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."