The .CO domain registration count has reached 336,000+ just one week after the exciting launch. Remaining quality one-word domains are well on their way to being all claimed, but there are a few left if you look hard enough.

Below is a handpicked list of one-word .CO domains that were available to register as of the time of this posting.

If you would like to claim one or more of these domains for $29.99 year, I ask that you please use this link to GoDaddy so that I receive a modest commission for the referral.

• Crusade.co
• Squadron.co
• Errand.co
• Deployed.co
• Confide.co
• Enlist.co
• Nominated.co
• Roster.co
• Corrective.co
• Cleansed.co
• Orderly.co
• Honorable.co
• Tunneling.co
• Featuring.co
• Configured.co
• Shapely.co
• Unfriend.co (2009 Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year!)
• Observance.co
• Flaming.co
• Taught.co
• Trained.co
• Versed.co
• Peruse.co
• Remembrance.co
• Ploy.co
• Commanding.co
• Depiction.co
• Redeemed.co

Please do not re-post or share this list anywhere.

Thank you for using this link to GoDaddy to register these domains.

Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts or appreciation for my domain research.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

In preparation for the upcoming launch of Firefox 4, the Mozilla Labs team has undertaken an extensive and detailed heatmap study of their main browser window.

Nearly 10,000 test pilots participated in the study, 9,667 users to be exact. Every single mouse click and action taken within the browser was monitored over the course of 5 days. Mozilla has published a dynamic graphical representation of the heatmap study here.

Several trends are very clear to see after viewing the usage data. Two elements leap out that get more action than the scrollbar!

Your Worst Enemy

93.1% of participants used the back button, clicking it 66.7 times on average over the course of 5 days.

The technical term for this action is referred to as a website’s bounce rate, which occurs when a visitor decides not to click anything on the site and leaves entirely. Time spent on site is also something you should monitor and hope to increase over time.

Today, it is critical to engage a visitor and capture their attention. We do this by making effective use of graphic and design cues, headings and short, consumable pieces of information.

There are several other things you can do to get started dealing with your worst enemy, the back button. I’ve previously written some tips for reducing bounce rate and increasing website usability that you should check out.

Your Best Friend

95.6% of participants used the location bar, clicking it 430.1 times on average over the course of 5 days.

That is a huge amount of activity! A website should be optimized for both direct navigation and search navigation to increase website traffic.

Direct navigation does not often get the credit it deserves. It is not easily monitored, but when studied it has proven to contribute a much higher percentage of traffic than one would expect. Additionally, visitors who directly type domain names are extremely targeted.

I believe analytics software will soon place a larger emphasis on direct navigation. More attention should be given to branding and domain names while developing a website. They should be memorable, easy to pronounce and easy to type.

The location bar now doubles as a search bar in all major browsers, so visitors will come indirectly from search navigation. Your site should be as optimized as possible (without going overboard) to make the search experience better for these visitors.

One of the simplest and most effective forms of SEO is to make sure important keywords and phrases are included within titles, headings and content. For more tips read my article on common WordPress SEO mistakes.

I hope you get along nicely with your new acquaintances.

If you enjoyed this article, don’t click back! Like this on Facebook and have a look around.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Many are upset with VeriSign, the organization which manages the .COM and .NET domain space. Annual 7% fee increases for domain registrations have been in effect for awhile now. On July 1st, the registry fee will again increase, jumping from $6.86 to $7.34. It’s from this base price that ICANN accredited registrars then set their registration markup.

I have always had no problem with fee increases. I feel strongly that it somehow increases the bottom-line value of each domain name. Domainers could simply pass on that value by marking up domain sales prices.

I had to put this “gut feeling” that registration price increases may actually be a good thing for the industry to the test. So, I set about browsing a few microeconomics articles on WikiPedia about supply and demand. I wanted to see how the price increase may affect demand for domains.

Price increases generally do have an adverse affect on demand. However, there are a few products and services that do not apply to the normal rules of supply and demand. These goods are known to have a positive price elasticity, meaning that as prices increase so does the demand.

Could a domain name be classified as a Veblen good? These are luxury items that are not easily attainable.  Certain premium .com domains fit that description very well, some could even be considered priceless.

In 1998, I had no real concern paying $75 per year for .com registrations. It was a necessity for a quality web presence and perceived status of any business or personal site.

Today, domain registration costs are relatively low compared to what one would consider a typical Veblen or luxury good, but they have the special characteristic of being 100% unique.

Could it also be that as more people register domain names the overall desire to claim more domains increases? This is known as the bandwagon effect.

I’m no economics expert, so my ideas on the price-demand correlation may be wrong.  I can’t help but feel these fee increases are justified and beneficial to the industry as a whole. What do you think? You’re welcome to leave a comment below with your thoughts on the matter.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Some people may be under the impression that it’s what comes before the dot in a domain name that matters most. I would love to put that myth to rest.

In this article, I will be sharing my thoughts and opinions on the many domain name extension options available today and some that are coming soon.

Here is a brief explanation of the different types of top level domains.

Generic TLDs or gTLDs

These extensions include .COM, .NET, .ORG, .BIZ, .JOBS, .PRO, etc. ICANN is currently in the final rounds of policy making to open up applications for new gTLDs.

One of the first new gTLD extensions we will see is .XXX. Many others will follow such as .ECO.

Country Code TLDs or ccTLDs

These extensions include every country’s short-code. A handful of countries have been blessed with a pleasing acronym such as Tuvalu (.TV), Montenegro (.ME), and Colombia (.CO).

Other countries generally have to make due with local usage.

Which gTLDs are premium?

The clear winner is .COM. Most would agree that this is the best option for recognition, search rankings and inherent value.

Looking at .NET and .ORG sales, they are typically just a fraction of a comparable .COM sale. I will say that .ORG may be the best available option for organizations. I do not consider .NET at all, except for brand protection because it is a dated idea.

Aside from .COM, I don’t believe any other currently available gTLDs are premium quality.

I do admire and respect the promotion, innovations and community outreach by Telnic, managers of .TEL. However, I do not consider the gTLD itself to be premium. A premium alternative for what they are doing has not been created yet, it would be something like .SOCIAL.

.XXX, .MOBI, .BIZ, .PRO, .JOBS – These extensions all had the right intentions, but ultimately they are created for too small a niche to be premium quality in my book.

Which ccTLDs are premium?

I believe .ME is doing well after it’s launch just 2 years ago. Many successful websites are using the extension for blogging, social and personal apps. It has a broad, yet unique concept that is also memorable.

For the past few years, the internet and our televisions have been coming closer and closer together.  Finally this fall, Google TV will be made public, bringing the internet and a mass media of citizens to your TV box set. I think this will really seal the deal for .TV as a premium ccTLD. The extension has already had alot of success as businesses are founded and existing media outlets have adopted it with open arms.

On July 20th 2010, the unprecedented public landrush will take place for .CO domains. Unprecedented because of the phenomenal work by CoInternet in marketing the launch. There has been early adoption through innovative promotions like the CoFounders program in which Twitter was accepted and claimed T.CO.

So what makes .CO premium? The main fact is that it rides on the coat-tails of .COM. The extension could not have launched at a better time. Society has embraced bite sized information in the form of status updates, many of which contain odd two-letter ccTLD link shorteners.

This .CO extension will best other ccTLD options and will be adopted by a wide audience for both personal and business use. It also passes the requirement for both memorability and meaning, though in this case, .CO has a multitude of meanings.

More Premium gTLDs Coming Soon

The future is very bright for the domain industry. As I mentioned earlier, ICANN is finalizing policy to open up new gTLDs. This change will bring about many not-so-good domain extensions that you should avoid, but it will also introduce high quality extensions with real meaning and value!

For now, I’ve got my eye on a couple of generic .CO domains I’d like to develop or hold on to. GoDaddy’s .CO registration is $29.99/year and the public landrush will take place on July 20th 2010.

