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Domain Names Articles


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.

Free Domain Names
Without a domain name, a person does not have a suitable way to find a website. The only problem is domain names cost money. Granted, if a person is operating one or two sites, the cost of a domain name, (which ranges from $1.00 to $35), probably isn't too steep. However, what if one is an avid marketer, making profit from hundreds of sites? Even the minimum in domain name fees can add up. This is why Internet marketing gurus might want to consider signing up for free domain names. Three types of free domain name exist: third level domain names, first level domain names with lesser used extensions and first level domain names with traditional extensions.

Cheap Domain Names
In order for people to access a website, they must first enter in its associated domain name. This is a word or phrase that denotes the name of the site and/or summarizes what it is about. Even free web hosting companies offer domain names, but there's an essential difference. With free web hosting companies, the domain names offered are in the form of third level domain names. This means their domain name must be included when a person is trying to access the third level domain. The only problem with this is that it makes a domain name long and hard to remember. For this reason it's best if a person considers just buying their own domain name. And with the availability of cheap domain names, it is possible to get one that is very affordable.

Cybersquatting and Your Domain Name
When it comes to domain names, don't think that you only need to worry about the ones that you registered. This is because with the phenomenon of cybersquatting, domain names that are similar to your company's trademark could be registered to unscrupulous webmasters, intending to use them in bad faith. What happens is once the cybersquatter has gotten sales or Adsense clicks from their domain name, they will try to sell it to the original entity holding the trademark. When things get to this point, the price is significantly higher, sometimes even thousands of dollars. This is despite the fact that the individual or organization buying the domain name originally had the rights to it in the first place.

Avoiding Trademark Infringement When Choosing a Domain Name
Many webmasters erroneously believe that just because their domain name registrar says a particular domain name is 'available' that it truly is. This is not necessarily so. Even if a domain name is physically available, it may not legally be open for use. Why? It's because there might already be a company that has the rights to the keywords used within the domain name. If this happens yet the webmaster claims the domain name anyway, they are at risk of losing it through a domain name arbitration proceeding. They could even be charged with trademark/copyright infringement if things get really ugly. For this reason it's best to make sure the keywords used in a domain name aren't protected for someone else. This article will explain how webmasters can make such a determination.

Domain Name Arbitration
After several minutes of pondering and looking at keyword analyzers, you find the perfect domain name for your new website. You see if it is available through your desired domain name company. When you find that it is, you get excited because it seems that it is going to be quite profitable for your site. So, you sign up for it, thinking that it is up for grabs, since your domain name company has said it is available.

All About Mobile Domain Names
When the Internet first came out it was restricted to a wired connection to a computer. Eventually technology improved, creating wireless Internet. At that point the Internet could be accessible through desktops, laptops and mobile devices without wiring. This means that the Internet was now portable. And as more mobile devices are getting created, consumers are exploring how to increase this portability. In fact, wireless Internet has gotten so popular with mobile devices, domain name companies have created a new extension. It's called .mobi.

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.

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.

Misspelled Domain Names
When it comes to search engine keywords, there are some that are potential gold mines that are being ignored. These are ones in which a word or phrase is accidentally misspelled. Usually, the search engine will link to results that contain the correct spelling, but it will still show any websites associated with the misspelled keyword. If one of these websites catches the eye of a surfer, they may visit it. This is why many webmasters will not only create websites around misspelled keywords but also pay money to bid on them in pay-per-click search engine advertisements.

Third Level Domain Name
A domain name consists of three levels. The first level is the word or phrase that makes up the initial domain name. The second part of the domain name is the extension. Examples of common extensions include .com, .net or .org. The third portion of the domain name, called a third level domain name is an optional part. Like the first level domain name, it consists of a word or phrase to describe whatever webpage it is pointing to. However, unlike the first level domain name, a third level domain name cannot access a webpage by itself; it must contain the first level domain as well as the extension in its syntax.

Bulk Domain Name Registration
Most Internet marketing gurus know the importance of using a domain name. However, only the experts use bulk domain names when marketing their website. How do things work if one is using bulk domain names? Basically, with the bulk domain name tactic, dozens maybe even hundreds of domain names point to one site. The practice is completely legal, (since ICANN places no limitations on how many domain names a person can register), and could even boost search engine listings. This is because search engine bots have more URLs they can find that relate to a particular website.

Domain Name Generators
The process of registering a domain name can be quite annoying. Why? It's because many times the domain name a webmaster hopes to register has already been taken. So, they have to ponder again what their domain name should be. But what do they do if that domain name has been taken as well? The best solution involves getting it right the first time with a domain name generator. This is a program or service that suggests domain names that are not likely to have been used by other webmasters. They can work in three ways including: giving random listings, giving listings based on input or using human suggestions.

