A good example is the recent flurry on Michael Jackson Domain Names recently registered (current 5,000+).

As a long term domainer I look at this quick cash grabs as just that, a few months of income then nothing.

Are you really passionate about Michael Jackson?

Can you compete with 5,000 other Michael Jackson domains?

I’ve been arguing with fellow domainers and internet entrepreneurs about finding a market/keyword that is trending upwards rather than a having a product then registering a domain.

Why?

Because without a market that’s growing what’s the point?

Sure once you hit a supply point where demand has bottom out and there is only two suppliers for a particular type of good or service ie Records or 56K Modems  (remember them?) then the niche may be worth it as you’ve got a proven product but the demand is low and specialised or non existant.

56k  Modem Search Trend

But.. for the most part you want growing search terms like blu-ray then find your sub niche like Blu-ray Horror movies and work your way up!

Blu-ray Search Trend

So how do you avoid being a “sheeple” domainer

The Great thing about land rushes to domain name whether it be new extensions like .asia coming online or trends in global media (like the death of Michael Jackson) the crowd will be focused on those particular domains whilst people like me are making a killing in TLD’s that some domainer names that just don’t come to mind unless you’ve got a problem that needs solving

So how to pick a Market?

First start something your passionate about it might be a particular type of flower,  Book, movie, or hobby. Take a look what’s out there look at where the market growth is and what trending upwards.

1. Find a Market of Buyers or growing information trend (ie Blu-ray)
2. Do you keyword research (Hint check out Adwords keyword tool)
3. Register Your Domain Names (At lea

Focus on purchasing at least 3 domain names with high search keyword terms used the top 3 keywords the in adwords keyword tool

Happy Domaining!

1.      Server.com              $770,000
2.     Jesus.net             $124,337
3.     iGuide.com             $100,000
4.     OMG.com             $80,000
5.     Enlargement.com         $56,000
6.     Loterie.fr             $50,400
7.     Cric.com             $45,000
8.     MotorcycleInsurance.org     $34,000
9.     Flirten.com            $29,693
10.     4A.com                 $24,000

The no1 problem for new domainers is the frustration and “conditions” domain parking companies put new starters to industry through.

For example the other day I signed up for parked.com instead of getting instant access I was put through a “selection” process whe I had to give at least 10 of my domains and the a few days later I was emailed this

partnersupport@parked.com wrote:

Dear Myles Agnew,

In order for Parked.com to pay industry leading payouts we have to ensure traffic quality for our network is of the highest standards.

Our traffic quality department has analyzed your application and has determined that it does not currently meet the standards we are looking for in new Parked.com partners.

Sincerely,

The Parked.com Traffic Quality Department

So I wasn’t stupid enough to take my best performing domain names that actually produce an income to park them with parked.com (this could be why I didn’t used them before)

All is not lost my favourite FREE way to test and develop domain name is devhub and you can join here

Checkout my quick intro to devhub and why I love to use it!

Don’t forget to leave a comment below!

at Traffic Live Auction

Domaining is Serious Business

auDA today announced that it has extended its au Registry Licence Agreement with AusRegistry.

The extension of the term is the direct result of the independent Industry Competition Panel that was established by .au Domain Administration (auDA) in May 2008. The panel was appointed by auDA to review auDA’s competition model for the Australian Domain Name Industry and provide recommendations to the auDA board on what changes (if any) should be made to the competition model.

Among the many recommendations of the Panel was the following;

“Recommendation 2: The Panel recommends that auDA negotiates with the current registry operator with a view to extending the current registry licence term by up to 4 years. Such an extension should be subject to agreement being reached on (a) a suitable pricing model and (b) the inclusion of all items that auDA would require in a new license.”

Chris Disspain, CEO of auDA said, “Based on the recommendations of the independent panel we entered into discussions with AusRegistry to renegotiate the Licence Agreement. I am delighted we have been able to reach agreement. auDA believes that AusRegistry continues to excel in its role as Registry Operator and provides unprecedented support and competitive pricing for the .au namespace.”

The major points of the renegotiated Licence Agreement include;
•       extended Customer Support Hours for Registrars
•       funding towards Marketing and Market Research
•       a $0.25 donation to the auDA Foundation for every .com.au and .net.au domain renewal and new registration
•       the implementation of DNSSEC
•       commitment to yearly independent Security Audits
•       continued improvement and enhancement of the Registry Software
•       new pricing that sees a drop in the wholesale price to $14 (for a 2 year licence) for com.au and net.au domains and further drops as volumes increase

AusRegistry CEO, Adrian Kinderis, said, “We are obviously extremely happy to have reached agreement to extend the licence.  We are very proud of the role we have preformed as Registry Operator since 2002 and look forward to continuing to show the world the .au is at the forefront of Domain Name Registry technology.”

About auDA

.au Domain Administration Ltd (auDA) is an Australian not-for-profit company vested with the responsibility of operating the .au domain for the benefit of all stakeholders.
In its role as manager of the .au domain, auDA carries out the following functions:
•       develop and implement domain name policy
•       license 2LD registry operators
•       accredit and license registrars
•       implement consumer safeguards
•       facilitate .au Dispute Resolution Policy
•       represent .au at ICANN and other international fora.

About AusRegistry
AusRegistry is located in Melbourne, Australia. It is the current Registry Operator and wholesale provider for all commercial domain names including .com.au and .net.au and non-commercial domain names