IT For You

Eight Reasons to Worship Generic Keyword Domains

2009-04-24T22:04:00.000-07:00

It has been virtually been 15 years now since the Internet first took off and I still find that some marketing people still don't give domain names any importance. They just think that they can get away with just some decent content, a few links, a blog and by putting together a couple of videos and with all that Google will find you with ease. Wouldn't it be nice if it were that easy.
Of course there will always be a few who get through the net into Google territory and achieve a top ranking. The initial period may seem to bring in a lot of traffic, the mailing list will increase significantly and you may be able to make your brand grow. The problem as you grow larger is that a poor domain name will lead to hindering your campaign as people will have problems to remember a poor domain name that is both difficult to remember and hard to spell correctly, especially if it just isn't relate to your niche.

I can remember an extreme case back in the dotcom days a domain name called Quokka.com.Maybe you too can remember how this domain spent tons of their investors cash on a full publicity campaign including TV and all that for a non-brand and of course it went pear shape. Maybe if you think back it might come to you.

If you were out of the country or whatever this Quokka.com was focused on the action sports network. Now I will leave it up to you to pass judgment but who in their tiny mind would base a whole branding campaign on a word that can't even be pronounced properly like Quokka, I just think they tried to run before they had learned to walk, but there are so many more cases like this out there so I can't stress enough the importance of a well thought out domain name.

So with all that money to spend they couldn't come up with an ideal name like actionsports.com or similar. They were in a nutshell "stupid", but now we all know better. The key benefits of generic keyword domain names are something that we all need to understand and the top reasons are;-

1. Make your product more than obvious in your domain name so for example everyone knows what bestpropertyinvestments.com deal with and you can take that for granted when people actually visit your site.

2. You need to keep competitors away on a permanent basis and your domain will allow you to be the master of the keyboard. This will give you the power to just block out your competitors, which is a great way to get a business working fast. They will be forced to pay more on loads of secondary keywords, which they will need to just compete with the main keyword that you have and with all that expense they still have an inferior domain than yours.

3. Branding has become so important in today's society and there is a complete sector that just buy branded goods, so if you have the right domain name you have already won over the brand conscious customers for free that just adore Generic keyword domains.

4. Type-in traffic pays dividends: Nearly all keyword domain names will get some sort of traffic and there are others that will get just hundreds of unique visitors every day. This traffic that is driven through people who use their address bar instead of their search bar to surf the web will convert into real sales and that is a statistical fact.

5. Our favorite search engine Google as well as the rest concentrate their efforts in finding relevant sites for their users, so a site like PetFood.com would be ranked in the top 2 pages for the keyword "pet food" and will get a lot a traffic sent to them from Google for people interested in buying pet food.

6. The domain name can either be parked, rented or leased: If you decide to wait to go into the site development stage, you can be assured that there are a number of ways to benefit from a good generic keyword domain.

7. A steady investment: Generic domains investments even out do the stock market, real-estate, bonds, and overall inflation as far as high profit investments are concerned. Business giants are now seeing that the generic names that they had initially bought are now the most important component to their continuing growth.

8. Hardly any cost: It costs just $10 a year so you will soon just adore the business of keyword domains... - Domainers need to focus all of their energy on generic keyword names and ignore certain fads like LLL.coms, brandables, and numeric names that might sound good but they just don't have "real word" staying power.

- Remember the power you have is in the keyboard, so make it work for you and forget about any other alternative investment.

Discover Domain Name Investments on http://www.DomainSmash.com dedicated to spreading the truth about domain investing, site flipping, reselling, monetizing Web sites and domain valuation as well as weekly Free Domain Lists

Dot Com And Then Some

2009-04-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

The most volume of sales is in the .com domain, although the .org and .net are starting to show some good sales in the higher price ranges. The extensions mean the following:
* .com - Commercial

* .net - Network

* .org - Organization (usually non-profit)

* .info - Resource website.

There are many more extensions than these four, but these are the most popular PC-based Internet domain extensions. Some domain name business owners do only .com names and others will try their hand at other types of extensions. It's a personal decision, but .com are really the most popular and highly sought after domain names.

It's up to you whether you try to expand into other domain extensions, instead of just the .com one. There are new extensions coming out every day and it's wise to keep abreast of that, particularly now that cell phones are becoming very common in our society.

More and more people are using them to surf the web and some extensions are coming out like the .mobi extension. They are like finding a whole new undiscovered country and you could be the first one to plant your flag on the surface and stake your claim.

While they may not be extremely profitable now, they could end up being goldmines in the future. A well-diversified portfolio will want to take advantage of any new area that begins to show promise in the domain name business. You will have to pay more for some of these extensions and the same rules apply: no trademark infringement.

One way to verify whether something is going to be big is to check out the adoption rate in other countries. It might give you a head's up on the coming wave of the future in your own country.

Speaking of countries, you can get a .co.uk or .de domain name. One is for Great Britain and the other for Germany. While you might think you have to be a resident to get one of these names, it's not true. The different country extensions have different rules and some of them do require some residency and others do not.

Do your homework when deciding on whether or not you want to go for domain names from countries other than where you reside.

The mini-FAQ on Yahoo Web Hosting Domain Name Service

2009-04-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

Guess where the hottest new place to get your next domain name - Yahoo! The world's second biggest search engine is competing for your web hosting. The big players like Godaddy, Network Solutions, Sedo, and etc., have so much competition for business, we wanted to feature Yahoo web hosting's domain name service.
So how much does Yahoo! Domains cost? Either $9.95/mo or $34.95 per month, depending on whether or not you're a new customer. If new, here is the pricing:

1-year term: $9.95 - 2-year term: $19.90 - 3-year term: $29.85 - 5-year term: $49.75

After term expires: $34.95/year thereafter.

The term you buy to start your relationship with Yahoo domain hosting is how long you have that price locked in. The plan is to raise the prices in the long run, but they still want to compete for new domain registrations. Current Yahoo web hosting customers hosting their domains with Yahoo! Small Business have already received this rate increase.

