With domain registration costing as low as $1.99 for some domain extensions, and the possibility of selling those said domains for $x,xxx, one could easily get into the habit of registering domains on impulse without much research.

But with that been said, you would be surprised to learn the number of people who buy domains on the aftermarket as well, purely on impulse, without any clear purpose or strategy.

Domaining can be a very deceptive business. This is even more so with aftermarket domains. You buy a domain name on the aftermarket thinking to yourself, well, from now on, its only going to cost me $8 per year for renewal.

Sometimes you just register or purchase domains because you have enough money on your credit card to successfully checkout or complete the transaction. This is fine if you have a clear and definitive intention and methodology to monetize the domain name, successfully.

However, some people spend today, and realise that rather than making sensible investments, they have instead accumulated senseless liabilities.

If you have had issues with spending frivolously on domain names, here are a few essential questions to ask yourself before you buy the next domain name.

1. Can I afford this domain name?
If you are buying domains at $1.99 (mostly for .INFO) or the average $8 (for .COM) then the answer will most likely be a resounding “yes!”. However this is a trick question. I believe the fact that you can afford the $8 registration for a domain name is the problem here. Registering one domain at a time or taking advantage of bulk registration deals will not be a problem. You will only start feeling the weight of your overspending when you have to settle the credit card bills or have to contend with huge renewal expenditure for your entire domain portfolio.

So perhaps the question that you really want to ask is, “Can I afford to maintain my domain portfolio if I buy one more domain name?”

2. Do I really need this domain name?
This is again another trick question, as the answer will depend heavily on your domaining strategies.

If you are investing in domains for development, you will need to be proactive in your buying activities, in that you only buy domains that you will have the time and resources to develop, successfully.

If you monetize domains through Pay Per Click (PPC) or domain parking, then you will need to gather enough data to help you determine if the domain will be able to earn enough revenues to cover its renewal fees and more.

One of the golden rules of domaining is never to buy domains for the sole purpose of reselling them later. This will help you eliminate loads of mistakes and to avoid errors in judgement. However, if you are in the process of buying and selling domains, simply buy domains that someone else would want to buy, without the need for any hype.

3. Will I use this domain?
This question was dealt with above. However you do need to have a clear purpose for every domain that you purchase. Each domain name should help you in some way or another in your domaining strategies. This can be brand protection, monetization or development.

4. Can I buy the domain name cheaper or find a similar domain name?
This is a multi-million dollar question, for people who are selling domains. Think of the choices that your potential customers will have. When you do, you will either decide not to buy a particular domain for re-sale purposes or know how to price the domain accurately.

For domain buyers, I believe the question is self-explanatory. Simply do some research before each domain purchase. Read blogs and follow up on the daily domain news.

5 . Can I wait to buy this domain name?
I think in 99% of all cases, the answer will be a resounding “NO”! If you have found a great domain name that is unregistered, the chances are that it will not remain unregistered for long. Quite a few times when I am researching domains, I find a few that are unregistered. By the time I settle down to register them, I realise that someone else had beat me to them, only within the last few hours.

The same thing applies with an aftermarket domain name. You have a little bit more luxury where time is concerned here, but you still want to get your domain name before your competitors do.

With such tight time constraint, you want to be sure that you really NEED the domain name.

6. Will this domain save me time or money?
This is really a question that is normally asked by end-users. Will buying and using the domain name help you to reduce costs, such as marketing and advertising? Will it save you time in trying to promote and establish your brand?

7. Will this domain help me financially?
This I believe is the most important of all these 7 questions. Except for the cases where you are buying a domain name solely for brand-protection purposes, you definitely want to acquire domains that will make you money.

If you develop the domain name, the website should give you a decent Returns On Investment, and provide you with a consistent flow of revenues. If you park the domain name, it should at least comfortably earn enough to cover the annual renewal fees.

Ask yourself those questions whenever you plan to make a domain purchase and I guarantee that you won’t regret wasting money on domain names that will prove to be liabilities rather than assets.

Domains | Domain Auctions | Premium Domains | Domain Newsletter | Domain Forum | Funny Games

In every industry there are fanatics. There are people are you fanatical about aeroplanes (airplanes), some about cars, some about bikes, some about software development, some about travelling, and the list goes on.

Domaining is no exception. The good thing about domaining is that people can make serious money while treating domaining as a hobby instead of a business. Of course, if one is not careful though, domaining could cost a fortune, rather than creating riches.

When you read certain blogs today, you will know the ones making pennies from their domaining efforts by how much they moan and criticise others. Some people have a “grand” way of preaching the doom “factor”.

There are still people who do not accept that the buying and selling of domain names is a legitimate business. People seem to think it is wrong to buy and hoard domain names for the sole purpose of selling them for a profit.

I am not going to argue much here as to what people think, as people are free to think whatever they want. Sometimes people’s opinions are influenced by blatant ignorance.

