Friday, November 25, 2011

Three Reasons To Register An XXX Domain - Or Not!

.XXX is on the way and there appears no way to stop it.


So what to do, buy in or ignore it? There are probably more reasons to register an .XXX domain than the three I'm proposing, but these are the only three that make some sort of sense to me: first reason, you're in the porn business; reason two, you're looking to make an investment; three, you are looking to protect your brand.


At first glance reason number one looks like the best reason to register a .XXX; after all, if you're in the porn business and these domains are officially for porn sites only, shouldn't you have one? Oddly one of the business sectors most fervently opposed to .XXX was the porn industry. Porn dealers felt that making an official porn domain would only further stigmatize and ghettoize them. Not only would porn filters find it easier to keep them out, but paying customers would stay away to avoid being stereotyped dirty-old-men (or women) by search bots and cookies; every industry has dot-coms, but only one will use dot-xxx.


Reason number two, buying .XXX as an investment, looks like a loser at the moment. For one thing they're expensive, selling in the hundred dollar range; for another, how popular can they be if their own industry isn't thrilled with them? Most porn sites are still happy with their dot-coms; they have no intention of giving them up or allowing them to be taken away without a fight. Besides, with the recent ICANN announcement allowing unlimited generic domain names, how long do you think it will be before someone with money decides to underwrite .PORN--or even better .SEX. Which do you imagine will bring a better price, .XXX or .SEX? The only thing that could change this equation is the growing opposition to ICANN's new plan; if such powerful groups as the Association of National Advertisers have their, way the idea of an unlimited proliferation of domain names will be strangled in the crib.


Reason number three, protecting your brand, is perhaps the best reason to register a .XXX domain. Existing porn sites as well as trademarked, heavyweight businesses and national organizations of all kinds are already doing exactly that. Bet on the same people owning the dot-com "sex" and the dot-xxx "sex;" while the dot .XXX's for "IBM" or "NCAA" will never see the light of day! The real question for each of us lesser luminaries is, can our brands withstand the existence of a porn site with the same second-level name and a .XXX? That's a question that each individual domain-name registrant must ask themselves. Chances are they can; chances are most registrants' don't own all the possible domain extensions like "net," "org," "info," or "co" for their brands now. Why worry about one more? And for those that think they must, you had better hope ICANN is stopped before the floodgate of new domains opens because you will never stop paying.


Mike Nardine owns CheapMikesDomains where you benefit from cheap domains and affordable, reliable hosting along with friendly, individualized attention and free advice. Give us a try. You will never be just another number at Cheap Mike's!

Reduce the Risk of Getting Burnt When You Buy a Used URL By Doing Your Research Beforehand

Search engine visibility relies heavily on two key ingredients - your Website's Google PageRank and the power and applicability and of your Website's domain name or URL.


To promote a boost in Website traffic, some companies will purchase used URLs that had previously belonged to other companies. These companies are hoping to garner search engine traffic and branding benefits by purchasing these used URLs.


This might seem like a sure-fire, easy strategy for a company to gain more traffic, however there is substantial risk involved when choosing to buy a used URL. Purchasing a used URL is similar to buying a used car or truck - you take on any problems associated with the URL just as you do with a used car or truck. If you buy a used car or truck and a week later it needs a new alternator, it's your responsibility to pay to get it fixed. In comparison, if you purchased a used URL that has marks against it - or even worse it's been blacklisted by Google for violating its policies - those negative marks are now your problem.


The best way to avoid getting burnt by buying a used URL is to do your research in advance. Used URLs don't come with CarFax, but there are several free tools available for you to check out a URL's history and to keep you from purchasing a lemon. Some very basic research you should do include the following:

First check the WHOIS database. Here you can verify the registration history of the URL to see its original creation date. URLs that are several years old generally gain favor with Google.
Once you've checked the WHOIS database, you'll next want to verify if any of the URLs pages have been cached by Google. Verifying cache is a very simple procedure. Simply type in "cache:yourwebsite.com" into the Google search and hit return. If the search query returns no results, that could be a red flag that Google has blacklisted the URL you're looking to buy.
Lastly, you'll want to see what type of websites have backlinks to the URL. Make sure that any backlinks are related to the URLs content and purpose and aren't spammy or of adult content. To check backlinks to the URL, go back to Google and type in "link:yourwebsite.com" and run a search query. If the search returns less than ideal results and the URL has backlinks that look spammy or unrelated, you should probably avoid that used URL.

When it comes to used URLs, there isn't a guaranteed way to know if you're purchasing a dud, but you can decrease the likelihood getting burnt by doing your research before you buy.


Chris J Everett is the Owner of the Webvolution Designs Atlanta Web Design & SEO Company. An SEO/PPC enthusiast, he leads the development of custom web development and internet marketing projects for small and medium sized businesses. For more information, he can be contacted via his company website at http://www.webvolutiondesigns.com/

Thursday, November 24, 2011

List of Domain Names Available for Bidding: Are There Good Domain Names?

In the list of domain names for bidding, are there good domains? What you're after is having a good dot com name for your website. Yuck, such names are rare! All good domains that are of crucial market niches seem to have been already registered, talk of insurance.com, sex.com, business.com, realestate.com, cars.com, music.com etc.


Although this is the case, at one point, these names do expire. It is said that thousands of domains do expire each day. If the owners don't make any effort of renewing them when they're placed under the grace period and redemption period, then they're made available for fresh registration.


There are websites that capture a list of domains that have expired. Most of these websites have specialized in domain name auctioning. After they have successfully acquired these domains, they make them available in their website bidding page for anyone to bid. Do you believe that by just participating in such bidding you can acquire a good dot com name? If you don't believe this, then I assure you that several people have acquired good domains through bidding.


For example the person who owns sex.com acquired it through bidding. So, are there still good dot com names in bidding websites? Yes, it is only that you have to keep on checking such websites till you get your ideal domain name. Why do this? The reason is that these websites will be updating their list of domains available for bidding on daily basis.


For you to make this process easy, subscribe with them so as to keep you updated about the list of available domains. Now you're asking if there is a guarantee for you to acquire the domain name if you bid for it. To be frank on this, it depends upon who placed the highest amount of bid just like offline auctions determine the buyer by selecting the highest bidder.


Besides domain name bidding websites, you can also check with Ebay to see if you can acquire a good quality name that people are selling. By the way, eBay is the largest auctioning website in the whole world. So there are chances of you getting a good dot com name there or any other type of domain.


Two Terms Used


1.) Reserves Price


A reserve price is a price that is set with the aim of if only one person places a bid for that domain name on that exact price, then the domain name is sold to that person.


2.) Escrow Period


After the highest bidder is determined, the domain name is held for a period of hundred days that is from the expiry period before it is legally owned by the highest bidder. This period is what is termed as the escrow period and it's meant to safeguard the original owner from losing the domain name through redeeming it. If it is not redeemed, then the highest bidder becomes the legal owner.


Note that the bidding price does not include the renewal fee. So you have to pay for it and also you'll have to wait for 60 days to lapse in order to initiate any transfers for that domain name.


Every day we list available domain names on sale in Nikenya site, click the link to check out the ones that are available today.

Want To Become A Domain Trader? Think Again

Back in 1996/7 when I started building websites and buying domain names, the Internet was only just starting to take off. Then, you had loads of high quality domain name available and.com was the only sensible ending to a domain name.


At that time, I admit, I did not realize the opportunity in owning and reselling domains. I bought some good domains and played around with them for my own web designs but never had any real intentions on monetizing those sites or reselling the domains. When it came to renewing those domains I had lost interest in them and did not renew them. All of those domains are today used by big corporations for their websites. The following years saw the rise if the domain trading industry and domains selling for as much as several million dollars in some cases.


The current state of domain trading
Today, the domain trading industry has changed and slowed down. The reasons are many:


• Lack of good.com domains.
• More variety in domain name endings, for example.biz,.co,.me,.info & more.
• The arrival (and dominance) of Google search and social media.


In my opinion the main factor above is the arrival of Google that has revolutionized how people use search engines and find the content they are looking for. In the past users used to simply type in the name of the brand or the product they were looking for and add.com to the ending. That would give them the main site related to that product, brand or topic.


Today we barely look at web addresses. We simply ask Google and check out some of the page 1 results that Google provides us with. If we like it we either memorize the address or bookmark it in our browsers or via social bookmarking services such as Delicious. Because of this the domain name or the domain name ending does not play as much role as it used to for online marketers and thus lowering the importance of having that perfect domain name for your business.


What will the future bring for domain traders?
Things are not looking very good for domain traders these days. Increased role of social media is bringing in even more ways for people to discover things online and the major search engines are always working on ways to improve their algorithms to serve up just the right results for each search query.


If you are thinking about a career change then you might want to put the professional domain trader idea on ice for a while (at least). Sure, every now and then we will hear about domains (new and old) being sold for ridiculous amounts of money but those will be few and far between. This evolution is a good thing for sure as it puts the focus on quality content rather than just a domain name with the right words. This just underlines the fact that online - content is king.


