Category: Domain Names

The level of competition in domain name selection has grown fierce as interest in the internet has exploded. Single name intuitive domains are being valued, and purchased for figures in the millions of dollars. It has even become difficult to find multiple word domains that meet the phrase popularity criteria.

In reaction to the short supply, many creative organizations have developed new domain locations designed to allow internet focused companies and individuals to register names and phrases of value to them. Development in this field is both a factor of need, and potential profit for the organizations who control the locations.

Some of the most recent additions to this ever-growing list include:

* .biz
* .home
* .info

Without a doubt, there will be many more to come as demand creates potential for even higher earnings for both the registrars and sales agents for these locations. When considering an alternative location for your online venture, keep the following in mind:

Dot Com is King

Though the prevalence of alternatives to a .com location are increasing daily, the power of a .com domain continues to be unrivaled for its acceptance by consumers and search engines alike. The .com name generates a virtual sense of legitimacy, as the domain where it all began. Even old timers like .net, and .org have yet to obtain the general appeal of a .com name.

Without a doubt, everything has its time, and its place. Newcomers like .biz or .info may play a significant role in coming years, and they do allow businesses the flexibility to choose a far more intuitive location name than that which is available in the .com world. But with a limited appeal, and limited search engine recognition, one should likely consider them for additional location registrations, versus the cornerstone location for a new online venture.

My Own Dot Com

Rule number one when selecting your .com name is simply this – take your time! Getting this step right the first time can save you countless hours and headaches down the road. Some recommended steps are:

1. Do the research. Find out what your potential customers are looking for on the net. What keywords and phrases are they looking for? Try visiting Goto.com for help with this step. Goto provides a popular search tool that allows you to enter keywords and phrases, and view the number of searches done on that, and other related terms for a one month period. This can give you a very good idea of what your keyword focus should be.

2. Search the domain registry. Once you’ve narrowed down to a few specific terms and phrases, search the domain registry to check on what’s available in that area. Be creative, always keeping your potential client’s habits in mind. Online for Success provides a domain search area to get you started, located here.

3. Still having trouble finding a suitable name? Why not register with an organization that tracks about to expire domain names? Should a domain not be renewed in an area of relevance to your business, they will inform you of its availability. One never knows – perhaps luck will be on your side, and online success just around the bend!

What’s In a Domain Name? search and register a domain >>> Domain names are often thought of as merely a cost of doing business online, similar in nature to an office supply need, or a shipping charge. In reality, the domain name chosen for your online venture can play an integral role in whether your site achieves massive popularity, or remains forever a mere needle in the haystack that is the internet. The keys to choosing a powerful domain name are relatively simple, and should be carefully considered during your selection process. Keep it Simple The most found domains on the web are those that are intuitive in nature. These are domains that internet users key in automatically when targeting an item, or area of interest. For example, an auction site bearing the domain name www.auction.com will be infinitely more popular than one located at www.seemyauction.com. The challenge facing internet entrepreneurs today is the sad reality that most of the intuitive domains are long gone – and those that do arise for resale are generally well beyond the means of a start-up internet enterprise. This is not to say that intuitive is no longer a factor. Although domains of single-word simplicity may be unattainable, the natural search techniques of your venture’s target market should play a strong role in the domain selection process. As is true in the start-up of any business, online or otherwise, understanding your market is imperative. Who are you selling to? Who will see value in the information you have to provide? And most importantly, how are they finding it today? When scouring the internet for your product or service, what terms are they using? What phrases? There are a variety of tools that you can use to determine search term and phrase popularity, such as Goto.com’s popular search term tool. Once you are aware of your market’s natural tendencies, you can target your domain to represent them. This will assist you in the long run by ensuring your domain is both easily memorable to your clientelle, and naturally popular in the search engines. Although given less relevance than site content, many search engines also spider your domain name for keywords relative to the searcher’s subject. Match your chosen business domain to a popular search phrase relative to your product or service, and your online success is imminent! Would you like to use this article on your site, or have it emailed to you? Related Subjects: Dot.Com vs .Net, .Org, and Other Newcomers Search and Register a Domain Hosting Your Domain     back to top