Some of those who think that domainers are all squatters will never bring themselves to the state of mind where they will buy a premium domain name on the domain aftermarket. These are the people that you see whining on forums about how they wanted some domain name to use for a project only to realise that a “squatter” had already registered it.

There are people who pour their life-savings into dodgy investment and pyramid schemes. They were sucked in by the promise of very high return. Sometimes greed got the better part of them, while sometimes it is their sheer ignorance. Any second thoughts should have caused alarm bells to go off.

Well, it is the same thing with domain names. Either you get domains or you don’t. Your level of education will determine whether or not you get domains. Period. Those that don’t get it, or those who are bitter because they were not the lucky ones to register certain premium domains will try to portray domaining as a disgusting and immoral habit.

So, if you were starting an ebusiness tomorrow, would you feel comfortable in buying a premium domain name on the aftermarket? Would you think it is the right thing to do? Would you consider it as a waste of money?

To get started with an ebusiness could be as little as $15, or even less. Just register a domain name for $8 and then pay for your first month’s web hosting. You could easily put a website together for yourself, cost-free. You are in business!

However, as they say, nothing in, nothing out. If it cost you nothing to go in business, it won’t even cost you a second thought to quit when you hit the first hurdle.

People who are aiming for success will ensure that they start their ebusiness with the perfect domain name, no matter what the cost is.

Of course, depending on your ebusiness niche, you may be able to find some very decent domains that are still available for registration. If you do, by all means register them. Yes, I said “them”. You want to secure as many domains as possible to protect your niche.

However, as most top quality domains are already taken, you may be better off searching the domain aftermarket for the perfect premium domain, buying it, and then register similar domains to protect your future brand.

Here are some other useful resources you may find interesting, if you are new to domains:

Learn the domain basics
Registering, buying and transferring domains
What is a premium domain?
Tips and choosing the right domain name
Tips on selling a domain name on the domain aftermarket

Domains | Domain Auctions | Premium Domains | Domain Newsletter | Domain Forum | Funny Games

It is estimated that a third of all registered domains are owned by domain speculators. These are people who register domains with the hope of selling them later for huge profits.

Have you ever wondered who will buy your domain name, and what they will do with it? Chances are, if you can narrow down your target market and focus your energy there, you will have a bigger chance of selling your domains much faster.

Lets look at the different types of domain buyers, and see what they do with a domain name when they buy one. This should help us to better market our domain names, and better yet, determine if our domains have any re-sale value.

Who buys your domain name and what they end up doing with it after the purchase depends on the domain buyer’s approach to domaining. Ideally some buyers will be end-users buying a top-quality domain name to brand their website, but more often, the buyer will be another domainer.

The Domain Flipper
The Domain Flipper is one that seeks to flip domain names like real estate. They are not necessarily concerned with huge profits, but simply to be profitable. They buy a domain name on the domain aftermarket and then sell it hours or days later for a profit. This profit can be anywhere between just under a hundred dollars to over a thousand dollars. If they are really good, then they might earn thousands.

These guys know the domain aftermarket very well, can spot great deals immediately and snap them up as soon as they are made available. A lot of these guys subscribe to our newsletter for our exclusive deals.

Domain Flippers do not necessarily hold large domain portfolios. These guys tend to prefer to remain highly liquid, so that they can take great domain deals as and when they happen to come by. Some domain flippers may often only carry between one and ten domains at any time. These flippers often don’t carry junk domains.

If you have access to a pool of potential buyers, then this can be a great way of making money in the domaining arena. The holding costs are minimal, and you could make very decent profits if you can afford to buy low and sell high.

The Domain Monetizer
Domain Monetizers are people that park domains for a living, and as such are more concerned with acquiring domain names with traffic. These guys will buy a domain name, often from an expired list, and try to earn as much from it by parking the domain name while the back links and search engine rankings continue to produce targeted traffic.

When the domain can no longer generate enough parking revenues to cover its renewal, they simply let it expire, unless they manage to find a buyer.

Some of the biggest deals in the domain industry have included portfolios of well-known domain monetizers. This area of domaining is changing daily. First we had the influx of millionaires swallowing up every traffic portfolio.

This really is one of the most profitable and most preferred aspects of domaining, as you hardly have to lift a finger to earn real cash. Domain parking has been consistently generating less revenue over the past year, and as such, this method of domaining is becoming a bit risky.

The Domain Investor
Domain Investors are more concerned with buying, low and selling high. These guys buy domains when they are cheap, hold onto them until they are more valuable, and then sell them off for huge profits.

Domain Investors are often in it for the long term, compared to domain flippers. These guys however, do not invest in crappy domain names. Some savvy domain investors develop their top domains into internet brands, which eventually adds even more value to the internet real estate.

Domain Investing can reap success in that one can sell only 5% of thier domain portfolio each year and still manage to make huge profits. However, the downside is that if they are unable to sell enough domains to cover renewal costs, they will have to depend on other methods of generating revenues, such as domain parking.

