Ways Of Finding Available Domain Names
Chances are, if you have a website, this has probably happened to you:
You think of a truly excellent domain name. However, when you try to register that name, you discover, much to your dismay, that the name is unavailable. Back in the early 1990s, when the Internet was young, it was much easier to acquire a first-rate domain name. In 2009, available domain names are becoming scarce. With more than 184 million domain names currently registered, and hundreds of thousands of new names being introduced every day, valuable domain names are rare indeed.
Available domain names of significant value are commodities as a good name is part of the overall strategy to drive traffic to a website thereby adding to the sites visibility on the web. Think of a website domain as you would some property or estate. Given that some of this virtual estate has sold for as much as an actual estate, it is an easy analogy to make.
However, it is uncommon for a website to sell for a million pounds or more, and if you had millions to spend on a domain name, you probably would not need to purchase it to begin with.
For those of us who dont have the means to bid on high-priced private auctions, there are still ways to find and acquire available domain names at a more modest price:
Public Online Auctions
An auction site like Ebay, is often a great place to find available domain names at a cheap price.
Expired Domains
There are websites that deal exclusively in domain names whose previous owner allowed the annual registration fees to lapse. While these domains are technically owned by the clearing house that acquires them from the original registrar, they are typically for sale.
Back-Ordered Domains
These are names that are ordered just prior to deletion. After a domain expires it goes into a period of ‘redemption’ where the original owner can still renew the domain at a significantly higher cost. If, for whatever reason, the original owner lets this grace period lapse without taking any action, the domain goes into a 5-day deletion phase. During this time, a third-party can buy the expired domain. In most instances, these newly available domain names are purchased in bulk by clearing house who then earn a profit selling these domains to individuals, however, every once in a while, one can grab a bargain through the back-ordering process.
Domain Name Generators
Domain name generators are specialised tools that create new domain names from keywords or random bits of language and check these combinations for availability.
Direct Private Sales
Occasionally, you might come across a website owner or blogger who is in the process of shutting down his site and is offering to transfer his domain to the first person willing to take it off his hands.
However you choose to purchase your domain name, the importance of having one cannot be overstated. Acquiring a good domain name is paramount if you are to establish your online brand. A domain name is your unique identity on the World Wide Web and it is the name your visitors will come to know you by. Finding a domain name that is reasonably short, relevant to your niche, has the dot com extension and its availability can be extremely difficult.
John E, Media Relations Adviser Easily.co.uk – Domain name registration, register your low cost domain name today! Search domain names quickly, all major extensions and no catches.
Thinking of Subscribing To a RSS Feed?
RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’, it is a format for distributing and gathering content from sources across the Web, including newspapers, magazines, and blogs. With RSS you can quickly and easily get the latest updates from all your favourite websites in one place, rather than having to visiting them one by one. To do this you use an RSS reader that automatically checks for news and updates.
How can you tell if a website has an RSS feed?
Often you will see a small orange feed icon saying ‘RSS’, ‘subscribe’ or ‘feed’ next to it. Usually you just copy and paste the feed link into your RSS reader. Another great thing about RSS feeds: No spam and complete user control; unsubscribing to RSS feeds are as easy as it can get just delete it, and it is gone. Period.
Choosing an RSS reader
There are many different ‘feed readers’ (also known as RSS readers, RSS aggregators or simply newsreaders) to choose from, but they can be divided into two main types: web-based and application based. Web-based readers have the benefit that you can check your feeds from any computer, while the stand-alone applications often have more features and greater flexibility.
Browsers such as Internet Explorer 7, Firefox and Safari also have built-in RSS readers, although these are not as flexible and versatile as using a separate application.
Web Based RSS Readers
All you have to do is to sign up for an account and you can add as many feeds as you want. Below are a few of the most popular; some sites will have buttons that allow you to add it to these RSS readers automatically. Otherwise, just copy and paste the RSS feed link into your reader and you are up and running.