But if you're new and considering a domain name host, here's a mini-FAQ:

1) What are the forms of payment accepted? VISA, MC, AMEX, DISC and Paypal

2) When will I be billed? You will be billed for the full term, 1-5 years, when you sign up for your Yahoo! Domains service.

3) What happens after my term expires? After your term expires, your subscription will be renewed automatically for another year. This annual billing cycle will continue automatically as long as you maintain your account with us. (at the higher price though)

4) What does Yahoo! Domains include? * Domain locking * Domain forwarding * Starter web page * Complete DNS control * 24-hour toll-free support

5) Already have a domain? Can I use the term pricing to transfer my domain name? Yes.

Under the umbrella of Yahoo! Small Business, they received a PC Magazine Editor's Choice award for their line of services. There still isn't a valid reason for you to pay the year 1999 domain prices. The hook to Yahoo web hosting is that they brandish the $9.95/mo price tag but the fine print will tell you that it's tied to a multiyear term. After your term is up with Yahoo web hosting, the pricing reverts to $34.95/year, ouch! All of this started on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 and shows no signs of changing in the near future.

Yahoo web hosting for domain names is probably only really good if you fall into one of these 3 categories: -I like all of my services neatly bundled together, so I'm willing to pay the extra for convenience. -I'm a FAN of Yahoo! Small Business and like keeping my eggs in their basket. -It's only $25 more per year per domain difference, what's the big deal? If that is not you, you should really consider hosting with one of the top 3 domain hosts: Godaddy.com, NetworkSolutions.com, or Sedo.com. The best domain for this plan is domain name yahoo!

Dot info Domains

2009-04-24T21:46:00.000-07:00

.info domains are a generic TLD (top level domain). The .info stands for .information and they were developed to be used for information websites. The domain is used for many purposes since there is no restriction on its use like .edu and .gov TLD. The .info domain was part of the ICANN release of new domains in 2000. The .info was meant to be an alternative option to the traditional domains, like the .com, which were becoming over crowded.

The domain has been highly successful, with millions of registrations. One great benefit of the .info domainvis it usually cheaper than a .com domain. Recently, Godaddy provided a sale where .info domains were sold for 99 cents.

.info domains are traditionally known to be spam sites. This does not mean all .info domain websites are spam, but many spammers use .info domains due to their low cost. They're able to buy hundreds or thousands of domains at a fraction of the cost of .com domains. Since spammers would high volume for success, this makes .info domains a strong option.

Recently the 99 cent .info domain sale at Godaddy changed the domain landscape. Spammers purchased thousands of domains during the sale and Google was flooded with .info spam sites. Although Google does not admit to treating various .tld differently, we started to see an effect on Google's treatment of .info domains. Google seemed to raise the bar a little for .info. Many .info domains were having a hard time with indexing and rankings. Google seemed to be treating these domains differently in an attempt to slow down spammers.

This change has be seen by those running .info BANS sites. Many internet marketers have had a difficult time getting their BANS to index and rank. The change seems to be in response to the hundreds of BANS sites flooding SERPS using .info domains. Those who ran their .info domains as thin affiliate sites were having the most problems.

.info domains are a solid option for anyone wanting to create an informative site or who need a cheap domain. The domain does have a spam reputation, so extra effort will need to be made to prove the site is legit. As long as your .info is not spam, it will see the same level of success as a website on any other top level domain.

When Does A Book Become Public Domain

2009-04-24T21:44:00.000-07:00

Anything that is contained in books public domain can be put together to create and repurpose these materials. Public domain means that materials listed under this domain are not copyright protected and can be opened and by anyone and everyone. There are a lot of reasons why a particular job can be done on the books public domain.
1. It is a work that was done in the United States of America. The only thing that will prevent anyone and everyone from using these works is when these works have been copyrighted. Other than that, these works are free to all who are interested. 2. All works that were done before the year 1923 are automatically entered in the books public domain. These works that come in the form of books, written materials and reports and can be easily reformatted into CDs and sold on the internet. The books public domain has an estimated inventory of about eighty-five million books that covers topics about anything under the sun. The good thing is that most of the topics in books public domain will never be outdated ones. 3. When a books' copyright has expired, then the book automatically becomes a public domain. There are some authors who just simply do not renew the copyright on their works, or these authors have passed on, making their works available to public domain. 4. When the author simply does not renew his works' copyright. Most authors have their own reasons why they choose not to renew this.

If at least one of these four has been satisfied, then the book you are holding id for public domain

The Google Algorithm Revealed

2008-03-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

How many years did you register your domain name for?

If it's only one then that's a point against you in Googles eyes.

Why?

Because the majority of Spam websites only register a domain name for one year. A domain registered for a longer period implies that the owner is more likely to be legitimate and serious about their web site.

This is just one of the unusual factors now considered by Google when indexing and ranking a website. Factors you could never even have guessed at in some cases.

How do I know this?

Google have recently filed United States Patent Application 20050071741 on March 31, 2005.

In which many of the search giants secret ranking criteria is revealed and it makes very interesting reading. You have got to read this if you're serious about ranking well in Google. The days of Spaming Google are drawing to a close. With this patent they reveal just how hard they're coming down on Spam sites. You Do Not want to get caught out.

Below you will find the hard facts, I recommend you bookmark this page now. You will need to reference it each time you optimize a new site.

• First of all Links. It's common knowledge that Google relies heavily on inbound relevant links to rank a site. Now they explain exactly how it works. :)

This is a major factor so I'll take a few paragraphs to explain what is going on.

As well as the number, quality and anchor text factors of a link. Google seems to also consider historical factors. Googles 'sandbox' or aging delay begins countdown the minute links to a new site are discovered.

Google record the discovery of a link and link changes over time. The speed at which a site gains links and the link life span.

With this in mind fast link acquisition may be a strong indicator of potential search engine Spam.

Gone are the days of pages and pages full of link farms. You must grow your links slowly to stay below the radar and be careful who you exchange links with. That means no more buying hundreds of links at once or other underhand tactics.