What domain extensions do you think are premium quality? Which ones are bad? Please feel free to share your opinions in the comments area.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Popular domain registrar Name.com will soon offer discounted domain registrations and other incentives for their best customers. A new investor program will officially launch next Thursday, July 1st.

The only requirement to claim investor benefits is that your Name.com account has at least 25 domains.

A VeriSign fee increase will soon raise prices across the board at all domain registrars. Name.com’s new pricing will be $9.99 for new .COM and .NET registrations for all customers.

The domain registration discount for the investor program has not yet been announced. It should be a very competitive price which will rival industry leader, GoDaddy.

The program will include additional benefits depending on how large your portfolio at Name.com is. A larger portfolio of domains could earn you completely free private WHOIS services. The exact number of domains required and benefits for each program level are yet to be announced.

Be sure to visit the Name.com blog on July 1st for complete details on the new investor program.

Also on July 1st, next Thursday, DotSauce will be announcing the winners of our Q&A Forum Grand Opening prize raffle.

Join the DotSauce Forum to network, learn and share experiences with other domainers for a chance to win cash, domains or a premium WordPress theme from PliablePress!

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I recently read a book that rang true for me as I turned the pages and applied it’s ideas to my experiences in online business. This book has given me a lot of confidence in myself, my goals and my vision for the future.

Daniel H. Pink describes a transition from the Information Age to a new Conceptual Age in his bestselling book “A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future.”

So, what exactly does the Conceptual Age entail?

1. Society is becoming overwhelmed by abundance. We have everything we need at our fingertips and it’s cheap.
2. Information Age jobs are increasingly transitioning to Asia. For example each year, India’s colleges and universities produce 350,000 engineering grads.
3. Products, services and manufacturing are becoming automated, taking out the human element all together.

The good news? Domaining is fairly conceptual. We need to be creative, forward thinking and understand the big picture of the internet because we are it’s foundation.

• Can someone overseas do it cheaper? No.
• Can a computer do it faster? No.
• Am I offering something that satisfies the nonmaterial, transcendent desires of an abundant age? Yes.

Daniel Pink offers six aptitudes on which professional success will increasingly depend on as we move into the Conceptual Age. Here I am going to share my thoughts on each one of these traits and how we can apply them to the business of buying, selling and monetizing domain names.

Design – A true right brain ability, yet still something that can be learned! I don’t proclaim to be a designer myself, but I am proficient with certain aspects of web style, trends and usability. Domainers can use design to drastically improve their online presence. The design of your blog, domain portfolio or business website is something that should be visually appealing and very user friendly. We can also use design to make more sales and more money.

Story – Domainers need to be able to tell a story when marketing their domain for sale. Like any good writer you should do some research and get your facts right. We can do this by searching for similar domains and how they are being used. We can also build our story by gathering important domain metrics and analytics to provide insight into value.

Symphony – Or the ability to detect patterns and understand the big picture. Do not be misled by automation in the domain industry! Many tools and services will spit out domains using some algorithm, others will provide automated domain valuations. An experienced domainer has insight into the industry as a whole. Start by keeping tabs on the latest domain sales. If you can understand the relationships between events, solve problems, and develop your intuition, you can become a visionary entrepreneur.

Empathy – This is extremely important when applied to domaining, especially when it comes to pricing your domains for sale and marketing. Empathy means to understand what another person is feeling, to imagine yourself in their position. Usability experts are extremely empathic. They understand that the majority of web users have limited navigation skills and short attention spans, so they accommodate with extraordinary results. Learn to place yourself in the position of a potential buyer for your domain when pricing, marketing, negotiating sales.

Play – What do the best web startups and industry giants have in common? Their employees are having fun. They have developed a great work environment and that attitude is also shown in how the company represents itself. Humor can capture attention and provide a much needed change of pace. Go ahead, laugh it up. By the way, if you haven’t looked around lately, games are going to be a big part of the future.

Meaning – This is the quintessential attribute of the domain game. Without meaning our domain names would be worthless strings of characters. What exactly are you selling? A domain name should not simply be some keywords or a brand, but rather an experience, a vision or calling for someone to develop their own web presence. Take some time to discover meaning in your portfolio or before registering your next domain.

If you found these points insightful, I highly recommend you read Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind to learn more about improving these abilities. The Conceptual Age is upon us now, so brush up on your creative skills for web success.

Please consider sharing this article with your network. As always, comments are welcome. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you put your right brain to work.

Want to know more about domaining? Ask a question on the all new DotSauce Forum.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

In this article, I am going to detail a technique for automating tedious aspects of marketing your domain names to potential end users. While this method does not fully-automate the entire process, it does significantly speed things up.

We will be using a simple browser tool and a cool new web application, but will leave the most important tasks to your experienced eye.

Round up your good keyword domains, set some reasonable prices (show a little empathy) and get ready to make some sales.

1. Search Google for your domain’s keywords and other highly relevant keywords

The most ideal potential end users will come from using your exact match keywords. Take the keywords from your domain and search for them using quotations.

To use the domain I’m marketing now as an example, for GrowLettuce,com I searched for the phrases “grow lettuce”, how to grow lettuce and grow lettuce indoors.

2. Take note of the results and paid advertisers and select the best potential leads

You will want to avoid some corporations and informational portals like Wikipedia in preference of individuals or businesses. Scan for individuals with an inferior domain on the same topic and businesses that sell products and services related to your domain.

Don’t stop on page 1. The people who need your domain the most will likely be found deeper within search results.

3. Open each lead in your browser and use the DomainTools bookmarklet

This simple tool gives you 1-click access to a site owner’s contact information. Simply drag the link to your browser toolbar in a convientent location and click it while  viewing a potential lead’s website.

Bookmarklet: DomainTools (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)

You can find this and other useful browser bookmarklets here on DotSauce.

4. Create an account with Tout, a new email marketing app

I’ve was recently introduced to the Tout app and have really enjoyed my experience with it so far. Tout allows you to create email templates for any messages you would like to send out.

Here is a quick video demonstration showing what Tout can do:

When you’re ready to start sending out emails, click “Pitch” and enter the recipients name and email address.

Tout Premium services enable you to track the performance of your templates by logging email open rates and click through data.

5. Setup a unique email template for each domain sale

I initially created a generic template for all domain sales, but found that composing a new template for each domain would yield the best results. Take a moment to customize the message, include your domains’ keywords and the domain itself.

Here is an example of a template I have setup for a domain:

I would love to get your thoughts on this technique. If you have any suggestions for automating domain sales marketing, improving this method, or if you try it out yourself please let me know by leaving a comment below.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

CoInternet is proving to have the most interactive, intriguing and lucrative domain extension launch to date.

TheDomains broke the news, Twitter has been accepted into the CoInternet .CO Founders program. An initiative to get developers involved in launching websites and businesses on quality .CO domains.

Twitter’s Official Link Shortener Coming Soon

Twitter’s new domain, T.CO will be used as the official link shortener to protect users from malicious sites. T.CO links will appear within all tweets and direct messages.

T.CO links will be monitored for malware. If malware is reported or detected then a T.CO link is flagged and a warning is shown to a user before visiting.

Users can still use existing link shortening services such as bit.ly, but those shortened links will be “wrapped” within an official T.CO link.

Twitter has other big plans for T.CO. The official announcement on Twitter’s blog mentions they will be putting click-through data to work for their Promoted Tweets program and within future commercial applications.

…routing links through this service will eventually contribute to the metrics behind our Promoted Tweets platform and provide an important quality signal for our Resonance algorithm—the way we determine if a Tweet is relevant and interesting to users. We are also looking to provide services that make use of this data, an example would be analytics within our eventual commercial accounts service.

E.CO Charity Auction Underway

Another lively .CO event is underway today. Bidding for the E.CO domain auction has reached over $30,000 on Sedo. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the charity of the winners’ choosing.

