TMB Web Designs

The competition in the domain industry is steadily increasing as more and more people are becoming aware of it’s global impact in today’s financial marketplace. Professional investors and huge corporations are staking their claim of this internet real estate and have turned this once primitive name exchange into a booming multi-billion dollar industry.

Today’s domainers are needing take their domain investing to another level in order to have continued success and profitability. Below are 15 Ways To Become A Better Domainer.Utilize the forums

As I’ve said in previous posts, the importance of domaining forums in the domain industry are vital and serve as a great resource for beginners and professional domainers alike. Whether you are looking for some honest appraisal opinions or asking questions that only another domainer would know the answer to, the domain forums are there to assist. 24 hours a day, 365 days a week, this constant stream of domain information has shaped many beginner domainers into today’s greatest professional domainers. If you’re not a member of a domain forum you should greatly consider joining one today. Are you a domainer or a domain developer?

Are you buying domains for quick profit sales? Are you buying domains for the long-term traffic revenue? Are you buying domains to develop and birth new traffic? Whether you choose to do one or all three, you must come to terms and clarify a solid game plan when it comes to your domain investments. It’s reasonably okay to have a few domains being developed but your overall strategy needs to take shape and be narrowed down to a specific objective. Developing a domain name takes time, effort and more time, but the possible payoffs are always huge. Buying domain names in bulk for quick sales is also profitable but relies more on a constant sales initiative to be successful. Either way, you need a tactical approach on how you want to market your domains. Dissect your portfolio

I once spoke to a guy who boasted a domain portfolio of over 3000 names. After hearing how he was considering selling a few of his “best” domains, I offered to peruse the list and maybe assist with finding some end users that might be potential buyers. He agreed and the next day he sent me a list of about 1000 of his best domains that he was willing to sell. To my surprise over 90% of them were, in my humble opinion, not worth much more than the reg fee. I contacted him back and explained that I was only to find about 75-100 names that could possibly be decent sales. He was stunned. He declined and stated that my appraisal was not correct and thanked me for my time. 3 days laters, I received an email from the exact same guy asking for assistance in selling the 75-100 domain names I previously found in his list. Seems that during those 3 days, he spoke to a few other domainers and received the same appraisal and evaluation of his so called “best” domains. This guy thought since his domains contained popular words like gamble, casino, sex and technology that it automatically made his domains super valuable. What he didn’t consider was the multiple hyphens and terrible combinations of typos and keywords. Don’t be the domainer with a huge list of terrible domains just to brag about how large your portfolio is. Trim your “extra” domains and streamline by selling or trading and use the profit for investing in quality names that are earmarked for immediate revenue or immediate development. Be proud of the overall quality of your portfolio and not just the number of domains it contains. Know your rep

I amazed on how many people I encounter that in the domain industry that have no idea who their representatives are for such companies as Sedo, Moniker, Go Daddy and other big domain powerhouses. The representatives of such companies exist to assist their members who utilize their services and are hands-down the quickest and easiest way to get something resolved if you feel a mistake has been made. If you have domains either parked or offered for sale with a domain company, I highly suggest sending a quick email to find out who your representative is and do you best to maintain a professional and courteous relationship with them. It’s easier to ask assistance from someone whom you know and knows you than it is to ask a complete stranger. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite domain rep at next years Domainers Choice Awards.Stay clear of Trademark Infringements

This should be a no-brainer. Time and time again I see domainers struggle with the headaches caused by trademark infringements and bad faith domain registrations. Not only do most of the trademark claims filed at the WIPO result in the domain being transferred to the appropriate party, but it also indicates that your choice in domains is questionable and therefore proving that you are still purchasing non-quality domain names. Domains that infringe on trademarks are not quality. Ask any lawyer. Save your registration fee and steer clear of legal woes. Auto-renew

Now that your portfolio is streamlined and contains only select domain names, you definitely don’t want to lose or let any of them drop and take a chance of someone else buying you lovely internet real estate. Do yourself a favor and set your domains for auto-renew at your domain register where purchased. It’s a terrible feeling to have someone else scoop up one of your prize domains just because you didn’t or couldn’t find the time to renew the registration. Visit this great article by the Daily Domainer that explains the life-cycle of a domain name and don’t let accidental “drops” happen to you. Limit the hand regs

