Domain Holdings has debuted a new domain development platform called DomainPower, a follow up to Rapid Domain Builder, it’s 2010 predecessor . The new development platform will focus on content development for SEO performance and engagement, and will feature multiple revenue opportunities.

DomainPower offers dozens of niche website frameworks suited to specific industries (Shopping, Insurance, Travel, etc.). Sites are enhanced with plug-ins such as social media integration. Enhancement services such as website content, link building and directory submission are also featured.

DomainPower Powered Sites

Here are a few examples of sites running on the DomainPower platform.

Innovative Analytics and Reporting

While I have not had the opportunity yet to dive into the DomainPower platform (signups are approved manually), I know that their analytics will play an important role.

According to the feature list DomainPower includes A/B testing, alerts for under-performing domains, and keyword tracking across search engines–all firsts for the industry as far as I am aware.

What do you think of DomainPower? Will you ditch WordPress powered sites or standard parking pages to give it a try? Will the revenue share be enough to compete with other emerging parking options? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

Domain Holdings Raises $2.9M to Energize DomainPower Development Platform DotSauce Magazine

[Image: Nic McPhee, Wrapping one's head around the data, via Flickr Creative Commons]

I set out with a goal to create a page that hits-home on three of important aspects of domain development:

1. Unique Content and SEO
2. Automation
3. Maximum Revenue Potential

My Dream Parking Page

The following mock-up shows my vision for a perfect domain parking page. A solution like this is what it would take to get me back in the game.

I created this concept page using a nifty application called MockingBird and will continue to edit my Dream Parking Page as new ideas and monetization opportunities present themselves.

Click image for full page mock-up.

Psst! PromoEssentials.com and other quality domains are currently available
for $19 each, exclusively for DotSauce Domain Club premium members.

Unique Content and Search Optimization

It may not look like it, but this page can contain a large amount of unique content. The trick is that not all of it is displayed to users at once. Using well-formated list-styling with a little XHTML and CSS magic, the tabs can contain extensive resources, apps and information for visitors on-demand.

Parking pages and mini-sites face an SEO dilemma in that we would like to be more like a single landing page to convert as much traffic as possible into revenue through PPC or acquiring leads. The problem of delivering unique and fresh content to stay relevant on search engines then becomes an issue. For this reason, my dream parking page would be mostly one-page of content aside from an added Q&A application to take advantage of user-generated content.

Customization of navigation and other website element text is key to be able to include the domain keywords where appropriate. As you can see in the mock-up, there are keywords in all the major elements of the page including the title, slogan, tabs and search bar.

Automation

The main tabbed section can contain interactive applications such as the Amazon product feed shown. These popular products would update automatically based on a master keyword and can then be refined by the visitor.

Affiliate promotions and more content can be featured within the other tabs. I’ve shown an example of connecting to a daily deals network such as Groupon or LivingSocial affiliate programs.

All of the site elements would ideally be editable through a WordPress theme options panel or plugin. One could then use WordPress multi-site to create and manage pages for all of your domains.

Maximum Revenue

It doesn’t look like it, but almost every clickable element on my Dream Parking Page leads to a revenue generating source. Whether it’s referrals to Amazon products, Google AdSense or an affiliate offer, all exits lead to profits.

I have additionally included a prominent notice at the top-right of the page stating the website or domain may be for sale.

The are three advertising positions placed strategically for exposure and page flow. Most mini-sites typically use just two alloted AdSense units. The third position can be used for affiliate banners, direct advertising or an alternative ad network.

Additional site elements such as video and social buttons compliment and balance the advertising so that it isn’t overwhelming.

What would your dream parking page be like?

I would love to receive feedback on my mock-up. Maybe you have first-hand experience with domain parking optimization or can give advice from a user perspective. Any suggestions at all are welcome.

Let’s crowd-source the perfect domain parking page for 2011 and beyond. Please leave your suggestions and ideas in the comments area below.

My Dream Domain Parking Page DotSauce Magazine

Credit for the boom is given mainly to a rise in international search volume. The United States is expected to see a 12% yearly growth in total search queries, while international market queries will grow by 19% yearly.

Search advertisements are expected to contribute 70% of the total online ad market in the U.S. this year.

Similar reports are also coming in from eMarketer analysts who are projecting a record breaking increase in ad spending that will top $40 billion in 2014. It is said to be recovering more rapidly than the overall economy.

The graphic below shows an overview of the current paid-search market.

Google’s paid-search network encompasses spending on AdWords, publishers’ sites using AdSense, Google custom search, AdSense for Domains, YouTube and other networks.

The JP Morgan report, entitled Nothing But Net: 2011, also references an interesting third-party study performed by Microsoft’s Atlas Solutions. In the study, comparisons were made between clicks on display ads and clicks on search advertisements. Users who clicked on both display ads and search ads convert 22% better than search alone and 400% better than those who only clicked on display ads.

The effectiveness of search ad campaigns is no longer in question. More big brands and small businesses are expected to flock to search and social advertising in 2011.

Do you think we will begin to see good PPC revenue again for parked domain names? It looks promising as search queries continue to rise. Can we count on Google and other networks to be transparent and pass on a fair share of the revenue? Please share your thoughts in the comments area below.

PPC Expected to Make a Comeback DotSauce Magazine

Frank crafted an interesting metaphor between the early days of oil drilling and the present day perception of direct navigation domain name traffic. Direct navigation is when people type in a domain name instead of doing a search. This type of traffic is extremely targeted. On most generic words it flows in daily by the barrel full.

The editorial did not necessarily apply to me personally because my domain names do not receive any significant amount of traffic. So dismal in fact, that I have stopped parking entirely. That’s the hard reality that many domainers who got their start around or after the .COM bubble or may not have capital to invest in generic domains.

However, hope is not lost for the countless domainers who do not have a steady supply of black gold.

Like the mythical Alchemist’s Stone that transmutes common metals into pure gold, we can transform virtually any domain name into a source of traffic by developing it.

Development through content creation, marketing and web design enables you to transform an “undiscovered” domain into vibrant virtual real estate. We can essentially create our own streams of traffic through a little hard work and know-how.

The future of our industry is heading towards web development, lead generation, affiliate marketing, direct advertising and paid content. Trade-in that parking account for a content management system and start working towards building your empire of truly developed websites.

I believe we can overcome the challenges and time-constraints to make this work by innovating and adopting the latest technologies. Quality websites built today will become the leading destinations of tomorrow.

Domain Traffic May Be Black Gold, but Domain Development is the Alchemist’s Stone DotSauce Magazine

Risky Business

There are evident risks for trademark infringement when using .CM domains.

I encourage any decent sized company to take the initiative and pre-order their respective .CM domain to prevent any later headache.  I also strongly discourage anyone from attempting to profit from typo traffic on established .COM websites.