The auction is now live and will conclude on Jun 10th at 4PM EST.

Bidders must be certified for this special auction. Follow the links on e.co or Sedo for details.

Claim Your Own .CO

The public launch for .CO domains is nearing.  July 20th is the official date for general availability.

Right now, you can pre-register .CO domains at GoDaddy for $29.99/yr.

If multiple people pre-register the same .CO domain it will go to auction, but your initial fee will be refunded if you don’t get the domain you want.

The adoption of .CO by Twitter and the brilliant management and promotion of the extension by CoInternet is definitely a strong sign that quality .CO domains will prove valuable. What are your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I made sure to doubly relax to prepare for a busy week. I haven’t even tweeted!

New Forum Launch & Contest Tomorrow

The new DotSauce forum will be officially launching tomorrow and will feature a contest for cash and prizes.

Be sure to come back to see the new forum platform and join for a chance to win! If you would like a sneak peek later tonight, send me a message on Twitter and I will get back to you with an invite, time permitting.

Handpicked Expired Domains

The following recently expired domains were handpicked for quality, development or resale potential.

You can register them for just $6.89/year with this link to GoDaddy.com.

This weeks list is a little short. So, act fast before they are mostly gone and stay tuned for the next list.

• FeatureBooks.com
• ScanSports.com
• ExposingScams.com
• HobbyChefs.com
• TextNotebook.com
• ProductWidget.com
• ScandalsBlog.com
• WireFramer.com
• MediaTabs.com
• SlimServe.com
• ScreenCasted.com
• LockPicked.com
• PromoFrame.com
• PasswordSentry.com
• TouchBuilder.com
• InvestingGlobal.com
• SocialTranslator.com
• PinkCommunity.com
• TweetLite.com
• TweetsToday.com
• BorrowingCapital.com
• ShirtSpecial.com
• SearchObserver.com

These two domains are from the winner of my Crowdsourced Domain Research experiment.

• EthnicHandbags.com
• CatRemoval.com

Register these domains for just $6.89/year with this link to GoDaddy.com.

You can scan up to 5 domain names free at Estibot 2.0 for a comprehensive overview of stats.

Please note!

• Do not re-post this domain list anywhere.
• Be sure to use a reputable bulk lookup tool.
• Do not bulk register; only claim the domain(s) you truly want.
• Comments make me happy! :)

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Google has made several big announcements at it’s I/O developer conference. Among them are a web app store, a font API to make the web more beautiful, and now Google TV may soon be a seriously popular destination for browsing the web and consuming video content.

Here is a brief explanation and demo of Google TV:

Will .TV Domains Be In High Demand?

While I personally do not own any .TV domains, I have a feeling the .TV brand is going to get a lot of exposure this year.

Thousands of websites may be interested in creating their own media channel optimized for Google TV. Of course a .TV domain is not required, but makes clear sense to use in this setting and may provide a more memorable branding option.

Please take a moment to respond to the poll question:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Get Your Own Media Channel Started

.TV domains can be registered at GoDaddy for $39.99 per year.

Web Developers interested in getting a head-start will want to read this guide for designing websites optimized for Google TV.

Google TV will certainly not be limited to just video. Images, text and interactive features will need to be carefully placed to ensure a pleasant user experience.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

SquadHelp hosts contests for domain name suggestions, article writing, marketing and usability testing. I came up with an experiment to see if it would be possible to crowdsource domain name research through their platform.

The contest is now live on SquadHelp. I am asking participants to check their submissions with Valuate.com to confirm a domain appraises at least $500.

Other requirements of the contest include:

• Two-words
• .Com
• No porn
• No Trademarks
• No numbers
• No hyphens

The reward is $50 to any domain selected. For complete details, visit the contest page.

There is already some skepticism by members at SquadHelp, which I completely expected. Here is the first submission, which prompted a good laugh.

What some potential participants may not understand is that a Valuate appraisal of $500 is not exceptional. Francois Carrillo, owner of Valuate and partner site, BargainDomains.com defines a $1000 valuation as an assurance of “minimum quality.”

As it turns out, the contest may provide exposure to the “real” domain industry. I would like to see SquadHelp members discover new tools and metrics for researching domains and understand that their is a thriving aftermarket of great domains.

Let the Pros Join In

I was going to wait until a later date to write about this, but I’m honestly not very optimistic about the quality of submissions I will be receiving. Maybe you could help me change my mind.

I’d like to invite anyone interested in joining the contest to do so. Registration will only take a minute or two and I’m sure many experienced domainers will have little trouble finding domains with a Valuate.com appraisal of $500 or more.

Once you’ve found one or more domains suitable for competition, please submit them to the contest.

You may see your name on the Winners List soon!

I look forward to sharing the results of the contest here on DotSauce next week.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Some of the largest and most profitable GeoDomains in existence primarily target tourists and may not have many, if any features for local residents. Do you consider this to be a major flaw?

A few hours ago, Shuhaib Shariff, founder of DoubleSpring Media (a web development company) got in touch on Twitter and pointed me to this editorial he has written about GeoDomain development.

Shariff has done his homework on the GeoDomain space; he mentions and seems to have a grudge with some of the top GeoDomain properties such as PalmSprings.com, LosAngeles.com, Maryland.com, Missouri.com, Seattle.com, etc.

I took a moment to visit these sites and it does indeed seem like they are built primarily for the tourist.

Shariff urges developers that return visitors are instrumental in the success of a GeoDomain website and argues that tourists often already know the best places to find hotel and travel arrangements.

Content and features should be developed for local residents first. These are the people that may visit your web property day in and day out. A balance can be struck between catering to tourists and residents that is both user friendly and profitable.

Shariff notes that a GeoDomains should not fully immerse themselves in becoming a media property, as the costs of hiring an editorial staff, marketing and branding may be too great. All assets of the SanDiego.com website were recently offered at foreclosure auction because it was several million dollars in debt.

Stay tuned for the second part of Shariff’s post in which he will share further insight into his development ideas for GeoDomains.

If you have ideas of your own for GeoDomain development, please leave a comment below. How would you cater to locals and visitors?

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

No strings attached. This and all future available domain lists will be provided free to the public on a first-come first-serve basis. I’ve learned that asking for donations simply doesn’t work, even when 90% or more of the domains end up being claimed. And that’s OK.

The idea is that some of you will find value in these domain names and come back for more resources and articles from DotSauce Magazine.

Register these domains for just $6.89/year with this link to GoDaddy.com.

• TrickBoard.com
• AmelieMovie.com
• BlogsNews.com
• BloggingFeed.com
• RewardsVault.com
• SlimDeluxe.com
• KoreanWriter.com
• DartsVideo.com
• AJAXEdit.com
• WidgetMenu.com
• BoardGraphics.com
• ArticleEdit.com
• PressedCoffee.com
• PlasticLighters.com
• MultimediaBlogs.com
• ClassifiedBlogs.com
• AgingBones.com
• RefreshingMint.com
• BeowulfStory.com
• HammocksOutdoor.com
• LicensedTechnician.com
• ToothNecklaces.com
• RollStability.com
• StealingMusic.com
• BathroomsRemodeled.com
• ElectricityConversion.com
• DesignerOrganic.com
• SubscriberCard.com
• DiscountDubai.com
• BloggingBrand.com
• LinksRock.com
• ElectricMagazine.com
• CopyrightVideos.com
• ReadFortune.com
• DeveloperTrends.com

Register these domains for just $6.89/year with this link to GoDaddy.com.

You can scan up to 5 domain names free at Estibot 2.0 for a comprehensive overview of stats.

Please note!

• Do not re-post this domain list anywhere.
• Be sure to use a reputable bulk lookup tool.
• Do not bulk register; only claim the domain(s) you truly want.
• Comments make me happy! :)

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

CircleID contributor Mark Jeftovic recently published a very detailed editorial on his thoughts of the current state of the domain aftermarket. Recalling old predictions and comparing generic sales of years past to more recent sales; Jeftovic has somewhat of a rant that domainers are not really investing, but rather speculating.

