Transferring Domain Names

In the olden days of the Internet, domain name registration was handled by Network Solutions.  However, after a while, the government decided that it wasn’t fair for one company to have sole control over the domain name market.  Therefore, it opened up the business to other companies.  Since then hundreds of domain name companies, ranging from sole proprietorships to corporate enterprises have capitalized on a market that generates millions in revenue each year.  So, for webmasters, this means there’s no shortage of companies to choose from when they register their domain names.

Yet, what happens if they register with one domain name company, but decide later they want it to be operated by another company?  Fortunately, they can get their wish through the process of domain name transferring.  This is when a webmaster gets another registrar to handle their domain name.  All payments are forwarded to the new registrar, as the old registrar is no longer in the picture, (at least when it comes to the domain name).  If the registrar is handling a webmaster’s hosting, they still need to make the necessary payments to make sure their website stays in tact.

The actual process involved with a domain name transfer will depend on the registrar a webmaster is working with.  For instance, if they charge a payment for domain name transfers, this fee must be received before anything can be done officially.  Otherwise, the process begins as soon as a webmaster makes a request to do so.  Some domain name registrars will require a webmaster to send a notarized letter informing their intent to transfer.  Others may allow the request to be done online.  Once the registrar authorizes the domain name transfer, it will take 1 to 7 business days for the process to be completed.

Sometimes a domain name may not be transferable.  This could be for a variety of reasons such as legal issues with the domain name itself or the original domain name registrar.  An example of the former could be trademark problems.  For the latter such legal scenarios that could cause problems include bankruptcy and/or issues with scamming.  There is also a possibility that a domain name registrar simply refuses to transfer the domain name.

How can a person prevent these types of problems?  The best solution involves reading any fine print the original domain name registrar offers.  A person should also check with the Better Business Bureau to make sure the domain name registrar doesn’t have any outstanding legal issues associated with it.

In conclusion, if a person wants to switch domain name companies, there is the option of doing a domain name transfer.  If it is successful, the domain name will work as it originally did, with the only difference being who is managing it.  However, if a domain name cannot be transferred, a webmaster must stick with the original registrar or consider a URL redirect service.

With a URL redirect service, the original domain name becomes masked by a new domain name.  It is not as good as an official domain name transfer, but it is still better than nothing if transferring is not an option.

Domain Names 101

Without a domain name, websites are specified by an IP address.  What is an IP address?  It is an identifier that is used by computers or humans to determine the location of a server or website.  However, for humans, an IP address, (which is expressed in a numerical format), can be difficult to remember.  This is why domain names were invented.  With a domain name, a human can locate a website through more user-friendly words or phrases.  And although numbers can be a part of a domain name, they usually do not make up all of it, like what is seen with an IP address.

In terms of format, domain names have several parts.  The first part is known as the URL, (which stands for Uniform Resource Locator).  The URL tells the browser what the domain name is going to point to.  This will usually be ‘http’, which means the browser can expect to locate a hypertext document.  In layman’s terms this means webpage.  In the rare cases the URL is not ‘http’ it may be ‘ftp’, which means file transfer protocol.  A webmaster would opt to use ftp if they would like visitors to download files from their server.

The second part of the domain name will be “www,” which stands for “World Wide Web.”  This phrase lets computers and humans know the site the domain name is pointing to is indeed from the Internet.  It is followed by the actual domain name, which can be a combination of letters, numbers or phrases.  A good domain name will be short, memorable and most importantly, search-engine friendly.  In fact, good webmasters tend to concentrate more on a domain name’s effectiveness with SEO, (or Search Engine Optimization), than they do its creativity.  To do this they make sure to choose a domain name that has a widely searched keyword.

The final portion of the domain name has what is known as an extension.  This lets a person know a little bit more about a website’s origins.  For example, take .com, the most common domain name extension.  It stands for ‘commercial’, and was originally intended for organizations in that vein.  However, now the extension is used by virtually anyone looking to create a website.  And this is for good reason, since most web surfers will think about the .com before they would think about .org, .biz or .net.  Yet, don’t think the other extensions can’t become memorable either.  Consider Wikipedia.org which is a wildly popular website despite its .org extension.

Domain name extensions can also specify things on a geographical level.  An example are country-based extensions such as .fr, (which stands for France), or .jp, (which stands for Japan).  They can also be state-based, such as .ca, (which stands for California).  Both can serve as excellent tools for localized Internet marketing.

To get a domain name, a person can either: 1) get one from their web hosting company, provided they offer that service or 2) get one from a separate domain name company.  Price-wise things will vary with both options, though typically the cost will range from $6.50 to $35.

Making Money Selling Domain Names

Selling domain names can be quite profitable for webmasters.  This is particularly the case if the webmaster sells a domain name that has an existing line of traffic.  In these situations domain names can generate thousands of dollars for their webmasters.  There have even been domain name names that allowed webmasters to collect millions in profit.  With a little bit of basic knowledge, you can emulate such success for yourself.  This article will provide that information through an easy to follow step-by-step guide.