EmergingMediaBlog.com helps you gain competitive advantage in your online marketing by educating you on best practices in internet marketing & social media for small businesses.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

What Are Parked Domain Names?

Internet sites have their own domain names which are basically their address in the World Wide Web highway. There may be several ways why people will register their domains in the internet, most of them for business purposes. However, there are times when people who want to reserve a domain are not interested in using their web address right away. The only way for them to reserve their domain without having to give it up or having to pay for monthly fees is to park their domain name. This arrangement is simply called domain parking.


There are a few services online which helps or allows a person to reserve or park a domain name for later use. This reservation can be used any time the domain owner is ready to use it. The thing with domain parking is that a lot of savings can be done by not having to pay monthly fees. The best thing is that the domain is still reserved for future uses. In simpler terms, this is can be compared to reserving a house and lot for future purchase. The reserved house and lot will not be sold to other people for a period of time.


Another way of possibly saving from this kind of arrangement is that there are now web hosting sites which make use of parked domains for advertisement publishing. This way, an underdeveloped site being still practically parked will have ads on its page, and this already allows the underdeveloped site to earn money. The domain resellers and other website hosting services make use of these parked domains by posting ads that earn while the sites are still not being used. There are even business plans regarding this issue that allows the owner to earn while having his or her domain name just being parked.


There is a popular term being used to describe the money making scheme that is used to take advantage of domain parking and that is monetization of parked domain names. There are now several web hosting companies which offer income for domain name owners who have their domain names parked under their hosting system. They take care of posting the ads which collect revenue as times passes, and they provide the domain name owners a percentage of the revenue being earned by the parked domains.


Nowadays having a website is really no longer the only way for a person to earn money. Even in little amounts, an investment such as domain reservation can grow just as long as one will take advantage of all the choices being laid out to him by legitimate hosting sites or hosting companies regarding domain reservation. One can even consider this kind of investment as a one-time investment since the only payment needed will be for the reservation of the domain name. The income generated is definitely more than the amount of money generated in the bank when one deposits his or her money in the bank.


I am a father of two gorgeous kids and lover of WordPress. My first intention was writing reviews on top webhosting and domain name providers but with time I've got more involved with WordPress and Web Design and I love it. You can visit my site DomainsFlow.com.

Crash Course on How To Find a Domain Name

When it comes to your online presence, few things are more important than your domain name. However, many businesspeople still do not realize how to find a domain name that fits their demographic and exactly why the name they choose matters. One good way to think of your domain name is to liken it to the outside of your building in the real world, if the outside of your building does not look trustworthy people may not go in, the same can be said for your domain name. There is a reason that certain names are sold for thousands upon thousands of dollars, because simply put, your domain name is of vital importance to your internet marketing.


Nevertheless, many people wonder why it matters to get their domain name now, after all they see no immediate need for a website. However, realize this, names are like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike. There is not going to be another name exactly like yours. It is unique, and once it is taken, it can be virtually impossible to get it back.


There are a few important things to remember if you are unsure how to find a domain name.


Try to get the.com one first


When it comes to extensions for a domain name, .com is without a doubt the most accepted one. If you are interested in having a domain name to launch your business a com account is going to add instant credibility to your business. Yes, there are exceptions to the rule that have shown that other extensions can be successful, but in reality, com is the way to go.


Shut down spelling errors


When you are looking for a name that fits you, try to find one that has only one possible way to spell it. There are quite a few people who forget an 'L' here and add an extra vowel somewhere else, make it easier for your visitors to find you by cutting down on possibly confusing spell.


Short and sweet


Are you more likely to remember 'Eerie' or 'Kleinfeltersville?' Both are located in Pennsylvania but you are much more likely to remember the shorter name. The shorter the name of your domain name is, the easier it is to type and to remember. Besides, if you have a short name it is much easier for your visitors to tell other people about your domain name as well.


Try to keep slang out of it


Even though the younger generations are going to understand what you mean if you texted 'wat u doin 2ite?' you still want to stay away from slang as much as possible. This can lead to a name being both hard to remember and confusing.


Hopefully you now understand how to find a domain name, as the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Domain Name System(DNS) Management Tips

The internet is full of resources that are stored across servers in various locations and accessible through Domain Names. These Domains are mapped to the location of data storage through the means of IP Addresses and this mapping is accomplished using a system of creating Resource Records called Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS for a Domain defines the location of the resource, relevant to the particular Domain, and is retrieved as the DNS resolution of the Domain happens. The DNS resolution starts when a user requests for a Domain at the browser and ends with either the web page on screen or a relevant error message.


Most Domain Registration providers offer DNS Management as a part of the Domain Management control panel, however, this used to be a chargeable service until not too long ago. Slowly the providers have realized that DNS Management service, is an integral part of the Domain and thus has to be provided without a cost. Now, while it may look that DNS Management is necessarily a part of your Domain Registration, it is not necessarily that way. In fact, it is always suggested that the DNS Management should be configured with your hosting provider. This is since all of your resources, for the Domain Name, is with the Hosting provider and therefore it is advisable that the DNS Management be done at the Hosting servers.


While there are quite a few DNS Management Records that can be added for a Domain Name, the most common are listed as below:


Address (A) Record:


This is the most basic of records and points a Domain to an IP Address. This record is used if the DNS Management provider and the Hosting provider for a Domain Name are 2 different companies.


Canonical Name (CNAME) Record:


These are records that are used as Domain aliases for multiple Domains. Like abc.in can be CNAME to abc.com, which will display the content of "http://www.abc.com" when a user requests for "http://www.abc.in".


Mail Exchanger (MX) Records:


The MX record is useful for designating the servers that handle emails for a said Domain Name. So if a user is sending an email to "abc@123.com", then the MX record will define the IP Address for the servers that is handling emails for 123.com, and the email process will proceed.


Besides the above, there are following DNS resource records can be added for a Domain Name:


1. NameServer Records


2. Text (TXT) Records


3. Service (SRV) records


4. Start Of Authority (SOA) Records


While DNS Management can be seen as a bunch of a few records that associate Domain Names to IP Addresses, it is the back bone of the internet and is the core requirement for the smooth functioning of all internet services.


Author is a SEO expert at a Web Design in Mumbai Company

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Internet Marketing - How to Choose a Domain Name

Your website name does not have to be the same as your domain name, but not having them the same can cause some confusion if you plan to have customers. Your domain name should give some idea of what your website is about. Whether your website is for business or personal use, it is important to choose your domain name carefully. Many times your domain name will also be used as an email address. Here are a few tips to help you choose.


1. Choose a (.com) if you desire more traffic to your site. This extension is more common, easy to remember, and more widely accepted for credibility. You may want to consider getting the (.net) and (.org) extensions, also. The (.org) extension is usually suggestive of a non-profit organization.


2. Use easy common spelling. Avoid slang words, plurals, and the use of numbers.


3. Try to keep the name fairly short to make it easy to type and remember. Many of the shorter names will already be taken.


4. Use a keyword rich name as long as it makes sense. Try to use keywords as the first two words of your domain name.


5. Be careful of copyright infringement.


6. Hyphenated or not? Some people believe hyphenated names are more search engine friendly, but they leave more room for typing error and are not good for word-of-mouth recommendations. Imagine if someone told you they found some great deals at, "john doe online deals.com". You wouldn't know to type, john-doe-online-deals.com.


7. Choose a brand-able name. A short, catchy, and memorable name. You may choose to use your own name for branding.


Domain names cost approximately $10 a year. You don't need a website or a web hosting provider before you register a domain. I don't recommend registering one from your web hosting provider. This will prevent losing both if something unexpected happens or you want to change your hosting provider. There are many domain name services to choose from.


Think of several names you like before you start your search. The domain name service will make suggestions for you if your first choice is not available. Your name may not exceed 67 characters (including the extension). Only letters, numbers, and hyphens are allowed. Hyphens are not allowed at the beginning or the end of your name. When you find one you like, go ahead and get it registered before someone else does!


Glenda Cottrell invites you to find out more about Internet Marketing for beginners and get your free report at: http://internetmarketingsecretsfinder.com/

Domain Names For Marketing And Branding Initiatives

The importance of an eye-catching domain on the Internet cannot be over emphasized. The vast numbers of attention seeking products are attempting to grab that split second for the click on their website, which will open the door to a potential prospect.


There has to be that special quality that makes particular Website name create the wish to see more. Discovering the correct name for a specific marketing and branding imitative is to say the least, challenging, especially when considering that the name of domain can empower a business into huge customer awareness of a product, or destroy it before it even leaves the ground.


1. Short and easy to Say


2. Relevant to the Product


3. Easy to Remember


4. Reside in UK domain Space


A natural question relates to where a high quality, appropriate and significant domain can be found? If you're going to visit an online marketplace, ensure the site you chose exhibits the following key features


There's a massive portfolio of domain Providers


Names are categorized by or there is the ability to sort by business sector or niche


1. The site specialists in.co.uk names


2. Prices are clearly displayed


3. Being Visible Brings Success


The old of adage of "It Pays to be Professional" is particularly true in respect of marketing a product online. Beauty Domains are especially sensitive to a target market and with the huge and varied competition; it requires careful consideration and research to produce the right name for a domain. Whether it relates to a specific beauty product or multi-marketing, The names of domain plays a vital role in successful promotion.