PR is now very valuable.

Your link anchor text should vary but remain consistent with your site content. No more using your main keywords on every link exchange you gain. That's 'anchor Spam'. Instead vary them around your top five to ten keywords.

Link exchanges are still very important but you must work and utilize them ethically. If you don't and you get caught the recovery from a ban can be months in coming and your host and IP may also be recorded.

Softly softly seems to be the message. The fact is fewer but better quality links will benefit you more anyway and likely to be more long-term which is good to.

• Site click through rates (CTR) may now be monitored through cache, temporary files, bookmarks and favorites. Via the Google toolbar or desktop tools. Many have suspected for some time that sites are reward for good CTR with a raise in ranking. Similar to how Adwords works.

CTR is monitored to see if fresh or stale content is preferred for a search result.

CTR is monitored for increases or decreases relating to trends or seasons.

• Web page rankings are recorded and monitored for changes.

• The traffic to a web page is recorded and monitored over time.

• Sites can be ranked seasonally. A ski site may rank higher in the winter than in the summer. Google can monitor and rank pages by recording CTR changes by season.

• Bookmarks and favorites could be monitored for changes, deletions or additions.

• User behavior in general could be monitored.

As Google is capable of tracking traffic to your site you should closely monitor the small amount of copy returned in search results. Ideally you want to integrate a call to action in there to increase CTR.

Clicks away from your site back to the search results are also monitored. Make your site as sticky as possible to keep visitors there longer. As mentioned above it may also help if you could get your visitors to bookmark you.

• The frequency and amount of page updates is monitored and recorded as is the number of pages.

Mass updates of hundreds of files will see you pop up on the radar.

On the other hand to few or to small updates to your site could see your rankings slide. Unless your CTR is good. A stale page that receives good traffic may hold it's own and not require an update. So don't update for the sake of it.

Depending on your market fresh content may not be a requirement. If the information your pages contain does not go out of date then updating may not be necessary. If your market is more news based for example then changes regularly are a must. In general changes don't necessarily have to mean fresh content. They could involve simple edits to current content.

A further indicator that Google is really cracking down on Spam is made clear in the following extract from the Patent. Mention is made of changing the focus of multiple pages at once.

Here's the quote - "A significant change over time in the set of topics associated with a document may indicate that the document has changed owners and previous document indicators, such as score, anchor text, etc., are no longer reliable.

Similarly, a spike in the number of topics could indicate Spam. For example, if a particular document is associated with a set of one or more topics over what may be considered a 'stable' period of time and then a (sudden) spike occurs in the number of topics associated with the document, this may be an indication that the document has been taken over as a ‘doorway' document.

Another indication may include the sudden disappearance of the original topics associated with the document. If one or more of these situations are detected, then [Google] may reduce the relative score of such documents and/or the links, anchor text, or other data associated the document."

There's still more to look out for:-

• Changes in on page keyword density is monitored and recorded as are changes to anchor text.

• The domain name owner address is considered, most likely to help in a local search result.

• The technical and admin contact details are checked for consistency. These are often falsified for Spam domains.

• Your hosts IP address. If you are on a shared server it's possible somebody else on that server is using dirty tactics or Spaming. If so your site will suffer since you share the same IP.

The impression I get here is that Google have learned from the Spam attack they suffered in early 2004 and are determined to eradicate it.

So what do you do?

There's a lot to take onboard here and consider. But you can't go far wrong with your SEO if you try to grow your site as organically as possible. If you know what you're doing you can take short cuts. Carry on with link exchanges but consider each site carefully and slow down in your gathering of them. Vary your anchor text. Add small amounts of good quality content to your site regularly. Check your search engine listings and edit your site to include a call to action in them if possible. Make your site more 'sticky' to encourage visitors to stay a while. Encourage visitors to Bookmark your site. Oh and register new domain names for at least two years.

Before you do anything remember to reference the above info first. It may just save you months of misery as your site gets banned and 'Sand boxed'.

Overall keep it ethical and you can't go wrong. Do not be tempted to Spam. Stick to the guidelines above and you are much more likely to outlast and out rank your competition

How to Choose a Website Host & Domain Name

2008-03-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

This may come as a surprise: Some web site hosting services don't have software to help you build a site! Some that do, don't allow you to input HTML. You may want to add in small scripts that jazz up or protect your site such as 'No Right Click' or upload downloadable .exe files etc.

There are some great web site tools out there that you'll want to use! This article will give you things to look for when deciding on a host, domain or getting a better one than you have now.

1. Try them out q(^.^)p

A good hosting service will allow you to use their services for free for a limited time or at least a demo. If they don't have either, hah, get out of there. You need to check out the graphics, templates etc. Do you like them?

If you don't like what they have you'll find yourself spending time searching and finally buying templates and graphics from someone else. Try them out first.

Do they offer one of those fancy splash or flash pages? Not a real necessity but hey, I want one. Some are great and some not. Do they suit the real me :) Check out their collection of bells and whistles. Good for impressing your friends and visitors.

Those templates, graphics, splash pages, bells and whistles let your site give you professionalism, but can you completely change the look of your site with one or two clicks?

2. Ask dumb questions (@_@)

When you consider joining any web hosting service that allows you to use their state of the art web page building services, you are going to have questions!

There is nothing more frustrating than being in a hungry hurry to get your web site together and not being able to do it. This, will waste your late nights and weekends in a big way.

Make sure the service is quick and friendly to answer your questions, no matter how silly they may seem.

As easy as user friendly software is, it's sometimes difficult to understand at first, (bit like, "Where's the salt? "In front of you?. For example I wanted to upload an .exe file and the software told me I couldn't (like most free hosting services do). I questioned my host and found that I was uploading in the wrong place :)

If you are like me, you are going to have great questions and some real hah hah funny ones. You need a hosting service that will treat each question equally and give you the exact easy steps to follow. You don't want high tech jargon or inadequacy to add to the problem.