The typo traffic is likely not as much as you think on your average .CM name. There are more profitable ways to quickly develop online business on legitimate domain names.

I’m also not convinced that .CM is a viable brand option for anything but a company in Cameroon.

Traffic Machines?

On the other side of the table, there are countless .CM domains are generic in nature and can not be said to violate any trademarks. Could these be valuable resources for driving some targeted traffic to existing business?

Rick Latona is managing an auction currently of premium .CM domains that are generic in nature.  Domains such as Cars.cm, Loan.cm, Games.cm, etc. are available with reserves from $1000 to $20,000.

NameJet has gained exclusive rights to manage the sunrise registration / pre-orders for .CM domains.

So What’s Your Move?

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

Please respond to the poll and leave your comments below.

POLL: Will you pre-order or buy .CM domains? DotSauce Magazine

Mini site development has the potential to increase revenue and pay-per-click (PPC) conversions on domain names with traffic, especially those with natural type-in visitors.

Mini sites also allow you freedoms and features that current parking companies simply can’t and won’t provide you. If you have a domain with strong keywords there is also the possibility of ranking high in Google and increasing traffic significantly in due time.

Ron Jackson at DNJournal has recently published the DNJournal March Cover Story featuring an introduction to the rise of mini site development lately and list of other mini site development companies.

Each company is unique and has different features, models and methods to their developing madness.

Some are automated like WhyPark or Parking Revolution which places more interaction and content control with the user, others are on the pricey side but provide a hands on experience with true custom content, graphic and promotional work.

DN Media has announced today the launch of MiniSites.com. The new company provides mini site development services to domainers, which is as mentioned above, a hot trend in recent years for those seeking an alternative to falling revenue from traditional PPC parking companies.

MiniSites.com has three different mini site development packages to choose from which include features and services such as the following…

• Dedicated Project Manager
• Unique Content Creation
• Custom Text Logo Design
• Attractive Graphic Header Design
• Flexible Monetization Options
• Targeted Keyword Research
• Search Engine Optimization
• Easily Add Your Own Content Post-Launch
• Free Hosting for as Long as You Own the Domain

Looks like a great all around package for having someone develop a quick mini site for your domain name.  The base price is set at $120, but they do have discounts for bulk orders.

Surprisingly, the service price nearly triples from $120 to $350 when you want to add on advanced link building and advanced monetization packages.

No details are to be found on the company site regarding hosting or a user control panel. But, I think they are on the right track and I am sure more information will show up soon on MiniSites.com as they push through the new launch.

Would love to hear your comments about mini site development or MiniSites.com, please leave one below!

Mini Site Development Services: Creating Small Websites Based on Big Ideas DotSauce Magazine

Looking at it from the other perspective (as a domainer and a business person) you should always be on the hunt for ways to make more money from the traffic your domains already receive.

In my TRAFFIC Down Under presentation I listed a number of ways to help make more money from the same traffic source.  But today, I come to you with a new way (or at least a new spin on old ideas) to make more money with your same ol’ traffic.

ComWired.com is a Geo Directional DNS service that allows a domainer to split up the traffic coming to a domain in order to parse it out by region.  What exactly does that mean?

Well, let’s take a step back and explore why traffic splitting is even useful.

About two years ago I owned a “tube” domain name that was getting about 200 unique visitors a day.  Half of the traffic was from Latin America and those visitors were looking for a youtube.com type clone, while half of the traffic was from the United States and those visitors were looking for manufacturing tubes.  No matter how I optimized the domain name I was never able to make full use of the traffic.  This meant that I could never truly make as much money as was possible since I couldn’t parse the traffic out.

That has all changed now.  With ComWired we are able to identify the location (down to a 30 mile radius) of the traffic and then route it to different destinations based off of your predefined rules.

This means you can “park” your domain name with ComWired and then setup where you want your traffic to go based on its country of origin.  Using that same “tube” domain as an example, you could:

• Send all American Traffic and All European Traffic to NameDrive.com
• Send all Latin American Traffic to Parked.com
• Send all African and Asian Traffic to TrafficZ.com
• Send all remaining traffic to any other place you want.

Then, for whatever reason, if you wanted to change your traffic destinations, you just login to ComWired and redirect the traffic based on your preferences.

To make matters even easier you can just do logical grouping based on GEO location.  This would entail directing all of your traffic to ComWired.com and then redirecting all of your traffic of certain types to singular parking companies.  Basically put, you could segregate all traffic based on geo and then send it to whatever parking company you feel monetizes it the best.

So, this service helps stretch your traffic a bit further while giving you much more control on how your traffic is distributed.  In the end, it means more money for you.

Currently our system is in beta mode so we are not charging anything.  It’s 100% free for right now and there is no credit card required in order to signup.  That means there is absolutely no downside and no risk.

Have fun making more money with the same traffic!

Happy Domaining!

This is a guest post by Sean Stafford, founder of Domain Graduate, Site Graduate and newly launched ComWired DNS service.  You can connect with Sean on Facebook here.

ComWired: Earning More Money From the Same Domain Traffic DotSauce Magazine

This may present a good opportunity for domainers seeking to test the waters in ccTLD investing, myself included.  Continue reading below for other interesting ccTLD happenings.

Like other major ccTLD public launches (such as Montenegro’s .ME domains) there is what’s known as a sunrise period and a landrush period.  The general public will be able to register .MX domains September 1st.

However, It seems that if you own a .COM.MX domain you may register your exact corresponding .MX domain on March 1st.

.MX Domain Registration Schedule

• March 01 to July 31, 2009: owners of domain names in the five sub-extensions (.COM.MX, .NET.MX, .ORG.MX, .EDU.MX, .GOB.MX) can register their sites with the .MX extension. The new domain names will be registered under exactly the same name as the previous domain names. If there are more than one domain name applicant with the same domain name, the one with proof of having the name for longer will be granted the .MX domain name of the same name.
• August 1 to August 31, 2009: during the transition period, the register will analyze the requests received for domain name registration.
• September 1 to October 31, 2009: the .MX domain names will be open to everyone (general registration period) on a “first come, first served” basis.

In Other ccTLD News…

TheDomains is discussing issues concerning ICANN’s latest confusing policy on gTLD (Geographic domain names such as .NYC, .Paris, .Berlin) and the serious implications this might have on the domain industry.

The January 2009 issue of Modern Domainer Magazine featured a cover story on ccTLD.

Can ccTLDs Earn You $3000 a Day?

Rick Latona is talking about it and Sahar Sarid gave his commentary. It seems like everybody is talking about the revenue potential of ccTLDs (Country Code) domain names.

Thanks to some cool videos from the people behind the scenes at $3000 A Day Domainer, the public is seeing first hand and possibly for the first time ever, a domainers’ success story built on ccTLDs.