I suppose I am guilty of labeling some of my registrations “investments.” I would really rather not call it “domain flipping.” Jeftovic shares this great point that affirms registrations as investments though:

It’s the grain of truth of the domaining world: they really are the single greatest investment on earth, when your cost basis is close to the price of registration.

After reading the article I was thrilled to see Frank Schilling himself had responded with quite the editorial of his own! Defending the value of domains as investments as only one with his unique experience and position as a founding domainer can.

Mr. Schilling touches on the economy, poor PPC revenue and notes the rapid growth of the internet and the nature of domain names as the backbone of the entire system.

As more people buy domain names, more people will figure out that certain names are better in quality than others.

Please follow the link to read the editorial and Mr. Schilling’s response at CircleID:

The Domain Aftermarket Redux: Are Domainers Investors Yet?

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

The results are in from last week’s poll and it’s clear to see that many of you are buying hundreds of domains this year.

This week I would like to see if any significant number of domainers are taking advantage of social media to market their domain names for sale.

Please take a second to participate in the poll:

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Domain Sales on Facebook

Last year, I setup the Domain Name Marketplace group on Facebook (shown below). It has since grown to over 650 members with sales being posted almost daily. Admittedly, I have not taken advantage of my own resource enough to say that I have sold any domains via Facebook.

I think there is potential in this space and will be picking up my efforts soon. I would be interested to hear from others who have had success with promotions on Facebook pages, groups or your own profile.

Domain Sales on LinkedIn

In my limited experience with LinkedIn I have made many connections to professionals in the domain and web development industries. I have also joined several groups focused on Domaining.

A handful of LinkedIn domain name groups are relatively active and have discussion forums where you can list domains for sale. The one time I did make a listing I had someone contact me a few weeks later interested in buying a name. So, as with Facebook, I think LinkedIn can be a good opportunity to market domains for sale.

Domain Sales on Twitter

I’ve had surprising results advertising domain names for sale on Twitter @DotSauce and @AQDN.  Occasionally I will tweet a single domain name, my asking price and link to more info/purchase. In several cases the domains have sold in just minutes!

You can advertise your domain names for sale freely on Twitter by becoming a verified seller on @DNMarket (shown above).

There are several factors that may determine success in marketing on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn; the most notable being your following, friends and connections. You also have to consider the frequency, timing, wording and performance of your sales promotions.

I’m looking forward to the results of this poll. Regardless if the number of responses is large or small, it will likely encourage me to write about some advanced social marketing techniques in upcoming articles.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I’m sure most of us wish we had unlimited time and money to research and register valuable domains all day, everyday.  Unfortunately, this is not a reality for many domainers who may be juggling their domain sales with the responsibilities of running an online business or two.

This poll was created to get a brief glimpse of the market and see what volume of domains DotSauce readers are investing in this year.

Please select an option below and click “Vote!”

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Get A Move On…

Hopefully the domain buying activity shown in this poll will motivate myself and others to start up a regular domain research schedule.

Personally, domain purchases tend to come in waves. When inventory is low and or whenever I get paid I will invest in a new round of quality domains usually for resale or long-term holding, but surely not as often as I would like.

My AQDN.com domain marketplace is overly due for new inventory, so I am presently working on adding new listings.

Thank you for participating! Check back later to view the results.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

The 2010 GeoDomain Expo will be hosted in New Orleans beginning April 28th on through April 30th. The conference will feature talks on local web business, development, branding, marketing and more. Hotels.com co-founder David Litman will be delivering the keynote speech.

SnapNames has just announced the GeoDomain Expo Live Auction inventory which showcases quality geo, travel and local search related domain names.

Raleigh.com is listed for sale with a reserve price between $1M and $5M. This premium domain represents one of the largest cities in the U.S. and a truly unique opportunity to develop a business around it.  CNN Money ranked Raleigh as the #3 place to start a business in 2009.

Raleigh, NC is just a couple of hours inland from the coast where I live, so I like to visit when I can. I have friends in what is known as the Research Triangle Park, which includes Raleigh’s North Carolina State University and surrounding area universities; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham. I’ve also attended events like Startup Weekend in Raleigh’s beautiful downtown area. So, I must say that I’m a fan of the city and this gem of a domain name.

Raleigh.com is currently owned and operated as a city portal by the Associated Cities network who are also the hosts of the GeoDomain Expo.

Notable domains featured in the GeoDomain Expo auction include:

• Raleigh.com
• Lisbon.com
• CityMaps.com
• Bucharest.com
• Crete.com
• BeachResort.com
• FamilyVacation.com
• PapauNewGuinea.com
• Cannes.net
• LocalGyms.com
• NYShows.com
• RestaurantSearch.com
• AffordableVacation.com
• CaliforniaDesign.com
• DublinRestaurants.com

The auction officially comes to a close on May 4th at 3:15 ET so check out the full inventory and register to bid at SnapNames.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Some of the best new domain marketplaces require your listings to have a description and related media. Live auctions at Bido and Rick Latona’s new Latonas.com are taking advantage of rich media and detailed data to attract interest in domains and convert potential bidders into informed buyers.

Here are four tips for improving the descriptions of your domains for sale in live auctions, new marketplaces and even industry forums.

1. The Oldest Trick In The Book

Searching domain sales history for comparable sales is standard practice for marketing domains for sale. If you can find a domain closely related (i.e. using the same keyword) this is a great starting point.

The largest database of past domain sales can be searched, sorted and browsed at NameBio and for the latest top sales stay tuned to DNJournal weekly sales reports.

Including truly comparable past domain sales in your descriptions is one of the best ways to prove value and reinforce your asking price.

2. Finding A Related Image The Easy Way

If your domain name contains generic keywords this may not be a problem at all. Search Google Images for keywords related to yours and you will likely find a great photo. It may help to use search filters for size or type and when you’ve found a good one, click ”similar images” just in case a better quality file is available.

For some domains that are brandable, niche, or otherwise unique, finding the right image can be an ordeal. Try searching for images using keywords or action words indirectly related to your concept. For example, a domain about blogging may be tough to find a representative image. A search for “woman blogging” or “typing laptop” may yield better results.

Smashing Mag has the big list of free and commercial stock photo sites to check out as well.

3. Nice Domain! What’s It’s Story?

Your domain may have great keywords, but as I’ve said before when writing about expiring domain research, having up-to-date data to back up those keywords is very beneficial.

The launch of version 2 of Estibot’s excellent suite of domain research tools has been great. Their automated appraisals can provide a quick overview of one or many domain names, scowering the web for interesting data.

Here’s an example of one Bido auction that did a great job describing their domain and using Estibot data to show value.

Here is a brief run-down of the most important domain name metrics:

• Domain Age – Older domains, specifically those created several years ago shows rarity. DomainTools has the most comprehensive history.
• Exact Match Search Results – The number of results on Google for a search (using quotation marks around keywords).
• Existing Advertisings – When advertisers are paying for your domain’s keywords it’s a strong indication of domain value.
• Average Cost-Per-Click – Again, finding out just what advertisers are paying gives an outlook of potential revenue.
• Google Pagerank – Often this will not be present, but is definitely worth mentioning if it is.
• Traffic / Visitors - Domains that receive type-ins or regular unique visitors are highly sought-after. Ideally collect the data yourself, but Estibot may provide insight.
• Other Extensions Taken – Sometimes useful to mention the other extensions the domain has been taken in.

4. Show How To Make Your Domain Go To Work

Sales copy is important as it’s usually the first thing a potential buyer will read. If you have the option to format text, do so by separating ideas with paragraphs and highlighting important information with bold text.

