwash! The dirty little secret is, thousands of great domains expire every day! Here's a handy resource for finding great expired and expiring domains - <a href="http://deleteddomains.com" target="_new">http://deleteddomains.com</a> - I've found some real gems here, like webbootcamp.com, webmastertoolset.com, customoilpainting.com and customoilpaintings.com - all formerly owned and let go, just to name a few.

When applicable, do try to get the singular and plural versions of your domain like we just saw with customoilpainting(s). When one could be easily be mistaken for the other, it helps to be covered this way. You're also protecting your brand.

Another expiring domain service to check out is <a href="http://snapcheck.com" target="_new">snapcheck.com</a>. They have some interesting statistics for expiring domains, such as google page rank and yahoo and dmoz listed domains. Bear in mind that any "perceived value" on a domain put there by a search engine listing or page rank is inherently fleeting. That's because the content that was responsible for that listing is now gone, and it is simply a matter of time before the search engine's spiders crawl the site again, and re-evaluate it's content. In other words, the search engine ranking is very likely going to disappear soon, unless you quickly repopulate the site with compelling content, worthy of the rank the original site had.

Roads To Nowhere, No Stops Ahead

One tasty bonus that accompanies a popular site is link popularity. This is how many other websites link to the domain in question. Think of a link as a road into your website. Quite often, webmasters do not update their links when the site they're linking to changes or disappears altogether. So if you find an expired (or soon to be expired) domain with high link popularity (many links to the domain), it may well stay that way for some time to come.

Case in point: special-report-network.net was once a very successful ad network run by online marketing guru Allen Says. For reasons unknown, he shut down the site and let the domain expire. The domain had over 14,000 links pointing to it! The weird part is, it still does! Want proof? Go to <a href="http://alltheweb.com" target="_new">alltheweb.com</a> and search for "link:http://www.special-report-network.net", without the quotation marks. This will show all the sites linking to it. The domain got snatched up by Ultimate Search, a hong kong company that registers thousands of domains, and makes money from paid search results. The site has nothing to do with the original ad network site that Allen built and made successful, yet the links remain, and links equal traffic.

Bear in mind not all links are created equal. Link farms (A.K.A. FFA or "free for all" links pages), and seldom visited by real people. Instead, automated programs add people's URLs when they submit to a mass submission service, hoping to generate big traffic. Instead, all they get is a bunch of spam, which they've agreed to receive, in order for using the service.

How can I snag that expiring hottie?

When you find a name that is pending deletion (the owner hasn't renewed it), the next step is to try to secure it, the moment it becomes available. Strangely, domains do not fall back into the pool of availability the day they expire. It can take up to 60 days or more in some cases for them to "drop", and the times are not announced. Thankfully, there are automated services to perform this task for us, such as <a href="http://Namewinner.com" target="_new">Namewinner.com</a>, <a href="http://Snapnames.com" target="_new">Snapnames.com</a>, <a href="http://Expirefish.com" target="_new">Expirefish.com</a>, and <a href="http://Pool.com" target="_new">Pool.com</a>. Prices vary, and none can guarantee success.

Namewinner lets users bid against each other for expiring domains and only the winner pays, while Snapnames and Expirefish are first come, first served, meaning only one user has a shot at grabbing a particular domain. Snapnames also has the most registrar partners, (including Network Solutions), which may give them an edge for securing expiring domains that are currently registered with their partners. They also have the highest price tag, and you pay whether or not they secure your name. <a href="http://Pool.com" target="_new">Pool.com</a> is a newcomer that seems to rival the services of Snapnames, with better prices.

One more method you might try, is going directly to the current owner. Let's say your desired dropping domain is already "back ordered" on <a href="http://Snapnames.com" target="_new">Snapnames.com</a>, and <a href="http://Expirefish.com" target="_new">Expirefish.com</a>. Now you can still bid for it at <a href="http://Namewinner.com" target="_new">Namewinner.com</a>, and <a href="http://Pool.com" target="_new">Pool.com</a>, but you feel the odds are against you. If you're really hot on the name, and willing to pay a premium, you may be able to bypass the solutions above, simply by cutting a deal with the current owner.