If you’re interested in ccTLDs sign up for their newsletter. You will get updates featuring general ccTLD information as well as tips and suggestions for getting started off on the right foot when investing in ccTLDs for the first time.

What is your take on ccTLDs?  Please leave a comment below with your experiences with ccTLD investment or any questions you might have.

2009 ccTLD Buzz! Plus: The .MX Domain Extension Making a Comeback After 20 Years DotSauce Magazine

Great New Feature Updates

• Widget creation system, that allows you to create sidebar widgets for all parked domains. This is extremely useful for creating additional advertising spots, sponsoring content, sharing links or even creating simple blogrolls.
  • I used this to create a blogroll on one of my sites and already sold a link for $20 a month!
• Now there are three types of customization includes: Header, Meta and Footer. Header includes will be added right after the <body> tag, Meta includes will be added between the <head> tags and Footer includes will be added right before the closing </body> tag.
  • This was my suggestion, thanks for adding header includes!  I can now create a network bar and link all my Parking Rev sites together!
• Individual banner includes are now possible. This means that, instead of using the global banner includes, one of your domains can use specific includes.
  • One of the most requested features, now live!  Create unique AdSense code for each domain name.
• If you feel that the default content being displayed by Parking Revolution isn’t very relevant to your domain subject, you can display content imported from an RSS feed.
• Create new custom pages for any of your domain mini-sites.

Bugs Be Gone

• Google Analytics integration now works perfectly
• Performance tweaks on the entire system
• Better cache for parked domains (means they will load faster)
• Optimizations and minor bug fixes in the RSS Merging tool
• Optimizations and minor bug fixes in the Rewrite Content tool

Sign Up!  Parking Revolution is amazingly only $15 per month to develop up to 100 of your domain names!  I can almost guarantee it will be one of the best investments you make!  Visit ParkingRevolution.com now.

In Other News…

Parking Revolution has launched a Forum, their own Blog and you can now connect with Parking Revolution on Twitter!

Send them your comments, suggestions and feature requests!

Video Demonstration

Check out my video demonstration where I do a short screencast of the admin panel, showing you a glimpse behind-the-scenes how easy it is to develop a domain with Parking Revolution.

(Click image to launch video in new window)

Sign up for Parking Revolution now and develop 100 domains for just $15!

Parking Revolution Updated With Great Monetization and Unique Content Features DotSauce Magazine

Ron Jackson at DNJournal has just broke the news that Ask.com has acquired Sendori, a direct navigation company.  The terms of the deal were not disclosed.  Mr. Jackson reports “The marketplace he (CEO & Co-Founder Ofer Ronen) envisioned went live on August 1, 2006 and now, just a little over two years later they become part of (Barry) Diller’s IAC internet empire where Sendori will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary.”

Why This Matters to Domainers

Sendori.com is able to send highly targetted visitors to an advertiser’s websites by taping into a very valueable resource we call generic domain names.  People type them into their URL bar everyday looking for products and information.

While this breed of domain name is extremely rare they are still out there on the auction blocks at domain conferences, in the hands of private investors and often times expiring daily.   I personally don’t own any generic .COM domains (one of my greatest ambitions) so this doesn’t direct affect me directly, but I know many people who do.

Even if you don’t own these valuable .com names like me, this is still great news for the industry!  The acquisition of Sendori by Ask.com affirms the value of a great .COM domain name.  Hopefully direct navigation will catch on this year and the domain industry will get some of the positive recognition we need and deserve!

Ask.com Making the Right Moves

DotSauce covered the April 2007 launch of Ask.com’s Sponsored Listings program, a PPC keyword advertising platform.  They have since been serving well over 34 million unique users per month via their network of sites, which include Match.com, Ticketmaster, and and Evite.

Domain Name News reports that “Ask.com is an IAC (NASDAQ:IACI) company and has made other moves in acquiring premium reference sites (and domains) under the Reference.com umbrella like Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com.”

Would love to hear your thoughts on direct navigation domains and this deal by Ask.com, please leave a comment below.

Ask.com Acquires Sendori Direct Navigation: Domain Names Take the Spotlight in Advertising DotSauce Magazine

Click image to launch demonstration in new window.

Get 15% OFF any Package at ParkingRevolution.com!
Simply enter coupon DOTSAUCE657 when checking out!

Parking Revolution Video Demonstration DotSauce Magazine

The guys at CubeVisions Software are actively listening to feedback from the original review on DotSauce and the official thread on NamePros and are taking all suggestions for new features into consideration!

Here are some of those new features! Continue reading for discount code…

Bulk Domain Development

Parking Revolution really shines when you spend a couple minutes tweaking keywords, page features and various revenue options.  However, you can now develop hundreds of domains instantly using a bulk submit form!

Improved Content Pop-over for more PPC Exposure

Parking Revolution pulls targeted site content and external links from various news sources and RSS feeds.  When a visitor to your Parking Revolution website clicks to read more of that content an awesome pop-over window is opened and external content is loaded within your page!

Here is an example: Click to read any article featured on DomainNameCoupon.com, powered by Parking Revolution.

They have tweaked this feature and now embed your AdSense or other affiliate code within the pop-over display.

When a visitor closes the article, blog or external link they will be right back on your Parking Revolution website where they left off.

Affiliate Program

If you are a Parking Revolution customer you will receive a unique affiliate link which allows you to earn 10% per sale for referring your domainer and developer friends! More details to be announced on the affiliate program soon.

Parking Revolution Site Showcase!

Yet another first, the Parking Revolution Showcase (see preview) will soon feature your developed domain names and display cool information on how it was customized and what sort of monetization is being used. Start developing with Parking Revolution and submit your sites to be included in the showcase!

Exclusive Discount – 15% Off Christmas Special!

As a Parking Revolution partner, DotSauce has been given an exclusive discount coupon code to be released to the public. Merry Christmas from Parking Revolution!

Enter code DOTSAUCE657 for 15% Off Any Package

Join ParkingRevolution.com now and develop 100 domains for just $12.75!

At this price you should have no reservations about giving Parking Revolution a try, and I’m sure you will be thrilled you did!

Parking Revolution Delivers New Features and a Jolly Christmas Discount! DotSauce Magazine

Continue reading for full coverage and some live example sites!

An Inside Look at Parking Revolution

ParkingRevolution.com is truly living up to their name.  CubeVisions Software, the makers of SteadyNiche, are now blurring the line between domain parking and advanced web development with Parking Revolution.

There are several great features I can’t wait to share.. so I am going to walk you through the best ones right now.

• Fully Web Based – This advanced development software can be accessed from any computer online.  Each and every domain that you develop is hosted on Parking Revolution servers at no additional cost!
• Intuitive Control Panels -User friendly administration means anyone can easily find their way around both the customer control panel and their own personal parking and development control panel.