Until you get a good hold of how every great thing works you will have a lot of questions I'm sure. Good customer service is a must. Try them by asking a question, even a silly one :)

3. Traffic to your site (^^? (^^?

Without traffic to your great site, especially a business site, you won't have much joy. A bit like wetting your self in a wet suit, feels nice and warm to you but nobody notices :)

Does the web hosting service offer ways to get traffic to your website? Or are they letting you wonder off in search of paying some other service to provide you with traffic? It's easier to have everything in the same place.

4. Get a good domain -(^.^)/

What's in a name?

The shorter the domain name the more valuable. A domain name that is easy to remember is easy to find. A domain name that won't be misspelled helps. A good domain name should reflect the contents of the site or be of a general non restricting nature.

Domain names are property. You may want to sell it one day.

Some domain name registering services only register domain names and don't have a hosting service. This means you will have to move your domain to a domain hosting service. This takes time and is a waste of your time. You are better off buying your domain name from your hosting service.

According to a new report from Verisign, 4.6 million new domain names were registered in the second quarter of 2004, representing a 2.5 percent growth over the first quarter, 2004. In all, worldwide domain name registrations reached a peak of 64.5 million domain names, a 7 percent increase over end of year 2003.

The domain name rush is on.

5. What's in a host (?_?)

Choosing a hosting service is like getting a present, the wrapping and the size are not often much of an indication of what's inside. Which would you prefer: (A) Giving someone $100 to buy you a present or (B) Taking $100 and choosing your own present?

I prefer to know what I'm getting! This is why I recommend getting a hosting service that will give you a no obligation trial period. A trial period that gives you full use of their service without any tool, template etc, limitations.

6. How to get your monthly hosting for free ($_$)

You may also be surprised to hear that I don't pay my hosting service!

They pay me, each month. I prefer it that way and I'm sure you will too.

If possible, I only use services that have an affiliate program. This meaning that if I introduce a couple of friends to the service I can get it for free or eventually have the hosting service send me money each month. I'm sure you'd also like that possibility.

In conclusion, there are many places to where you can buy a domain name, let's get a good short one. Building your website can be heaven or hell so go with a company that has the tools to let you do it easily and with customer service to answer all your questions quickly. Be sure they have a system to supply your site with traffic, lots of visitors. Be sure to try their web site building tools before they bill you.

If you enjoy your hosting service and feel them worthy of introduction to your friends then the hosting service may become your bank accounts best friend. Read on:

Top 5 Ways to Ensure Your Domain Name is Effective

2008-03-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Don't Make it hard on customers...

If you don't feel like you're getting enough business from your website, evaluate your domain name before you go to all of the trouble and cost of marketing it.

Maybe you've already gone to all of that trouble and spent a lot of money and can't figure out why it's just not working. If you do not have an effective domain name, you may be losing out on an unbelievable amount of web traffic. Think of your domain name as the main part of your website's signage. Keep the following concepts in mind and you won't have to rely as much on search engines for customers to get to you site.

1. Easy to Remember

The most important thing you can do for your domain name (possibly your site) is to make it easy to remember. You want customers to be able to type it in their address bar without even thinking. Look at Amazon for example. Just think of how many people looking to buy books bypass Google or Yahoo and enter "amazon.com" directly into their browser's address bar. It is simple and easy to remember. Amazon.

2. Not Too Long

Another great thing about Amazon that also makes it easy to remember is that it is short and sweet. If you make your domain too long, people may use search engines to find what they are looking for just out of laziness because they don't feel like typing in your long URL. It may seem like that is really lazy and most people wouldn't be put off by it so much, but people want what they are looking for instantly. They find any shortcuts helpful. If they turn to the search engine and you are ranked at the top, then fine. But when they use the search engines, they are also bringing up all of your competition in front of them.

3. Easy to spell

There's nothing more annoying as a user than trying to find a website, but not being able to come up with the right spelling. So if this happens, the user can either keep tyring different spellings (which is a pain) or again, turn to the search engines. So why not eliminate any of this hassle and just make your domain simple and easy to spell?

4. Relevant to what you do

Having a domain name that says something about what your business does, can be a good way to help people remember it. An example of this would be books.com. This domain happens to be owned by Barnes and Noble, one of the nation's largest booksellers.

This is one concept that does not apply to Amazon's domain name, but they can get away with it because they have done so well at branding their name over the years, which is the last concept I will discuss. A company like Amazon that has many different areas of business may find this harder to achieve anyway.

5. Branding

If you are going to have a domain name that isn't relevant to what your business does, you need to put a great deal of effort into branding it. Always including the domain name in ads is a good way to start.

Branding a domain name can be more difficult when you are a small business, especially now that more and more businesses have Internet presences. You need to find a way to make yours stand out from the crowd.

The bottom line is that if you want people to go straight to your site when they get online, you need to make it easy for them to do so. The easiest way for them to find you is if they know your domain by heart and don't have to think about it. Take a look at yours. If you were a user, would you be able to easily get to it?

What other ideas do you have for effective domain names?

Traffic at uTube.com Surges 440%

2008-03-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Traffic at uTube.com recently jumped more than 440%. The website is operated by Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment Corporation a company that "specializes in buying and selling used tube mills, used pipe mills and used rollforming machines".

On its homepage, the company proudly proclaims:

"Our machines are stored in our 125,000 Sq. Ft, Perrysburg Ohio Warehouse. We have the ability to rebuild, retrofit or recondition each piece of equipment in our inventory. We are committed to being the number one supplier of used Tube & Pipe equipment in the world!"

Unfortunately, the company recently encountered a major setback in its effort to become the world's number one supplier of used tube and pipe equipment. Last week, the company's website was paralyzed by the actions of a large (allegedly "not evil") American corporation in an entirely unrelated field of business.

On Saturday, October 14th, Universal Tube put out this press release:

"We apologize to those who have tried to view our webpage during the last few weeks and were unable. The uTube.com website is now up and running strong after being paralyzed this week by the announcement of Google purchasing the popular YouTube.com video website for $1.65 billion. Millions of people inadvertently typed the URL uTube.com coming to our site instead of the YouTube.com they were actually trying to reach. The heavy traffic flow shut down our website again and again. We have moved our website 4 times during the last week to servers with additional bandwith capable of handling our own customers and reps along with the influx of video searchers."