With the Internet a major factor in the marketing, promotion and sale of products and services to a worldwide marketplace, it has now become imperative that a marketer has an influencing website Name. Longer is the delay in obtaining a distinctive and visible name to attract attention of consumers, the more problematic, it will become to get one! It is a simple matter to begin your quest for the right name for your product.


An impressive Domain no matter with what type of product they are associated with, including Beauty Domains and are part of any marketing formula.


A Domain Name must be included in any advertising materials handed to consumers as they are generally more easily remembered than telephone numbers. More consumers are flocking to the Internet for a convenient and greater shopping experience. Accordingly, websites names are increasingly being sought and bought as marketers seek to make their own impressions on this highly influencing medium. Online marketing may not now be regarded as an exception; consumers from any walk of life and from all over the world are extending their buying demands; are you keeping up with their pace?


A Domain Names plays a vital role in the success of website. So it is very important to choose it logically. Amazing domains offers some of the unique domains for you. For more Info visit http://amazingdomains.co.uk/.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Investing in the New Real Estate - Domain Names

If you've been online for any length of time, and tried to set up your own websites, you'll know that getting the right domain names for them is essential if you want to get the search engines, and then the visitors coming to your website; you're also going to know just how hard a good one is to get, too. So, have you ever thought about just how valuable domain names can be?


Just imagine this, for a moment; the first dot com domain names came onto the market, and the demand was nowhere near as high as it is now; you could have bought one of the top level domains about diets, health, weight loss, or something similar, and even if you did nothing else with them you could be selling them for a huge profit today.


Of course, people wouldn't have just been stockpiling domains then; you'd have built a site around them, been getting a lot of visitors, probably more than just a few sales of a product each day, and you could have then sold the whole website for more money than you were ever going to make in a year at your old job. Just makes you think, doesn't it?


Naturally, not all domain names are going to have the same appeal when you come to sell them on. If you do your keyword research properly, and have managed to buy one of the top level (.com,.net etc) domains, based around keywords that you know people are searching for, then you could see the value substantially increase over time. If, however, you buy one of the domain names that aren't so popular, what have you lost? Most will only cost around $10 per year, and that's a small amount to lose in comparison to some other 'investments' that you could be making, right?


Not so long ago it was announced that new domains were going to be made available that would let anyone - with the money - apply to have their own top level domain extensions; so towns could start to apply to have a domain named after them e.g..London; and that would open up even more opportunities for the wise investor in domain names.


Just think; if you knew that these were going to be made available, and you wanted to create an online business where you sold advertising space to local businesses, how much easier would the sale be if you had the name lawyers Los Angeles, for instance? Do you think that the lawyers would be more interested in listing in a directory that's that specific to their local area? Of course they would.


While it has been true in the past that land is a good investment - because they aren't making any more of it - it doesn't mean that it's always going to hold its value, so it may be time to switch your ideas about which sort of real estate you want to invest in.


There are a lot of ways that you can make domain names an investment that's going to pay you dividends; you have to get the ground work done properly first, though.


Find keywords that people are searching on, and see what's available to buy. If you can't get the dot com that you're after then think about one of the other TLDs (top-level domain) that are on offer; most people don't go for them as often, but, if your traffic is coming from the search engines then the TLDs aren't as important to the visitors to your site.


If you think of any domain names that you know are going to be popular, and will be even more popular if you can get a town name in the TLD, then write them down for future reference, and wait to see what's happening next.


So, while it may be a gloomy time for normal real estate, the future of online real estate, in the form of domain names, looks to have an exciting time on the horizon, and it's so much cheaper investing in domains.


For more information on this exciting new opportunity Investing in Digital Real Estate visit http://www.flippingdigitalrealestate.com/

3 Effective Domain Name Tips

Did you know that an effective domain name has a huge impact on the kind of website (internet business) you intend to build? First, your domain name is what makes the web address of your website to be very unique. It's upon you to make it easy for people to remember it and also for them to type it easily on their web address bar. You have to choose an effective name.


To help you with choosing an effective website address, I have prepared these tips.


1.) An Effective Domain Name Is Presentable


What this means is that the domain you choose needs to be agreeable with what your website intends to offer. You should also have your website name inside your website URL, which is the best way to get your visitors to remember your site. This way, whenever a visitor comes to your website, you won't make him to think what the domain name was.


A problem with having the website's name in the URL is that it could be spelled different and the user could end up on a competitors site. For instance, assume your URL is "mysuperwebsite" and the user types in "mysuperbusiness" and heads straight to your competitor instead and therefore, you lose the sale. Keep in mind that thousands of people and businesses are registering their domains daily, which could end up posing a problem trying to get the effective domain that you truly want.


If you're just getting started, you might just want to register your domain with what is available. If you have already began promoting your brand name and cannot change it, but someone else already has the effective domain you want, head over to "Whois" and find out who owns it. You may be able to purchase it from him.


2.) Correct Length of An Effective Domain Name


Keep in mind that domains can be up to 67 characters and there are variations of what length your effective domain should be. Having a shorter name has an advantage because it is easier for users to remember as well as being easier to type.


Interestingly, some longer domains appear to be easier for the memory than those that are too short. For example, if long names were replaced by abbreviations it would make it easier for people to remember the combination of letters even if together they make no sense, so consider this.


I assume it would be a great choice to use a shorter domain, but make sure that it is meaningful. In addition, do not use symbols in your domain such as hyphens since it is too easy to forget this when someone types it.


3.) Effective Domain Name Have the Right Extension


Selecting an extension for your domain depends on all what your website is about. If it were a local business such as a restaurant, then you would take on the country domain name. This way you'll be having an effective domain which is useful for your business. Those that find your site will know where your business is and this tells them that you're engaged in a local business.


Common TLDs include dot com, dot org, and dot net. These can be used when you plan to reach a more international audience. Some domains require that you represent a specific entity such as universities or education which take on the dot edu extension, whereas, for information websites one can use dot info.


You can see how vital it is to get your very own effective domain and it is best to get one that correlates to the website and the activity of the site. However, the main point of this article is that purchasing an effective domain name is definitively something you need to do.


For more latest domain name information, reviews, resources, tips visit Nikenya domain names website.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Tools To Help You Find Better Domain Names

If you are stuck and need help creating a good name, there are a number of fantastic tools you can use. Here are some websites that you can use to get your creative juices flowing.


Domainr -- If you're finding it difficult to get a dot com name that isn't a mile long, maybe it's time to go trendy. Domainr is a popular website naming tool designed to help you explore top level domains (TLD's) other than dot com that put popular websites like ping.fm and del.icio.us on the map. Domainr also shows popular TLD's that are available, so it's a wonderful tool for brainstorming.


Dot-o-mator -- Here's a domain name suggestion tool that lets you mix and match with a list of popular prefixes and snazzy suffixes. It's a real lifesaver when you need to find a perfect name for a keyword targeted niche site. The Dot-o-mator tool also lets choose from a list of popular website categories that use prefixes and suffixes.


BustAName -- This is a feature-rich name finder. They use some sort of linguistic data to help you identify names. What's really cool is the ability to save, manage and organize your research. It's a time saver, and I really appreciate their "List of Words" feature. It identifies similar words that you can then use to do more digging.


Domain Tools -- This isn't as much a name finder as it is a domain research tool. Domain Tools helps you uncover relevant information about domain names you have interest in. You'll like the "Whois" search feature that provides all the registration information you need. Plus, they offer a basic suggestions search to help you find similar names as well as names that are for sale or at auction.


DomainsBot -- This is a domain search engine containing an advanced search capability that allows you to conduct customized and highly refined searches. For instance, you can tell it the highest number of characters you will accept. You could also tell it to exclude any names containing a hyphen.


StuckDomains -- If you're after a used name, StuckDomains is for you. What they offer is a database that's full of expired names that fell out of their renewal period. It's worth checking out because its an opportunity to find a name that is available now or about to come available. I have snapped up a few hot names this way.


Nameboy -- Okay, I'll admit it, Nameboy is a shameless exploit of the Gameboy name, but it's a popular name generator just the same. Nameboy asks for a primary keyword and a secondary keyword that best describe the topic of your website. It then whips up a long list of names for you to consider.


Your domain name is a very important business asset. Take the time to make the best choice the first time. Once you begin building your website, changing the name has many challenges that will take a lot more of your time to recover from than investing the correct amount of effort upfront. If it takes you a day, a week or a month to find the right domain name for your business, it will be time well spent.


David Bynon works with the search engine optimization consultants at Site Propeller, a search engine marketing company specializing in in-bound marketing and lead conversion.

What Is Domain Name Warehousing?

Choosing the right domain name registrar doesn't just involve price, features and security - ethics issues may also be a consideration. For example, the reported practice of domain name warehousing in relation to some name extensions.


