Do you play the Domain Game???

[Linda Buquet]

Welcome to our brand new Domain Name Forum!
I am the mod and host for this forum and the Affiliate Marketing forum.

Do you play the Domain Game???

If you own a web site, you probably have played the game at least once when you launched your site and searched feverishly for the perfect name.

If you are an affiliate, you've probably had to play the game a few times times and continue to play the game every time you build a new site.

If you're an online marketer or web designer you probably play the game all the time, but sometimes with other people's money.

A good, memorable domain name is the foundation of every great web presence. Some people buy domain names for their own web site, some buy them for fun, some for profit, some even invest in them, and play them like the stock market - but needless to say, lots of people play the domain game in one way or another.

A while back I got into the domain game, and now I’m totally, helplessly hooked. Researching, finding, buying and selling domain names, has become an addiction for me - just like going to Vegas is for some people. I dream up new domain names in my sleep and every TV commercial gives me a new domain name idea. My friends are starting to call me the “Domainiac.” The other day I got an email from a business associate addressed to “Whois Linda!”

So I figured I'd share my passion, addiction, resources, and tools in this new WebProWorld forum, so we can all play the game together. After all, domains are the foundation of everything web and this IS WebProWorld, right?

Here are a couple good general domain name resources to get us started:

http://www.dnjournal.com
http://www.domainnotes.com
http://www.igoldrush.com

Remember this is YOUR forum so let us know what topics you would like to discuss such as domain keyword tools, good value Registrars, domain valuations, how do you grab good expired domains, what are the best places and ways to sell a domain for top dollar.

So do you play “The Game”?

What are some of your favorite tricks of the trade? Need help brainstorming a new URL? Where is the best place to register domains or sell them? What do you think of the newer domain extensions like .biz and .tv? Have you ever made a great score? Tell us about it!!!

[LauraB]

Hi Linda,

The commas are causing problems here:

Here are a couple good general domain name resources to get us started:
http://www.dnjournal.com, http://www.domainnotes.com,

http://www.dnjournal.com
http://www.domainnotes.com

[Linda Buquet]

Ooooops, thanks for catching that Laura. I just fixed someone else's URLs in a post but neglected to double check my own. Good catch! :-)

[kikkertm]

Great idea for a forum.. I'm quite involved in everthing to do with domain names (I'm a registrar) and I also buy and sell premium domain names for profit.. I might be spending even more time on this forum now !

Anyway Catalyst - Good intro.. You might want to make it a 'sticky' to keep people within scope ?

[Linda Buquet]

kikkertm,

Glad you will be with us more often, it will be nice to have your expertise. Great idea about the sticky! Done!

[sonnie]

Interesting concept concerning domains. My Significant Other wanted to start a website. She had decided exactly what she wanted to do. All products offered would be made and handcrafted in the USA. I searched for domain names NOT already registered that might fit the need. To my surprise I found one, not registered, and jumped on it. We haven't done much with the site yet, but will get into it later this year. The interesting part of all of this...we have received numerous emails offering to buy the domain name.

[geoffreygag]

Tips and Concerns

1- Domains are addictive.
2- Domain game can be costly.
3- Domain names have a valuation formula. (most likely, today's inventory of available names won't fit into the top valuation models)
4- Two strategies a) development b) quick flips. If you develop them, might as well buy out the 10 year registration.
5- Marketing / Advertising - it's better to invest in a good name upfront in order to lower your marketing cost across time. Spend $1,000 - $2,000 today and save $5,000 across time.
6- "Real Solution Secret". This saves time and money. Go to AT&T website and search their toll free database. There are still valuable toll free numbers available that will allow you to easily create your own "Packaged Brand" with top level category name and magnetic toll free number. Trust me, I have over 290 of these. visit www.1888ahorras.com
7- Becareful when somebody sells you a domain name that has a Google PR8 or PR9.
8- www.godaddy.com has aggressive pricing plans.
9-
10- Don't ever buy a domain name until you utilize Overture's search term suggestion tool. It clearly helps you assess what names / terms to buy.


That's all until later.