I try to envision what my domains will be used for and write a brief description of what I feel is the best usage of a particular domain. Feel free to browse a few descriptions of domains found on my AQDN.com marketplace to see what I mean.

The goal is to entice bidders to clearly see your vision or “mini-business plan” for a domain. You can also share how similar domains are used, developed and monetized.

Don’t be afraid to get technical and provide examples of existing technologies or services that could be used to develop a domain. Bidders may not be aware of a domain’s real potential.

A good image, description and data can go a long way towards increasing interest, bids, sales prices and ultimately making more sales. If you have any tips of your own for creating enticing and informative descriptions for your domain sales please consider sharing in the comment area below.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

As always, these are quality two-word .COM domains that have recently expired and are currently available for registration. The previous list published on DotSauce had a record breaking 95% registration rate. Each name on this list has been hand selected for development and resale potential.

Here is a complete snapshot preview of the entire list and a glimpse at the automated appraisal and detailed statistics provided by Estibot.

As you can see there is alot of potential here! Notice one domain has a $17.20 average CPC, that is not a typo. Some of the lower Estibot valued domains are excellent candidates for branding, development, resale and are potentially more valuable than those found higher on the list.

I am offering exclusive access to this list for just $14.99 to a total of 5 people. First come, first serve. Please use the shopping cart widget below to purchase access.

An instant download (CSV spreadsheet file) will be provided which can be opened in Excel or Google Docs.

When 5 individuals have purchased access, the list will no longer be available to download. Thank you for your interest! If you have any questions or suggestions please leave a comment below.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

This will be the first of a two-part article detailing insight into the past and the future of the internet. Before delving into what is to come in the not-so-distant future, I would like to offer some tech history for those unfamiliar with the creation of the internet. Following that I will be sharing some of my personal experiences and ideas regarding the .COM space.

First, there were local computer networks established within government organizations and universities across the globe. In 1973 the TCP/IP protocol was being developed by Vinton Cerf from Stanford and Bob Kahn from DARPA which would allow diverse networks to connect to each other. Did they ever.

In 1985, the first domain name was registered (Symbolics.com). Years pass and a select few savvy entrepreneurs, businesses and investors including IBM, Intel, AT&T and Cisco stake their claim by applying for .COM domain names.

By 1995 the networks had exploded and become the world wide web, a collective pool of human knowledge. Millions are aware, if not getting involved actively or passively. The internet did what it is now known to do very well, that is, grow!

ICANN was established in 1998 as in independent organization with the task of managing IP addresses and domain names.

Just prior to ICANN’s formation in 1997, a major internet milestone was reached. 1 million .COM domain names had been registered. It took 12 years. This number is now dwarfed in comparison to the over 80 million .COM domains registered today.

Over the past two decades the internet has grown to become an integral part of our individual lives and society as a whole. It may even be getting the recognition it deserves with a nomination for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize.

The .COM top level domain has reached it’s 25th anniversary! You can join in the celebration and learn more at 25YearsOf.com

The .COM Bubble (Our 15 Minutes of Fame)

The .COM Bubble was the period from 1995-2000 during which investors poured massive amounts of funding into internet and technology startups. After seeing record rises in stock valuations, business was moving lightning fast and without caution. It turned out to be quite a big mess. I prefer to remember this as the period in which over 20 million .COMs were claimed.

In 1997, I taught myself how to code websites and soon had my very own one-man web hosting and design company up and running. I witnessed the boom in online business and began to create my own web properties, communities and sites for local business by contracting for design work and reselling hosting.

Along the way, I made a few domain sales on eBay and Afternic. Unfortunately, I lacked the capital to invest very much in domains (oddly enough, domain registration was $75 per year back then). A small barrier that would soon be broken down.

If you entered into the domaining industry after 2000, like myself, then you probably have a little nagging feeling that you somehow “missed the boat.”  The forethought and technical understanding to apply to register keyword domains was held by a select few. Many of those individuals are now famous today for their successes.

One of those founding domainers is Frank Schilling who holds one of the largest domain portfolios in the world. In an older post on DotSauce I featured some predictions from the pros, from which I’d like to share this quote by Frank:

Today, getting a good domain name may be pricier than it was in the early days of domaining, but dollar for dollar you are still far better off investing in .COM domains because .COM is a global brand.

There is still countless opportunity today, still massively profitable investments to be made in .COM domains. You simply need to break down the barrier of entry into this business.

The .COM Barrier

There are a few things that prevent your average internet enthusiast from becoming a successful domainer. Let’s review them and help break down the .COM barrier.

1) Price - High quality .COM domain names sell for $1 million+ seemingly every month. Countless small and medium sized sales in the hundreds to several thousand dollar range are made every day across many domain marketplaces.

Most would agree that it is easier to make more profit by investing in high quality domains at a price tag of a few hundred dollars each which can later be sold for several thousands rather than do lots of smaller sales. While this may be true, raising the initial capital is a barrier that many face.

You can, however, get started now with those smaller sales. New .COM domain registrations are around $7 if you use a coupon code and there are other bargain deals in the aftermarket to get you started towards building a valuable portfolio.

2) Domain Industry Knowledge – A successful domain investor understands the big picture. They know the life cycle of a domain, it’s expiration process, the registrars and organizations involved. They know the best research tools, analytics and data to discover worthwhile domains.

Some domainers have all this down to a science and keep watch for the latest news and notable sales.

It would be difficult to get far without a solid understanding of the domain aftermarket and domain names themselves. Having a passion for what you do goes a long way.

3) Common Sense – Unfortunately, this is a big part of the barrier to overcome for success in domaining. Without common sense, your experience domaining may not be such a pleasant one and could turn into a money-sink. One needs to apply common sense when undertaking these domain business tasks.

• When registering or buying a domain be sure the vision for your domain is clear. You want to know that it is worth your investment and ideally have potential end-users present. With new tools, like Estibot, it is becoming easier to evaluate a domains potential, but further research and a human’s perspective is always recommended.
• When choosing how to monetize a domain through development or parking. Without significant time invested in development and content creation, most mini-sites or landing pages will not be indexed high enough on search engines to be worth the time invested. As for PPC parking, if your domain does not receive enough traffic to recoup the yearly renewal fee then don’t bother with it. Many domains are not fit for either, and that’s OK. Instead, focus on sales or your established websites.
• When marketing domains for sale, pricing your inventory and negotiating sales you need to have a good understanding of the liquid and potential value of your domain. What a name may sell for years from now is not a realistic interpretation of present value. Understanding who you are marketing to is also a very important factor in determining a successful sales price.

Be reasonable, be real and learn from your mistakes to overcome these and the other barriers to .COM success.

The Future

In part 2 of this article series I will be exploring some of the latest innovations, research, data and predictions of how the internet will evolve and grow over the coming years.

I’m very excited about writing this feature as I’m somewhat of a futurist, early adopter and science-fiction fan. Or maybe it’s because I don’t want to miss the boat again. How about you?

Please subscribe by RSS, by email or follow @DotSauce on Twitter to be notified about part 2, The Future of The Internet!

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Nothing compliments a domain name like a really nice logo design. The creation of a brand identity immediately increases the value of any domain name. In some cases a professional logo design can turn a $7.50 domain registration into $1000+ brand package.

Here are three businesses that really get it when it comes to uniting well designed logos with domain names.

Brandstack

Brandstack (formerly IncSpring), which I wrote about here and listed in the Top 20 Places to Buy Domains in 2010 was originally a marketplace of logo brand designs.

Designers were naturally coupling domain names with their brand creations to further increase their value and interest. It works both ways. A quality .com domain name will make a professional logo design all that much more valuable.

Brandstack has continued to improve their platform over time to make it a user-friendly marketplace for both buyers, sellers, designers and domainers. So, they now have a unique area just for domain name sales (with or without logos).

Brandbucket

Brandbucket is similar in concept to Brandstack, but they cater specifically to quality, pronounceable and short .com domains.