MyYahoo
Bloglines
MyMSN
NewsGator
GoogleReader
Locally installed RSS Readers
If you prefer, you can download an RSS reader and install it on your computer, below are links to a few of the most popular. Some of these are freeware/open source, others charge a licence fee:
FeedReader [Freeware]
Attensa
Lektora [Win, Mac and Linux]
Klipfolio
FeedIt [Open-source]
Blogbot for Outlook
Vienna [Mac OS X, freeware]
NewsFire [Mac OS X]
Browsing and subscribing to feeds is not that complicated. Today there are well over 2,000 different feed readers. Some require a small purchase fee but there are many free readers out there too. Performing a search for ‘feed reader’ or ‘feed aggregator’ on popular search sites will yield many results.
Managing your reader online has an advantage of being able to access your feed updates anywhere you can find a web browser. Plus upgrades and new features are added automatically.
Typically the feed reader will display your feeds and the number of new entries within each of those feeds. You can customize your feeds into categories of your choice and save your favourite entries.
If you were confused or did not know how to get started, hopefully this is a more palatable form to digest.
John E, Media Relations Adviser Easily.co.uk – Domain name registration, register your low cost domain name today! Search domain names quickly, all major extensions and no catches.
5 Super Tips To Pick The Right Domain Name
With so many users getting accustomed to the power of the information super highway, acquiring the right domain name has become more difficult. So many people fall victim to overpriced and undervalued domain purchases or end up having to give up previously registered domain.
It is important to realize the value of domain names and its maintenance because this will potentially become part of a successful and lucrative endeavour when put to good use. With the right tips and proper guidance it will be easy for you to get that domain that you have always wanted.
When purchasing a domain name, consider the alternative; make one for yourself. Registering your own domain name may prove to be the most economical and creative choice when coming up with a domain for your business. Brainstorm for catchy domain names and create a list of common words which are familiar for a lot of users and then double check if these have already been registered.
If you fancy yourself on a particular keyword or name then you can explore the option of buying it, but this will probably end up costing you a lot of money. An easy way to check the availability of a domain name is by going to a registrar site like GoDaddy. If you have to purchase an existing domain name do not be tricked into choosing domain extensions like .org, .net or .biz stick to the extension that people pay attention to which is .com.
Remember that a lot of people are not internet savvy and will probably not prioritize your website if it has an unknown domain extension or will end up getting your address wrong simply because they assumed you are a .com. A solid business practice is to buy all the available domain extensions for your chosen domain name, this way you can avoid the risk of being exploited on your marketing brand by a competitor or another site riding on your consumer following by setting up the same domain name with a different extension.
Remember that shorter domain names are much better, catchier and easier to remember. No one likes to type long domain names like ‘whatwasthenameofthatstore.xxx’ or ‘iforgotbecauseitwaslong.xxx’. If somebody else has already purchased the short domain name that you want, the next best thing is to choose something that is closely associated yet descriptive of your brand.
Choose a name that embodies your business model and describes the services that you provide. OrganicProduce.com or BromateFreePastry.com are examples of domains which are descriptive and will let your customers know what kind of product you offer.
Make your purchases last and matter.
Most people do not know that a domain purchase of 3 to 5 years will put you in higher graces with search engines and give you a better chance of popping up in higher pages of search results. Search engines usually give less priority to domains registered for a mere year as they have a limited shelf life.
Remember that successful search engine optimization begins with your domain name purchase. Last but not the least; do not waste your hard earned money. Every registrar site will offer some ‘amazing value’package to go with registering your domain name. Some may come with useful features while others are just another way to get you to shell out more cash. Evaluate your business plan and pick services which will only benefit you in the long term.
Choose provisions which are necessary for your business model, like an SSL certificate if you plan to do secure transactions online and get it from a registrar which offers it at the lowest possible price bracket.
John E, Media Relations Adviser Easily.co.uk – Domain name registration, register your low cost domain name today! Search domain names quickly, all major extensions and no catches.
The Domain Name Life Cycle Could Be A Lengthy Process
It is important for people who wish to enter the business of buying and selling domain names. The last thing that you want is your domain expiring a day before you remember that it is time to renew and you end up losing a precious investment.
Remember that with domain registry, your profit is only as good as how long you can keep a domain name in check. It is important to understand the life cycle of a standard domain name from its registration phase up to its deletion so that you can save yourself a domain in case you encounter renewal challenges.
