Sunday, August 23, 2009

How to Save Money on Domain Registrations

You can save a lot of money if you approach domain registration wisely. You might not consider a saving of $1 or $2 to be a lot. However, if you are registering in bulk, these $1 or $2 can quickly turn into $50 or $100, which is quite considerable.

Use Coupons

An excellent way to save money while registering domains, is to use coupon codes. I never register a domain without using a coupon code. A Godaddy or NameCheap registration generally costs around $10. However, if you use a coupon, this fee is reduced to $7 or $8.

I regularly post coupon codes at my blog. Alternatively, you can search for "domain coupons". Once you find a coupon code, proceed to your registrar's domain name registration page. During checkout, enter the coupon code you found for some excellent domain name registration savings.

Registrar Premium Memberships

Another excellent way to save money is to become a premium member of a registrar. By becoming a premium member of a registrar, you can purchase domains at a set discounted rate. You also receive other bonus benefits which vary depending on which registrar you use. Contact your favorite registrar for further information.

Shop Around
Don't settle for one registrar. People tend to get into a habit and continually register all their domain names at one registrar. Shop around!

You can make great savings by buying your domains at different registrars. Registrars regularly run holiday specials, and various other promotions during which you can get domains at great rates. Only recently Godaddy provided registration of all .info domains at an amazing rate of $0.99 per registration while most other registrars charged $7 or more.

Be careful though to limit your registrar count to a manageable 4 or 5. Many domainers have lost their domains to expiration by forgetting about the domains they had registered with obscure registrars.

Buy In Bulk

Buying in bulk is another way to save on registration fees. Most domain registrars offer discounted rates if you purchase domains in bulk.

John Motson runs a domain name forum, domain name blog and has authored the popular domain name book Domaining Manifesto

Building Backlinks Using Forums

If you want to get traffic to your site, you need to make sure that your website ranks high in search engines. Good and original content on your site is very important, but so are good backlinks.

Backlinks are links placed on other sites that link to your site. The best option is to have one way backlinks. One way backlins are the links that link only to your site, but not the other way around.

One way to create these quality backlinks is by posting on different kind of forums. These kind of links can get you not only a good traffic but they will also help you rank better in search engines. If you use forums to get traffic to your site, make sure that you do it properly. Avoid spamming forums as it will result in you being banned and all your posts will probably be deleted. Do it properly and you can bring a nice traffic to your site.

You need to start with finding relevant forums. Relevance is very important for search engines, so make sure that you do this part well. Simply Google for your niche with the term "forum", for example "Money Making Forum", to find forums related to your niche.

There are two reasons to do it. First, search engines pay more attention to the links that come from the sites whose contest is relevant to your website. Another reason is that you will get more traffic from those links, as people who use those forums are interested in your niche.

Once you did your Google "job" it is time to choose the best of them and join. Focus on top ten forums on your search result page.

You want to join forums that are popular. Check not only the total number of members but also the number of active members. Check when the last posts were made. If most of the posts were made recently than you are good to go and join the forum!

Active forum means that search engines will crawl it often and your links will be, therefore, very quickly noticed by them. It is because search engines "like" sites which are updated regularly.

You need to however make sure, before joining, that the forum will allow you to use a signature. Do determine it, simply check the latest posts and see if any member has a signature under his or her posts. If you can see signatures, it means they are allowed and you should not join the forum. If signatures are not allowed, do not register as you will not benefit much from it.

To start, find 3 or 4 popular forums that allow signatures. It should be more than enough for the beginning.

To set up your signature, you will have to use BBCode. It is very easy to use, but if you are not sure how to use it, copy and paste the below examples and simply change the URL and text. Now, save your signature and you are all set up.