This can be a bit risky however, because once the owner realizes your interest, they may decide to ask for a unreasonable sum of money, or simply see value in the domain again (generated from your interest), and renew it as an investment. Assuming you can make a deal, you may want to suggest using <a href="http://escrow.com" target="_new">escrow.com</a>, which eliminates the possibility of fraud for both of you. The owner will need to renew the domain before they can transfer it to you.

The Website Graveyard - Visit Those Spooky Remains!

Once you've found a deleted or soon to be deleted domain you fancy, you might want to take a trip into the past, to see what that site used to be! Now bear in mind most domains that are registered are never developed, so there may be nothing at all to see. But for those domains with a tangible history, we can often peek at their ghost, courtesy of the wayback machine at <a href="http://www.archive.org." target="_new">http://www.archive.org.</a>

One Owner, Driven Only On Sundays

Another way to check the history of a domain, is simply to search for it. Try searching google, and <a href="http://groups.google.com" target="_new">groups.google.com</a>, to see what people may have said about the site. You may think twice about purchasing a domain with a sketchy history.

Speculators Beware!

Don't go overboard and buy every known extension for your brand - (.net, .org, .biz, .info, etc.). Big corporations like google can afford to buy all the country domains. When you're starting out, remember, domain fees are yearly, and you need to consider the lifelong cost of each domain. For most people, one domain is just fine.

You may think snatching up good domains and reselling them would be a lucrative business. The problem is, finding a buyer is not easy. In fact, that's an understatement.

Don't register domains containing trademarks. You will likely here from that company's legal department if you do, and will be forced to relinquish the name by The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), or a lawsuit, or both.

Who's in charge?

Icann (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) oversees the domain registration business. Their URL is <a href="http://www.icann.org." target="_new">http://www.icann.org.</a> If you ever have trouble with your registrar, it may be worth reporting to Icann.

Case in point: A client of mine tried to switch his domain to another registrar (at my suggestion), to get added free features (free URL forwarding), and save money. His current registrar denied the transfer, and tried to charge him a fee for leaving! Once we threatened to take up the matter with Icann, and publicly expose them at Icann's forum (http://forum.icann.org/regxfer), they immediately backed down, and released the domain.

If you believe someone has registered a domain that infringes on your trademark (or has infringed on your intellectual property), the authority to see is The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), at <a href="http://wipo.org" target="_new">http://wipo.org</a>

Brand Awareness

Capitalize each word of your domain in your sig files and letterhead, and anywhere else you advertise your domain. It helps your brand stand out.

EXAMPLE: <a href="http://www.WebBootCamp.com" target="_new">http://www.WebBootCamp.com</a> looks better than <a href="http://www.webbootcamp.com" target="_new">http://www.webbootcamp.com</a>

Also, only add in <a href="http://www." target="_new">http://www.</a> when you're creating links back to your site (i.e., email, websites, and online forms). In all your offline advertising, such as signs, business cards and letterhead, you should definitely skip http://www. and just use "YourDomain.com". You only have a second or two of people's attention when they see your URL, so make it count. Brand that name! Just make sure your web host has your site set up to show without WWW. Most sites are correctly set up to display when a person types in "YourDomain.com", or "www.YourDomain.com" but a handful, maybe 10% or so will show page not found, if you skip "www". That could be devastating, so check with your host, and demand that your site come up either way!

Ready To Buy Your .com?

Don't overpay! I'm still surprised that many people don't know they can buy domains for under $10 these days. Shop around. Currently I recommend <a href="http://www.TOSDomains.net." target="_new">http://www.TOSDomains.net.</a> They offer a lot of extras like URL and email forwarding, free.

Keep Your Registration Current!

Don't let your domain expire! You cannot afford to be even a day late in payment. If it falls into the redemption period, you may find yourself high jacked by your registrar for an outrageous renewal fee. See this illuminating article for more about the redemption period - "Domain Redemption Period Farce Exposed!" here: <a href="http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1034" target="_new">http://www.sitepoint.com/article/1034</a>. If your expired domain falls back into the available pool, it may be registered by anyone, and you may have little recourse trying to recover it.