Hand regs or hand registrations are domains that are purchased from a publicly available source at a regular registration fee and are either brand new (never been purchased) or have expired and no longer owned by the previous owner. Go Daddy is a domain registrar that is popular with domainers and consistently used for hand regs. The possibility of stumbling along a unregistered domain is always there and the opportunity for someone to register a new domain name that never existed and create value to it is also conceivable, but in essence, most domain names that are hand regged are simply non-researched, impulse purchases that pad a domain portfolio with non-value names. Distinguish yourself as a profitable domainer and limit the amount of hand regs you add to your portfolio. One good way is to wait 24 hours before registering a hand reg domain and then re-evaluating before buying. You may lose a registration every so often but in the long run you will save on unnecessary registration fees and useless domain name ownership. Stay current with news and sales

To be successful is to be informed. The pulse of the domain industry is constantly evolving and therefore it is beneficial to a domainer to know exactly what is the next potential opportunity or trend being created within our industry. If you buy domain names, you are an investor. If you are an investor, you need to stay current with the news of your investments and other people’s investments. You can do this by monitoring the recent domain sales and news offered by many websites that are specifically geared towards todays domainers. One of my favorite websites is Ron Jackson’s DNJournal. You can find great articles, news and the popular Year To Date domain sales. You need to know what domains are selling, which domains are being bought and how much they are being bought for. Invest time in your investments and reap the rewards. Predicting the next big trend is priceless. Blog around

Domaining blogs are sprouting up everywhere with domainers eager to share their experiences, setbacks, lessons learned and tips with anyone who wants to listen. We all need to take advantage of this free and useful information by visiting various domain blogs and getting another person’s perspective on our industry. And don’t forget to subscribe to their RSS feeds, if it is offered, and have all this new information sent directly to you to read at your convenience… for free. Subscribe to this blog here.Diversify with other TLD extensions

While some domainers swear that .com is the only extension worth being bought, there are others, like me, who think it’s absolutely insane to dismiss all other TLD’s and only buy one flavor of domain name. The popularity of .TV and .Mobi and the ongoing success of ccTLD’s has risen and is playing a prominent part in today’s domain marketplace. Generic domains in any of these extensions are being recognized as a highly sought after commodity with no signs of slowing. Familiarize yourself with other TLD’s beside .com, .net and .org and evaluate your domain purchases on a global niche scale the next time you go to buy a domain.Consider fractional domain ownership

Fractional domain ownership is simply a group of people that own a domain name and share in it’s profits, development and use. There is not one sole owner because it is owned by the entire group. Owning a portion of a high value domain is a great way for a newcomer to the domain industry to begin and understand the ins and outs of professional domaining and share in the profit growth associated with that certain domain. It also allows “regular” domainers to group funds together and own a very premier domain name without one person having to pay the entire purchase price. Look for this trend to boom in 2008.Optimize your parked pages

Once you buy a domain name, it is up to you whether your domain will contain a fully-functional website that you can customize/adsense or whether you will “park” your domain and allow targeted content to automatically be placed and monetized per visitor. If you choose to park your domains, it’s imperative that you understand how domain parking works and how it can be optimized to bring better results. Sedo is a popular place for domain parking and allows users to see detailed stats and account information for each domain parked on the Sedo network. Revenue is shared with Sedo each time someone clicks on content on one of your parked pages and relies on consistent traffic to be a steady stream of income. Brush up on your domain parking information here. Update your WHOIS information

The WHOIS database is sort of like a directory of purchased domain names that contains the owner’s contact information, purchase date and expiration of a certain domain. One use of this information is being able to contact a domain owner and inquire about purchasing the domain. Without the correct information in the WHOis database, a potential buyer may not be able to contact the current owner and allow an offer to be placed. Contact your domain registrars and make sure your WHOis information is current and correct. If you opt not to be contacted by potential buyers, you may consider using a service that purchases domains for it’s clients and keeps their information private. There is also an option to pay an additional fee at some domain registrars for private domain registration.Contact more end users

So you have a great domain name that is considered gold in a certain industry. Great job. Now, if you have decided not to develop it and simply want to profit from a sale, I highly suggest contacting an end user. What’s and end user? An end user is someone who would use the domain name specifically for creating brand recognition in a certain industry. Here’s an example: Adam owns organicdogfood.com and Bob owns an organic dog food company in Texas but uses the domain BobsSuperGoodOrganicDogFood.com. Adam contacts Bob and offers a shorter, brandable and easier to remember domain name that can increase Bob’s exposure on the internet for people searching for organic dogfood. Adam has just contacted a possible end user. A domain name can usually be sold to an end user for more since it is valued more by the actual user of the domain instead of a regular domain buyer. Change your views on the domain industry

Are there still opportunities to be successful in today’s domain industry? Yes.

Is there still time to take advantage of the booming domain sales? Yes.