Example of signature:

Start your [url=http://www.your-domain.com/]Money Making Blog[/url] now! In this case Money Making Blog is hyperlinked with a link to your site.
If you want your signature in bold simply add [b] in the front and [/b] at the back of the signature:
[b]Start your [url=http://www.your-domain.com/]Money Making Blog[/url] now![/b]
Most of the forums allow signatures in bold and some do not. Simply, if after inserting [b] and [/b] your signature is not bolded than it means that the forum does not allow bolded signature. Still, as long as you can use a signature stay on the forum.
You can also, on some forums, add color to your signature by adding [ you want] and [/color], for example:
[ your [url=http://www.your-domain.com/]Money Making Blog[/url] now![/b][/color]

Any combination of the tags is possible, so adjust it to your liking!

As I already mentioned, do not overdo it - one link in your signature is enough.

Now, all you need to do is to participate. It is very important, because more posts you make more often your signature appears on the forum. But again, make sure you make quality posts, not only OK, Thanks etc. Be helpful, make quality posts, start some threads, simply be an active and good member of the community.

That is all. It sounds simply and it is not that difficult to do either. Finding good and popular forums that allow signatures might take you sometime, but one you found them it is an easy job. Bookmark the forums, and every day try to make 2-3 posts on each of them.

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Seven Tips on How to Select a Domain Name

Instinct or random selection is not how one selects a domain name. It is to be done with great thought and purpose. There exists a philosophy to it. Consider the following:

• A common and sensible method would be to use the name of your site as the domain name. Like www.writerfind.com is a sensible domain for a site where one can locate writers or www.dictionary.com for an online dictionary. When the purpose of the site is a part of the URL it makes it easy for customers to remember the site and for new browsers to click on it.

• If the domain name is for an industry then you could think of using a generic name. Select a name that represents one hundred percent the market segment, www.autoinsurance.com would represent to a “T” the auto insurance business.

• Choose a domain with a.com extension. If that is not available then the alternate should also be a top level domain type.

• A short domain name is recommended over a long one just for the sake of easy recollection. However a long domain name can contain more key words and this could be a benefit where search engines are concerned. Research your options carefully. A long name works if it is dead on and meaningful.

• The golden rules are a domain name should be easy to remember, easy to spell, and easy to pronounce. In other words tongue twisters are out. It must be simple on all counts.
• Consider all marketing aspects like brand recall. Many profitable enterprises have a domain name that is the brand identity of their business. Examples of successful brands are Hot Mail, Google, Ebay, and Amazon.

• Pause to think and:

A. Write down clearly the focus of your site and its business goals. Namely “what is my site about?”

B. List the key words.

C. Use the description and key words to coin a domain name that represents clearly the two important factors. Make a list of as many as you can.

D. Next test availability at a domain name search engine.

E. If .com is not available check for .net and so on.

F. Be sure to zero in on a name that will serve its purpose. Never choose a domain because its there.

G. Still in a quandary then use domain name research tools.

H. If you find the perfect name is bought by someone then consider buying the domain name from them. This would depend on your budget.

I. Alternately use suffixes for the domain name like universe, world, links, resource, business, inc, store, directory, guide and so on.

The key is to think globally. The World Wide Web has no boundaries. Musts are recall, presence, and functionality.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888Discuss.com/domain/, the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Domain Forum including topics on domain trading, domain registration, domain sale and offers, adult domain and more. He also freelances for the premier Domain Site http://www.1866Domains.com

Uniform Domain Name Dispute (UDRP) Arbitrators

Some call it forum shopping. Others call it preparation. Given the choice, wouldn’t you choose the latter. You should since you are allowed to and there are readily available ways to choose which forum, or service provider, is best for your case. The two most popular domain name dispute resolution providers are WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) and NAF (National Arbitration Forum). Although both UDRP providers, WIPO and NAF have different fee structures, decision turn-around times, and other nuances explained in their respective supplemental rules. Regardless, the number one consideration when deciding whether to choose WIPO, NAF, or one of the other service providers should be based upon a review of how Panels decided cases similar to yours. Both WIPO and NAF provide access to their decisions at:

WIPO http://arbiter.wipo.int/domains/cases/index.html

NAF http://www.arbforum.com/domains/decisions.asp

With the ever-increasing number of decisions available, it is important to be able to form an educated prediction as to how a particular service provider’s panel would resolve your case. Looking at prior decisions can help, but it would be even easier if you knew both the majority and minority views on particular issues that commonly arise in the UDRP. This is where a law firm specializing in domain name disputes can help. Ideally, you should choose a law firm with background knowledge of both trademarks and the UDRP. In the end, it is not asking the law firm too much to do an initial review of your case, peruse decisions issued by both service provider’s on the particular issue, and ultimately provide a risk assessment of your case. You can contact us today to provide such a service, and if you so choose, assist you in filing a complaint, responding to a complaint, or simply navigating your way through the UDRP.