First, you will need to find a search engine keyword that is highly searched yet not used much by other websites.  You can do this by using a keyword analyzer.  The best keyword analyzers are those that you pay for, such as Word Tracker or Keyword Analyzer.  The reason why these are preferable over free ones is because they let you know how much competition you are facing with a potential keyword.  Free ones only tell you how much the keyword has been searched.  If money is a problem, try to get a paid keyword analyzer that is offering a free sample, such as Word Tracker.  You can upgrade to the paid version once you return profit from the sale of your domain name.

With your keyword chosen, you will need to get a domain name and web hosting.  Why do you need web hosting if you’re going to sell just the domain name?  It’s because you’re going to need a website to drive traffic to that domain name.  Without a website visitors won’t want to return to whatever domain name you selected.  This lessens the main element that gives a domain name profitability: traffic.

Anyway, try to get a package that will include both web hosting and a domain name at the same time, since you won’t have to worry about transferring anything later.  When you choose your domain name, make sure you include your selected keyword in its phrasing.  If you find that your selected keyword is taken as a domain name, try making alterations like saying “a1″, “123″ or “101.”  For example, say the keyword “Careers” is taken as a domain name.  You could say “A1 Careers,” “Careers 123″ or “Careers 101.”  Alternatively, you could try searching for a related keyword that isn’t taken as a domain name.  Either way, keep trying until you get a memorable yet keyword-rich domain name that still has a .com extension.

Now, you will need to create a website for your domain name.  It doesn’t have to be big… even a one-pager could do the trick, if you don’t mind a website so simple.  Write an article related to the keyword you chose and create a simple site using Microsoft Word, (make sure you save the document as an .HTML file).  Sign up for Adsense and/or an affiliate program, so you can offer additional resources for your visitors.  You will also earn a commission if a sale is made or a clickthrough generated, (depending on the program you joined).

Once your website is uploaded, you need to focus on traffic-building.  You can get an initial boost by buying traffic, though make sure the company you buy your traffic from uses expired domain names rather than bots or even incentive traffic, (such as paid emails).  But even after this you will need to try to build up inbound links.  These are websites that link to you.  Post your site on any free site, such as directories, message boards or online classified ads.  Also, make sure you submit articles to free article directories.  Additionally, try to initiate link exchanges.  You can do this by emailing the webmaster or finding link exchange networks such as Link Market.

Keep building up your links until you get a steady stream of traffic.  If you get enough traffic, you will get an Alexa rating.  If the rating is pleasing, find a domain name appraiser and see how much your domain name can go for.  This will give you some idea of how much you can realistically get, but don’t get discouraged if the number seems low.  Why?  It’s because some people will care more about the traffic your domain name is receiving over the supposed SEO elements of it.

Either way, when you feel you are ready put your domain name up for auction.  You may even want to include your original website, though this is optional.  When the domain name sells, you will need to transfer it over to the new webmaster’s account… your web hosting company can help you with this.

With your profit you may want to consider doing the venture again with an expired domain name.  This will get you a traffic boost without having to go through the actual process of traffic-building, (if you decide you don’t want to do that).

Choosing the Right Domain Name

Domain names are to websites as book covers are to novels.  If they are not interesting enough, or don’t properly convey what a website is about, visitor will have no desire to enter them in their browsers.  Yet, excessive creativity doesn’t make for a good domain name either.  Why is this so?  It’s because if a domain name is creative but not keyword-rich, search engine bots won’t be able to index it in search engine listings.  So, ultimately, your domain name must be both catchy yet search engine optimized.  This article will explain how you can achieve both objectives.

First and foremost you will need to find a popular search engine keyword that can be incorporated into your domain name.  A keyword analyzer can help you in this task.  These can be found pretty easily with a basic search engine query.  When you find one, enter in a keyword that best summarizes the purpose of your website.  The keyword analyzer will return different versions of this keyword.  If the more specific instances can also fit within the nature of your website, choose one.  This is because when it comes to search engine optimization, more specific keywords are better since they are less likely to be used by other webmasters.

Now you can start selecting your actual domain name.  Most domain name companies will allow you to see whether or not your domain name is available.  If it is not available, it will return a list of recommended domain names.  Take advantage of this tool by first entering your selected keyword.  If your keyword as a domain name is not available, consider the suggestions the domain name company gives.  If the main keyword is still included in these suggestions and it ends with .com, consider it.  Otherwise, you will have to be more creative.

For example, you can use ‘filler’ words, numbers or phrases within your domain name to still include your selected keyword.  Fillers could be ‘a,’ ‘an’ or ‘the.’  Search engines tend to not look at these words, so you still have a good shot at getting indexed while having a domain name that is memorable and catchy.  You can also consider fillers at the end of a phrase, such as ‘101′.

What if you do these things and you still can’t get .com?  Well, there are some situations where it is better to stick with a lesser-used extension because the keyword is just that popular.  Extensions that still get noticed include .net, .biz and .org.  Additionally, you can also consider using country or state-based extensions if you don’t mind international or local-based marketing.  It’s better to be number 1 in France’s version of Google than to be number 200 or worse in America’s version of Google.

In conclusion, choosing a domain name that will get the right buzz from both humans and search engines doesn’t have to be hard.  The keyword analyzer will help you with 90% of your domain name, while your wit with fillers can help you the other 10%.  And, if after an immense amount of pondering, you still can’t get the .com, you can opt for other extensions.