Others in the financial media have already reported on this story. However, I had to address the topic myself, as they've clearly missed the point. They tended to focus on the fact that millions of people typed in an incorrect web address after seeing television and newspaper accounts of Google's acquisition of YouTube.com.

After visiting uTube.com, I am now convinced the real story is Universal Tube. Any company that can put an exclamation mark after a statement like "we are committed to being the number one supplier of used tube & pipe equipment in the world" and puts out press releases on Saturdays is clearly worthy of an investor's attention.

Sadly, Universal Tube appears to be a privately held concern.

On a related note, I suspect Universal Tube & Rollform Equipment Corporation's accountants will be pleased to know their job has been made a lot easier. I'm guessing their periodic review of the uTube.com domain name will find that the asset's fair value is at least equal to its carrying value.

However, the company's lawyers may find they have more work rather than less. May I be the first to suggest they press Google to change the newly acquired web property's slogan to: "You Tube, Broadcast Yourself – not affiliated with Universal Tube and Rollform Equipment Company".

It rolls right off the tongue.

Website Traffic And Search Engine Optimization: The Domain Name

2008-03-02T06:26:00.000-08:00

Whether for business or personal use, before there can be a website, there must be a domain name, and one of the most important steps of a search engine optimization plan is to pick the right one.

So what IS a domain name? A domain name is that thing that people give you when you ask for their website. anything.com, for example, is a domain name.

Some things to consider in choosing a domain name are:

1. Keep it short and simple. If your website is for your business, a short domain name has its advantages. Whether you want to print it on business cards or display it on a billboard, making the domain too long or too complicated may make it too hard for potential customers to catch in one reading or recall later, if they did not have a chance to write it down. An exception to this is if you can get a phrase which will be remembered into the domain name (Example: buytwogetonefree.com) ...which leads us to point number two.

2. Make it easy to remember. Your customer won't always have a pen with them, or maybe they won't even think about your domain name or website until later. Short, simple, and easy to remember can be important, but you normally shouldn't just opt for something like qdipe.com, and we are about to tell you why.

3. Relate it to your business or organization. If you sell bicycle parts, try to put "bicycle parts" in the domain name. This is not only for the eyes of internet surfers, but for the search engines as well. They use various factors to rank the pages they visit, and sometimes the words used in the domain can increase the rank of the page. This brings up another point.

4. Think about keywords. Although we are not going to get into Meta tags in this article, keywords are important. Even if hardly any search engines look at the "keyword" Meta tag any more, they are still searching the content of your site for keywords found within the text of the body, "alt" tags on the images, and "title" tags on anchor text and other links. Taking number 3 and number 4 together, the best of both worlds is to have a business name that is a keyword or phrase relevant to the business and use that as the domain name.

5. Cute's nice, but...! Some people try to make their domain name memorable by using puns, jokes, wordplay, or number combinations. Just be careful. A few years ago I needed a domain name for a weight loss product. I went through all the "short" and "easy to remember" names I could think of, but they all were taken! I then came up with the domain name NoDiet4Me. It made perfect sense to me! I went to have a magnetic sign made for my car, and the lady read it this way..."No 'die' t 4 me" with a lot of stress on the word "die" and shook her head with a worried and confused look on her face! The site worked fine and got a lot of traffic and made me a lot of money, but now I wonder if I lost any traffic because of my domain name.

6. To dash or not to dash. There have been a lot of discussions about whether to put a hyphen in the domain name. I can't honestly answer based on my own experiences, as I use both, but the consensus seems to be from my research that it is easier for a search engine to categorize and rank a site that has a hyphen than one where the words are run together. Example: chickensoup vs. chicken-soup.

There is one danger to be recognized if you choose to use the hyphen. You must make sure it is clearly shown in any printed advertising or representations, and if giving the domain name verbally, go to great lengths to make sure that your listener understands the hyphens MUST be inserted. Many people are not that internet savvy and will hear "bobs dash bicycles" and still type in "bobsbicycles".

7. Alphabet soup. Ever wonder what's best? Should you get a .com or .net? Will it be okay to get a .biz or .us? What the heck do those things mean anyways and does it matter? Well, in today's world, most people entering the internet world are familiar with .com and .net. After that, they tend to get confused. I will not get into country specific top level domains at the moment, as this article is primarily directed at those either doing business in the U.S. or those doing business worldwide with a generic type product where a country-specific domain name would not matter. So, in most cases, .tv, .ws, or .org will not matter one way or another. By the way, .tv is the top level domain for the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu and .ws is the top level domain for Samoa.

Just to continue this discussion on extensions for a moment. When passing someone your domain name whether verbally or in writing, make sure they see or hear the extension. To use my earlier example, simply saying, "My website is bobsbicycles", will probably cause people just to type in the .com on the end as that is what they are most used to hearing.

8. Branding. In some cases, a domain name may be associated with an easily recognized, or branded, product. Wal-Mart and Ford do not have to worry THAT much about such niceties as keyword density or "easy to remember" names. However, if you are working with a product or company which has or is in the process of branding itself, some of the information given above about selecting domain names might not be relevant.

I am going to assume that most people who read this little article are probably trying to do some SEO (search engine optimization) themselves, and one of the best places to start is with the domain name itself.

Various aspects to Domain management

2008-03-02T06:25:00.000-08:00

Domain registration is generally very easy. In fact you can simply contact your local domain registrar and give your details like name, address, contact info and of course the name of the domain you want registered and your domain gets registered. Alternatively you can simply go online to your domain registrar’s website and if the facility is provided just fill out a simply online registration form with your name and other details and submit to register your domain. It’s as simple as that.

The problem arrives generally for most of us after the domain has been registered. We keep hearing all these words like name servers, domain pointing and forwarding, domain locking and other things which make it all a nightmare. But it is not as bad as you think. Domain management, once you understand the various aspects to it, is actually a very simply task. We look at some of the aspects in domain registration and management which you might have to go through while setting up your website.