• Unparalleled Development Features - Parking Revolution is bringing amazing site development features to the table the likes of which our industry has never seen before. Here is just a small sample of some of those great features…
  • Word Replacement
  • RSS Feed Control
  • Unique Page Creation
  • Portfolio-Wide Widgets
  • Header & Footer Customization
  • CSS Design Control
  • Google Analytics
• First Class Support – The team at Parking Revolution has been enthusiastically interested in my feedback.  Using their simple support ticket system my one issue was corrected in just a few minutes.
• Multiple Money Makers – Paste your own Google AdSense code directly into your developed pages or update it easily throughout your entire portfolio.  eBay affiliates can plug in their campaign ID’s and start serving up relevant products and earning extra cash.  It’s also just as easy to add direct advertising or affiliate programs!
• Amazing Site Content – Your domains will no longer feel “parked” at all.  With news and articles being updated constantly, built in Job Boards, YouTube Videos, Flickr photo streams, eBay Products, contact forms, and much more.

And The Best Feature of All…

It’s just $15 per month to develop up to 100 domain names fast!

See Parking Revolution in Action!

Here are some sites I setup in just a few minutes all together!  Using default Parking Revolution options all I had to do was input keywords and a description for a fully developed, feature rich website!  Take a minute to browse one or more to see Parking Revolution in action!

Example Sites…

• Daily Poker Tip – Your source for insider poker tips and tricks.
• Junior Surfing – Latest news and videos on the world of Junior Surfing.
• GPS Explore – Top reviews, news and more on GPS Devices.
• Celeb Meter – Celebrity news, videos, photos and gossip.
• Immediate Legal Help – Articles, blogs, and more for legal help needs.

Sign Up!  Parking Revolution is amazingly only $15 per month to develop up to 100 of your domain names!  I can almost guarantee it will be one of the best investments you make!  Visit ParkingRevolution.com now.

What do you think?  I’d love to hear your feedback on Parking Revolution.  Please leave a comment below.

A True Domain Parking Revolution Has Come! DotSauce Magazine

Will AdSense for Domains be worth your time? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and shortcomings of Google AdSense for Domains.

What are the benefits of AdSense for Domains?

• Higher Conversions - There have been case studies and numerous reports on conversion rates for simple domain parking pages. Direct navigation (typing a domain into an address bar) has proven to be highly targeted traffic.
• Possibly Higher Revenue - This may turn out to be the opposite as Andrew of DNW points out here, Google has contracts for the advertising feeds it provides to parking companies. It is within Google’s power to “dial back” or reduce revenue shares for both parking companies and new AdSense for Domains users.

What is AdSense for Domains lacking?

• Search Indexing – Obviously Google is not going to index any domain enrolled in this program, a major drawback to anyone interested in driving more traffic and increasing site value.
• Domain Sales Contact – As far as I am aware there is no option to notify visitors that your domain may be for sale or how to contact you, please correct me if I am wrong.
• Unique Landing Page Design - Google is good at simplicity.  Pages may convert but won’t look good.
• Unique Keyword Rich Content – It is impossible to add any custom content whatsoever to your domains.
• Alternate Revenue – There will be no option to include affiliate links, products or leads of any kind.
• Customization – No real way to fix any of the above.

These are huge features that benefit domainers by increasing the short and long term value of your domain name properties.

Google’s AdSense for Domains is simply boring domain parking for the general public repackaged and sold direct from the provider. They are taking a step backwards in the evolution of domain parking.

Don’t worry about activating your AdSense for Domains account, it will probably just disappoint and waste your time. However, I must admit I will be interested to hear about initial conversion rates and revenue earnings per click.

What’s a Better Alternative?

Soon I will be announcing an amazing new product/service for domainers that will allow you to almost instantly develop full mini-sites with unique content and multiple revenue streams including Google AdSense direct from Google! There are many other great features I can’t wait to share. I am currently in beta testing and will have a full review completed when the product officially goes live.

Update: The wait is over!  Parking Revolution has just been announced.

What are your thoughts on Google AdSense for Domains versus automated mini-sites or more advanced domain parking?  Please comment.

Why AdSense for Domains is a Step in the Wrong Direction DotSauce Magazine

Coming Soon! This Site Under Construction

Generic Under Construction Page

Domain name and website owners generally had a message like this displayed to let random visitors know they should bookmark and come back soon. This is still used for some projects today, but rarely for any length of time.  You may also see a newsletter subscription.

This Domain Is For Sale

“This Domain is For Sale” Landing Page

We’ve all seen them, a simple text message and email link letting you know this domain name is for sale. The original domainers first form of domain sales advertising.  This may still be effective today, but less so because most domainers go straight for WHOIS data and then maybe directly to a site.

This Domain Has Been Reserved

Sample Reserved Domain Page (GoDaddy)

Domain registrars caught on to all the massively untapped traffic resource of their customers unused domains. Now you see them quite often, “This Domain Parked Free at GoDaddy.” Some may consider profiting from your customers domains to be a devious practice, but the owner simply needs to take control and direct the nameservers.

Pay Per Click Sponsored Links

Example Pay-Per-Click Page (Parked)

With the launch of Google AdSense and other advertising networks, domain owners became “publishers” by displaying relevant paid sponsors on their unused domain names. There has been some controversy concerning the value of these advertising spots on domain names, and recent reports that revenue from PPC domain parking is declining greatly.

Custom Content Mini-Sites

Custom Mini-site by AEIOU

Many new website services allow you to add unique content to your “parked” pages. This is intended to provide SEO value and the ultimate goal is to get your parked domains listed on search engines which was previously unheard of.  Others buy articles or hire freelance writers to dish out unique content.

RSS Feeds Automated Content

Full Featured RSS Powered Content

With the advent of RSS feeds (Really Simple Syndication), content from all over the web can be embedded and updated automatically on any website. Using simple scripts and software domain owners are able to display relevant news and articles which could lead to more traffic.

The Future is Bright…

The future of domain parking is blurring the line between a simple landing page and a full blown website. It will not be long before a domain owner can instantly create fully developed websites with automated content, user interaction, automated product affiliates, photo galleries, videos, article archives and more.

The Evolution of Domain Parking and Mini Sites DotSauce Magazine

Unfortunately, you can not put your heart, time and money into developing hundreds of internet properties.  Many of my domains lay in wait for their day to shine as a fully developed site, though I can’t promise them it will be by my hand… I am a domainer afterall!

I would like to share with you some of my domain names and what I envision the will become.