Usually when a domain expires and after the relevant grace period, it is deleted and released back into the pool - a process also known as "dropping". It can then be registered by another party. However, for a registrant trying to regain control of a name at this point, it can be a difficult task due to the increasing numbers of "drop registrars" - companies that register expired names immediately after they drop.


But even before that, another potential roadblock for registrants who have failed to renew an expired name in time but wish to regain control is where registrars reportedly hold onto some expired names instead of releasing them at all.


This is done for the purposes of either auctioning them off to the highest bidder, other forms of monetization or to resell the domain back to the registrant at a greatly inflated price. Usually in the latter case, further monetization is implemented in the interim by the displaying of advertising under the "expired" domain name. While this is domain name warehousing in its most common form, other variations exist such as preemptive registrations of names that could become popular or requested; for the purposes of resale at a later date.


Registrars are in a powerful position when it comes to determining a profitable name to warehouse. They know what domain names are currently in the grace period and can quite easily determine the popularity of those names - particularly if the registrar also provides web hosting services for the name in question. While in the grace period, only the registrar, the registrant or someone acting on behalf of the registrant can renew the domain name - and the registrar also gets first stab at grabbing the domain once the grace period is over if they do not delete it.


Registrars involved in domain name warehousing will sometimes cite recouping of expenses being a motivation for engaging in the practice and that they are performing a valuable service for the customer. Domain name warehousing has reportedly been occurring not just with smaller registrars, but some very big names in the industry have also been accused of the practice in the past.


While this can be an issue with generic extensions such as.com, country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) registries take a dim view to the practice.


For example, the warehousing of Australian domain names is considered unacceptable conduct by the auDA - the body that oversees the .au registry. auDA policies expressly forbid .au registrars from practices such as pre-registering domains that may be popular in the future, registering names in anticipation of a customer's choice and can only renew an expired domain at the request of a registrant.


Michael Bloch is an Australia-based online business consultant with many years of experience in the web hosting and domain names sector. Michael is currently consulting for Domain Registration Services.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Good Domain Name - Should It Be Long or Short?

If you were to ask webmasters out there, most of them would tell you that a good domain must be short, I believe.


Well, I think that it is not always true. I have come across some short domain names that are obscure. I am sorry that I cannot show you these domains because it's not appropriate for me to reveal them, but I can make examples that are similar to those I come across for you.


• ghtbc.com
• wxgtp.net
• kjrbo.org


Each of them consists of only 5 letters. They are considered very short domain names.


Now I want you to read each domain three times. Then write each one down without looking. I'm sure that you'll make mistakes. Why? Because these short names are not easy to remember and spell.


Now do you think that all good domains are short? Not always, right?


Bottom line: you want a domain that is not only short but also meaningful.


Here some examples of domains that are short and meaningful.


• Website.com
• Quotes.com
• Entrepreneur.com


You may feel that short and meaningful names are already gone. You're right. It's increasingly difficult for you to find an available one-word domain. However, a short name doesn't have to be one word. Instead, you can aim for 2- or 3-word name as long as it is meaningful to human visitors.


What I want you to remember is...


Avoid obscure one-word domain like ghtbc.com.


I suggest you that you should aim for a long domain if you can't find a short meaningful one.


A long domain has many advantages.


First, if you're worried that it's hard to remember, I want to assure you that long domains are not always hard to remember or spell.


For example, iloveyou.com and makeyourownwebsite.com are considered long domains. However, don't you think these long domains are easier to remember and type than the short names like ghtbc.com and wxgtp.net?


Another advantage is that you can insert your site concept keyword in your long domain, which is impossible for a short domain, if your site keyword contain 3 or 4 words.


Long domain that contains your site concept gives your site an extra point in term of search engines placement.


For example, if you have a site on free guide to successful online home based business with a long name like OnlineHomeBasedBusinessGuide.com, it is better for both human visitors and the search engines than a site with a short domain like ohbbg.com, which is a sequence of unrelated letters that is hard to remember or type correctly.


Important note: Your domain should NOT be too long. 40-50 characters are considered too long. Avoid this length.


Remember: Keep your domain as short and as meaningful as possible.


So...short or long should I aim for?


You decide, but make sure you make a wise choice.


Visit us if you're looking for Comprehensive Guide to Purchase Domain Name (Free Nuts and Bolts Information). I'm looking forward to seeing you.


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Sokun Phoeun

What Are Cybersquatters and How To Deal With Them

The growth of internet traffic around the globe has increased business opportunities for people everywhere. Unfortunately, with every positive change, there's usually a negative one. In this case, the Internet has not only become a prime place for business to thrive, but it has also become a place where criminals can take advantage of people surfing the web - and do it all anonymously.


There are many kinds of cyber crimes, ranging from impersonation to basic spamming. However, when it comes to businesses, they must be always on the alert for one common threat that many fall prey to: Cybersquatting. Another name for it is "domain squatting." The short and long of it is that anonymous people are able to sell other domains for exorbitant prices. For example, when squatters occupy an empty house, that does not make it their house, therefore it would be illegal for them to rent it out to anybody or make any profit on the property. The same concept goes for domain names on the Internet. The Cybersquatters basically rent out something that does not belong to them, effectively pulling the wool over the customers' eyes and supplying him with something that he can never own.


Yet another name for this type of cyber crime is "typosquatting." Another method for getting their hands on a URL is to wait for someone to fail to re-register their website one year. Using software, the cybersquatter can then register the name, too, and sell it out. What makes this illegal is that you cannot rent out your own domain name. The other method that cybersquatters tend to use is something nicknamed, 'namejacking.' In this instance, the cybersquatter purchases someone's name as a domain, such as 'britneyspears.' They then can capitalize on all of the profits that are made as a result of all the searches on that domain. It is basically a form of impersonation. It is harder to catch online, however, because the criminals are always faceless.


Because of the constant threat of cybersquatting, it is obviously important for customers who shop online to be aware of how to protect themselves from being ripped off. One of the first things that are recommended by the Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (CANN) is to report it to the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy (UDRP). They deal specifically in domain disputes. However, the best way to get out of a cybersquatting problem is to avoid the problem in the first place.


First, check a domain name out before you purchase it. Do a quick search and see if it leads you to a suspicious website. Examples of this are "server under construction," "domain name for sale," etc. You may then want to contact the domain name registrant to see if they are legitimate. There are three main ways to fight a cybersquatter: pay for the domain name, regardless. You can sue under the ACPA, or use the international arbitration system set up by CANN. This strategy could get you your website back, but there are really no guarantees.


It's no fun to deal with cybersquatters, but the reality is that many people have to deal with them simply because they fail to renew their websites on time. Hopefully this article taught you a little something so that you don't end up falling victim to a cybersquatter. In the worst case scenario, you may have to hire a lawyer, and in the best case scenario, you'll get your website back without much work.


Find out more about cybersquatting domains and learn how to make money online with legitimate hard work.

Three Ways to Make Money By Selling Domain Names

Some of the domain speculators wouldn't bat an eye if they heard the words "selling domain names." This is because a lot of them consider domains to be of value. Do you know that you can still make money online with domains?


There are at least 3 methods you can use to make money with a domain name. Let us discuss each method in details...


1.) Domain Name Flipping


Domain name flipping involves the practice of buying domains and then reselling them for a profit. It is like real estate. An investor purchases a home or land and then turns around and sells it to someone else for a higher price. In this method, it's a domain that is bought and then sold. How do you flip a domain name?


It is not all that difficult but you should do your research well so as to avoid making losses. Remember your aim is to make a profit. The first thing to do is buy a name. Be sure to make a wise choice. The domain needs to be short, easy to remember and possibly contain a popular keyword phrase. If possible get a dot com however, you can settle for a dot net or dot org when the dot com is not available (already registered).


Now, you have to resell that domain. You can easily do this by using third party websites like Sedo, eBay or Flippa. You can create a listing for the domain and put your desired price. Those interested will be able to contact you with their offers.


Bidding sites can be of advantage or disadvantage to use when selling domains. They're advantageous in that you can sell at higher amount than the price you had paid for that domain hence making higher profit. The disadvantage is that you may be obligated to sell to the highest bidder, even if the final amount to you is very low.


2.) Using the Domain Name


Another technique for earning money with a domain name is to use it. With this method, you'll need to purchase web hosting. This service allows you to upload content, images, and videos to the internet so they're viewable to everyone.


When building your site, forgo trying to make it too pretty and instead create it to be easier to navigate its pages. Next, you'll want to find a money making opportunity to use with the website. Choose good site concept to monetize your domain name. For example Christmas shopping, wedding gifts, gifts for friends etc. Create content on the topic you choose and publish it on your site. Note that the content should of good quality. It should be of use to potential buyers or visitors who visit your site. Are you worried that you can't write? You shouldn't worry about your writing experience since you can simply hire a freelance writer to do this for you.


You can also choose to promote affiliate products, place AdSense around the content, sell your own products, or sell advertising space. Get these monetization methods up and running so you can get the money rolling in.


As mentioned before, your website must have good quality content. If you have it optimized for the search engines, this content will rank and bring you free traffic. To increase earnings, you can also rely on other marketing techniques such as article marketing and banner ad exchanges.