Like any product, a domain works pretty much as a standard commodity that you can get back if you lose it, the downside to all of this is if you are not careful and lack the knowledge about its life cycle you will end up paying for exaggerated renewal fees because of a simple mistake like forgetting to renew a registered domain.
The initial step to a domain name life cycle is of course the registration phase. You must choose a domain name and check its public availability before proceeding with the other registration steps. For each name you can allot a maximum of 10 years public availability registration, after which you will have to renew. After successfully registering your domain it will go into an active state and will remain so for a 60 day grace period.
After 60 days you may move it to another registrar if you desire. Keep in mind that the information you use to register your domain is crucial. That being said keeping tabs on the email address and contact information you used is one of the most important things you can do to make sure you run a smooth registration business, because registrars send several renewal notices a month before its due date.
Registrars will only send the notice through information you used previously so if you lost your email address then I wish you good luck. In cases of expiration, there is a standard 24-hour holding period for a domain name that has gone past its renewal date.
After this grace period a domain will be deactivated. Registrars usually hold the name, this means that your email address and website is still there but won’t work. This will give you the chance to renew your domain for a regular premium but with a downside. Expired domains are no longer manageable which means that you cannot transfer it to another registrar in case you forget to renew.
If its not renewed within 40 days then the registrar will put it in a 30 day redemption period where most domains are deleted for information, names, contact information and related information tied to your registered name. At this point the domain will remain inactive and will need a restoration to retrieve previous information associated with it, which costs a lot of money.
If you fall into this rut, the best way to get your domain back is to just wait until the registry drops your domain and start over. Remember that at this point, anyone is eligible to register your domain.
The best policy to avoid losing your domain name is to renew early. Nothing beats safeguarding your domain name interest than making sure that your domain ownership is secure by renewing at the right time.
John E, Media Relations Adviser Easily.co.uk – Domain name registration, register your low cost domain name today! Search domain names quickly, all major extensions and no catches.
Why Are Domains Important For A Business?
A domain name dictates a lot of things for your website. It will give your users an idea of your niche and provide an identity to your business model or cause. Having your own domain name has so many advantages and it is important for you to understand that success on the internet is greatly dictated by a successful or catchy domain name.
Remember that your ability to generate consumers or followers is only as good as their capacity to find you on the web. Having a domain name gives you this liberty. If you decide to switch web hosting services or move your content elsewhere, then you wont have a problem making sure that your users follow because a registered domain stays with you.
You wont have to worry about having to notify them of your movement, as you can pick any web hosting service and they would still arrive at the same content. All they have to do is type your domain in the address bar.
To survive and thrive in the internet business world, a registered domain name is almost an absolute must. A domain gives your business credibility.
This gives your customers the confidence that you are committed to your product and are not going anywhere.
The internet is full of scams and dangerous elements and people will likely avoid doing business with you if your domain belongs to a free address page or is piggybacking as one of those web pages. Remember that a domain name will give your business character and will provide your customers an insight to your product and business model.
Customers can easily remember you and will have an easy time finding you through a search engine in case they forget your search address. Do not expect that search engines will take you seriously without a solid domain registry. A lot of business owners do not know that search engine optimization starts with a good registered domain.
If you are not willing to invest a good three to five years on a domain for your business then why should search engines put you as part of relevant searches? If you are lucky enough you can end up with a domain that matches your company or product name.
Getting sponsors or affiliates to promote your site will also be difficult without a domain name. Remember that these people will pay good money to be posted on your site and will probably not consider you as viable business investment if you have a run of the mill website hosted through a freebie post.
Having a domain name puts you in good respect with potential business partners. This makes them feel that they are dealing with a serious business and gives you a sense of identity in the internet business market.
Your clients want to feel secured that they can find you and has a solid establishment when it comes to potential consumers that can view their ads and you will not be able to do this if your business page is a link from a public site like MySpace or Friendster. A domain gives your business an identity and without it, you run the risk of advertisers taking their business to your competitors.
John E, Media Relations Adviser Easily.co.uk – Domain name registration, register your low cost domain name today! Search domain names quickly, all major extensions and no catches.