Enrico Schaefer is the founding attorney of Traverse Legal, PLC, a law firm specializing in web law http://www.traverselegal.com You can find out more about protecting your domain name, UDRP arbitrations and anti-cybersquatting laws at Traverse Legal’s domain name theft and trademark blogs found at http://tcattorney.typepad.com/domainnamedispute/ & http://tcattorney.typepad.com/ip/

How to Change Domain Nameservers

There comes a time when you decide to either start a website or transfer a website from one host to another. On both occasions you need new hosting and you need to transfer your files to the new host. You also need to tell your domain name where to point to - you need to change your Domain Name Servers or DNS.

The Domain name system nameservers or DNS information is specified by your hosting provider. You can find it either in your account control panel or your webhosts's faq page. If you are unable to find DNS information anywhere, contact your host.

By the way, if you have just bought your domain name, by default, your domain's DNS point to your registrar's parked page. If you are not using a domain, and you decide to not change the default DNS, your registrar is actually earning money from your domain's visitors' clicks.

The domain name server or DNS acts as the background of a domain name, helping domains resolve to IP addresses.

The following steps generally outline the process of changing your domain's DNS:

1. Log into your registrar account
2. Access your domain's administration interface.
3. Access the Change Name Server feature.
4. Enter new DNS information and save.

It is also important to note that some registrars might not provide an obvious way to enter both DNS name and DNS IP address for your domains. Check your registrar FAQ on how to use advanced DNS changing features, or contact your registrar directly.

John Motson runs a domain name forum, domain name blog, and has authored the popular domain name book Domaining Manifesto.

Domain Forums To Sell Domains - Selling Strategies Of The Domain Investor

Can you sell domains at domain forums? With so many places out there competing to help you sell domains, you may be wondering which the best places to offer your domain for sale are. In this article we focus on the benefits of domain forums.

One of the best ways to sell domains is through domain forums. Those that sell domains through places like Digital Point and DomainSocial usually find that they receive a good price for their domains. Most serious webmasters and domainers visit these types of places and are always on the lookout for those that sell domains. The vast member-base of some domain forums, the specific interest of domain forum members, and the business-oriented nature of these forums make them a great place to sell domains.

It is not uncommon to sell domains and make more through forums than places like eBay and Sedo. The users of these forums know what is good and what isn't. Many are resellers and sell domains themselves on the same domain forum. Domain forums are very much alive and buzzing with activity. You should use this to get more exposure when you sell domains.

Another key principle to note when you sell domains on forums is that you must have a good reputation. No one wants to buy a domain from someone who is not liked. A kind of informal protection is offered through the reputation system of domain forums. If you scammed people in the past, forget about it. Even if you aren't scamming now, the past is going to catch up with you. Forum users have a way of protecting themselves, and if they notice a scammer trying to sell domains, they'll make everyone aware of it.

Keep all negativity possible out of your thread. If you frequently sell domains on a forum, have past buyers post a good word in your thread. Nothing says “great deal” like positive feedback from past domain forum users.

Another thing to consider is that you can't tell any white lies on a domain forum. The most experienced webmasters are on domain forums, and if there is any indication that you aren't playing with your cards above the table, your sales thread will immediately fall through.

Overall, domain forums are a great place to sell domains. But before you go ahead and sell domains on domain forums, always remember: Be careful with your words. Be kind, courteous, answer all questions no matter how stupid they may seem, and always attract positive attention to your thread. This is the formula to success for when you sell domains on a forum - if you follow it, you're bound to profit.

For strategies to sell domain names, read the Domain Ebook.

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