If your domain qualifies to be listed on Brandbucket they will create the logo for you and help to market your brand for sale. I have not listed here personally, so I can’t speak from experience, but there is likely a hefty commission fee to be paid upon a sale.

Pricing across Brandbucket seems to be inflated for the majority of listings. I’m sorry, but you’re not going to get $4000 for Oscula.com, don’t fool yourself.

Castello Brothers

Castello Cities Internet Network at CCIN.com is owned by brothers Michael and David Castello, two or the biggest players in and supporters of the domain industry. I’d like to point out some of their portfolio as they obviously understand the value of a quality brand image.

How To Cash In on Logo Designs For Your Domains

With the vast array of open source software and tools available today for web development. Web design, logo creation and branding is actually the biggest challenge a business or individual faces when launching a web presence.

Obviously not every domain name is destined to be a brand. It’s ultimately up to you to decide which of your domains is best suited for brand creation or if it is worth the investment to hire a designer.

Like I mentioned previously in the bit about Brandbucket’s pricing, you need to be reasonable with your asking price and have a clear goal in mind. That goal should be to make a sale. Many of the brands on these marketplaces will sit for years because they are asking for a fraction too much, making the sale unrealistic.

Get In Touch With The Creatives

Connecting with designers is now easier than ever. Twitter is a great place to start. I have been creating a Twitter list of designers myself that you’re more than welcome to check out. There is also a list of domainers if you’re interested.

Alternatively, there are always popular freelance marketplaces like oDesk, available to hire designers on the cheap and you can post an ad for your design job for free on FreelanceSwitch.

Here’s an idea: If you can’t afford a professional logo design for your domain, consider befriending a designer and offer them a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the brand.

Has creating a logo brand for your domains help you make a sale? Do you know of any other businesses or services that get it when it comes to domains and logo designs? I would love to hear about your experiences. Please leave a comment below.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I thought this would be a nice question to see what you might be interested in learning more about. There are numerous resources and tools available that make domaining more accessible to those just getting started and experienced domainers alike.

Note: My apologies for the duplicate publication. DotSauce Mag was transferred to a new server and this latest article was lost in the process.

If you previously responded to this poll your vote was lost, sorry!

I am almost positive that “Selling domains to end-users” is the obvious answer to this poll question. End user sales is the most profitable and difficult task a domainer faces. So, I have excluded that response to get a more realistic view of interests. Here are your options…

Building a Domain Portfolio Website

In a previous poll on DotSauce, I found that 37% of respondents had created a custom domain portfolio website. With open source software like WordPress, it’s fairly simple for the average person to create a nice looking web presence.

It pays to learn some of the more advanced features and find the right plugins that complement your site.

Marketing Domains for Sale

I’ve written about selling domain names a few times. It’s always a popular subject as one might guess! Have you embraced new tools, avenues and resources for selling domains in 2010?

Creating an Email Newsletter

Some of the biggest brokers in the world rely on their email newsletters to bring in the sales. Have you considered creating one? There are lots of options in this space, some paid, some free. There’s also the question of just how to get people to subscribe and buy.

Valuating / Appraising Domains

This is a definite skill that can’t be learned over night, but with each sale and purchase you make or hear about experience is gained. Learning from industry experts and keeping a close eye on the aftermarket is a good place to start.

Automated appraisals are a popular topic right now, but are they really useful for valuating a domain for sale?

Researching Domains to Purchase

There are many great tools and techniques for researching expiring domains and domains on other marketplaces and drop houses. Sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming.

Negotiating Domain Sales

This can be a difficult task as each domain sale is unique. Many have shared sales letters, email correspondence, tips and tricks on asking prices, making offers and bartering. What really works?

Please select an option below and click “Vote!” Thank you!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Subscribe to DotSauce to be updated on future articles and resources related to the topics you’ve just read about. And be sure to come back soon to view the results of this poll!

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I’ve recently dived back into some domain research after much too long of a break and have chosen a select 42 quality .COM domain names that have recently expired and become available to register.

Here’s your chance to get into the domain game!

Yes, the domain names listed below can be claimed at any registrar for cheap and can be resold at a later date, kept as an investment or developed into a website destination, further increasing their value.

Use this link to GoDaddy.com to register domains for just $10.

If you’re an experienced domainer, you will certainly see the potential in many of these domains.

I have not been able to keep up with regular updates to the previously advertised available domains newsletter over the past few months.  So, I apologize to those who were expecting them. Hopefully things will pick up and I will be able to publish more lists like this soon.

Make A Donation

If you feel inclined to give back, here is a way to make a donation through PayPal for my time spent researching these domains.

42 Expired Domain Names Available to Register

Please show due respect to other readers by not bulk registering. I also ask that you do not republish this list on any other website. Thank you!

1. VitaminFeed.com – Taken
2. VideoIraq.com – Taken
3. AuctionReserves.com – Taken
4. PriceApparel.com – Taken
5. WatchFish.com – Taken
6. ExpressPresents.com – Taken
7. SkilletMeal.com – Taken
8. TrendyBrand.com – Taken
9. TrialCasino.com – Taken
10. RobotShirts.com – Taken
11. LocalMarathon.com – Taken
12. LuxuriousBathrobes.com – Taken
13. HomebuiltComputer.com – Taken
14. GamesAnimation.com – Taken
15. DancerBoots.com – Taken
16. StartingPiano.com – Taken
17. SkateMags.com
18. TranslationGadget.com – Taken
19. NotebookGadget.com – Taken
20. PictureGadget.com – Taken
21. VoIPFeatures.com – Taken
22. PowerfulForms.com – Taken
23. DevelopedMobile.com
24. NetworkingJunkie.com – Taken
25. PlasticFabrics.com
26. SimpleSold.com – Taken
27. LoansQuestion.com – Taken
28. SkydivingJump.com – Taken
29. WatermarkPicture.com – Taken
30. AlbuquerqueLimousines.com
31. HoustonNewsletter.com
32. ProcessorWars.com – Taken
33. StrawberrySweets.com
34. RetailorsReport.com – Taken
35. ArticleRanking.com – Taken
36. AutismDisability.com – Taken
37. CollectibleBaseball.com – Taken
38. BookmarkStart.com – Taken
39. TouchFlash.com
40. WeeklyClearance.com – Taken
41. PopularTicket.com – Taken

As always… any comments, questions or suggestions are welcome!

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I recently added the 144th entry to the Twitter application directory on my site, TweetSocial.com, a Twitter forum community. The shear amount of useful applications I’ve seen in the past year is surprising. A broad range of applications have been built on a fairly simple micro blogging network.

What if we could spark this kind of revolution for the domain name industry? There is alot of room for improvement in many of the things that impact our online business most: domain tools, domain research, SEO tools, domain registrations, domain hosting, auctions, expired domains, available domains, domain sales, marketing, networking, etc.

I would like to see the domain name industry reach out to closely related industries; web development, design, programming, marketing, branding, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. To start off, we could connect our services like domain registration, WHOIS, domain research and more with popular social networking sites through their open APIs.

We have seen advancements in domain tools and services recently. FreshDrop, Valuate.com appraisals, Bido auctions, DomainTools and EstiBot Beta are continuing to develop innovative tools for domain research and sales. There is still much more room to grow. There are huge audiences with a need for quality domain names. We can educate and accommodate with easy to use tools and resources. In return, we are rewarded with growth and exposure, increasing the value and liquidity of our virtual real estate.

X Prize Propels Technology into Space and Beyond

You may remember when the Mojave Aerospace Ventures team (financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen) won the original $10 million Ansari X Prize for space flight in 2004. The X Prize organization is now celebrating it’s 5th anniversary.

So, what is an X Prize? Here’s a great description from the official site:

Rather than awarding money to honor past achievements or directly funding research, an X Prize incites innovation by tapping into our competitive and entrepreneurial spirits.