SwiftPic.com – Free Application for the Masses

This was to be an AJAX powered form that would generate, on-the-fly, customized code for using swfIR on your websites.  What is swfIR? It’s an awesome open-source script for replacing standard image code with dynamic flash displays that allow for curved corners, borders, even drop shadows.  You can see it in action on BlogDuJour.com. I am still looking for a programmer to work with on creating the SwiftPic application.

ElectricWebsites.com – A Community of Developers in a Virtual Metaverse

Ever heard of Second Life? It’s a huge virtual world that has been covered in the news countless times. It is being prized as a valuable educational tool (virtual classrooms) and literally millions of people across the globe. A few years back, I got involved with Second Life and was interested in developing a business, I even promoted DotSauce through the virtual world and made some great contacts. I don’t have much time these days to login to Second Life, but the ElectricWebsites.com virtual headquarters is still live inside Second Life, let me know if you want a tour.

InstantVerse.com – AJAX Powered Bible!

I purchased this domain name after coming up with an idea for a web based Bible application that would allow a person to start typing any book, chapter or verse of the Bible and have it instantly pop up! I have yet to actively pursue finding someone to code this for me, but there are numerous full versions of the Bible available for download in many formats.

FrugalBlogging.com – Launch a Successful Blog for Little to No Money

The idea for this one was to be a blog about blogging. Specifically, how to blog on-the-cheap. More specifically, tried and tested methods for marketing, advertising and promoting your blog for free. Getting high-quality graphics, content, designs, hosting and software that bloggers know and love for free or cheap. I love helping out fellow bloggers and have been known to give away domain names to those still using sub-domains. I would like to start this project, but I just don’t have time to write fresh content.

I could go on seemingly forever… but I would love to hear about some of your domains that you haven’t developed yet.  Please leave a comment below.  Maybe someone will be interested and want to work on it with you!

Domain Names You Never Got Around To Developing DotSauce Magazine

The Green.com website currently resolves to a glorified “domain for sale” landing page which I believe is using some Jedi mind tricks.  Below the fold is a promotional blurb for the fabulous Entertainment.com coupon book.

GoGreen.com | Active | Registered in 1997

The ever popular catch phrase “Go Green” is currently owned by an organization based in Vancouver Canada that supports go green transportation initiatives.  Content is under review as the splash page says, but I genuinely did enjoy the “Seven Great Ways To Get Around” feature, nice retro clip-art!

GreenPlanet.com | Active | Registered in 2003

This beauty is owned by Green Planet Environmental Ltd, a non-profit organization based in Liverpool England. They make the planet green by developing sustainable products that work with nature for areas in most need such as Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Aboriginal Australia.

GreenEarth.com | Doomed | Registered in 1997

Currently a “Coming Soon” message.  A quick glance at Archive.org reveals that in all GreenEarth.com’s 12 years, it has never really been used, kinda sad!  Soon to be some form of marketplace for green products, we’ll see.

GreenMagazine.com | Active | Registered in 2001

The Green Magazine for none other than… John Deere tractor enthusiasts?  You guessed it!

GreenEnergy.com | Forwards | Registered in 1997

Forwards to TransAlta Wind’s Vision Quest Windelectric business channeling the power of wind into local power grids.

GreenMovement.com | Parked | Registered in 2005

Finally a domain that needs a home!  GreenMovement.com is currently parked.  A look at the whois shows that it is owned by somebody livin’ it up in the Grand Cayman Islands.  Hey Frank, is that you? :)

GreenProducts.com | Active | Registered in 1997

This Iowa based trucking company processes corn cobs into all kinds of great pet bedding and litter. The potential is lacking, technically this company isn’t “Green” in the since of environmental friendliness at all, rather it was founded by Clifford Green  in 1947.

GreenIdeas.com | Active | Registered in 1999

Personal blog of one Alibert Botogol of the United Kingdom.

GreenTechnology.com | Parked | Registered in 2001

Yet another parked green domain. I really like this one, anyone care to broker the sale, get a good deal for me!

Top Prices Paid for Green Domain Names

These are the highest reported sales for “Green” domains. Some listings have been removed that were not relevant.

GreenPackaging.com sold for $25,000 (Mar 2008)
GreenhouseGases.com sold for $21,975 (Dec 2007)
GreenVehicle.com sold for $15,000 (Feb 2008)
Greenster.com sold for $10,895 (Mar 2008)
GoGreenToday.com sold for $10,000 (Jul 2008)
GreenStyle.com sold for $10,000 (Mar 2008)
GreenTips.com sold for $6,288 (Jun 2008)

Sources: NameBio & DNSalePrices

After looking into all these green domains, I am surprised not to see more premium sales recorded. Hopefully that means there are still good deals to be done.

The real winners here are those who picked up green domains before the word went viral. However, it is still very possible and probably profitable to invest into the green domain niche.

I would really love to own a great “green” .COM domain name for a project I have in mind.  Feel free to contact me.

Do you have any Green Domains?

Leave a comment below! Tell us about your green domain names or any stories you might have about this trend.

The Greenest Domains on Earth: A Look at Premium “Green” Dot Coms DotSauce Magazine

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not here to sell you the program.  I just wanted to let you know that if you visit the site now Phil is offering a free report for anyone interested in his Domains Into Dollars program.

Click here to sign up for your free Domains Into Dollars PDF report.

The report details some of Phil’s background and experience, what it is to be a Domainer today and details the various profit models for domains as well as a bit of info on tasting, traffic, typos and trademarks.

Free Report from Domains Into Dollars DotSauce Magazine

One of my NamePros buddy’s, Leland recently launched ThemeLab.com, an amazing WordPress resource website featuring free professional quality themes for your WordPress powered blogs and websites. You can also find some insightful articles related to WordPress development.

One such article is targeted at domain owners who either do not park their domain names or are looking for an alternative. Pay-Per-Click revenue shares can often times be very low, especially if your targeted keywords are not in high demand.

Put Your Dormant Domains to Use with WordPress

In his article, “Put Your Dormant Domains to Use with WordPress” Leland explains the process of creating a RSS feed powered website which will syndicate RSS feeds, keeping your content fresh and of course giving credit to the feed source.

Leland says… “This isn’t a guide on making content scraping/rewriting splogs. I’m merely going over a much more efficient way to monetize unused domains, or possibly to augment your current blog with regularly updated news from relevant feeds. Aggregating RSS feeds legally is a perfectly legitimate way to add content to your WordPress blog.”

Benefits of WordPress Powered “Parking”

• Much more SEO friendly than conventional parked landing pages
• Content is fresh and regularly updated
• Ability to sell direct advertising
• Earn 100% revenue share, cut out the middle man
• Include other revenue streams such as affiliate programs
• Insert unique content and articles
• Gain repeat visitors or “subscribers”

The process is quite simple. Install WordPress along with a special plugin (FeedWordPress) and make a few changes to your template files. The benefits seem to make RSS feed powered websites a much better alternative to domain parking. Read the article for complete instructions and to get started!