[gobuy]

I love the domain name game and been at it since Jan of 1999. Got in the business because the wife wanted to build a porcelain retail store online and we started to look for the right domain name. The porcelain that she wanted to sell was Limoges from France, so we found LimogesSociety.com and built it and has been up since 1999. Then I started to grab Limoges domain names like LimogesClub.com , ClubLimoges.com, BuyLimoges.com, LimogesShop.com, LimogesStore.com and many more of the misspellings.

Then I got into buying domain names, my first grab was MiracleMile.com, I built that one as a city directory and started hunting more got domain names.

I hunt them with Pool.com, NameWinner.com, ExpireFish.com, CaptureNames.com, GoDaddy.com, and SnapNames.com. I have grabed some great ones like WorldBanker.com, NationalBanker.com, AsSeenOnTV.org, SearchTheWorld.com, WhatsOnline.com, GoLookUp.com, SoccerMania.com, MrMuscle.com, and many more.

My two best extensions are .com and .us. The .us domain name has increased by over 70% in registrations, even more that the .com this year. The value is great and you can still find gold in the .us domain names.

I own some of the top level .us domain names as I was there at the opening. I own WallStreet.us, Mp3.us, Computers.us, Reservations.us, Paintings.us, OilPaintings.us, Porcelain.us.

You need to put in alot of time to grab great domains and a little luck, but it pay to have a great, easy to remember domain name.

This is the best game out there were a little guy can grab a big domain name for a small amount of money(from $500.00 to $5,000) and look big to the rest of the world when he or she builds a web site.

[MeanSEO]

Domains names are inventory like any other commodity you may buy and sell. Treat them as such and keep good track of them. If you have hundreds such as I do this requires some work but worth the effort.

I like using more than one registrar and good reporting on spread sheets is a must for me.

Be careful to make sure your names are locked. Godaddy by default is NOT LOCKED!

Keep track of expiration dates as sometimes you may not be notified.

I personally like using both: myname.com and my–name.com.

How about you?

[aronin]

I use officialwebnames.com as a registry. Low prices; excellent service. Their "Premium Domains List" - not advertised but available by email request - lists selected domain names the company holds in its own domain "bank."

Domain names truly is a game, and sometimes a vicious one at that. I have about 100 domains at various registrars and then I manage a number of domains too. I use specialized software to both manage domains and to purchase them. But it's not always fun.

Some of my favorite registrars include Joker.com (Germany), Pair.com (they also do a great job at web hosting too), 1AND1 (cheapest place I've seen with one of the easiest control panels that allows managine all domains you have there on a single web page) and I still favor old Network Solutions for when I want to invest into the 5+ year registrations. I despise Enom as they were former large-scale spammers and before they made it almost impossible to transfer a domain away from them.

Where the game gets really into play is when you have to deal with scrupulous affiliate registrars and idiot webmasters who only care to rip you off of your domain name and try to re-sell it back to you. I've also had affiliate registrars who took the name I wanted and re-sold it to another registrar and then "offered" to sell my domain back to me.

I think it's important and wise that today you find a really good registrar and one that can "lock" in your domain name having lots of security before the domain can be transferred or sold. This usually means lots of contact emails so make sure your email address lasts as long as your domain name or at least keep on top of modifying your domain name email addresses. You need to protect your domains these days.

One day the dot .COMs will be worth good real-estate prices again. I see the dot .NETs catching-up and surprisingly many, many organizations are now opting for the dot .ORGs. Last year I purchased over 30 .ORG domains largely because religious groups, some very big, are diving into a strong Internet presence.

I do not see the .us or country specific domains ever being anything more then what they are now-just regional country names that few will ever remember. I do think the dot .TV is working nicely for a number of infomercials but only because the medium of the TV is pushing the use of the domain.

Lastly, I still cherish domain names that are close to the top of the beginning of the alphabet as possible. Numeric domains can actually be beneficial here too. Domain names having keywords relevant to the content of the site will always make a strong showing, so pick your domain wisely.

Perhaps 10 years later our domains will have some value that we can pass them along to our children who will benefit from our domain game fun now.

Mark

[cooper]

My company has about 20+ domains but only 4 actual web sites (2 are listed in my signature). We use the rest to capture users that may have forgotten the "real" domains and redirect them to the correct ones. It's helpful and a smart business move. I would recommend it to anyone trying to capture their audience.