Google now has an ongoing $30 million Lunar X Prize for privately funded teams to deploy a rover on the moon that can transmit video, images and data back to earth.

MIT Team Wins Military Challenge

Just last week, an MIT team won a $40,000 challenge made by the U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to find large red weather balloons placed in random locations throughout the U.S.

The MIT team quickly launched a social website which encouraged friend referrals and prizes for spotting the balloons. The team had successfully identified the coordinates of all 10 DARPA weather balloons in less than 9 hours after the contest launched.

This story is quite an inspiring show of the benefits of pitting bright minds against a challenge to spur innovation and additionally speaks well of the power of social networking.

Innovation in Domaining and Development

I would love to host a challenge for programmers, entrepreneurs and domainers to develop tools and applications that improve, promote and otherwise further advance the domain name industry.

The specific format of an X Prize (1 winner and 1 ultimate goal) may not be the most ideal format for a challenge of this type.

I’m not setting any rules or terms in stone just yet, as I would love to get feedback from anyone who may be interested in participating or helping the cause.

What’s the Ultimate Goal? – What should the ultimate goal for the challenge be? It could be as broad as anything related to domain names or online business or as narrow as strictly domain research tool development. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Sponsors and Prizes? – The prize is the backbone behind the innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. A nice sum of cash from a sponsor would do nicely. Though there are many other things we all enjoy like domain registrations, books, rum cakes anyone?

If you are interested in sponsoring the challenge, please contact me.

Interested in the Challenge? – A challenge is nothing without competitors. If you are a programmer with the know how or a project manager with the resources, consider this an invitation to get started on building the next big thing. If you think you may be up for the challenge please leave a comment or mention it to me on Twitter or Facebook so I can get an idea of interest.

I have ideas of my own for the challenge, but would like to get feedback from others in the industry before continuing. Thank you in advance for any help making this challenge a success! Stay tuned for updates.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Let’s get it out of the way right off, so that nobody gets confused, Hollywood is terrible at choosing domain names. However, they are generally pretty awesome at selecting short, descriptive, compelling movie titles.

I’d like to break down a couple attributes that I feel blockbuster movie titles represent and how they can be applied to choosing the perfect name for your business or development project.

Go grab some popcorn, sit back and enjoy the article!

Short

It’s pretty obvious that shorter domains are more attractive, accessible, and memorable. Hollywood is notorious for condensing titles down to their smallest form for big impact.

My suggestion for selecting a domain is to have no more than 3 words (much preferably 1-2 words) and be no more than 14 characters in total if possible.

Descriptive

Selecting the right keywords for your domain name is very important.

The words in your domain should give a general impression of what someone is to expect on your website.

In a perfect world we would be able to select the exact keywords of a specific niche (see “Generic” below), but often you will need to opt for alternative keywords that work.

Compelling

A domain that invokes an emotional response is a powerful one.

Similar to how some colors can invoke a calming, cheerful or otherwise emotional state, so too can the words in your domain.

For example, while the domain Facebook.com does the job, the LinkedIn.com domain invokes a feeling of connectedness and exclusivity.

Action

Action words (go, buy, click, bid, tweet, etc.) are very effective in domain names when used properly.

Some of the world’s most popular brands are built on action names and slogans. (Just Do It!, Go.com, Sprint, etc.)

One must be careful to put the action in the hands of the website visitor (provide options, don’t be forceful) or your action keywords may lead to inaction.

Generic

Generic dictionary terms are known to be the “holy grail” of domain names.

Wise investors have since collected all single dictionary word domain names. But, do not despair! Many of these premium names change hands often in the domain aftermarket.

Candy.com recently sold for $3 million, what a bargain! Generic .COM domains will always be in high demand and their value exponentially increases as the total pool of domains are registered.

Brandable

The mainstay of social media’s latest startup and the app stores latest gadgets.

Brandable domains like DotSauce.com can be an affordable, effective solution to creating a unique identity for a product or company.

While this can be a viable option you must take care to select a name that is user friendly (memorable, pronounceable) as well as marketable. Does it look good and make sense?

Thanks Hollywood!

The majority of movie titles never make it to the top of box office sales. How will your next domain perform in it’s debut?

I hope these pointers will help you in choosing your next domain name!

If you would like further advice on domain names or where to buy domains be sure to browse past articles on DotSauce. If you’ve got a question, I’m always available. Get in touch with me on Twitter (@DotSauce) anytime or post a comment below.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Presently, many people are selling domain names, which presents a great opportunity for the savvy domain investor to expand their portfolio. It’s obvious to myself and many others that have been in the industry for any length of time that domain names can provide an extraordinary return on investment. Now is a great time to buy!

It’s hard to rank every single domain marketplace, because each one tends to have a unique price range, inventory size, domain quality, keyword types, domain extensions and other distinguishing factors.

That being said, the top 5 listed below are my personal favorites for 2010. The remainder of the list is not necessarily ranked in any order of importance as great domain deals can be found on all of them!

Top 20 Places to Buy Domains in 2010

1. Bido Auctions have closed, oddly enough!

   Features live domain auctions on weekdays.  Now one of, if not the most, feature rich auction platform to date, Bido continues to innovate nearly as fast as they sell domain names. Great deals with opening bids of just $28.

2. GoDaddy or your favorite registrar.

   On a tight budget? You may want to opt for registering a new domain. Finding available domains today is very tough, but if you do your research you may just find a great domain for $7.49.

3. Private Sellers (In progress. Submit your portfolio!)

   The are many savvy investors who own a slice of some of the most valuable internet real estate available. If that perfect name you’re looking for turns up taken, don’t be dismayed, do a WHOIS lookup and contact the owner to negotiate a sales price.

4. BargainDomains Marketplace

   A new service by Domaining.com which uses automated appraisal data and recquires domain listings be a fraction of their appraisal estimate. Turns out this makes for some really good deals on keyword domains.

5. FreshDrop Research Tool

   An informed purchase is a wise purchase. FreshDrop can provide some great data on domains that is easy to browse, search, sort and filter. With pro features you can get some really juicy details on Google advertisers and keyword search data.

6. Flippa Marketplace by Sitepoint

   SitePoint’s new marketplace Flippa has taken off as a popular destination for extended domain name and website auctions.

7. GoDaddy Auctions (formerly TDNAM)

   The largest registrar in the world features their massive lot of expiring domains here. Popular “Domain Fire Sale” section features domain auctions from $5 + registration renewal cost.

8. Moniker Live Auctions

   Moniker features monthly themed showcase auctions and annual live auction events. Coming up, DomainFest 2010 in lovely Santa Monica, CA on January 26-28.

9. Afternic Marketplace

   A leader in domain sales since the early days. This marketplace has a huge inventory of quality domains to browse.

10. @DNMarket on Twitter

    Yea, Twitter!  I started @DNMarket early this year and it has been gaining steam with 725 followers currently watching listings. Follow along and be on the look out for domain sales straight from owners.

11. SnapNames Marketplace & Auctions

    Despite recent setbacks SnapNames remains one of the premier expired domain marketplaces and exclusive private auctions connected to Moniker.

12. BuyDomains Marketplace

    This massive marketplace features lots of premium domains. BuyDomains consistently tops the charts in high value sales.

13. Sedo Marketplace & Auctions

    The largest domain name marketplace to date features domain auctions starting at $60 from private owners. Lots of domains in all extensions are sold daily.

14. Rick Latona Newsletter & Auctions

    Rick is the largest individual domain name broker in the business and publishes a daily domain deals newsletter. Latonas.com Auctions also host live domain auction events through the year and at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conferences (see below).

15. AQDN.com Affordable Domains

    Affordable Quality Domain Names is a marketplace of keyword and brandable .COM domains with development potential. You can also follow @AQDN on Twitter.

16. Brandstack Logo Marketplace

    Brandstack is an excellent marketplace for high quality logo designs. Many designs are coupled with domain names. More recently, Brandstack has featured a domain names only area of the marketplace.

17. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference

    A premier domain industry conference founded by Rick Schwartz. Upcoming events and live domain auctions will be hosted in Las Vegas on January 21-23rd and Milan, Italy on April 27-29th.

18. Domainer Mardi Gras Conference

    A fun filled domain industry event coinciding with Mardi Gras in beautiful New Orleans. Feast at the crawfish boil and network with domain industry pros. The event and live domain auction take place February 11-13th.

19. DNForum Community

    One of the leading forum communities for domain industry professionals. Check out the platinum marketplaces for domains being offered for sale above and below $100, fixed prices, auctions and offers wanted.

20. NamePros Community

    The largest domain industry forum features fixed price, make offer and auction marketplace forums. Occasionally NamePros will host a live auction event through the member chat room where domains can sometimes be found on the cheap.

Hope you enjoyed the list and are able to find some great domain names! Be sure to bookmark this article for future reference and pass it on to your web savvy friends.

If you have any comments or suggestions for buying domain names, please leave a comment.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

November is my favorite month of the year. The winter holidays are just around the corner. We’re all working towards rounding out a solid year of growth and preparing to tackle 2010.

I don’t get to promote my own portfolio very much. As a matter of fact, the majority of these domains have never been offered for sale before.

Browse the unique categories below to find what interests you. There are a lot of quality domains, priced to sell!

This sale will only last through November 30th.

Domains will be sold on a first come, first serve basis.

Please use this contact form with any questions or to purchase domains.

Brandable Names

The App Store

Business Builders

Designer Special

Web Developer Special

Reseller Special

Product Domains

All domains are registered at GoDaddy for a quick and easy transfer of ownership. Payments will be accepted through PayPal for verified buyers.

Remember, Sale Ends November 30th!

Please contact me directly by email at mark@dotsauce.com or, if you prefer, use this contact form with any questions or to purchase domains.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

I’ve compiled a delicious collection of 100% geeky goodies for your enjoyment this Halloween, take your pick! Featured are top resources on domaining from October and a few gems from yesteryear.

After you’ve received your tricks, be sure to sample the jaw-dropping collection of downloadable treats for web developers.  Have a safe and fun time out there!

8 Killer Domaining Tricks

These tips, tricks and guides on domain names come highly-recommended. If you are already involved or interested in buying and selling domains or if you’re just looking to be sure to get a quality name for your business then these are for you!

Warning: The domaining tricks below may scare you into buying better quality domains and learning more about this awesome industry.

1) Expired Domains Explained

Domainer Income published this nice looking chart quite awhile back, but there are many people who still don’t know the actual processes going on behind the scenes in the life-cycle of a domain name registration. Great info to know especially when playing the expired domain game.

2) 5 Tips on Selling Domain Names for Maximum Profit

DotSauce shares an in-depth look at being a frugal domainer. Information on finding free marketplaces, avoiding high commission fees, setting up your own domaining business and more.

3) “The Domainers Language” Guide

Arbel Arif has composed a great glossary of domaining acronyms and terms. Must know information for anyone interested in domaining.

4) Is Your Domain Name Killing Your Business?

INC Magazine delves into the world of domain names with some no-nonsense advice on selecting the right name for your business.

5) Expiring Domains Research Pro Tips

DotSauce feature 7 tips and a couple secrets for getting the most out of your domain name research. Information on selecting the right keywords, data you need to analyze and things to avoid when researching expiring domains.

6) Get Your Domains Listed for Sale in GoDaddy’s Registration Path

Andrew Alleman of Domain Name Wire recently wrote about a new feature at GoDaddy. The Premium Listing service can looks promising for getting your domain in front of targeted end-users, but comes at a price with a steep commission going to GoDaddy.

7) Advice from the Most Successful Domain Investors of All Time

Elliot Silver asked some of the most successful domain investors in the business for their advice and has kindly shared it with everyone. Follow through for a killer PDF containing advice from some industry pros.

8) Google’s Matt Cutts On Keywords In The URL

Search Engine Land shares a video by Google’s Head of Web Spam team, Matt Cutts. Confirmation that keyword in URLs lend aid to search rankings in some way. For more from Matt Cutts check out our SEO Advice of the Year feature which includes a presentation by Mr. Cutts on successful blogging.

10 Delicious
Web Development Treats

For your enjoyment, a collection of downloadable goodies and fresh resource lists. Don’t you go and try to download these all at once, your PC may get dizzy!

1) 99 High-Quality Free XHTML/CSS Templates

2) Free E-Commerce Widgets Usable on Any CMS

3) 500+ Free Download Quality Photoshop PSD Files for Designers

4) 23 Free E-Commerce Icon Sets for your Designs

5) 75 Free Icon Sets for Web Designers and Developers

6) 55+ Seriously Useful Front End Web Developer Cheat Sheets

7) 51 Web Apps for Web Designers and Developers

8) 10 WordPress Themes and Plugins for Turnkey Online Business

9) 10 Most Useful Google Plugins for WordPress

10) 10 Best WordPress Plugins for Blog Traffic

This treat bag never ends! So, be sure to pass it on to a friend!  Click here to Tweet this article.

Happy Halloween!

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

The TRAFFIC, New York 2009 domain conference is underway and starting right now Rick Latona Auctions is broadcasting live on Domaining.com

Domains being offered today include gems like Bananas.com, Bourbon.com, Database.com, Hookahs.com, Draw.com, Referrals.com and many more.

To review all of the premium domains being auctioned today or participate in the auction you can visit the official auction page on Proxibid.

Frank Michlick will be reporting final sales prices live from DNN.com

Tomorrow, October 28th at 4:00 – 6:30 PM ET Moniker will host another live premium domain auction at the TRAFFIC conference.

Up for auction are some valuable properties including…

• Photo.com
• QB.com
• Feature(s).com
• Stuff.com
• OfficeSupply.com

To review all of the premium domains being auctioned tomorrow or participate, visit Moniker’s Auction Headquarters auction inventory. The extended online auction will continue through Nov 4.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.

Today, over eight thousand blogs will unite for a single cause by writing to promote awareness of the threats and effects of climate change on the Earth.

Blog Action Day ’09 has set out to bring the issue to center stage and some high profile publications like the official Google Blog, Mashable, DailyBlogTips and more will be joining the movement today including 11 of the world’s top 100 blogs.

You can follow the movement on Twitter by searching the #BAD09 hashtag or to browse some featured blog posts visit Blog Action Day headquarters.

Check out this very cool short video introduction to Blog Action Day and the topic of climate change.

Could Blog Action Day be just the tip of the iceberg?

The Blog Action Day team has gathered 24 non-profit sponsors including former Vice President Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Change.

Gore’s organization has partnered with Dot Eco LLC (SupportDotEco.com) who is campaigning for registration of a new (.eco) top level domain (TLD) to establish an environmental related domain space.

Dot Eco will provide resources for the non-profits that are on the front lines of this really critical work. Funding for research, education and action. – Davis Guggenheim, Dot Eco Director

The .eco TLD will surely be a great source of revenue for non-profit environmental organizations, but I think it’s impact will extend farther than anyone expects.

The .eco domain space will have a massive appeal to green businesses, bloggers and organizations to create new websites about the environment on .eco domains.

I envision that these websites will grow and network with other .eco owners as well as connect with popular green websites on the .com space.  Each site sending out a ripple of good cause and expanding awareness of a need for action to millions.

Support Dot Eco Today

Dot Eco has an astounding 84,000+ fans on Facebook and 6,000+ followers on Twitter. Show your support and expect to see .eco domains take on the web and climate change in just a few years!

What do you think? Would you develop a website on a new .eco domain? Do you think the .eco domain will be as successful as I imagine? Please leave a comment using the “Comments” tab at the top of the article.

This article is from DotSauce Magazine.