Name Servers
Name servers are probably the most common words used after you have registered a domain. Your hosting company will tell you to change your domain name servers to their address in order for your web hosting service to function properly. So what are name servers?

To put it in simple language, name servers are the name of your server. It basically tells a domain where your website files are located so every time someone types your domain name in their browsers, the domain exactly knows where to go to show your website files – your homepage etc.

Name Servers generally look like this:

Assuming you are hosting with xyz hosting company then your name servers should generally be:

NS1.XYZ.COM
NS2.XYZ.COM

Note the NS could be followed by 3 or 4 depending on your hosting company. Your hosting company will generally provide their name servers to you when you register with them.

Domain Forwarding / Domain Redirect
Domain forwarding or also know as Domain redirect means if you have multiple domains registered and you want one of your domains to quite simply point to another domain that you have as an active website.

This technique allows you to have a single website be available under multiple domains. For example you can register your domain in both .com and .net format and then make the .net domain address forward to your .com website. That way you don’t have to spend on having two different websites hosted for each of your domain extensions.

Domain Locking
This is quite new to the world of domains but is a very important one and you should always be aware of your domain’s status – i.e. whether it is locked or unlocked.

Now, how does domain locking make a difference to you? Firstly if your domain is not locked, then malicious software or hackers have the ability to shift the domain in to their name or shift the domain’s name servers on to their web site which could cause lot of embarrassment to you. Not just that in some cases, hackers can pull the domain from your domain registrar to theirs, giving them full control of your domain.

In general you should always make sure your domain is in locked status. Of course when you need to change the domain’s name servers etc for your own use then you can unlock a domain. But always make sure moment your work is done and the name servers or any other information you are trying to change has been completed, immediately lock your domain. If you can’t lock or unlock your domain, please contact your domain registrar regarding this.

All about Expired Domain Name Evaluations

2008-03-02T06:24:00.000-08:00

More often, a nagging doubt may trouble and pester you regarding the real worth of an expired domain name. Many people who deal and get active with expired domain name usually ask a single question- How much is an expired domain name worth?; most of the forums and bulletin board that deal with expired domain names usually devote section just debate and discuss on this particular aspect. Sadly speaking, the most common answer that one finds in these forums is almost always: "Not so sure and not as much as we think!"- But, there is a lot more to this delicate question and there are plenty of answers as well!

Of late, several expired domain names have seen transactions worth more than 7 figure dollar value. Just take a look behind your shoulder and remember the sale of business.com domain; it seems that this particular transaction is worth as high as $7 million. This extraordinary developed also saw a fierce competition among expired domain name resellers to compete for very good domains. There is also an intense excitement in the resell market that borders on improbable expectations.

The essential principle of an expired domain name market is that people to tend to go for an expired domain, driven by the fact that there is a perceived dearth or paucity of good expired domain names. It is also a common fact that most of the medium and large companies keep looking for a domain name that ends with a .com extension. In reality, all memorable and possible combination of words that can make a domain name have already been taken up by industries and this phenomenon has ensured that the prices for good expired domain names can only go up. Another curious incident is that many expired domain names that are available in the reseller market are almost similar or look-alike.

There is also a general perception that a generic name is always good, and that they can always fetch better prices than a derived name; people believe that such names are easy to remember and recall. One more important factor that one must have a close look is the issue of commercialism of the industry that it relates to. When you try to buy and sell an expired domain name, ensure that you look for domains that relates to very hot industries like legal profession, internet marketing and parenting. There is also another irony that symbolizes expired domain name industry. In fact, a majority of domains will never be able to fetch exorbitant prices. There is always a certain benchmark or quality levels within which one can expect to sell an expired domain name for a decent price. Demand for good expired domain names is quite relative and it will always work on the principle of perception, when a particular domain demanded by a person may not be preferable to the other. It also means that you may need some luck on your part to land a great expired domain name that can fetch thousands of dollars.

The steps needed in domain registration

2008-03-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

The number of people around the world that are using the Internet is growing. The Internet is a great source for information and, at the same time, a place where you can conduct your shopping. Shopping over the Internet does not involve just retail products. Some of the largest businesses in the world are using the internet for communication and collaboration with partners overseas. In order to launch your business on the road to success, you must have a viable marketing strategy. A few pop-ups and e-mails might be useful, but not as effective as you would want them to be in the end. Therefore, the best solution for you and your company would be your own website that is available for everybody interested in your products or services.

Owning your own website involves a few steps. The first thing required is a domain registration. In order to register domain you must think of a name for it. A domain name is nothing more than an address, which you will use for defining the location of the website. The process needed to register domain is quite simple. After you have overcome the first step of finding a domain name, the next thing required is to find an accredited domain name registrar. At the registrar’s website, some kind of a name search capability should exist. This will help you in searching the appropriate domain name.

You must enter the domain name you had in mind. The registrar’s website will return a list of domains consistent of the extensions you can apply to your domain name like.com, .net, .org or others. Then it will display the availability of the domains in the list. The common way of displaying the availability is through a green checkmark if the domain is available. When the domain is not available and another party used it to register their own domain, a big red X signals this kind of information. If the name is available, the next step in domain registration is to purchase it. This process is the same with every other online transaction and requires your credit card.

When you register domain names, you should consider some traits of quality. The domain names that have the greatest resonance are the ones with the .com extension. The domain registration name should not exceed 26 characters, because then it would be too long and difficult to remember. Something you should not use when you register domain names is hyphens or numbers. These things also contribute to the difficulty of remembering the domain registration name.

You should ask yourself three basic questions in order to determine whether the domain name you have chosen is a good one or not. The first and most obvious one is if the name is memorable. A catchy domain name is something that will enable people to remember it. Another important question concerns the typing of the name in a browser address bar without using any special characters. The third question you need to ask is whether the domain name communicates the content of your website. This helps most people relate your website to their interests. These three basic questions may offer you the best solution for a successful online marketing strategy and getting a high number of visitors to your website.