We have been trying to acquire a .com domain that the registered "owner" has never used. It's annoying as no one returns any correspondence and the contact information listed in the WHOIS database is worthless.
I haven't looked into it at all from a legal perspective yet so I will ask the users here:
Is there any way for us to acquire the domain by forcing, or otherwise allowing, the current registered organization to release it? I don't want to get nasty about it, but it would be a different story if the domain was actually being used or if they would return our inquiries.

Thanks!

[graphyx]

I don't visit the forum as much as I should but no, I don't really "play" the domain game. I only own one .com . . . that is graphyx.com. If I should decide that I want to sell my domain, for profits sake, what do I need to do, where can I post it or promote the sale of it. And where can I find information on pricing it.

[OneMoreBite]

Oh, gee thanks. Another forum to visit! I'm quite a domain name junky and all these links! Oh, my. I need a 48 hr. day.

Thanks for this forum idea - I've had questions about domain names and wasn't sure where to post them. Now I know! I'll be back ...

Anyone spend hours simply trying to dream up domain names, only to realize you just wasted half the day in dreamland? Me too. ;-)

Kathryn

[vfaulkner]

Can't say that I'm really a player, but,
Back in 2000, Vanity Fair Corp.( www.vfc.com ), parent company to the magazine,lingerie, and such companies as Gitano , Lee, and JanSport, offered me $50 to sell them my then current URL, vfsolutions.cmo, for use in a new product line.
I was able to negotiate a $5000 tag, due to some personal circumstances. (I truly wasn't trying to be greedy.)

Trying to find a replacement was hard though, as my name and others are similar and already taken and/or copyrighted.

To purchase names, I have used www.domainpeople.com several times as registrar and easily moved from/to different hosts for clients...

[edwinj]

Great new forum!
I have been playing the game for a while too. It's a lot of fun and can be extremely rewarding.

The best names IMO are those that target a specific market that has commercial potential. Too many beginners dive in and register names that sound clever or cute. This is usually not the best way to go and can result in you holding worthless names. You see hundreds of junk domains on eBay, for instance.

We've all been there. You'd fall down laughing if you saw some of the names I first registered. :)

There are dozens of great tools and resources that can help one to be a serious player of the game.
Here are a couple:
Overture has a super tool you can use to 'create' valuable domain names out of keywords or actual search terms that people use. Another of my favorites is http://www.whois.sc

All the best!
Edwin

Hi

I've registered a few just on the off-chance, realistically they sit there waiting to be used.

The first one was virginitycured.com and .co.uk when used on a TShirt its 'Virginity Cured - While you wait'

Also my house name "thedukeofwellington.org' its an old pub, my name, my wife's name. My brother has the family surname and various other names.

Then I bought work4.me.uk and plumb.me.uk and water.me.uk

Most recently, just in case the British expedition to Mars was successful 'thebeaglehaslanded' had Pillinger's craft landed and found life. I guess that domain name would have been quite attractive!

Apart from those, I buy loads of boring business domain names all the time for work, mostly oriented to SEO.

The problem is, once bought, its a very big decision to drop them!

[simonm]

Not sure why it took me as a guest?

[paulfromwales]

I was involved in setting up Public Access Terminals for a Government Body and thought it would be a great idea to register a name that could work in all public places - stations, hotels, waiting rooms etc

So, as all the good ones have gone, thought I'd use a hyphen or two! Web-O-Matics.co.uk was born.

Two years on I no longer have an interest in this venture and put it up for sale on ebay. £9 - no bids £1 no bids!

So what is the true worth of a hyphenated name? My experience would say, pretty close to nothing!

That's a problem really, for if hyphens are classed as worthless by the market place, then in the real world of successful web sites, they are always going to be second class citizens.

My tip for success? Choose another language.

eg. How much are Cars.com, Autos.com & Motors.com worth? Thousands more than most of us can afford. Yet I bought Motors.com last year for the price of the registration fee! Yes, true - only it's the Welsh version - Moduron.com (I even found WelshMotor.com to partner it) In the Welsh speaking area I live in, it would be a natural name for selling used cars to a regional market place.