“Now is the time to dump those stagnant parked pages and start developing your unused domains into dynamic and content-rich websites.”

What are your thoughts? Do you currently use RSS feed powered websites to “park” and develop your domain portfolio? I would love to hear what you have to say, please leave a comment.

RSS Feed Powered Websites: An Alternative to Domain Parking DotSauce Magazine

Yes, I believe that currently it is a very good time to acquire domain names. There is one obvious reason for doing so, which is that the value of domains has steadily been going up for years, and I don’t see any reason why this should stop. That’s one long-term argument for investing in domain names sooner rather than later.

But there are a few other arguments I’d like to point out, too.

ECONOMIC SITUATION

First of all, the US (and maybe even the global) economy is slowing down and I’m sure we’re on our way to a serious recession, if we have not arrived at that point yet. Therefore, investors are more choosy about what they spend their money on; buyers are less willing to invest while, at the same time, many sellers are looking into possibilities to turn their holdings into cash. During periods of economic downturns people feel better if they save their money instead of spending it on consumption or investments.

Although domain prices have continued to rise during the past months, I have the impression that the rate at which prices are climbing has slowed down recently. I believe this is in part because of the fear of a recession mentioned above.

Just look at the recent domain auctions. There were some great domains up for sale, but many of them were sold at relatively low prices. Sure, some were not sold due to reserves that were too high, but many buyers were able to get some steals. Definitely to a greater degree than in past auctions. I was lucky enough to purchase a few generic domains at prices well below what I would consider market value myself. I’m absolutely positive I will rake in a nice profit from those investments not too far down the road. Overall, one can only observe that the recent domain auctions did not go as well as last year’s auctions.

There are probably different reasons for this, including the current economic situation, but it is also because of more and more domain auctions being held throughout the year. It is getting increasingly difficult for individual buyers to look through the vast amount of domains being thrown onto the market and to spot good domains. Many generic domains are overlooked or only found by a small number of bidders, which is why you can find steals if you’re willing to go through the domain lists just a couple of minutes longer than the other buyers.

USD CURRENCY

If you’re based outside the United States, you can buy domains even cheaper. For example, the US Dollar has significantly fallen in value and it is at a low compared to the Euro. So, if you have Euros to spend on domains, you can get a good domain and save money at the same time.

European domain investors who are going to buy a $1,000 domain today can get it for less than €650. Just a few years ago you would have had to spend close to €1,000 for the same domain.

DOMAIN PARKING CHANGES

A third reason why you can find more domains for cheap are the changes in domain parking as of late.

Firstly, domain parking companies and feed providers have changed their rules. Parked.com killed arbitrage, Yahoo introduced its quality score and Google added a new option for its AdWords clients to opt out of domain parking sites. All this makes it harder for domain owners to monetize their domain names’ traffic through domain parking.

Secondly, parking revenues are declining, too. Personally, I have seen a hefty decline in earnings per click, which resulted in a much lower revenue-per-mille (RPM). My average RPM during the first three months of 2008 has been about €5-10; I was getting €20-60 portfolio-wide with different portfolios about one year ago.

All this will also lead to a larger number of expiring domains, in my opinion, as domains are less likely to cover their registration fees.

CONCENTRATE ON QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

You cannot blindly buy domains, of course. I think that today it is more important to focus on quality rather than quantity than before.

Even some large portfolio owners with lots of money on their hands have decided to sell off some of their domain names in order to reinvest in better domains or to get rid of the bad names. Rick Latona, for example, is selling generic domains through his website at low prices on a daily basis. Most other domain owners interested in selling list their domains in auctions. Even Rick Schwartz, who is known for being a buyer and not a seller, put his domain Widgets.com up for sale on eBay.

The domain landscape has changed once again in 2007 and during the first months of 2008, which requires a new strategy for everyone in this business. You cannot continue to buy domains as reckless as before. But if you take the time to go through domain lists hunting for the best domains on that list, if you research them and narrow the short-list down to the domains with the potentially highest returns, you have very good chances to buy domains at low prices today and get a high return on your investment in the near future.

I conclude that domains have gotten riskier as an investment than they used to be a couple of months ago. But this development has driven prices down and presented good opportunities for buyers.

About the Author: Dominik Mueller has been a broker and investor in the domain business since 2003. He is also an occasional blogger covering the domain industry, web search and online marketing.

Buy Domain Names Now! DotSauce Magazine

What does the future hold for domain parking?

I have listened to highly respected domainers offer their opinions and no one person really agrees. We can’t predict what the future holds, especially when life-blood companies like Google are making decisions which can impact parking and government officials are trying to pass legislation like the Snowe “Anti-Phishing” Bill which threatens our privacy and legitimate domain ownership.

Tim Shumacher, CEO of Sedo.com says…
“…over time parking will continue to trend upwards as parking results become more sophisticated, transparent and measurable. Parking may evolve and have a different name in the future, but it will be the same concept as it is a very legitimate and lucrative use of a domain name.”

David Castello of CCIN says…
“Domain name development will continue to be the most important trend for domainers. In the past, parking was considered the end game for most domain names. Now, it is being seen as a temporary first step to monetizing a name before it is developed.”

Make your prediction in this week’s poll…

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

Thanks for your response and please feel free to provide additional insight through the comments area below.

Poll: Domain Parking Revenue Predictions DotSauce Magazine

Visit DotSauce.net for “The Insert” a new side-blog which will feature daily links, videos, quotes, photos and more from the domain industry.

This week’s biggest domain news is about the new world-record domain sale of Fund.com for $10 million.

Listed below are the top news stories, announcements and articles from the domain industry that happened this past week.

March 9th through March 16th

• DotSauce Article – CNN Reports New World-Record $10 Million Domain Sale: “Clek Media Inc. announced today via CNN Money that it has brokered the world-record sale of the domain Fund.com for an all-cash transaction of $9,999,950!“
• Michael Gilmour discusses the relationship between the domain industry and Google: “When we analyzed the results, we were shocked. We didn’t expect to see that domain park sites can bring in the quality of traffic necessary to result in twice the conversion rates, at a cost-per-click that’s equal to that of search.“
• A response to the Snowe Bill from Michael Collins, Director of the Internet Commerce Association: “…this is an ineffective anti-phishing bill and an overreaching trademark bill. Let’s work together to stop this bad trademark bill and then help Congress to do some really effective work on phishing.“
• DNFlipper shares some advice on not getting scammed when buying domains: “As the domaining industry becomes more popular scam artists find a growing market to profit from. With a growing number of places to buy domain names how can you make sure you’re really getting the deal you think you are?“
• DotSauce Article – Domain Lookup Firefox Addon: “Domain Lookup lets you perform one click domain searches at your registrar of choice using the selected (highlighted) text in your browser window.“
• DNW reports that Google will allow advertisers to opt-out of displaying on parked domain names: “Google Adwords has added a new feature that allows advertisers to exclude ads from showing up on domain parking sites.“

There you have this week in domaining! Stay tuned for featured articles from DotSauce throughout the week and a new issue of “Domain Buzz” next Sunday.