The easiest way to ensure you are sent renewal notices for your domain is to keep your email contact current for your domain. Perhaps the most common reason for people losing their domains, is simply that they switch ISPs, and subsequently, their email address changes, and they forget to update that information with their domain registrar.

If you own a lot of domains, keeping up with administration can be tedious. One trick I rely on, is to use one domain for my primary business email address, and on that registration "admin" contact, I use my ISP email. For all my other domain registrations, I use my primary business email address (based on my primary domain, which I will never let go). Now, if I should switch ISPs, all I need to concern myself with is changing that one domain record, to reflect my new ISP email. All my other domain records have that primary domain email as the admin contact, so as long as I keep the one record current (and keep the email account active), all will be current, and all domain renewal notices will be sent to me.

In the end, it's not so much about the name, as it is what you make of it. Just look at all the big successful internet companies out there with strange names! Yahoo!

To learn how to set up your domain to point to your hosting account, I recommend the reading materials in Web Boot Camp, an all inclusive "how to" guide for web business. Get web savvy today! <a href="http://www.WebBootCamp.com/r.cgi?main" target="_new">http://www.WebBootCamp.com/r.cgi?main</a>

About The Author

Jim Symonds publishes Web Secrets Exposed! Eye popping, and jaw dropping, sneaky little web design tricks & web marketing secrets revealed. How did they do that? We show you! Subscribe Now FR*E! Just Go To: <a href="http://www.WebSecretsExposed.com" target="_new">http://www.WebSecretsExposed.com</a>

Dot Com or Dot Net, Which is the Best Domain Name to Settle for?

2009-01-12T07:40:00.001-08:00

When seeking domain names most people get confused over whether to settle for a dot com address or a dot net one. More so in recent times when dot net addresses have risen in popularity and usage on the net.

There are a few important facts that one needs to realize before they opt for a dot net address. Quite often when people need to commit the address of a website to memory, they will not remember the dot net and the first place they will check is the given address with a dot com ending. Many times when they do not find it there, they will hardly ever think of using dot net to repeat the search. That is a lost visitor and maybe even potential client.

What is even more worrying is that there is increasing evidence to suggest that an increasing number of people end up at a website after hearing about it either from a friend or acquaintance, or by seeing an advertisement on Television or hearing about it on radio or reading something about the site. When committing the website address to memory very few will distinctly remember the dot net address if that is the domain name that you have chosen.

Having said that, let us also appreciate the fact it is becoming increasingly difficult for anybody to land a decent dot com address. After years of use, there is hardly any short catchy name that you can think of that will not have been already taken up. Do not even mention search-engine key word friendly domain names which will be virtually impossible to get. This is the reason why folks often settle for a dot net address. Others do not even bother to start their search with dot com domains. This is a big mistake despite the unavailability of good dot com domains, which we have already acknowledged.

Exhaustive efforts should be made to try and secure a dot com domain before you give up and move to dot net. For example you can try and search for abandoned domain names. In fact by making an effort to be really creative and not hurrying the process, it is quite possible to secure a reasonably good dot com domain. You can be sure that it will be well worth the extra effort and time you put into it which will result in better success when you begin to seek traffic. Of course if you just cannot get a dot com domain, a dot net one is a good second choice.

About the author: Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for Website Source, Inc. <a target="_new" href="http://www.websitesource.com">http://www.websitesource.com</a>. Her established writing skills coupled with experience in the <a href="http://www.websitesource.com" target="_blank">website hosting</a> industry have provided internet professionals with marketing, product and service ideas for many years.

What You Need to Know About Choosing A Domain Name

2009-01-11T04:00:00.001-08:00

Aside from the nuts and bolts of where to register your domain name and purchasing a good economical hosting service, there are a few things to know about buying a good domain name, that only experience can teach. Here are a few tips to get you started on the right foot:

1. Buy only ".com" and don't trouble yourself with the others. Although the domain name players have gone to some trouble to publicize and market to us about the availability of other extensions such as .org, .net, .us and others...there is still no real reason to buy anything but ".com."

If you currently have a domain name that is not a ".com," I strongly suggest you obtain it. Or, if that's not possible, consider finding a new domain name.