Paul

ukcamera.com

Hello Cooper,

You can't insist that a non-used domain be sold. Domains are properties. A non active domain is no different than your neighbors parked car which hasn't been used in 2 years. No different than an empty parking lot, empty garage or an empty apartment. Owners discretion. You must stay calm. There is a correlation between annoying and price and it's costly.

Mark - .us can be percieved as regional, but there are over 190 million residents in this nation. Key question - How many of us are really global. What percentage of your business is done outside a 100 mile radius?

Go to Yahoo or Google and search Miss Universe 2004. You will see how regional this term is. Miss Universe is scheduled for June 1st.

Hyphenated name - Paul, hyphenate names have different values. If you are building a business and branding is important, you will never buy a name with a hyphen.

If you focus on affiliate programs or you are good at search engine optimization hyphens fit it well. You rely more on your strategic web skills than type ins for visitors. When was the last time you typed in john-doe.com

[AussieWebmaster]

I have used this method successfully for a few businesses. The impact of the domain as far as search engine placement and if you get really good ones the traffic from direct address typing can be substantial.

There is a person in the adult industry that makes a large income from selling the traffic from his domain names... that $10 investment can be big bucks.

[steve-parrott]

I'm a part-time web designer and practically live in cyberspace. If I were to spend, say a few hours a week, on the domain game could I expect returns greater than if I was flipping burgers at Macs? Is it a "work at it for a year and get paid big the following year" kind of thing? Do you have to invest in a huge number of names to make it a profitable business?

[rambodog]

My tough question these days is whether to register all the extensions or not. Years ago I registered computerchecks.com but not the other extensions. Now, I wish I had. Of course a year or two ago domain names were still typically $35/year - registration costs have plummeted since then.

[Linda Buquet]

steve-parrott said:

Is it a "work at it for a year and get paid big the following year" kind of thing? Do you have to invest in a huge number of names to make it a profitable business?

Great question!!! I see some domains going for the big bucks and my eyes glaze over thinking of how much I could make. I tend to wear rose colored glasses ALOT!

But realistically, I think it may be somewhat like playing the lottery. Since so many are people are in the game, probably the more GOOD names you buy, the better your chances of winning. There is also skill involved in choosing the right names and some luck involved with selling them at the right time and place.

What does everyone else think???

[AussieWebmaster]

It is not just buy low and sell high that can make you money at this game... you can use the power it has for search ranking to get good placement in the engines and then sell advertising...
there is a whole cottage industry of people creating sites to sell traffic specific to keywords or industries.

[xmx]

Domains are the essence of the internet.

Think a moment if you had to connect to sites using their numbers ID instead...

The success of the internet arrives in great part from the domain names.

Very nice that now WPW has a forum totally dedicated to domain names.

[fallof]

Yes, I guess I do play that game. I am a Domain Registrar. I also buy and sell Domain names for investment. I offer many of the services mentioned, such as domain locking, forwarding, masking, bulk registrations and transfers. My rates are Low, transfers are only $7.75/yr and registrations are only $8.95/yr. We have 24X7 Support and more.... Of course you can do searches and backorder Domains as well.

You can visit my site at www.eznetaccess.com

[SymbioticDesign]

Hi Everyone!

Yes, I too am a small registrar. I partner with Wild West Domains (GoDaddy's reseller division/company).

The only reason I setup as a Domain Registration Reseller is because I was having so much difficulty with NetSol & Register that I had no choice. As a web designer, I needed complete control over my Domain Names and these Registrars were holding them for ransom and refusing to allow me to make changes, or refusing to make the changes on my behalf.

I looked long and hard in order to come up with a decent solution and I do know that I found it. eNom was good, but refused to allow me to reregister for more than a year since that was the rate I originally signed-up for.

Upon becoming a small Registrar and having total control over my names, I felt so good about it that I registered many versions (different extensions) of my main website Domain. Even if I only had one Domain, I'd keep my Registrar status.

Plus, I enjoy helping people get started with their online business or professional presence.

But having such access to and control over Domains has kind of turned me into a Domain Name Nut. As I buy Domains for future development, I later find an even better name and register it.

An example is ImageMorgue.com. A morgue is a common name for the place to file unused or unpublished production animations, models, characters, photos or images. Of course, since almost all good Photo Gallery Domains are registered, and since Morgue.com is a single word Domain it is gone, so I came up with Image Morgue, which would be professionally understood and brandable.