Over the Internet, you will find many websites that offer domain registration deals. Here, on targetdomain.com, you will find prices for every extension you can use starting at 6.95$. This is a small price to pay for your own website with a .com extension. Other features included in the offer consist of email, forwarding/masking, change of registration, domain name locking, total DNS control and much more. In addition, all these things are free. Therefore, if you really want to benefit from the best offers available to register domain be sure to use our services.

What to do when choosing a domain name

2008-03-02T06:19:00.000-08:00

Domain name registration has become rather difficult these days because most top-level domains like .com, .net, .org etc., are already starting to fill up. Therefore, finding a short name that is easy to remember and relates to your website, product or services can be rather challenging. Something that can help you in choosing a domain name is removing the excess word standard that many have come to rely on lately. Websites that have names a mile long are available and easy to register for very cheap prices. However, what are the chances for someone to remember them or visit them frequently?

There are some things that you should not do when choosing a domain name. You should not use more than three words when naming your domain. The name you want for domain registration should be right for your business, but should also make a catchy statement that most people tend to memorize and popularize. Many registration sites offer alternative suggestions when searching for the name you desire. These scripts use dictionaries for processing synonyms and antonyms of the words you included in your search. If the name you have searched is not available for domain registration, they will suggest other similar names. You can use such tools when you want to find the appropriate name.

You should not hyphenate the name of your domain. People tend to forget names with hyphens, because the brain focuses on letters when associating names and tends to ignore the symbols. If a domain registration name is very appealing, but is already used, there is no recommendation stating that you should use hyphens to keep that name. Nevertheless, if you cannot go around using hyphens, you should try to limit the name you use for domain registration to two words separated by a hyphen.

Another thing you should avoid when searching for a domain name is using numbers. Some people use numbers for the entire name. Numbers are rather difficult to remember for most people. Consequently, using them as a website address is not very efficient. All websites have an IP address consistent of a large string of digits. Memorizing all the IP addresses of the domains you know is not as handy as their names and it would defy the purpose of the DNS. If you would plan to use a number for registering domain names, you would be better off using a static IP address from your web provider.

These are the most important things you should not do. However, some aspects might work in your best interest. You should pick a domain name that is similar to other popular domain names. Contrary to common beliefs, this can be a useful tool for getting free traffic to your website with the help of “hit and miss browsers”. There are people who accidentally or intentionally misspell the name of a popular domain. This happens because they want to see if there is registration for the name or if a similar website exists. Others just omit or add a letter or two when typing. This enables them to visit your site. Obviously, this is beneficial for you. When using the similarities of the names as a tool, you can also register the same name but with another extension like .biz, .name, .info and others like that.

Another way you can increase the effectiveness of your website is by mixing and matching common web words found in thousands of popular domains. These words are ‘internet’, ‘online’, ‘web’ and ‘e’. Given these guidelines, the domain name you choose should be consistent of short, popular words and phrases in order to make it efficient.

How To Choose A Domain Name

2008-03-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

The purpose of this article is to discuss how to choose a domain name for your online business.

WHAT IS A DOMAIN NAME?

Before we talk about that, it's important to know what is a domain name?

Let me explain . . .

Recently, I went to a lawyer to change my name for some administrative purposes. To my surprise, the lawyer told me that I can change my name to anything I want. And I can certainly change it again and again with just a small fee!

However, he told me with a serious expression that I cannot change my ID Number!

Though all of us have an ID Number and a name, we remember people by their names and not their ID Numbers. It's just so much easier to remember my name, Roger Loh, rather than by a long string of numbers, don't you think?

On the other hand, computers on the Internet communicate via Internet Protocol (IP) address. Each computer is identified by an IP address in this format:

eg. 192.168.100.1

Thus, strictly speaking, when you want to access a certain web site for information, you have to remember and type in the string of numbers that is the web site's IP address!

Thank goodness someone came up with the concept of domain names. In short, the Internet now use a Domain Name System (DNS) that converts domain names to IP addresses.

eg rogerloh.com -> 192.168.100.1

(Note: this is just an example and not the real IP address)

Now, all you need to do to access my site is to type my web site address [www.rogerloh.com] and the DNS will convert that to the actual IP address so that you computer can find my site.

So, a domain name is the part that comes after the "@" in your email address, or after the "www" in your web site:

Eg. A person with an email address of someone@rogerloh.com has a domain name of rogerloh.com

Eg. A person with a web site address of www@rogerloh.com has a domain name of rogerloh.com

Each domain name is also UNIQUE. Thus, since I have registered my domain name 'rogerloh.com', you cannot register it even if your name is the same as mine.

HOW TO CHOOSE A DOMAIN NAME

Before you register your domain name, here are some pointers on how to choose a domain name:

1) Choose a name that is easy to remember

2) A short name is better than a long name. However, short 1-word names are already mostly taken up. That's one of the reasons why you should go for other domains beside .COM (such as .NET .BIZ .INFO .WS)

3) Instead of 1-word names, you can create domain names by joining 2, 3 or even 4 words together (such as my domains, ‘ViralMLMLeads.ws' & ‘ViralMLMLeads.com'.)

Note that the capitalization is to capture the attention of humans easily, especially when we advertise the domain name.

In other words, domain names are NON-case sensitive. You can type in viralmlmleads.ws or VIRALMLMLEADS.WS or ViralMLMLeads.ws.

4) Some gurus advocate the use of hyphens in domain names. (So, a domain name can be viral-mlm-leads.com)

However, it is not conclusive that the hyphenated domain name is superior to the non-hyphenated name in terms of search engine ranking.

In fact, some gurus advocate that we must NOT use hyphens. They argue that when you tell someone your domain name verbally, it can be misleading and confusing! It's better to leave the hyphens out, especially when you do an audio recording or tele-seminar or advertise in the printed media.

5) The name should contain keywords that you are targeting for your online business. Keywords are search words or phrases that people typically type into their search engine when they look for information on the Internet.