3.) Turnkey Website


If you decide to use your domain to create a website, you may find that the process isn't all that simple. It may be six months or longer before you start to see profits, and it takes a while to get everything set up. If you don't care to wait forever to make money, sell the site.


Register domains and create websites then sell them to earn profits. When you sell a domain name with a site attached, this is known as a turnkey website. It is ready for immediate use, can be used by the buyer to earn an income the moment it has been transferred to their hosting account.


Use a third party website if you plan to sell a turnkey site. These websites will help you sell turnkey sites as well as domains. When listing on these sites, you can easily find buyers for your sites. All you need to do is spend a few minutes creating the listing.


To conclude, like any other business, people have managed to make money by selling domains while others haven't.


If you are a complete newbie and you are stuck where to start from in choosing a good name for your business on the internet just visit Nikenya domain names to get a step by step guide. Your questions will be answered and you will know more tips and resources to use.

Friday, November 18, 2011

How About Flipping Aged Domains As an Online Home Business?

Flipping domains is a quick and easy way to generate an income online from home. This is also a cheap way to get started because all you need is $10.00 to buy an Internet address and post it for sale on one of the many directories on the Web and wait for the offers to come in.


However, if you have a few more dollars to spare you may want to consider flipping aged domains because sometimes you can get up to four times what you paid for it from a sale. Aged domains are addresses that have been previously used online but were allowed to expire by their owners and are now available on the open market.


These domains are a little pricier because some of them already have existing traffic flowing to them and they may also have a reasonable page rank on the Web. If you decide to take this route here are 5 important things you should consider before buying an aged address:


1. As with most domain names the length is very important and it should consist of no more than two words. Any longer than this and your prospects have a difficult time remembering it and it lends itself to mistakes when being typed into the browser window.


There are exceptions to this rule but only if you are lucky enough to find a three word address that is keyword rich and easy to remember.


2. Speaking of keywords you should check the domain to see if it contains keywords relevant to Google searches. If it does this would make it much easier for your website to get ranked.


3. Always check an aged domain to find out if it still has existing traffic coming to it. If it does, this will substantially increase its value on the open market thereby making it a more attractive purchase for your prospects.


4. When you're looking at the available aged domains list for sale try to imagine what the name could be used for by the buyer. For example, is it a brand able name or would it be better suited for a blog or a personal website?


If you can find a name that's suitable for one or more of these types of websites it would make it easier for you to promote by suggesting these ideas in your sales copy.


5. Finally, before purchasing an aged domain always investigate to make sure you won't be in violation of any trademark claims of existing companies by doing so. This is a headache no one needs especially if they decide to take legal action against you and your business.


You can create a nice income for your online home based business by flipping aged domains as long as you keep these 5 considerations in mind before buying.


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The Basics of Domain Name Flipping for Profit

The URL of any website is called its Domain Name. Flipping is the art of buying something cheaply and then selling it quickly for a profit. Buy it and flip it - simple! The difficult part is figuring out how to pick a domain name among the millions of available names. Here are the three biggest factors in picking a Domain Name to flip: Demand for the name, the Extension, and Pricing.


Desire for a specific Domain Name is crucial. The best names have keywords in them that people are looking for. This is why Domains like Buy.com, pets.com, bestbuy.com, and shoes.com are worth so much. These Domains are short and describe exactly what you are getting from their domain. Of course, it looks like all the good Domain Names have already been taken. Wrong! New domains are being registered every day.


What you need to do is figure out what topics or keywords people are searching for and integrate those words into your domain name. So, when your Domain has a keyword in it that people are searching for, it makes sense that people will naturally be attracted to that url. Google Trends and Google Keyword Tool are free and can help you figure out what the latest hot topics are. You can look through your own search history and see what YOU have been searching for. If you searched for it, chances are that others are making the same searches too.


Once you have about ten keywords or topics that you think might make a good domain name, now is when we search to see if the domain is already taken, and if so, what we can do about it. For example, I just went to bluehost - you can use your favorite registration company of course - and looked up murphybed, because I want to start a site on murphy beds. Murphybed.com is taken. Bluehost - and many other registrars make suggestions for alternate names - so bluehost suggested a bunch of different names with murphybed in them such as: murphybeddesign, HotMurphyBed, AllMurphyBed, MurphyBedGroup, topmurphybed and so on. The list of names can get large and complicated fast, so I like to put them in a spreadsheet, along with my rating of the name, the domain extension, and cost.


In addition to the Domain Name itself, the extension of the Domain is critical. I know a lot of people who won't purchase anything that doesn't have a.com extension, but there are many extensions available, including.net,.info,.org,.biz, and so on. There are no restrictions on those extensions, so you can use a.org even if you aren't an organization. I like to stick with the top 3 -.com,.net, and.org. The best one is.com.


The pricing of a domain for sale is variable and completely up to the seller. Typically the.coms have a higher value, but any website that has an easy to read domain name, with a major extension can get traffic, and therefore have value.


So now that you have a domain name registered, it's time to make some money on it! Put it up for auction on a site like eBay.com. I looked today and there were 71 pages of domain names for sale. Another option would be a specialty auction site like sedo.com which bills itself as the World's Largest Domain Marketplace. Put your Domains up for sale and keep track of what sells and how much it sells for. You will find that there are some keyword modifiers that you can add to most any topic that makes it worth a lot more.


Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!


Jack Flanders Loves to cook.
His Favorite recipes include: puttanesca, smoked salmon torte, and jambalaya


Check out my website at: thewealthtutor.com

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Choosing a Domain Name That Works for Your Website

When you're ready to get your website up and running one of the first decisions you need to make is what will you choose for your domain name.


Your domain, or url, is an important part of your online presence. You tell people to visit your website by giving them your url. You print your url name on your letterhead and business cards. It's part of your business identity.


There are 4 main factors that you should consider when choosing a domain name.


1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
2. Branding
3. Dashes
4. Top Level Domain


Search Engine Optimization (SEO)


Search engine optimization (SEO) is all about getting traffic from the search engines, such as Google, and Yahoo/Bing. Google accounts for approximately 66% of the search engine traffic so it's best to focus on them.


Your url is part of your SEO strategy. If you have relevant keywords in your url, it can give you a boost in the search engine results when people type in keywords related to your website.


For example, if I had a site about china travel tips and the url for that website was chinatraveltips.com, I could get an extra boost from Google when someone types in that keyword phrase.


In fact, if you have an exact match domain name, most people agree that you get an even higher boost for that keyword phrase. For example, if your website was keywordphrase.com that would be an exact match domain name and you would get a boost in the search engine rankings when someone types that exact phrase in.


However, Google is turning down the impact that having a keyword related domain name has on search engine results. How much they're turning it down, we don't know yet. But, it's pretty clear that it won't have the same effect that it used to have.


Branding


Branding is just using a unique word, phrase or design to distinguish your products, service or company.


All of the major corporations are well-known brand names - Apple, Nike, Sony.


A unique name can help you stand out from the competition and the same goes for domain names. Do you think that Nike would've had the same success if they just went with tennisshoes.com? Obviously, that's a little different since they didn't start as an internet company, but the principle is the same.


If you're creating a business online and you want to stand out from the competition, you should consider a unique url. If you use a brand name as your url, you can stand out in your market and people will remember your name over all the other domain names made up of keyword phrases.


If you're creating small niche websites that target specific keywords, you might want to avoid brand names and try to get keyword rich domain names. However, with the changes in Google's position, the benefit from keyword domains most likely won't have the same impact as they did before.


Dashes


A lot of people wonder if they should include dashes in their url. Part of that decision is personal preference and part is based on objective factors.


I'm not a big fan of dashes in domains. If we're talking about how to choose a url, you have to consider the real world too.


Domain names with dashes can be hard to remember, especially if you communicate the domain to someone in person. If they forget, then you're going to be sending traffic to the non-dash version of your site.


For example, if your website is keyword-phrase.com and you tell your friend to visit your website at keyword dash phrase dot com and they forget the dash, you are now sending people to what I can only assume is your competition - keywordphrase.com - otherwise you would've just purchased the domain without the dash.


I imagine a url with a dash would run into those types of problems frequently.


From an SEO perspective, Google and the other search engines can identify keywords without a dash, so it's not necessary to include a dash in your url.


In fact, if you look at the search results for any given query, you won't see a lot of website names with dashes ranking in the top results. That could be because there aren't nearly as many domains with dashes as there are without, or it could be that Google doesn't rank them as well.


Unless, there was a really compelling reason to get a name with a dash, I would stick to one without.


Top Level Domain


The Top Level Domain (TLD) is the end of your url - .com, .net, .org.


The most common TLD, and the one most people default to is.com. In other words, if you tell someone your website is website.info and they try to visit your site later, but can't remember exactly what it was, they'll probably go to website.com before anything else.


Based on experiments that I've seen other people perform, .com, .net and .org are the best 3 TLD's to have, from an SEO perspective. That doesn't mean you can't rank well if you have a.info TLD, but it's gonna be a little harder.


