I have got so many questions on how to and where to find a good domain name. I think many people may have their own strategy, but I would like to share my point of view on this subject.
At first I want to tell you that all good domain names are already taken. And the only way to get them is to buy from the current owner or wait if someone forgets to renew it. The chance that somebody would forget to renew is low, but if you have tools to analyze millions of millions expiring domain names this could bring you some good results. So here I want to show you how to perform searches for domain names you are looking for.
Domain aftermarket is hot these days. Many people buy domains for their portfolio. Sometimes they buy all what they see without any further consideration. That’s why you may see so many so-so domains are taken and then put on auctions for big $$$ with hope that some end user can buy it. Bu tit happens not often.
What is your chance to find a good domain name for less? I think it’s all up to you or your luck. You must constantly scan lots of expiring domain auctions. I mean really a lot. I would say like millions per month. Also you may find some good domain name on public auctions, but prices are there quiet high unless you know how to bargain.
Let’s take a look how expiring domains go to auctions. So there are many registrars who try to sell domains in case someone forgets or refuses to renew their domain name. To avoid communication with each registrar then try domain search tools at prtag.com to scan and review almost all domains available on the market.
Some registrars and/or third parties push on line big lists of domains which are about to expire. They call those lists pre-release. Those lists contain hundred of thousand domain names. It’s hard to analyze them all manually but with right tools it’s a piece of cake. This is where you can find good names, but it still doesn’t mean they will go to the next step.
The next step is to auction domains which still are forgotten by its owners. Here is the time to grab them. But before you grab them do some research. If you are lucky one you may get to own a very good name for almost nothing. As always right tools are your friends.
So what happens with domains if no one buys? Some registrars push them for sale again (the second round) and they call it closeouts. Yeah, here you can buy domains very cheap, maybe for some lucky $5 USD. For example tdnam offers some expiring domains listed on Dmoz (Google) or Yahoo directories. Such domains could be a good investment too.
Or yeah, and if you think you grab a valuable domain name just got to public auction and sell it for profit.
If you are new to domain names, it’s easy to get baffled by the terms used to describe their status. If a domain is ‘free’, what does that really mean? Is an expiring domain the same as a deleted one? Is it better to look for a domain that is for sale, or just register a completely new one?
Here we will explain what all the jargon really means.
You are probably looking for a domain, or want to add another domain to build a site with. Any potential domain you are interested in registering can be either free and available, already registered, expiring, deleted or for sale. Let’s look at each of these now.
1. Free and available
If you have typed a domain name in the address field of a browser, and you get a message like ‘Server not found’, then it is likely that the domain name has not been registered by anyone yet. If you do the same search at a domain name registrar you can confirm the name is still free, and then buy it. If you are having trouble finding a suitable domain name, most of the registrant services, or search tools like domainsbot.com will be able to suggest variants of your keyword.
You should note that a lot of sites mean something different when they talk about a ‘free domain’. They are often referring to the domain name you can get as a freebie when you sign up for web hosting.
2. Already registered
If a domain name is already registered, it means someone else has the name in their ownership. There may or may not be a website associated with it. Some domains are bought by speculators or ‘domainers’ in the hope that they become valuable or someone makes them an offer. If you really want a name which is already registered but not being used, remember the owner will probably ask for far too much. Try to negotiate downwards. If you can’t, look for another name.
3. Expiring
This means the period that the person who registered the name for has expired; they still have a chance to renew it if they want. The domain is ‘on hold’ while the domain registration company awaits contact and payment from the owner. They will do their best to make sure the owner has a chance to renew. Valuable domain names which are about to expire will be snapped up by speculators the instant they are released.
4. Deleted
The expiring period has ended, and the domain is released. It can be registered again by anyone who wants to pay for it.
5. For sale
The owner of the domain is actively trying to sell it, either through an auction, an agent, or through a ‘This domain is for sale’ message on a parked page. You can buy the domain if you want. Remember, unlike physical real estate, most domains sell for a fraction of their advertised price. But remember if the domain is associated with an actual web site, and the site can be found in the search engines, then it could be a more valuable purchase.
From Dubai to Chicago, telecom companies are introducing new area codes to meet the demand of new telephone numbers businesses. If only this was possible for Internet domain names – the .com addresses, like business.com,auto.com and phones.com– that are the invaluable gold mine of the Digital Age. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of .com domain names, and due to the demand supply ration which is out of whack, corporates are squabbling with one another to secure the right domains.Let’s face it, image is exceptionally critical to any online business and domain names have their own brand image. Short domains, one word names with the dot com after them are in extreme demand. A domain name must be memorable and easy to remember because a domain name must be able to stand alone for any corporate to have its own online identity. Customer’s today type in the most used domain names simply from memory. A great domain name means search engines simply aren’t necessary.Who are domainers?Domainers are the professionals who deal in domain names. Domainers buy, sell, and develop domain names in a manner similar to real estate investors. Domainers generate revenue via domain parking, web-site development, and resale of domain names. Domainers are also sometimes referred to as domain investors, web site developers, domain registrants and commercial registrants.As of December 2006 there are an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 individuals globally who make buying and selling domain names a part of their business. USA Today reported that many Domainers prefer to remain anonymous due to the highly competitive nature of their business[1]2. What is pay per click advertising?Pay per click (PPC) is an advertising technique used on websites, advertising networks, and search engines.Advertisers bid on “keywords” that they believe their target market (people they think would be interested in their offer) would type in the search bar when they are looking for their type of product or service. For example, if an advertiser sells red widgets, he/she would bid on the keyword “red widgets”, hoping a user would type those words in the search bar, see their ad, click on it and buy.These ads are called “sponsored links” or “sponsored ads” and appear next to and sometimes above the natural or organic results on the page. The advertiser pays only when the user clicks on the ad.While many companies exist in this space, Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing, which was formerly Overture, are the largest network operators as of 2006. In the spring of 2006, MSN started beta testing their own in-house service, MSN adCenter. Arguably this advertising model may be open to abuse through click fraud, although recently Google and other search engines have implemented automated systems to guard against this.3. What is direct navigation?Direct navigation describes the method individuals use to navigate the Internet in order to arrive at specific websites. Direct navigation is a new, loosely defined term, which is generally understood to include type-in traffic and bookmarked traffic. This involves an internet user navigating to a website directly through the website address bar, bypassing any online search engines and navigating directly to the domain.WebSideStory has recently published a report illustrating that direct navigation traffic, converts into sales for advertisers at a rate twice that of search engines.[1] Specifically, the Q4 2005 study of internet traffic, revealed that direct navigation traffic such as browser type-in traffic, bookmarks of existing sites and visits to existing, known website domain names converts into sales for advertisers at 4.23% of total visits compared to 2.3% for product and service related searches performed via the search box at search engines such as Google and Yahoo.[1] Do you have skills predicting future trends? What names might be big in the next few years if a woman or a black man were elected president, if an issue other than terrorism begins to creep into the world psyche? If green becomes in or America revamps its health care system what will be the key domain names that will represent the future? What names today represent a great business opportunities for you tomorrow?
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