Is it still possible for a domain newbie to come in and thrive even with a small initial investment. Yes.

Are you ready to buy or register your domain name? How to Buy | Register a Domain Name
If you’re wondering how to buy | register a domain name, don’t sweat it! Here are some simple steps to take before, during, and after the process. It’s easier than you think to get a great domain name.
As the Web becomes more popular, the domain names are becoming scarce. It can be difficult to find a domain name that best suits your company because so many other people in your field might be thinking of the same domain name. So, you must be creative and brainstorm a little while to decide on the right domain name for you.How to Brainstorm when Buying a New Domain Name
Coming up with a great domain name can actually become a family event. You can spend quality time with your family while trying to brainstorm for the right domain name. Even the kids will enjoy trying to think of great names – they might even hit the jackpot and pick a winning domain name!Write down these four things before getting started:*Your company name.*Your products or services.*Who is your target audience?*Are you planning to do heavy advertising and branding for your domain name or small-business marketing?
These four factors can help you come up
with a great domain name. When you buy | register a domain name, you must consider these things before getting started because they will help determine how effective certain types of domain names will be.Why Not Just Use My Company Name as my Domain Name?
You shouldn’t use your company name as a domain name unless your company is well-known to the general public, or you plan to make it well-known through heavy branding. The only other time you should use your company name is if the name is short and simple, and if it reflects the type of business you operate.
For example, if you own a company called “The Roland Brothers” and sell children’s toys, then the company name is not related to the product you sell. Visitors to your site will have a difficult time remembering this domain name.
However, if your company name is “Tot Toys, Inc.” you could easily secure the domain name “tot-toys.com” or something similar if that one is not available, and you’ll still have an effective domain name. This all depends on what you have to offer and how the company name relates.Otherwise, follow these simple rules to buy | register a domain name:*Keep it simple.*Keep it short.*Avoid excessive dashes or other symbols within your main domain name.*Choose a “.com” domain name if possible if you plan to operate an online business. Or, choose “.org” for an organization, “.edu” for an educational site, and so on.
That’s all there is to it for brainstorming! As you’ll see in the next step, to buy a domain name is easy, choosing it is usually the hardest part!How to Buy | Register the Domain Name after Choosing One
Once you have a great domain name in mind, you must go online to a “Web Hosting” site or “Domain Registrar” site to check for availability of that particular domain name. Most web hosts also offer domain registration, and will allow you to check availability for free.
You can check as many domain names as you want at no charge. Some sites will even offer alternatives for your domain name if it is unavailable. So, visit your chosen host or registrar site and locate the “Register Domain Name” form. Type in the domain name you have chosen and select a suffix (.com, .org, .net, .edu, etc.).
Then, submit the domain name to check for availability. If the domain name is available, you can continue registering it right then and there or you might want to shop around for a cheaper price before registering your domain name. Finding a Great Registrar and Web HostFinding a great registrar and web host doesn’t have to be rocket science. If you choose to shop around before you buy or register a domain name, it’s best if you can find affordable hosting and domain name registration together with one company. However, it is not required that you host your domain name at the same place where you register it. It’s your choice.
Remember, domain name bills only come once a year, but many hosting companies charge monthly. By shopping around, you might even find a company offering a huge hosting discount if you pay by the year!
Be sure the company is reputable. Look for companies that are established on the Web. Ask around at discussion forums to see who everyone else is using and to get some feedback. It’s worth doing research because you will be with your web host and/or registrar for many years to come.
Once your domain name is registered, you can secure hosting for it. You will probably be required to wait up to 48 hours for your domain name and hosting to be set up. Once set up, you can start loading your web pages at your new domain name. And…. you’re in business!
It’s not difficult to buy | register a domain name, but the whole process can be confusing for beginners. I hope this will help you better understand how it all works.Remember – a reliable web host is priceless. They are the lifeline of your Web business! You can take a look at all the features offered by IX Hosting just by visiting IXwebhosting.com.

Choosing a domain name may seem like an exercise in frustration, and you may be tempted to register the first one you stumble upon that isn’t already taken.  Slow down!  It requires more thought than that, and your choice will have a tremendous impact on the ultimate success of you Web site.  In this article, we will discuss how to discover a domain name that will work for you.

There are four main concerns when choosing a domain name:

1.  Technical Requirements.

2. A Memorable Name.

3. A Descriptive Name.

4.  Keyword Research.

Technical Requirements for Domain Names

Let’s get the easy part out of the way first.