The Domain Developer
Domain Developers buy or register a domain name, develop a website for it, and then seek to sell the domain name as a revenue-generating website. This is a bit risky; as you have to get it right in order to make a profit.

Domain Developers will develop a domain name, add content, do search engine optimisation, market the website etc., and hopefully, within a few months they should be able to sell the website/domain name in the region of ten times their initial investments.

This is not a popular way of domaining. This is very time-consuming, and domainers tend to be very lazy people seeking to make a quick buck or two. Outsourcing the development and marketing can prove to be very costly, and could potentially erode the profit margin. If it is not done correctly, the development may not add any value to the domain name, rendering the project a mere waste of time and money.

People who practice this type of domaining are often people who already have the requisite skills to carry out all the tasks themselves.

The Domain Builder
Domain Builders are domainers with the end-user mentality. These guys develop their domains, but from a strictly business perspective. They strategize and plan the development all the way to ensure that the finished website becomes a viable ebusiness capable of earning serious revenues.

Domain builders are not necessarily interested in selling their domains later, and do not give a toss about the pennies that domain parking has to offer. Domain Builders can be found in all the categories above, but their approach to building brands on their internet real estate will be different than just simply trying to make a easy buck.

What type of domainer are you?

Anyone starting an eBusiness will eventually get to the point where they have to choose a domain name for their website. For some companies, this is not really a hard decision. Simply use the name of your company.

I was travelling back to London today (Sunday) from a weekend business trip in another UK city, near the border with Scotland. While I was travelling on the Metro service to the main railway station, I was looking through the train window and viewing the architectural, residential and corporate scenery of the city’s sub urban areas.

The train travelled through residential, industrial and business districts. I couldn’t help noticing the different names of the companies, and how proudly some of these companies displayed their website addresses (domain names). All the signboards that I saw, except one, all displayed a company name as their domain/website name.

I literally saw dozens of companies using their business names as their website address. However, I can only remember one of the domain names that were similar to the business names of the respective companies. This company was Phoenix Steel, and used PhoenixSteel.co.uk as their domain name. The only reason why I can remember this domain name is because the building was right next to one of the Metro stations that the train stopped at.

There was one other company/store that displayed a domain name that caused my heart to skip a beat immediately. This store immediately stood out from the crowd. This store offered printing services, and was painted in and decorated in bright colours. However, what really got my attention was the fact that this store was actually using a domain name to label its bricks and mortar storefront.

This store was not sporting a signboard that said something like “Newcastle Printing” or “Phoenix Printing”. The store literally had the domain name (without the “www” prefix) as its business name on the signboard.

I was really impressed. But what really grabbed my attention the most was the actual domain name that they were using. Immediately, I asked myself “How did they get that domain name??!!!”

The domain name that branded the bricks and mortar store on the high street of a very popular and busy UK city was:

Printing.com

Yes, Printing.com. I checked out their website, and they do have stores all over the United Kingdom. It seems like they have stores in other countries as well, such as France and New Zealand.

Surely, I can still remember this store’s name hours after, and will do for days and even years to come. The owners of this company clearly understand the concept of branding, and the real meaning of a premium domain name.

They have truly positioned themselves to reach as many customers as possible. I may not remember the names of some of the companies that I saw, but I have surely remembered Printing.com. I may have been on a train, and did not have time to visit the store, but I did in fact visit their website.

The customers that they lost off the street will be reached via the Internet. Thanks to a premium domain name. This for me is a true testimony of the power of a premium domain name.

With regards to whether you should register a new domain name at a domain registrar; or purchase a premium domain from a domain marketplace such as eBusinessDomains.com, you can read some of the many articles that I have written and posted on eBusinessDomains.com. The following 2 articles will definitely assist you in your decision making process:

Choosing Domains
Buying Domains

If you are starting an eBusiness, and need advice on your domain selection, we would be happy to provide you with FREE domain consultation. Simply contact us by clicking here.

How Do You Buy a Pre-registered Premium Domain Name?
Before you can buy a pre-owned domain name, you will need to find out who the owner is. You can obtain details about the owner of a domain name by checking the Who-is information about the domain. To do this, simply visit a reputable domain registrar such as Widest.com and look for a “Whois” link.

Not all domain owners would be willing to sell their domains. These domain owners may understand the real value of their virtual real estate and may decide to keep them for future development or until domains appreciate in value.

Domain names that are listed on aftermarket sales websites such as eBusinessDomains.com are generally for sale. These websites will give specific instructions regarding how you can either buy or make an offer for the domain name.

The easiest way to see if a domain name is for sale is to type the domain name into your browser window and check the landing page. If the owner wishes to sell the domain name, there will normally be a message on the landing page that indicates that the domain name is for sale. Normally there would be a link by which you could contact the seller directly, either by email or by completing an online form with your details.

If a price is listed with the domain, then normally that is the Buy-it-now price, and is often not negotiable. If there is no price, then the buyer and seller will have to negotiate until they can agree on a price to make a deal.