Please drop by the DotSauce Forums (registration is free) to discuss the latest and greatest in domain industry news.

Domain Buzz: This Week in Domaining DotSauce Magazine

I have found myself browsing through this article several times in my spare time just to get everything to sink in. Because Modern Domainer is a new publication I know alot of you probably have not had a chance to subscribe, for a limited time they are offering 3 month free subscription.

For those of you who have not read the article, I have highlighted here some quotes which stood out for me. Please enjoy and click through for more from these brilliant minds’ companies and blogs.

Tim Shumacher, CEO of Sedo.com says…

“…over time parking will continue to trend upwards as parking results become more sophisticated, transparent and measurable. Parking may evolve and have a different name in the future, but it will be the same concept as it is a very legitimate and lucrative use of a domain name.”

Monte Cahn, CEO of Moniker.com says…

“The media coverage that domaining has recived in the last few years has really opened the eyes of the general population. Now, people know domains are an alternative investment product. I got a lot of validation at the mose recent domain name auction. We’re selling something you can’t really see for millions of dollars!”

“Last year we saw a 32% growth in domaining.”

Bob Parsons, Founder of GoDaddy.com says…

“I’ve heard people say all the good .COM names are taken — that’s just not the case… We’ve only scratched the surface.”

“If you have doubts, consider this: GoDaddy registers, renews or transfers a domain name every 1.3 seconds. That is almost five times faster than the registration rate recorded just five years ago.”

Frank Schilling of SevenMile.com says…

“Oh no, .COM is not dead at all! The bar of entry is higher, but it’s still significantly better ‘hunting and pecking’ for a good .COM bargain than starting another real world business. 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.”

“Overt and deliberate cyber-squatting will always be out there, but through natural attrition it will fade — or reinvent itself. I predict the Typo business will be taken over by the mark-holders themselves in due course.”

Rick Schwartz, founder of TRAFFIC says…

“What will be in 50 years, I don’t know and don’t really care. Looking down 10-20 years, .COM will still be king and that is a more important focus.”

“The next big thing may be the transformation of domains from parked pages to active marketing pages…. modules complement each other and the result is earning 5x greater than today’s payouts and then 50x greater and beyond. Being able to build a business from enhanced marketing pages. Capture email addresses. Interact with the surfer. Build brand loyalty while still retaining a focus on sales.”

Ron Jackson, editor of DNJournal says…

“Americans are still largely unaware that their country code is available for open registration (until 2002 it was reserved for government use). I think there is a big growth opportunity there as U.S. citizens learn it is an option and start following the pattern used in other parts of the world.”

Ron recently published his annual “State of the Industry” report which quoted several more lead domain industry figures. Here are some excellent predictions as quoted from the DNJournal report.

Michael Mann founder of WashingtonVC says…

“More wealthy domain leaders stepping out from years of shadows and becoming business and community leaders and role models; including building and managing technology and marketing teams and non-domain web assets; and leading more on and offline social and nonprofit activities.”

Mike Zapolin of Internet Real Estate Group says…

“There will be continued validation that domain investing is extremely risk averse and continues to have massive upside for speculators and business builders.”

David Castello of CCIN says…

“Domain name development will continue to be the most important trend for domainers. In the past, parking was considered the end game for most domain names. Now, it is being seen as a temporary first step to monetizing a name before it is developed.”

Michael Castello also of CCIN says…

“…we need to work together to allow the positive properties of the internet to naturally unfold. We need to be smart in how we position ourselves. We must protect from being labeled as cyber-squatters which is being perpetuated in large part by those trying to make a buck profiting off of legitimate trademarks such as typo-squattering.”

Jay Westerdall, Founder of DomainTools says…

“The domain market will start becoming more mainstream and in simpatico with internet/web industry blending the line between them. Companies based primarily in web hosting and connectivity will begin to take stronger interest on the domain name market as it is the foothold of the industry.”

Michael Gilmour of WhizzBangs Blog says…

“There will continue to be an increasingly greater number of domain auctions both on and offline. At the moment we have a huge supply of domains wanting to receive exposure in the auctions and millions of dollars swapping hands within the industry.”

2018: A Domaining Odyssey – Predictions From The Pros DotSauce Magazine

Within this well-researched publication you can find more details on the McAfee’s methodology as well as tables detailing the following interesting information:

• Squatter Frequency Ranked by Selected Countries
      (UK, Portugal, Spain…)
• Top 100 Sites for Expected Typo-Squatting
      (FreeCreditReport, Orkut, MetaCafe…)
• Most Frequently Squatted Categories
      (Games, Airlines, Media…)

Key Findings – Highlights

• The average browser: Typical consumers who misspell a popular Web site URL have a 1 in 14 chance of landing at a likely typo-squatter site.
• The biggest middle men: Top five parking companies, ranked by the percentage of squatters parked by them, are Information (28.5%), Hitfarm (11.3%), Domainsponsor (2.9%), Sedo (2.5%) and GoDaddy (2.3%). Together, the top five park 47.5% of squatters.
• Following the crowds: Popular, consumer-focused Web sites typically attract more squatters than business to business sites or niche content sites.
• Look What I Found Mommy: The incidence of pornographic content on non-adult typo-squatted sites is just 2.4%, suggesting improvement since previous studies by other researchers.
• The McDonald’s Effect: The average for the category is 8.4% and 24 of the top most squatted sites are children’s properties for kids 12 and under. Add in sites like MySpace and Miniclip and more than 60 of the top most squatted sites are properties that appeal to the 18 and under demographic.

Kevin Ham – The “.CM” Takeover

I found this interesting bit of information that I surprisingly had not heard yet.

Kevin Ham, an extremely successful domainer, struck a deal with the government of Cameroon to re-direct un-registered “.cm” typos to an ad-filled parking page owned by him. This wildcarding of the .cm domain is quite controversial.

New DotSauce Poll Question

What are your thoughts on domain name typos? Please respond to the latest poll question found in the right sidebar. I would also love to hear your comments, please leave one in the form below.

This article is hot on Sphinn, why not join me on this awesome new SEO and development social link sharing site.

McAfee Publishes In-Depth Study on Domain Name Typos DotSauce Magazine

Many hardcore domain traders have literally 1000’s of domain names in their portfolio. But most traders are casual and own anywhere from 5 to 50 on average. The obvious limitation on domain name trading is the scarcity of names to be had and of course the amount of one’s expendable income at the time we are looking for a hot name. But what are the other factors that come into play when you are looking to beef up your holdings?