You can also go to Google and run a search for anything you want. Take a look at how many of the results on the first page are.com compared to any other TLD. Again, it could be because there are more .com's than anything else, but the fact still remains that .com's are the most common and most popular TLD.


How to Choose a Domain Name


There are different factors that come into play when trying to choose a good domain name. If you're an affiliate marketer and you want the most SEO benefit possible, then you should probably look at getting a url with keywords in it.


If you're a real world business that wants a strong online presence, then you should consider branding. Either way you go, it's just one piece of the puzzle to consider.


Choosing a domain name is only one part of building a successful online business. If you want to learn internet marketing, and how internet marketing can help you grow your business, get website traffic and generate revenue, check out Superbad Internet Marketing for more free info.

Can Anyone Buy A De Domain?

The first question anyone reading the title of this article might ask is why anyone outside of Germany itself would want to buy a de domain? The answer to that question is apparently a whole lot of people, as a look at the list of most expensive domain sales shows a decided interest in dot-de on the part of English speakers.


For example, the German word for the English verb "Shopping" is "Einkaufen." Guess the identity of the most expensive dot-de domain name ever sold? No, it wasn't "Einkaufen" that was purchased for 2.8 million dollars, it was "Shopping!" Next was the obviously German word, "Kredit," for 1.2 million dollars. But the third and fourth words, Casino($625,000) and Chat ($470,000), are just as obviously English. Casino in German is spelled with a "K," and "chat" is spelled "plaudern. Other European nations also employ the German TLD.


Apparently "de" is a favorite with certain creative site developers that appreciate a good "domain hack" in the Romance Languages like Spanish and French." Since in these languages "de" is used in a way similar to the way English speakers use "of," it allows the developers to combine the extension with the name and even associated files in the URL path. In an example provided by Wikipedia, "elforo.de" (theforum.of), becomes "elforo.de/wikipedia." Cool eh!


So the answer to the question posed by the title is apparently "yes," anyone can buy a de domain name. But read on, for there are restrictions!


First of all, if you live outside of Germany you must have a contact in Germany as the "administrative contact." This is not as onerous a restriction as it at first appears as the registrars will assign an administrative contact when the registrant is without one. Some registrars charge for the service. In the U.S., giant registrars like GoDaddy and its resellers automatically provide a proxy administrative contact for free.


A second restriction says that the maximum registration period is limited to one year.


A third restriction disallows the use of privacy. This restriction is not uncommon in the CC-TLD area; both dot-us and dot-ca, for example, will not allow privacy.


The fourth restriction has to do with name servers, "dns," and is certain to cause some confusion when encountered. It seems a dot-de domain must have no fewer than two "authoritative name servers." Each of the two name servers must be on a "separate class-C network"...already feeling a bit intimidated? Don't be! Your registrar will automatically assign the needed name servers; and if you request a change the support staff will know how to handle the switch.


Over fourteen million dot-de domains have been registered. This makes this the second most popular TLD. We can surmise that the majority have been registered by Germans, but it is apparent that others have bought up a share also as it is a particularly useful domain.


Mike Nardine owns CheapMikesDomains where you benefit from cheap domains and affordable, reliable hosting along with friendly, individualized attention and free advice. Give us a try. You will never be just another number at Cheap Mike's.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Conduct Trademark Searches Before Registering A Domain Name

Checking if a keyword violates a trademark is important before registering a domain name. Why? Trademark rights are considerably intertwined with the registration process of domain names or URL. Since URL is an effective way of establishing the brand identity of a product or business in the Internet, issues like more than one party trying to incorporate the same trademark into a registered domain name or challenge of declaring trademark rights over a domain may arise.


Conducting trademark searches before registering a domain name is also important for domain name registrars. Given the large number of domains being registered everyday, effective trademark searches for all applications becomes a burden among registrars. And because of the immensity of work involved, registrars are concerned with the potential liability that may arise once they conducted searches but still had unintentionally registered a specific domain name not to the rightful owner. Registrars are afraid that they might be sued and accused of "contributory infringement."


Where to do trademark searches? You can search records of InterNIC, an accredited domain registrar for any name that is the same with your proposed mark by searching the various forms of domain names that could be formed from it. If you haven't found any matches, you can still check from any accredited registrar. You can check list of registrars from Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN. ICANN is the organization that accredits domain name registrars.


Don't be lured by Internet ads selling their search services on the Internet. The following list of search options is guaranteed effective by a company that maintains searchable trademark records. You may check from these:


Platinum Plus - U.S. Federal State, Common Law, ccTLDs (233 countries), gTLDs (.aero,.biz,.com,.coop,.info,.museum,.name,.net,.org, and.pro) and International files (Canada, WIPO, EC, and UK)


Gold Plus - U.S. Federal State, Common Law, Canada, ccTLDs (233 countries) and gTLDs (.aero,.biz,.com,.coop,.info,.museum,.name,.net,.org, and.pro)


Gold - U.S. Federal State, Common Law, Canada, and Domain Names (.com,.net, and.org)


You can access some of this information for free. However, for you to make a reliable decision, you will need to hire an experienced trademark lawyer. A typical trademark lawyer charges from $1,200 to $1,800 to register a trademark. However, you may do a prior trademark search through the Internet using the information above. The trademark lawyer will do the extensive search for you.


Trademark searches before registering any url saves you from disputes over trademark ownership. It also gives you peace of mind since you know that you are legally the first one who uses a domain url and trademark of a particular product. Keep in mind also, that domain name registration does not allow you to stop other business or any entity from using the name for its business, product or service. But, it gives you the right to use a particular Internet address. Your registered domain name will only function as a trademark if you already actively use it with the sale of goods or services, and customers can already associate the name with your business.


As discussed above, bear in mind that a good domain name will help you brand yourself and promote your products and services better. However, before you venture into any internet businesses, do some homework first. It will not only save you money and time but ensure that your website will rank well in Google search engines. You may want to outsource this task by engaging the Internet Marketing Experts. They are professional and understand how to create a good and converting website while you focus on the marketing so as to bring in more revenue to your business! For more information on Internet Marketing, visit http://www.cloudnetmedia.com/

Domain Name Definitions

You've probably heard the phrase "domain name" but you may be unsure about the domain name definition. What is a domain name and how is it important? Basically, a domain name is the location of a piece of internet "property." It is like the address of a piece of real estate, defining a realm of authority, control, or administrative autonomy on the web. These names can be used to show the control or ownership of a piece of online "real estate."


When working to understand the definition, it's important to realize that domain names are important because they help to offer easy to remember names that address resources available on the internet. Every domain name has different parts, which are known as labels. These labels are delimited and concatenated with dots, for example, domainname.com. The right part of the domain name shows the highest level domain, with the.com, showing that this address belongs to the.com top level domain. The domain names hierarchy descends as you read it from the right to the left label. The labels to the left are specific to a subdomain of the domain shown at the right of the name. To help you better understand the different domain levels, here is a closer look at each level.


First, you have the top level domains. This is the internet's highest level that form the root area of the system. Every name out there ends on a domain label that is top level. Originally, when the domain system was first created, there were two main groups of top domains. Country top level domains were available and several generic top level domains were also created. The seven generic top level domains include .com, .net, .edu, .int, .org, .gov, and .mil.


The next part of the hierarchy is known as second level names. These names are right to the left of the top level domains, such as.net or.com. For example, in the domain name domainname.co.uk the second level domain would be the "co." Often these domain names are created to be based on the company name, a service, or a product. Keep in mind that the components of a domain are always separated by a full stop (period).


Last, you have third level ones, which are to the left of the second level domains. You'll also find that fourth, fifth, and sixth domains are also available, and there is really no limit to how far that can go.


Names are a bit more complicated than most people realize and they are definitely important to the success of any online business. In order to use a domain name, you have to get the right from the registrars. However, these registrars have to be accredited with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. Registrars also have to keep a database that includes all the names that are registered with it. Once they receive the information, it is published with whois. In most cases, you will be charged a fee on an annual basis for your domain name. Keep in mind that you are basically leasing the name, since there is no legal relationship that says you actually own the name.


For more great information on how to make a website we have a range of great tools and a free step by step guide on our website http://yourhowtomakeawebsiteguide.com/ so visit us today.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

A Good Domain Name Is Essential to Success

One big mistake that people new to internet business make is the wrong choice of a domain name. It is so tempting when you think you have a great idea to go off and register a name. It's quick, and cheap and probably the easiest part of building an internet empire, but if the domain name is wrong, then it can mean the difference between success and failure.


Of course if you are starting a business and you will be branding your own products, you can choose a snappy name like Yahoo, Google, or Amazon. You can't tell from any of those names what these companies do, but everyone knows these billion-dollar enterprises. Why? Because they had a massive budget for advertising and marketing, and I doubt if you have pockets that deep to promote your little site selling used ball gowns. Sure TwiceAroundtheFloor.com is a great name but when the search engines come across it, they are more likely to get the idea that your site is about floors and not ball gowns.