The rationale is simple: if the point of having a website is to get people to visit it, the best rule of thumb is to make it easy to remember. If your customers have to think in order to get to your website, and maybe even have to type in a wrong domain first before they finally reach you...you want to change that so they don't.

2. Buy your own personal name. What better way to make it easy for your customers to find you? As you become better known online, and as you build your customer database, it will become increasingly important for your customers to be able to find you based on your personal name.

Buying your personal name allows you to build credibility for your brand identity and makes it easy to "Google" you. Ever tried typing in just your first and last names at Google? Try it and see what happens. If you aren't showing up in the results, you will want to work on this. And buying your own personal name as a domain name is a simple and very effective way to get going.

3. Buy the most common spelling mistakes for your domain. Even if you follow the advice in (2) above, it may be inevitable that some of your visitors will misspell your domain. It's human error.

So although these may not be obvious to you at first, it's worthwhile putting your antennae up in order to figure it out. The first hint? If you misspell your own domain name, chances are others will. Be sure to grab the most common ones.

Example: www.Google.com, www.Gogle.com and www.Gooogle.com all go to the same page. Why? Google "gets" that lots of people type in too few or too many "Os" and has set it up so everyone gets to the right place.

4. Double check your domain names for odd or unintentional meanings. This one is a bit mixed, because if your domain name turns out to be something quite funny, it might be just that much more memorable and bring you free traffic. But you may not want to be remembered in that way, and the traffic that results could be a detriment to you. (The wrong target market just clogs up your system, uses bandwidth, and creates customer service inquiries you don't want.)

So do a double check to see if your domain says something you didn't expect.

What do I mean?

<a target="_new" href="http://www.newsextracts.com">www.newsextracts.com</a> is actually a clipping service, but could be interpreted to be something rather more racy.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.whorepresents.com">www.whorepresents.com</a> is actually a site where you can find a given actor's agent or manager, but can be interpreted to be something else.

Last but not least, as with everything online, ebusiness owners have the luxury of easily and quickly asking our customers most anything, including "What do you think is the best domain name for this project?"

So when in doubt, ask your customers what they think. Give them a choice of a few domains you've narrowed it down to, and offer a prize of some sort to encourage participation. It works, and you'll end up avoiding potholes along the way.

Andrea J. Lee coaches entrepreneurs and online business owners. As Thomas J.Leonard's General Manager, she helped build and manage the largest network and trainer of personal and business coaches in the world. Now the CEO of Andrea J. Lee Group of Companies, she writes, speaks and consults on Marketing, Internet and Business systems. For more helpful tips, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.39lessons.com/">www.39lessons.com</a>

Whats in a Domain Name?

2009-01-11T01:20:00.001-08:00

So now you've come to the conclusion that "super-duper.com" is the perfect domain name for your site and buy it. Congratulations, and welcome to the world wide web, "super-duper.com"!

Protect Your Domain Name or Risk Losing It

2009-01-10T19:20:00.001-08:00

Your domain name is an important part of your brand and identity. Losing it could be disastrous! Yet, month over month we see people lose their domain name, either because they ignore or forget to renew them, or do not keep their contact information - especially their email address - current and up to date.

A whole new industry has been created out of lost and neglected domain names. It is now common place for an expired domain name to be snagged the moment it is released back to the 'available' pool. These poachers will grab any domain name that has a decent search engine ranking and forward it to anything from a competitors web site, to a pay per click advertising site. They are hoping to have you pay a big ransom to get your domain name back or to capitalize on the residual traffic left over by your domain name's high search engine ranking.

There are steps you can take to protect yourself from these tactics: <ul> <li>Activate the 'Domain Lock' feature with your registrar. This prevents changes in contact info, DNS servers and most importantly, blocks transfer away requests that could be sent by a poacher trying to steal your domain name</li> <li>Keep your contact information, especially your email address current and up to date. Be sure to white list the domain name of your registrar so renewal and other important email notices don't get caught in your Spam filters. If you are worried about listing your email address in the public Whois database, ask your Registration provider about Whois Privacy Service</li> <li>Most registrars send out occasional Whois Confirmation emails to domain owners, giving them the opportunity to double check and correct any invalid or outdated information. Do Not ignore these emails, double check the information and correct any errors</li> <li>Be on the lookout for fraudulent renewal notices that arrive both in email and especially by regular paper mail. There are a few companies sending very officially looking paper mail renewal notices that look very much like invoices. They are not! They are carefully crafted marketing documents designed to fool an accounts payable clerk into thinking its a bill that has to be paid!</li></ul>

Your domain name registration provider should be more than a domain name clearing house. They should help you manage your domain name with locking and privacy solutions and most of all, help you protect your name and brand, the one you worked so hard to create. Talk to your domain name registration provider to be sure you have done everything you can to protect yourself today!