Factors to Consider When Looking for Domains to Purchase

1. Cost
   • Registering quality available domains or expired domains is cost effective which leads to higher re-sell profit.
   • Purchasing domains in the aftermarket requires more research but can pay off. It takes big money to make big money in premium domains.
2. Marketplace Value
   • Brandability
   • Good extension (com, net, tv, mobi)
   • Easily pronounceable
   • Memorability
   • Meaning
   • Length
3. Business related or some profit making ability inherent to name.
4. Cool sounding i.e. Brandable, eye catching or generic keyword(s).
5. Earn back your investment, aim to sell for at least double what you paid for it.

Thoughts on Aftermarket Domain Sales

Selling domains on the other hand is a lesson in economics. We know that virtually all but the oddest names will increase in value over time. So when to sell, how to sell, and for how much are the questions each domainer has to ask himself/herself. Here are some thoughts:

1. Decent quality domain names will increase in value over time so, if at all possible, hold on to them.
2. Exposure of your list of domain names is important, you never know when someone may stumble upon one of your names and be willing to pay top dollar for it. Read my review, “Top 6 Places to Sell Your Domains For Free.”
3. At the very least get a parking service and setup a customized landing page if you have a fair number of domain names. This will provide a residual income and many times cover the cost of yearly registration. Though be sure to avoid common domain parking mistakes.
4. Hire someone to create simple logo designs for your top shelf names. A developed domain such as a blog, forum, service or storefront nearly always commands more money.
5. If you are just getting started in domain name trading, stick to what you know. If sports is your passion, trade in that venue of names before expanding out to other niches so that you get a good handle on how this fast paced business works.

Domain Name Investing 101 DotSauce Magazine

“Welcome to SnowMobileRentals.com!”

I can’t say that all my own parked domains are perfectly customized. Maybe it’s time that we all did a little investigation and optimization into our parked domain names. Get some feedback on keywords and design from friends, family and colleagues, though be sure to tell them not to click links!

Optimizing Your Landing Pages

Improving your landing pages on even a few domains could start you earning an easy residual income. It may be a time consuming process, but in the long run it will definitely be worth your while. Here are some things you should really put some thought into perfecting on your landing pages.

• Unique and relevant title and sub-title.
• Creating the right photos, graphics or logo.
• Matching and appealing color scheme.
• Relevant and powerful sponsored link keywords.

Get started with your highest trafficked domain names and work your way down. Even if your name gets a single visitor per day and you can gain that persons trust and attention enough to click on a sponsored link for, oh let’s say a measly 10¢, that would earn you $36 a year from one domain!

Avoiding Domain Parking Accidents DotSauce Magazine

“Domaining & Subdomaining In The Local Space” by Chris Smith.

This in-depth read from an industry outsider (Chris is the Lead Analyst for NetConcepts) is very informative and objective on the domaining industry. His skepticism about the ethics and profitability seems to fade as he researches local domaining.

The practice of Domaining in the local search and online business directory space has become a hot topic due to hopes that it could provide another golden source of online traffic not already thoroughly exploited.

Visual Sciences reports that: “Direct Navigation’ results in about twice as many conversions as pages located through search engines—4.23%, compared with 2.30%.”

If you are interested in learning more about this new trend of localized domains give it a read. This could be a great opportunity to invest in local search terms and long tail keyword domains to develop or promote existing business.

Insights into Domaining and Subdomaining on the Local Level DotSauce Magazine

Tim Schumacher of Sedo announced yesterday the purchase of the GreatDomains.com website from VeriSign. GreatDomains is one of Sedo’s largest after market domain sales competitors. DomainTools says the company was purchased by VeriSign in 2000 for $50,000,000 during the dot com bubble and that they have now sold it for an estimated $2,200,000.

Sedo plans to use GreatDomains as a premium domain marketplace, strictly high value names. They will be introducing new features such as live monthly auctions to compete with Moniker.

You can apply for premium auction listings on GreatDomains:

The next auction event starts Jul 19, 2007.
Applications for this event are accepted until Jul 18, 2007.

Login to your Sedo account and select “Domain Management” Check the box next to your premium value domain names you would like to submit, then use the new drop down box option on the bottom of the page entitled “Apply for Premium Auction.”

Sedo Purchases GreatDomains.com Website for Over $2 million DotSauce Magazine

Mark Coker and his wife are the authors of “BOOB TUBE”, a novel about the daytime television soap opera industry, to be published later this year. After bidding up an auction for the domain BoobTube.com, which eventually reached a high bid of $41,688, SEDO contacted Coker with some bad news. The listed seller of the domain didn’t own BoobTube.com at all and to his surprise and dismay the auction was promptly canceled after 2 weeks of bidding.

You can read Mark Coker’s article on his full experience in being involved with this fake auction. He agrees that Sedo may have acted appropriately in canceling the auction and not allowing for any funds to change hands, however he states that their are inherent flaws with their system that need to be addressed.

Scandalous Sedo Sales, BOOBTUBE.com Mishap DotSauce Magazine

Be sure to read “5 Innovative and Free Web Apps used for SEO” too!

To use these SEO tools you will need to

Ready to get started with optimizing your keywords, scrutinizing your competition and analyzing detailed statistics on how your site stands up against the rest of the internet? Then by all means install these free Firefox Extensions.

1. RankQuest SEO Toolbar

This popular extension is probably the most comprehensive “all-in-one” SEO tool for Firefox. Live PageRank, links & code validator, keyword analysis, meta tag optimization, popularity, traffic stats and more.

2. Autofill Forms

Great tool with many situational uses, such as submitting your website to hundreds of free directories! Essentially, it works just like Google Toolbar’s AutoFill. Autofill Forms enables you to fill out web forms with one click or a keyboard shortcut. A set of customizable rules is used to determine the input for each form element.

3. SeoQuake

Similar to a grease monkey Google modifying script, this extension places various important stats under each result including PageRank, number of pages indexed by Google, Alexa Rank, etc.

4. KGen

Keyword Generator allows you to extract strong keywords from any web page. Rightly enough, titles and header tags are given more strength. Check out your competitors keywords, make sure yours are optimized, or possibly use it to fill out social networking “tags” fields.

5. Niche Watch Tool

Extension requires a simple username & password registration. Once signed in this tool allows you to compare your domain name with the top 10 Google search results for a given keyword. Numerous important SEO statistics are displayed in this Firefox addon.

Hope you enjoy those extensions, please leave a comment on your experiences with these and other useful Firefox addons. Check out our Web Development section for more SEO tools and SEO resources.

5 Firefox Extensions used for SEO DotSauce Magazine