Eg. Let's say I provide a solution to generate leads for MLM through a funded sponsoring franchise. Thus, it makes sense for me to include the terms like ‘MLM' and ‘leads'. That's how I got my domain name ViralMLMLeads.com

6) Before you go about registering a domain name, make a list of names on paper first. You can start with at least 10 to 20 names by brainstorming. Then cross out those that you don't want and prioritize those that you want. Next, attempt to register those you want according to your priority.

7) Think about how it would look on your business cards. Your domain name must be relevant to your business.

Eg. Do not choose a name associated with dog training if your online business deals solely in dog food

8) If you have a choice, secure a .COM domain name instead of any other extensions. Some people have tested that a .COM always rank higher on the search engines.

What's Your "Talking Domain Name"?

2008-03-02T06:15:00.000-08:00

Many times when a business owner picks a domain for her website, the domain name that is chosen and used is the name of the business that's already been established, or perhaps the owner's name is used. However, a person's name or the name of a business isn't always memorable nor is it always easy to spell. That's why I encourage my clients to get a "talking domain name" that they use in publicity efforts, like for radio, TV, or newspaper interviews. So, instead of using the URL of their primary business website, they would instead give a shorter, more easily-remembered domain instead that would point to the owner's primary website.

How important is this "taking domain name"? I think it's vital. Which is easier for you to remember, JonesChiropracticCenter.com, or PainBeGone.com? The latter is easier to remember, is easy to spell, and clearly outlines a result that many patients receive at Jones Chiropractic Center. And, now that you can pick up a domain name for as little as $2/year with some registrars, it's a no-brainer to pick several domain names for your business that you choose to use in different situations for different purposes.

How do you pick a good "talking domain name'? Here are 5 strategies you can use to find the perfect "talking domain name" for your business: (note--the URLs used in the examples below are only examples -- I haven't checked on their availability nor determined if the domain is actually in use.)

1. Problem that your clients have. Do many of your clients share a common problem or difficulty? If you're an auto body shop, your "talking domain name" might be DentMaster.com, for example. Make a list of problems with which clients commonly approach you and see if a great name emerges from that list.

2. Solution that you offer your clients. What problem or pain do you take away from your clients and help them solve? If you're a web designer, EasyWebSite.com might work for you, or if you're a personal chef, QuickMeals.com would do the trick. Start listing the types of solutions that you offer for your clients and see if something catches your imagination.

3, Benefit of working with you. How do clients benefit by working with you -- do you help them get results, find more time, make more money? If you're a Virtual Assistant, you might use FindMoreTime.com. If you install home alarms, SafeHome.com is a great benefit of working with you. Brainstorm your list of benefits that you offer clients and choose an especially compelling one for your "talking domain name".

4. Description of what you do. If your business name or your primary website name isn't clear about the service you provide, then use your "talking domain name" to do that for you. For example, I recently spoke with an author whose website reflected the long name of her book -- a name that was almost impossible to remember. She was getting ready for some major publicity and I encouraged her to find a shorter, more unique domain name to use during that PR stint. I encouraged her to think about a shorter name that accurately described what she does, and we decided that a domain name that she had already purchased was absolutely perfect for her. So, a domain name like YourDogTrainer.com or AnimalDoctor.com or GraphicDesignExpert.com might do well as your "talking domain name" as well.

5. Outcome or result of working with you. What is the final result that you offer your clients? If you're a dog trainer, a name like GoodDog.com would be appropriate. If you're a real estate agent, you might use YourNewHome.com. A money coach might use MoreMoney.com. Write down 2-3 final outcomes that your clients gain by working with you and determine if any of them would make an appealing domain name.

Just because you might have a long business name or use your given name as your business name doesn't mean that you have to use either of those names when you tell others what you do. Pick a domain name that is shorter yet memorable that you can use with great success in your publicity efforts.

A Guidebook On Domain Name

2008-03-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

If you are doing a business, you cannot avoid having a domain name. Since the best way to be known is to advertise on the Internet, you will need a domain name by which Internet users get into your website. A domain name is the text name equivalent to the numeric IP address of a PC on the Internet.

Although most people feel they do not really need a domain name, the fact is that a domain name is very important for a business to be successful. After all, business revolves round sales, and sales depend on credibility. Having a domain name is the first step towards building credibility. It makes your customers feel comfortable while doing business with you. There are many search engines that give importance to the home page of a particular domain.

Although domain name is not the only factor responsible for the success or failure of a business, it is certainly an important one. Therefore, to ensure your success you must choose a proper registered web address from the many options available like .net, .org, .biz and others. Most people find .com to be the most credible. That is why it is considered a popular extension that lends credibility to your business. You can choose any domain name as you have the freedom to use only alphabets, numbers, and dashes also. Only spaces and special symbols are not allowed. Domain names are not even case sensitive.

A good domain name should be short and simple; not long, ambiguous and confusing. Ideally, it should not exceed 14-16 characters. You should spend a lot of time and use your creativity to think of a catchy domain name. Make sure you spell it correctly and include at least two keywords in it. Keywords help search engines to rank them.

If you can’t think of a good domain name you can go the Internet to look for domain names that were once used but have expired. You will get lots of ideas to choose from. Just make sure the domain name you choose is not in use otherwise you can get into copyright infringement issues with the original owner.

You must avoid registering domain names with your web host. This is so because if you decide to change your host, you will need to move your domain too. Trust me, it is a great hassle. So it is better to split both aspects.

There are many options available within the parameters to make your domain name exclusive. You can have more than one domain name; you can have full name and a short name; and spell your domain differently. Thus, you can be sure you have them all and no one else can tread in your domain.

Once you have decided on a domain name, you must ask around and take a vote for the best name. Two brains are better than one, and many opinions will help you visualize how your domain name will be finally received out there. It is a good idea to ask your friends, relatives, colleagues, employees and others for ideas. You will be surprised how many ideas will come flowing your way. Make use of them.

Finally, keep the cost under control. There is much competition and if you look around, you can get the best possible rate. So, take your time and shop around for the best bargain.