But since branding is a major concern for any website and business, I had to register ImagesMorgue.com, MorgueImages.com and MorgueImage.com. This helps avoid cybersquatting issues.

Later, I was talking with fellow Domainers and someone mentioned that he makes heavy use of his Morgue Bin and thinks it's a good name. I looked it up and MorgueBin.com was available and registered it. This will be the one I probably develop. So now I have a set of 4 Domains I can sell.

I have registered quite a few Domains with great plans for development. However, hunting the good Domains down can be quite a chore. And if you don't do it as soon as possible, you may lose out. But, if you jump too quickly you could wind-up with a lemon just because of your mood at the time.

I was all set to buy another Domain when it was snatched out from under me while I sat on the idea of the brand. Now, I am using another Domain for that site and wish I had the one I lost out on.

But it is a real difficult task to find just the right brand for a business. I now do some of this for others.

Anyway, yes, I am in the game. I register Domains (for myself and others) and I offer Premium Domains for sale.

I don't really make any money doing this. It has become a kind of hobby. Actually, yes, I'm addicted. I have well over 200 Domains and I have never even sold one. So maybe I should stop.

NAH....

[geoffreygag]

Hello Linda,

why are our post appearing as guest? My post earlier changed.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Hello Cooper,

You can't insist that a non-used domain be sold. Domains are properties. A non active domain is no different than your neighbors parked car which hasn't been used in 2 years. No different than an empty parking lot, empty garage or an empty apartment. Owners discretion. You must stay calm. There is a correlation between annoying and price and it's costly.

Mark - .us can be percieved as regional, but there are over 190 million residents in this nation. Key question - How many of us are really global. What percentage of your business is done outside a 100 mile radius?

Go to Yahoo or Google and search Miss Universe 2004. You will see how regional this term is. Miss Universe is scheduled for June 1st.

Hyphenated name - Paul, hyphenate names have different values. If you are building a business and branding is important, you will never buy a name with a hyphen.

If you focus on affiliate programs or you are good at search engine optimization hyphens fit it well. You rely more on your strategic web skills than type ins for visitors. When was the last time you typed in john-doe.com

[Linda Buquet]

Hi Geoffrey,

I think it was a temporary glitch. Seemed to happen a couple of time and now appears to be OK. Just be sure you are logeed in before you post.

[sale-force.com]

i also found many new domains like http://www.SmartOffice.org, http://www.info-sys.org, http://www.Sale-Force.com, http://www.e-guru.org

[Gary Golden]

I think that everyone would like that pie in the sky name, but realistically it is more important to concentrate on building links to your site, optimization and the rest will come in time. By building links I am not saying a link exchange but by improving your sites quality will entice people to want to link to you and improve your rankings within the search engines.

The end justifies the means!

[shilmy]

Originally Posted by geoffreygag

7- Becareful when somebody sells you a domain name that has a Google PR8 or PR9.

Can you give me an insight, on why we should be careful? Isn't it good to buy domain with high PR?

Regards,
Sjarief

[TLDTrader.com]

Nice to know that this Forum has a Domain Name section. Should be my favorite as you can see in my username :)


With regards to PR, you shouldn't put much weight in it. It's just a part of many factors involved in choosing a name.

thanks.

[jestep]

I would stay away from buying high PR domains. All they have to do is remove the sites linking to the domain, and the PR drops to zero.

[Ne0]

This is why I love WPW!!!

I'm bored on a saturday and find this thread and spend most of the day reading about it and decide to give it a shot...:) I have two other domains in a diff post so I'll not spam here:) What I did was use all of your usefull info and I bought and listed for sale on Sedo.com TheCatInTheHat.org I can see how this could be very addictive... I can't wait to see what happens...keep posting all the info you can and thanks;)
NeO~1

[Linda Buquet]

NeO~1,

Oh NO! I've created another monster... er, I mean DOMANIAC.

[geoffreygag]

Why not to buy high PR domain names.

As you know, there is a correlation between PR and PRICE. There are several (short term ) tricks in which can be use to increase a PR on a domain name.

Just be careful.