About the Author: Robert Schwartz has helped thousands secure and manage their Internet identity and is President of <a target="_new" href="http://www.lanechange.net">LaneChange.net</a> a Total Domain Management solutions provider. Find out more at <a target="_new" href="http://www.LaneChange.net">http://www.LaneChange.net</a>

How To Boost Affiliate Profits Using Secret Domain Tricks

2009-01-10T17:00:00.001-08:00

Want to increase your affiliate link click-through rates and profits?

Then you'll need to learn how to master your domain.

One of my favorite episodes of Seinfeld was the "master of your domain" show where the gang bet each other as to who could hold out the longest without giving in to self gratification. Whoever 'caved in' would have to lay down the cash.

The question - will the domain master you, or will you master the domain? There is a price to pay if it master's you.

In today's power tip, of course, I'm talking about an Internet domain. One that describes your piece of Internet real estate. If your mother catches you mastering this domain, she may actually be proud of you! ;-)

If you're not using this technique, you may be paying the price of lost customers. So let's get right to it.

Affiliate programs are the most popular choice of making money online. However, they're so common that most people recognize an affiliate link and are less likely to click on one because of the selfish notion that they might be contributing to someone else's success. But that's another Oprah ...

I want to show you how to conquer this issue while looking like a pro.

Take a look at the following examples. Each are affiliate URL's. But 2 of 3 are 'masked'; you don't know that they're affiliate addresses.

<li>www.greatproduct.com/98765/aff?=dude

<li>www.mysite.com/greatproduct.html

<li>www.thegreatestproduct.com

In should not matter which link to click if you are compelled to click to find out more information. However, human nature says that we are guided by our emotions. Therefore, each link may portray a different image to you.

Here's how to make your affiliate link stand out in the crowd.

Typically #2 is the most widely used and is very easy to put into place using a redirect script on your own domain.

You simply create a new file on your domain server, name it (ie:"greatproduct.html"), copy and paste the script code. Then enter the affiliate url address (where specified) that you want to forward to.

Now when someone clicks on the new sub-domain you created (ie: www.mysite.com/greatproduct.html), their browser will redirect to the affiliate site but appears to the prospect that it is your site.

A simple redirect script can be obtained by sending any email to the following address <a href="mailto:script@6figuremarketing.com" target="_new">mailto:script@6figuremarketing.com</a>

Now here's a really cool technique as seen in example #3.

Get your own domain! It's the most professional strategy and will gain instant credibility and trust which can increase your rate of click-throughs. More click-throughs equals more traffic which means more eyes on your product or service, which means more cashflow in your pocket. Just be sure to sew up that pocket hole you've been neglecting since 1977!

Ok, here's the cool part and you don't even need your own website to pull this off.

Go to godaddy.com and search for the availability of your desired domain. Register the name, but be sure to choose the 'redirect' and the 'mask' option. Cost? About $9 for one year. In about 48 hours, your domain will be live and kicking.

In example #3, if you chose www.thegreatestproduct.com and someone types that address in their browser, it not only redirects to the site you chose, but will show up in the prospects browser window instead of the site's real URL www.greatproduct.com/98765/aff?=dude

Did someone break out the pixie dust? It's marketing magic at it's finest!

Use this powerful technique to add credibility and professionalism to sub-domains and affiliate urls or any url where you want to increase your conversion rates.

Tip: Use your domain solely for tracking reponse rates to specific advertising campaigns such as pay per click, etc.

Follow these techniques and you'll soon be the master of your affiliate domain!

