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The Domain Name
Gold Rush |
by:
Lois S. |
All the good
ones are taken. The really good ones, that is. But they don’t
always stay taken.
Domain names often come back onto the market. Even before they do, domain
name prospectors are sifting through them to find the gold
domains among them.
Why domain names become available again
Thousands of domain names expire every day. Other domains are offered for
sale. The reasons are varied:
- Carelessness
- The webmaster forgets to renew the domain by the expiry date.
The email address that the domain is registered with becomes invalid, and
the domain name registrant doesn’t receive the renewal notices.
- Lack of need or funds
- The company that had registered the domain goes out of business.
- The website owner loses interest in or doesn’t have time for the website.
- The website owner doesn’t have funding to continue the website venture.
- The domain name registrant registered numerous domains on speculation and
couldn’t afford to continue renewing unused domains.
Profit
- The domain name registrant may realize how much a domain is worth and
decide to sell it.
- The domain name registrant may have registered the domain because of its
potential worth, with the aim of selling it later.
What makes a previously registered domain name valuable?
In July 2005, the domain name website.com sold for $750,000, the
highest-valued domain name sale this year. Why would anyone pay
so much for a domain when they could register a new domain for
under $10?
- Instant traffic
If the domain name previously pointed to a website, search engines have
already indexed that domain name. Other websites probably still
have links to that domain. If the domain is listed in
directories, these links bring in even more traffic. You
register the domain, and the work getting incoming links has
already been done for you.
- Surf value
Sometimes web surfers search by typing generic words followed by dot com (or
other extensions) into their browsers, for example, dogs.com.
This particular domain name redirects to the website for a
company that sells pet products and services. A domain name like
this constantly brings visitors to the website without the cost
and effort of advertising and marketing.
- Easy to remember
Your company name may not be memorable, but domains such as dogs.com and
website.com are. People are more likely to return to a site or
pass on the name to their friends when they can easily remember
it.
How to find domains pending expiration
You decide to join the gold rush for valuable pre-registered domains.
Finding expiring domains is the first step, but you also need to
research domains that are about to come back on the market.
Lists of domains pending expiration
At these websites, among others, you can search for domains containing
keywords you enter. At expireddomains.com, the results contain
domains that are currently available, soon to expire, on hold,
in the Redemption Grace Period (RGP), or for sale by their
registrants. Extensions searched: .com, .net, and .org.
The domainsbot.com database searches .com, .net, .org, .info, and .biz
extensions for domains that are available, for sale, or
expiring.
Domain research
You can find some (but not all) incoming links to a domain by entering
“link:siteURL” (replace ”siteURL” with the domain name) into
Google or Yahoo. When you find the links, follow them to see
what types of sites link to the domain. How would you feel about
having these particular sites linking to your site?
Also look into any possible problems associated with the domain. Search
engines may have banned the domain if the previous site had
controversial search engine optimization techniques employed,
such as the use of hidden text or links. Check the history of
the site at a domain name via the WayBack Machine. If the domain
previously pointed to a site with gambling or adult content or a
lot of affiliate links, or if it employed questionable search
engine optimization techniques, search engines may have banned
the domain. Aside from the possibility of a domain being banned,
you may not want incoming links from sites associated with these
types of content.
How to register domains pending deletion
You’ve decided on a domain that you want. How do you maximize your chances
on getting it?
At eNom.com’s Club Drop, you can bid on expiring .com and .net domains the
day before they’re available to the public. You can also be
notified when domains matching your search criteria become
available.
The NameWinner system places bids on .com, .net, .org, and .info domains for
you. It bids only as high as is necessary to maintain your high
bid position up to your maximum bid.
How to profit from your domains
- Selling domains
If you have a domain that may be valuable and that you aren’t using,
consider selling it at a domain auction. If you already have a
buyer for a domain, you can transfer it securely through
Escrow.com.
- Paid parking for domains
With paid domain parking programs, also called "domain monetization" or
"monetize domains," you can earn pay-per-click revenue via
targeted advertisements. These sites offer domain monetization
services:
- DomainSponsor
- Park Quick
- Domain Spa
- Google Adsense for domains
With the right knowledge, timing, and a bit of luck, you have a chance as a
domain name prospector to hit pay dirt.
About the author:
Lois S. is a Technical Executive Writer for
http://www.websitesource.com and
http://www.lowpricedomains.com with experience in the
website hosting industry.
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