[Linda Buquet]

Google almost always drops PR on expired domains so the new buyer will start back at 0.

[HLK]

I am a very big believer in buying the right domain for your business right up front.

If you ever want people to remember your site, then go out and find a "brandable" domain.

Another benefit of a good solid domain is that many times it will get type-in traffic as well.

My largest purchase was for my domain autofinder.com.
People type in autofinder.com 1000-1300 times a day with NO Advertising costs. I make a great living from just ONE website.

So buy a good name up front and you could really do well. The biggest place to find domains for sale is http://buydomains.com

They aren't cheap but in the long run you can't go wrong..

[Ne0]

Hi all...

Catalyst

NeO~1,

Oh NO! I've created another monster... er, I mean DOMANIAC.

Oh yes you have...woooohahahaha(holds pinky to mouth like dr.evil) >:) well I'm hooked and I just wanted to show you what name I bought yesterday... www.NeO-1.com Great info in this thread BTW! and as far as branding goes I can't belive I got that name everything computers/online could be sold from that site... I can't wait to see what I'm going to build for that site... it's one domain that I definately won't sell...but I never would have found it if I didn't get in the Game!!!
YOU GUYS KICK *SS!
NeO~1

[sbeco]

Cooper, there is a term - "cybersquatting" - that is used to define the length of time someone can sit on a domain name without using it. I think there was a law passed recently concerning the issue of sitting on a domain name like "madonna.com" and blackmailing Madonna (the singer) into paying an exorbitant price for the name. I think the owner of the domain name needs to use it within a certain amount of time.

It's something for you to check into. Read more about buying domain names here: http://www.seemly.com You'll find a free PDF ebook here that discusses everything you can imagine about domain names. The subject of cybersquatting is mentioned here also, along with lots of other important information about things like "how to determine the value of a domain name" and "what names and words have a weak or strong trademark value," things like that.

The PDF book is free at http://www.seemly.com When you click on this link, the PDF book will open automatically...just wait a few seconds.

If for some reason the PDF doesn't open, click on the link that says "Read more free e-book" located on the left of the page.

[wild design]

Originally Posted by geoffreygag

Tips and Concerns

3- Domain names have a valuation formula. (most likely, today's inventory of available names won't fit into the top valuation models)

So for a newbie WHAT'S THIS FORMULA and who does it work. You can't keep all the secrets for yourself. They teach you at school that you should always share. So share a little here

[Linda Buquet]

Here are a couple good articles and opinions about valuation formulas.

http://thedomainexchange.infopop.net...03&f=151093853

[Web Designer Leeds]

Buying domains is addictive. I have had to stop myself because I didnt know what I was doing. Thanks for the info in this thread it has opened up a whole new scope.

[wild design]

So after reading all the posts here thought i would give this Domain game thing a bash. So I bought a couple of names – easy, set them up as "For Sale" – easy. Now someone wants to buy the thing what now. It all starts a a little bit of fun, but at the crunch time if you don't know the business you don't know anything. So how much do you sell the name for, will it be too high or too low, if it's done privately, how will the buyer now he's not going to get screwed. You've created another DJ (domain junkie) here and now having a good time trying to decide what to sell a name for. So to all you speculators out there, thanks It is rather exciting and kind of a strange rush. I suppose I can feel that way coming up to sale numero 1.

[sbeco]

I just found this site you can use to find out if a domain name you want to buy or sell is trademarked. It's a free service.

http://www.nameprotect.com/cgi-bin/F...rch/search.cgi

[madmonk]

great link!!

[egtrix designs]

Hello,
When I buy a domain name, I feel like buying a piece of land. This piece of land can be in a really good location or in a really bad location. So domain names are not subject to my openion only, they are subject to it's surroundings and others openions.
It's a risky game for sure. But if you bought the right piece of land in the right location, this will take you too to the right location.
Regards

[TheDoctor]

Very nice way to put it!

Originally Posted by egtrix designs

Hello,
When I buy a domain name, I feel like buying a piece of land. This piece of land can be in a really good location or in a really bad location. So domain names are not subject to my openion only, they are subject to it's surroundings and others openions.
It's a risky game for sure. But if you bought the right piece of land in the right location, this will take you too to the right location.
Regards