Domain Name Hacks
Traditional domain names consist of a word or phrase that describes a website followed by an extension. Extensions can be .com, .net or country-based such as .fr or .jp. So, if this is the case, how can domain names like blo.gs or del.icio.us exist? It's because a domain name doesn't have to follow a traditional format. When it is created in the manner demonstrated above, it is called a domain name hack. With a domain name hack, a domain name spells out a 'word' by using a combination of periods and less popular country-based or state-based extensions.

Domain Name Redirect Services
It's no secret that a short, memorable domain name is what is needed to help visitors to a website. It also helps if the domain name contains keywords that are likely to rank high in search engines. So, what does a webmaster do if they are promoting an affiliate program or a website created from a free web hosting service such as Geocities? The most affordable answer lies in taking advantage of a domain name redirect service.

Domain Name Servers: The Basics
Technically, domain names aren't necessary to access a website. This is because with or without them, all websites can be accessed by their corresponding IP address. What is an IP address? It is a 32-bit numerical identifier that indicates what machine a website is on. The only problem is that for a human these numbers, (which come in a series of 4 octets), can be extremely hard to remember. This is why domain names were created. With a domain name a person can access a website through a word or phrase, which offers much more convenience than decimated octets.

Domain Name Tasting
A good domain name not only makes people more likely to visit a website, but it can also increase search engine rankings. This is because search engine bots index websites based on keywords found both in its content and domain name. Yet, how does a webmaster know if their domain name is going to be profitable? Usually most don't until they put it into practice. Hence, there is the practice of domain name tasting. What is domain name tasting? Domain name tasting is the process of registering a domain name and seeing how much traffic it brings to a website during whatever grace period the domain name registrar offers, (which is normally five days). If the domain name brings in a lot of visitors, the webmaster will keep it. Otherwise, they will cancel their registration and get a refund.

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.

Get Traffic with Expired Domain Names
One of the greatest difficulties in being a new webmaster is trying to acquire traffic. This is because trying to build legitimate traffic requires both time and money. How is this so? Well, if a webmaster is trying to obtain traffic through search engines, they will need to spend a great deal of time with link-building and content creation. If they are trying to get traffic through a pay-per-click program, they will have to invest hundreds to thousands of dollars if they want to take advantage of a high-performance keyword. However, there is another alternative that can allow a webmaster to get tons of traffic without having to invest too much in time or money. It involves purchasing expired domain names.

Hyphenated Domain Names
You think of a perfect domain name. It contains a keyword that is found in search engines, has no trademark issues and is memorable for website visitors. You try to register your domain name with a domain name company. It appears to be taken. So, you put a hyphen in it. That version of your domain name is not taken, but should you go on and invest in it? This article will explore what webmasters need to consider if they are deciding to use hyphenated domain names.

Internationalized Domain Names and Homograph Attacks
With normal spoofing a scammer tries to get personal information by sending fraudulent emails masquerading as an official website an individual might be working with. While some fall for the deception, many know better since the domain name in the email doesn't resemble the domain name they usually use to access whatever site. However, what happens if a domain name looks exactly like an official website?

Is the .com Overrated?
When it comes to domain name extensions, most people are familiar with .com. Because of this the average webmaster is scrambling to get the perfect .com domain name. Some may even forego registering a potential goldmine of a domain name in favor of getting a less popular .com. Yet, there are dozens of other domain names available, some of which have gained popularity despite not being a .com. How can a webmaster determine if their site is going to be in such a league without the traditional .com? This article will explain how.

Local Marketing with Geodomains
A webmaster increases their chances of getting a high search engine listing by including a popular keyword in their domain name. However, if a keyword is too popular, including it in a domain name means nothing, even if the website it's pointing to is also optimized. This is why most Internet marketing gurus suggest that domain names as well as their corresponding websites use more specific keywords that aren't as competitive. One of the best ways to do this is to include keywords based on geography. When such a keyword is used in a domain name, it is known as a geodomain.

Yahoo! Domain Names
Businesses are fooling themselves if they think they can continue to conduct business without a website. This is because in today's age, having a website makes many think a company is 'official.' But a website by itself doesn't mean anything without a decent domain name. Granted, a company can try to cut costs by using a free domain name or a third level domain name offered by free web hosting companies, but visitors won't view their site as being genuine.

Scam Domain Names
Do you think buying something as simple as a domain name means that industry is free from scams? If you do think again, since everyday hundreds of people get milked out of their money thinking they are going to get a perfect domain name. Granted, fraudulent domain name companies haven't received as much press as 'work-at-home' companies or other businesses of that nature, but they are still just as deviant. The two main ways a domain name company goes about scamming its customers involves either selling the domain name at a ridiculously high price and/or not delivering the domain name as promised.