About The Author

Dave Lovelace an experienced Internet marketer, publisher, and product creator who holds the self-proclaimed title, "Third Laziest Man on The Internet". Subscribe to Dave's free course, How To Generate Free Traffic, Prospects, and Profits On a Zero Dollar Budget in 4 Easy Steps! Click here <a href="http://www.6figuremarketing.com" target="_new">http://www.6figuremarketing.com</a>.

What is a Domain Name and Where to Register?

2009-01-10T15:10:00.001-08:00

Good Luck with your domain name registration process and your start to your online marketing!

How Do I Get My Domain Name Appraised?

2009-01-10T11:20:00.001-08:00

What's your domain name worth?

Perhaps it is better to ask how much a potential buyer would be willing to pay to acquire your domain name. If there was some interest in your domain name, you ought to, at least, have some kind of idea of its value. Generally, is the domain good or bad? If good, how good is it?

If you were to visit any domain reseller sites, you will find literally thousands of ridiculous names. If you scrutinize their asking prices, it will leave you shaking your head in amazement. They run into the thousands and even millions. Names like ApeChatsWorth.com.....It would be better to let them expire or sell cheap if you can find a 'fool'.

So how do you tell if you have a winning name?

I know someone will be quick to say, "That's easy. Get them appraised."

Well, you could do that. But the problem with domain appraisals is that there are no industry standards. And you simply cannot put a market value on it and give an accurate appraisal by any standards. Perhaps, in that sense, a domain name is different from real estate because it is not something you can see or touch.

There are numerous companies and sites on the web that will evaluate your domain and give you their opinion on what your domain name is worth. Their services cost anywhere from between $10 to $50. They give you a nice certificate online. But let me tell you that, an appraisal certificate may not necessarily do anything for your domain name.

As can be expected, a single domain name can have vastly differing values when evaluated by different appraisers. Values can differ by tens of thousands of dollars.

You have probably heard it being said over and over again that a domain name is only really worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Or what the buyer and seller can agree on to make a deal. So even if a domain name has been evaluated at $2,000 but if no one wants to pay out more than $200 for it, it is obvious the real value of the name is far less than the perceived value that it was originally appraised for.

If you have absolutely no idea what your domain name is worth, getting a professional appraisal may be useful as well as to give you a basis for an asking price if there was indeed someone interested in the name or simply to decide what you want to do with the domain name. A potential buyer already interested in a domain name you have, may be further swayed towards your position by an independent appraisal.

However, let me caution you to be careful. There are a number of thriving scams on the internet designed to play on your emotions and get your money. One instance is when a so-called "buyer" feigns interest in your domain name but requests first for an appraisal from a particular appraiser, just to be sure of the market value, he claims. Then, insists that no other appraisers will do. It doesn't take a genius to see through this. If you pay for the appraisal, the so-called 'buyer' suddenly disappears, no doubt to fleece his next victim. Many fall for this cruel trick in their ecstasy imagining that finally, there was actually someone wanting their domain name. Before you spend any money, check out feedback on the website's services from other customers. You can do this at Alexa.com. Simply enter the name of the website and you can see reviews and feedback from other customers.

A genuine buyer who wants your domain name is interested in it, NOT because some appraiser says it is worth a princely sum. But only because he himself sees it's intrinsic value and/or has specific plans for the name. Keep this in mind.

There are a number of free domain appraisal services you could try just to test the waters around your name.

A number of domain name forums have active appraisal boards where you can post your domain names and someone will evaluate it for you. A search on your favorite engine will give you several options.

You may also have come across automated computer scripts online that give you a free instant evaluation of your domain name when you put in certain required details about your name. Those give you a ballpark figure but sometimes do grossly inflate the value. It is after all a script.

If you do decide to get and pay for a professional appraisal, make sure you are engaging a reputable company or you would end up blowing your money.

If you're still undecided, let me take a look at your domain name and I'll evaluate it for free. No obligations. See http://www.OpenForSale.com/ to submit your domain name.

Edwin John is the author of the top-selling domain ebook, "How I Sell My Domain Names." A guide that teaches domain owners how to find buyers for their domain names. Visit: <a target="_new" href="http://www.OpenForSale.com/">http://www.OpenForSale.com/</a>

How to Get Rich Playing With WORDS!

2009-01-09T17:10:00.001-08:00