Finding Expired Domain Names            featured domain location & expired domain name tracking services>>> There are few decisions within the planning of an online enterprise more imperative, and often misunderstood, as the selection of a domain name. Your website’s domain name can play an integral role in your business’ success, hopefully generating enthusiasm, intuitive traffic, ease of recognition, and memorization amongst your clientele. Finding a domain name that is a fit for your line of business, and available for purchase, either directly, or via negotiation with a current owner, is a task that demands due research. Limiting yourself to domains currently on the open market is a decision that can seriously impact your ability to succeed in this competitive marketplace. It is estimated that there are currently more than 30 million registered domain names, of which only ten percent are in active use. Much of the remaining 90 percent is returning to the market via a range of sources, at a pace estimated to be as high as 800,000 domains per month. The tools available for the researching, location, and registry of these high value expired and ‘for sale’ domains are many, but first one must develop an understanding of how true domain value is determined. Know your Customer This area is clearly rule number one, applicable in all areas of your business development, and certainly in the area of domain selection. Understanding who your customer is, and how they are going to try to find your product or service, will allow for the development of a keyword oriented site, and preferably, its domain name. The keyword content of a domain name is highly regarded for its contribution to value on a variety of fronts: simple, keyword based domains are naturally ‘intuitive’ keyword based domains are favored by search engines keyword based domains are more easily recognizable keyword based domains are better remembered Simplicity Counts Limitations within the .com market have recently allowed for domain name length restriction increases, enabling the registry of domains up to 63 characters. Although this allows for maximum keyword usage, it has a severe impact on your client’s ability to remember, and locate your property. In all business, online and off, ‘branding’ your property with easily, and often remembered access points is imperative to driving clients, and spending dollars. Memorable is key – often of greater value than a long string of search engine oriented keywords. To-Hyphenate or Not to Hyphenate Hyphenated domains are highly popular, and said to improve domain name keyword recognition by search engines. Although this will play a role in your overall search engine placement, there are innumerable other factors, such as link popularity, content relativity, etc, that also impact your ranking. As such, to select a hyphenated name because of perceived placement value must be weighed against its impact on your client’s ability to memorize your site address. Many visitors impressed by the offerings of www.baseball-gloves.com will likely end up visiting www.baseballgloves.com next time around – the hyphen is one of the most easily forgotten attributes around. Finding the Right Domain Once you have determined the best general direction for selecting your business’ domain name, the search can begin. Some services that can be of assistance in your quest are listed below: General Registry Search A general registry search is always a good place to begin. This is the easiest means of determining immediately if the domain of top interest is already taken. Whois services associated with these searches will allow you to verify ownership of domains of interest, as well as their potential expiry date. Online offers such a search page here. Expired Domain Search There are a number of internet based services for locating expired, or about to expire domain names en masse. With as many as 800,000 domains reentering the marketplace each month, these services can be of infinite value in assisting with the location of a prime domain for your business. One premium provider in this area is DomainBot. Expired Domain Tracking and Registry When a domain is about to expire, the competition for its registry by a new owner is fierce. As guidelines for its actual availability within the open marketplace are varied to say the least, tracking, and being the first to register an expired domain of any significant value is virtually impossible without the assistance of a monitoring service. The most renowned service of this type is provided by SnapNames, whose specialty is enabling their clients to “back-order” domains that are expiring shortly. For just $49 per domain name per year, they’ll monitor your domain and contact you if a change is made to it’s registration record. They will also immediately register any tracked domain the moment it becomes available on the open market – and registration is included in the yearly fee! Participants in the SnapNames program also have access to the tracking (no automated registry) of up to ten more domains, at no additional charge. Find a Domain Already Listed With Yahoo Recent changes with Yahoo’s submission policies have resulted in recurring fees of $299 per year for business related submissions. Web sites that were submitted prior to this change were ‘grandfathered’ in, and are not held accountable for these fees. Finding domains that are currently listed within Yahoo, and on the verge of expiration, can save the Internet business operator a considerable investment over time. Many such domains become available, bringing the finder the added link popularity, and traffic associated with a quality Yahoo listing. Locating these prized domains is takes considerable research, unless a service specializing in their location is used. One such service is offered by YahTool, whose primary software is available for purchase at their site. The software is designed to search domain registries for about to expire domain names who have also achieved a Yahoo listing. The tool is invaluable for the Internet business owner interested in achieving instant popularity, traffic, and fiscal efficiency. And keep in mind, a site listed in Yahoo is likely listed elsewhere as well, so the investment is well worth it’s initial cost. Now get out there, and locate the domain name of your dreams! The expired domain name tools above, combined with a creative, and customer focused approach, are certain to assist you in developing an Internet business built for success! Would you like to use this article on your site, or have it emailed to you?   Related Subjects: Track about to expire domains with SnapNames Register your domain name at Online for Success     top of expired domain name page