No, the most effective domain name, dot com name or URL - whatever you like to call it, should be based on some serious keyword research. You will probably know without looking that BallGowns.com was taken a long time ago, but UsedBallGowns could be available. Problem is, the term "used ball gowns" in Google's keyword finder only gets 140 local (US) searches a month, so your niche is the smallest of micro niches and you may want to think your whole niche again, this one is not going to make you any money!


If you are thinking about building niche sites for Amazon products, your search for a good domain name may be a little easier. Let's look at Cuisinart food mixers, these are extremely popular and some models get enormous amounts of positive feedback on Amazon. It will be difficult to keep writing good keyword-rich articles about Cuisinart food mixers, but once established you could add a lot of recipes for use with their mixers. If you include the brand name Cuisinart in your domain name, you should not suddenly decide to add information about other brands of food mixers to your site.


Most companies do not mind you using their brand names in a domain name, you are promoting their products and will hopefully be making them money, but once you start comparing different mixers on your site Cuisinart may get upset that you're saying another mixer is better, and you could be in danger of losing your site altogether. They will write and ask you to take the site down - or else.


If you are building affiliate sites promoting products from, say, Commission Junction, be sure to read the terms and conditions before you apply to a company's program, they may expressly forbid the use of their name in your domain name.


Let's say for sake of argument that UsedBallGowns is a popular search term and you can't find any name available that is appropriate, punch UsedBallGowns.com into the address bar and see what comes up. You may discover that the name is for sale and there will be a place card saying the site is for sale through a company whom you can contact. Some used domain names sell quite cheaply, and if it is the perfect keyword-rich domain name for your business it may be well worth investing a couple of hundred dollars in the name you really want.


There are a number of sites that offer expired domains for sale. These are often an excellent investment and a great way to get your site off to a flying start. If the site has already been around for a number of years, is listed in Dmoz or the Yahoo directory (which costs $299) you may find it has already established backlinks and if you are really lucky has a good page rank. Check the history of the site before you buy though. You can do a quick check of the site's history by using thewaybackmachine.org which will show you snapshots of the site in the past - you do not want a site that has been used for porn or anything nefarious, Google simply won't like it. Only buy the site if it has a good history and has never been "dropped". That means that the name registration has never lapsed before.


Although there are dozens of extensions for sale today, such as.co,.me,.us, you really should aim to get a.com extension with a second choice of.net, Google appears to attach more value to those extensions.


It is going to take a lot of research, and the shorter the name and more memorable and to-the-point the better. Many people say that long domain names are not a good idea, but I don't think the public actually jot domain names down on bits of paper any more, if they like your site they will probably Tweet it or email a link to their friends. I personally like dashes in domain names, it's a great way of getting the name you want, so you could get Used-Ball-Gowns.com easily. There is no mention anywhere in Google's Webmaster help section that dashes are a no-no. The only danger is that someone may forget to add the dashes and go through to a competitor's site.


A good domain name is going to be part of your brand, especially if you are going to build a large website on one particular subject, so spend some time researching and do it right.


Gabriele Cramer-Knebel is the Founder/CEO of Internet Marketing Training and is an experienced internet marketer helping new entrepreneurs to build a successful online business. You can find more out at http://gabrielesinternetmarketingtraining.com/


Copyright © Internet Marketing Training 2011. All Rights Reserved.

What Is A Drop Registrar?

Have you ever closely monitored an expiring domain name with view to registering it as soon as it became available again only to be pipped at the post by another party? You may have fallen victim to a drop registrar.


"Fallen victim" is probably too strong a term - in fact, it's incorrect as drop registrars are pursuing a legitimate practice.


What a drop registrar does is register expired domain names as soon as they "drop" - meaning when they are deleted from the domain name registry and as such, become available again. The activity is also known as dropcatching.


The attempt to register the domain name is usually carried out in conjunction with a back order service - meaning that someone else; or quite possible multiple parties, have put in a request to grab the domain as soon as it became available again.


If there are multiple parties involved and assuming the registrar or back order service grabs the deleted domain, the name will then usually go to the highest bidder in an auction.


For the average person wanting to register a freshly-deleted domain of any value; it's quite a feat. While it's relatively easy to figure out the day the domain will become available again, the exact time of the day is arbitrary. They are up against automated tools that transmit up to 250 registration requests per second. Drop registrars are capable of issuing even higher levels of requests; but the 250 was a limit set by ICANN in 2001 to prevent abuse.


But the 250 figure only applies to a single entity. If multiple domain name backorder services are trying to grab the domain, an individual's chances of being successful through manual monitoring are very slim - in fact, virtually non-existent.


This can be a particularly stressful situation if the domain in question that has expired used to be registered to the person attempting to dropcatch it after having lost control through not renewing registration.


While domain name expiry processes do give certain grace periods along with multiple reminders at set intervals; if the contact record for the name is out of date, the registrant may never see these reminders.


This is why it's very important for domain registrants keep their details up to date and renew their domain name registration as soon as the first renewal reminder notice comes in - putting it off thinking it's a task that will remembered sometimes leads to grief.


Often people may see the first notice, but not the subsequent ones if they wind up in a junk mail folder or through some other mishap. The safest practice may be to set up a reminder for registration renewals; which can be easily done through applications such as Microsoft Outlook.


Michael Bloch is based in Australia and has been involved in the domain name and web hosting industry since 2001. Michael is currently consulting for Domain Registration Services - start your domain name search.

Good Domain Names - Are There Any Dot Com Domain Names Left?

For those who are in the market for a domain name, finding an available .com name for your business is getting harder every day. You want one that fits your brand, but isn't too long, and it has to be easy for people to remember and to spell. The .com domain has been around for 26 years now, and there are 90 million of them in existence. Unless you want a long drawn out name, or want to pay big bucks for a name that is already taken, the choices are very slim. You want to find a name that easily stays in your customer's mind, and usually that means the shorter the better. At a time when you can sit down and type name after name into a domain search box, only to find that everything you can think of is taken, what are you to do?


.co domains - A Great Alternative to .com Domain Names


In July of 2010, a new domain name space was released to the public. It was the .co name space and since its inception it is catching on rather nicely. In fact in its first year of existence the .co name space has had over one million names registered. But there are plenty of names left and this is something you may want to consider. You are probably wondering if the .co domain is going to have all the benefits that you can enjoy with the .com domain. It seems as if the answer is yes, .co domains are treated the same way. Google seems to rank them accordingly and in the same fashion as a .com address. Any person or entity can register them and there are no documentation requirements. The registration period spans from 1 to 5 years and they are renewable and transferable. Plus they can be registered through any credited Register.


Still Have Your Doubts? - Big Names are Taking .co Names


If you are a little leery to jump in a .co domain space, I hear you loud and clear. You want to make sure that your domain is something that will be industry accepted and people will take seriously. I don't think that will be a problem, as some big name companies have recently registered their .co names. Amazon registered 3, one letter .co addresses along with cloud .co, and Twitter can now be found at t.co. Or perhaps you have seen the recent commercials of the rather large on-line company that is now proudly announcing themselves as o.co. The time is ripe for the pickin's. If there is that .com address that you have always wanted, but knew it could never happen, it may be your time for a do-over in the .co domain space.


Bryan Hinerdeer owns and operates Open Arms Marketing, a web design and on-line marketing Company in Lancaster, PA. He also provides domain names, hosting, SSLs and whole array of internet products to enhance websites and the on-line marketing efforts of the small business. You may visit the Open Arms website at http://www.openarmsmarketing.com/ He also works for Susquehanna Fishing Tackle as a Web Designer and Marketing Manager.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Web Success Series Number 2 - Choosing Your Domain Name

A good hosting provider recognizes that our success depends on your success so, as part of their core corporate culture, they provide all the tools you need to build, launch and manage a successful web-based business - including the information you need to do it RIGHT!


So welcome to the second in a series of "how-to" articles on topics related to web success. Well keep it simple, eliminate the techno-babble and provide, not only the tools, but the know-how to achieve web success.


Your success is our success.


#1 Choosing A Domain Name


Your domain name is your on-line address. Your full address will be http//www.your domainnamehere.com or.org or.edu or some other extension.


You choose your domain name. In many cases, it'll be the first business decision you'll make so weigh the choice of domain name carefully. A good domain works for you. A bad one can doom your on-line venture the day you register it.


Some dos and don'ts about selection.


1. First, it costs a few bucks to register a domain name.


Your domain and information about ownership of that domain will be dutifully registered. Your ownership information will appear in a directory called Whois, an index of domain names that is public information. Anybody can find out who or what business entity owns a given domain.


Consider this when you enter personal information while filling out your registration. You may want to use a PO box instead of your street address or register the name in your company name rather than your personal name.


In any case, it costs a few bucks to register a domain name and the name has to be re-reregistered annually.


Some web hosts register your name free for the first year and send reminders that your domain is up for re-registration so pay the fee. Either way, (1) the few bucks it costs to register a domain makes the web available to any one with a couple of dollars and (2) don't forget to re-register your domain name each year. It's possible (easy) for domain hounds to snag a domain that has expired and take over your client base simply because you forgot to re-register. So, re-register.