When we talk about a “domain name,” we’re referring to the part of a Web site address that comes between “www” and “.com.”  For instance, in “wwwYourWebSitecom,” the domain name is “YourWebSite.”  You must register the domain within a particular “top-level domain,” the part that comes after the rightmost “dot,” as in “.com,” “.info,” “.us,” etc.  That is, “YourWebSitecom” is a different domain than “YourWebSiteinfo.”  You might be able to register “YourWebSitebiz,” even though “YourWebSitecom” is already registered.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (“ICANN”) defines what a domain name must look like.  These rules may be summarized as follows:

*  63 or fewer characters.

*  Only numerals, hyphens, and English letters.

*  Must not begin with a hyphen.

*  Must not end with a hyphen.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite that cut and dried.  There are varying interpretations of the rules.  Some say that a domain in a four-character top-level domain (.info, .mobi) can only be 62 characters long.  There are several schemes regarding how to encode non-English letters, etc.

We can avoid getting bogged down in these points of confusion by remembering two things:

1.  You don’t want a long domain name anyway, so don’t worry about whether the limit is 64 or 62 characters.

2.  Non-English letters, encoded in schemes that might not be universally applied, mean that your domain name may look different (and nonsensical) on various parts of the Internet, so don’t use them.

Choosing a Memorable Domain Name

Your domain name must be something that people can remember and that they can type in readily, or recognize at a glance when they see it as a clickable link.

Among other things, this means that your domain name should be short.  All of the genuinely short domain names are already taken.  Virtually every single word in the English language has been registered as a domain name, as has every combination of up to five letters.  So, don’t get too hung up on “short.”  As we will discuss later in this article, you want to find a balance between “short” and “descriptive.”

Although a domain name may include hyphens, you are better off without them.  If you wanted to register “YourDomainNamecom” and found it was unavailable, you will not be doing yourself any favors by registering “Your-Domain-Namecom.”  Users will confuse the two Web sites, and will be more likely to go with the shorter version.

Choosing a Descriptive Domain Name

Your domain name should describe what the user will find on your Web site.

Look for a descriptive phrase about your chosen specialty.  Is your Web site about baby care tips for working mothers?  For parents of babies with special needs?  Whatever specific area you intend to address, put together three or four words that say it.  You don’t have to say it very well, at this point.  As we will discuss shortly, there are tools to help you refine your descriptive phrases.  For now, just come up with a few phrases that describe your Web site’s content in three or four words.

Keyword Research when Choosing a Domain Name

You want your domain name to be short and descriptive.  That means that each word in it must have value.

Keyword research can identify powerful keywords for your Web site’s content, but it can also find words to use in your domain name.  There is one difference, as will be discussed below.

Keyword research identifies the words and phrases that people are using when searching for information related to your planned Web site.  You will use these keywords in your Web site’s content and in any pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns, but you should also use them in your domain name.  A keyword-rich domain name is more likely to rank high in search engine results.

When researching keywords for use in your Web site content or in PPC advertising, you want search terms that are frequently used but rarely matched.  These are the high-value keywords that can make the content of your Web site stand out in the search engines.

However, when you are looking for keywords to use in your domain name, you should concentrate on frequently used keywords, and not necessarily those that are rarely matched.  This is the difference alluded to earlier.

Keyword research can not tell you whether a domain name is available.  It can only tell you what people are looking for and what they are finding in the content of Web pages.  So, identify terms that people are looking for, then determine what domain names are available that use those terms, and you will have a winning domain name.

Take the list of descriptive phrases you identified in the last section, and use each one as the starting point for keyword research.  From your keyword research, build a list of phrases that people are searching for when they want to find the kind of content you plan to offer.

From that list, focus on the shortest phrases that are relevant and clearly descriptive of the content you intend to offer.  Now, check to see which of these phrases are available for you to register as domain names.

What if you find two or more keyword-rich domain names available?  Register all of them!  Choose the one you like best as the main name for your Web site, but keep the others.  You can use them as “redirect” pages, and you always have the option of using the alternate names later.

For the same reason, register your domain name in various top-level domains if they are available, such as .com, .info, etc.  Lock in your options on those alternate names, and lock out your competitors from stealing the results of your research.

Conclusion:  What to Do Next

Before you rush out and register the first available domain name you come up with, do your homework.

*  Think of a short list of descriptive phrases about the Web site you intend to build.

*  Do some comprehensive keyword research on each of those descriptive phrases, and build a list of more keyword-rich descriptive phrases.

*  Choose the shortest, most memorable phrases from your list, and check which ones are available to register as domain names.

*  Register as many of these keyword-rich, descriptive domain names as you can.