2. All the good domain names have been taken.


If you mean names like lawyers.com, cars.com and firstaidsupplies.com, yes, someone owns the rights to those domains - domains that was probably registered 15 years ago before most businesses even knew what a domain was.


A lot of site owners have turned to made up words for domains. Examples? ning.com, zoho.com and yuuguu.com. They're catchy, though, and that makes them easy to remember.


If you're opening an on-line business (that's why you're reading this) use your imagination. Your name should be keyword dense, even if it's long. Your name should tell people and search engine bots something about your websites so if "amazing chocolate delights.com" is taken try "really amazing chocolate delights.com" or "incrediblechocolatedelights.com." Keep trying until you find a domain name that says something about your business.


If you're service provider - a local insurance agency or certified financial planner, choosing a name is simpler. Use your name and title: "DrJamesMillerMD.com," "PeterHughsCFA.com" and so on. This is how people in your service will know you - Dr. James Miller or Peter Hughs. These are good, solid domain names - especially for businesses and individuals seeking local business using localized search.


3. Skip the punctuation.


You're determined to have "amazingchocoloatedelights.com" as your domain name but it's taken. So, clever you, try "amazing-chocolate-delights.com" with hyphens in between each word in the domain name. Don't do it.


Search engine users often forget these punctuation symbols and you end up sending visitors to amazingchocolcatedelights.com (without the hyphens) and losing a sale. Instead, come up with a domain name that's easy to remember and doesn't use any punctuation.


4. Choose the right extension.


You can be a.com, where com stands for company or commercial (depending on who you listen to). You can be a.org - usually indicating a not-for-profit or an advocacy group, though more and more professional service providers are using the.org extension.


If you teach something, or sell materials to institutes of higher learning, go with a .edu extension - indicating an education or educational site. This is especially important for sites that provide continuing education units (CEUs) for professionals that require on-going education and training.


For example, private detectives in some states must accumulate a certain number of CEUs each year to keep their licenses active. So, a web site that offers on-line courses (CEUs) for private detectives would be better off with an edu extension to clarify exactly what the site is about - education, as in "privatedetectiveeducation.edu." Now that's a domain name that's keyword rich.


5. Consider registering similar domain names.


If you come up with a really good domain name, some people may try to piggyback on your cool domain name by registering similar domain names. You can protect yourself from this type of activity by registering similar sounding domain names and simply parking them on your server. No charge.


6. Don't be cute.


Amazon.com is a well recognized name. Interesting that the name says nothing about what Amazon is or does but it sure is easy to remember.


Check it out. Domain goofs register misspelled variations of Amazon to collect visitors who weren't... ummm... paying attention. So they register Amozon, Amozan and variations hoping to get search engine users who enter misspelled domain names.


You're wasting your time and your money. Visitors will bounce once they realize they aren't on Amazon and you don't build a whole lot of trust and good will by taking advantage of the mistakes of search engine users.


7. Take your time.


Your domain name is that important.


If you need some help, call your web host for some advice. Any good web host, like Green Host It will help you through the registration process. In fact, we might even recommend the name you ultimately choose.


Think before you choose because once you choose your name, you'll live with it for a long time. You'll build your business around it. It'll appear on business cards, invoices, TV ads - anything and everything to do with that business.


So don't rush because you THINK you have a good idea. Bounce your choice off of friends and family. Do they "get it?" Do they understand why you chose it? If so, it's probably a good choice for a domain name. If they don't, keep working on it.


Before you do anything - before you develop a business model, a revenue model, a purpose of the site, before you establish your company's core values and develop a tag line for the company, think long and hard about the best name for your new W3 enterprise.


Choosing the right name can mean the difference between world wide web success and another web failure.


What's your choice in green web hosting?


Ms. Rosendahl has over 19 years experience in systems analysis, hosted applications, and management as well as 13 years experience in web hosting and Internet marketing. Ms. Rosendahl has a Bachelors from Houston Baptist University with a double major in Computer Information Systems and Business Management. Stephanie is the founder and CEO of Austin, Texas firm - GreenHostIt.com green web hosting.

Getting Help With DNS Services

When you are looking into DNS services, you need to make sure that they come with a help program to give you assistance with anything that you do not yet understand. If you have never considered DNS hosted services before, there are probably a lot of things that are going to be brand new to you. Do not just make assumptions or guesses. Do not feel overwhelmed, like you can never figure anything out. With the right help, you can figure everything out. You just need to make sure that you are in touch with people who can give you the kind of help that you need, when you need it.


You probably want to get help with DNS services from many different directions. For example, you want to be able contact people online and on the phone. This way, you can get assistance with DNS load balancing, DNS security, or the use of DNS management tools no matter where you are. You do not have to be at your computer to ask all of the question that you have. If you are on your computer anyway, though, you can use an online chat function to keep you from having to use up all of your cell phone minutes on your plan. Having multiple options will reduce the amount of times that you are stuck, unable to get the help that you need.


Before getting any sort of DNS services, you need to make sure that the helpline will be prompt and efficient. Some companies put you on hold for hours at a time so that you cannot ask the questions that you have about the DNS server. Other companies will not answer you for days even though sending an email message should really just take them a few seconds. The DNS services that you use should not give you this kind of treatment. Contact them to see how fast they get on the phone and answer any questions that you have before you spend any of your money working with them.


As you can see, working with DNS services that provide you with help can change the whole experience. The company can tell you about DNS solutions that you have never considered before. They can give you statistics on DNS uptime so that you can better understand how that works. You will feel overwhelmed right at first if you do not have experience in this field, as it is highly technical. This is a natural feeling. However, you should not let it rule over all of the things that you do. You need to get assistance so that you can increase your knowledge and conquer any apprehension that you have.


For more information on DNS Services, Please visit http://www.nominum.com/

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Important Factors When Choosing a Domain Name

Choosing the best possible domain name for your online business is essential to succession in the online world. There are many factors you should take into consideration when trying to get the best possible domain. Your domain name will be how your customers/visitors know, and remember, your website. The most important factors to getting the best domain name for your online business are listed in order of importance:


Pronounceable & Easy To Remember
There is nothing worse that when you are trying to find a website you have recently visited, and you can not even remember the domain name of the website. The single and most important factor to take into consideration when selecting your domain is to make sure it is pronounceable so it is easier to remember. If your domain name is easy to remember, and can be spoken with ease, then it is much more likely that your visitors will return to your website. When trying to think of possible domains, it's a good idea to say your suggestion over and over to yourself several times to see if it sounds good, and if it would be easy to remember.


Brandable
Although having a domain name which is made up of dictionary word is good, it's not always the best domain for a brand. For example, a name like 'Toys.com' may be an amazing domain, however it would be extremely difficult to brand the name 'toys'. A good brandable domain name is made up from possibly 'twisted' dictionary words, or even completely made up words. As long as the 'made up' word sounds good, and agrees with the point I have made above, then it could possibly be a really good domain name. Look at Google.com, Yahoo.com, and Bing.com for an example; none of those are words. However nearly everyone on this earth recognizes and remembers these names. Selecting a domain which is easily brandable is essential in most cases.


Domain Extension
The domain name extension is another very important factor to take into consideration when picking the best domain for your online business. When selecting a domain name, it's never a good idea to select a domain extension simply because the other (better) extensions were already taken. Dot com domain is the best possible extension available at this period of time however dot net, and dot org domains are not too far behind dot come. The only reason you should choose another domain extension for your online business is if it makes sense for your business, is your targeted audiences country extension (eg,.co.uk,.us) or some other reason. For example del.icio.us uses the dot us extension not because it's the only domain that was available, or not even because it's targeted audience is in the US, it uses that domain extension because it makes sense for the business name. The dot us finishes the word 'Delicious'. This is possibly not the most important factor to take into consideration, however it's most certainly one to have a serious think about when trying to get the best domain name for your business.


Keywords in Domain Name
Having targeted and related keywords in your domain is a good idea not only for your customers/visitors benefit, but also for your websites SEO benefits. When keywords are in your websites domain name, your visitors will know straight away what your website is briefly about, and what to expect from it. You may think this disagrees with one of the earlier points I've made about your domain being brandable, however it is still possible to create a brandable name and include keywords at the same time. Furthermore, having keywords within your domain helps search engines distinguish your domain main target niche from another and ultimately giving your domain a better chance at competing for the keyword against other websites.


Easy To Spell
This may not seem like a major factor, however you would be surprised at how many visitors a website can lose simply because a person cannot spell the domain name. You have to take into consideration that most of the time if someone fails to get to your website after misspelling your domain several times, they will simply forget about your website, and continue doing something else. Try not to include long, and easily prone to spelling mistakes words within your domain. Not all users take advantage of the 'Did you mean...' feature that search engines offer unfortunately.


You must always remember that your domain is your impression to your visitors or customers. Never underestimate your websites domain name, or think that it wont matter towards this future of your website.


If you want to learn more about domain names and website development, then please go to my website, http://bbgnetwork.net/. This article is only one of my collection of useful, and informative content!