I’m pleased to be sharing a bunch more new bookmarklets I’ve come across recently in a great post by Tom Critchlow on SEOMoz. These SEO-centric bookmarklets provide immediate access to pertinent data from Google and leading SEO tools.

The bookmarklets below may appear like regular hyperlinks, but you will need to drag and drop these links to your browser toolbar or save them as bookmarks for them to function properly. Consider creating a folder to drag the bookmarklets to if you plan on using many of them.

Domain Name and SEO Bookmarklets

These bookmarklets, when clicked from the browser toolbar, will provide quick access to valuable information and analytics about the website currently being viewed.

Bookmarklet: OSE Report (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Open Site Explorer by SEOMoz offers a comprehensive SEO report

Bookmarklet: OSE Top Pages (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Analyzes a domain name for the most authoritative pages

Bookmarklet: OSE Anchor Text (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Displays a report on the anchor text used to link to a domain

Bookmarklet: Google Site Search (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Performs a query to retrieve all indexed pages for a domain

Bookmarklet: Google Cache (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Access the most recent Google cache version of a URL

Bookmarklet: Google Insights (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Performs a search for the term popularity of a domain name without the TLD

Bookmarklet: Google Ad Planner (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Runs a comprehensive report on a domain including traffic estimates and related sites

Bookmarklet: SEM Rush (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Comprehensive PPC  marketing report

Bookmarklet: MajesticSEO (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Displays a report on backlinks to a domain over time

Bookmarklet: Topsy (Drag & Drop link to your toolbar)
Description: Shows the latest engagement activity on Twitter for a particular domain

More Bookmarklets

Get 12 more domain and SEO bookmarklets from my previous article for quick access to data on DomainTools, Estibot, Archive.org, Compete, Delicious and others.

Share the Time Savings

I hope you’ve enjoyed these time-saving bookmarklets for domain name and SEO research. Please consider sharing this post with your fellow web professionals if you found them particularly useful.

What are your favorite bookmarklets? Leave a comment below and let us know which ones you use the most or share a useful bookmarklet not mentioned here.

10 More Time-Saving Domain and SEO Bookmarklets DotSauce Magazine

In an effort to make the monthly link roundups easier to consume I’ve left out updates on marketing, social media, small business and entrepreneurship.

If you’re interested in getting all the updates please connect with DotSauce on one of these networks.

Stay In The Know: Connect With DotSauce

Twitter – (See top of sidebar to follow –>) Join 15,000 others who follow @DotSauce tweets on domains, SEO, marketing and web development.

Facebook – (See top of sidebar to like –>) Like DotSauce on Facebook where you’ll receive almost all the resources shared on Twitter, though more focused on domaining. Plus receive special announcements and exclusive offers for fans.

LinkedIn – If you are a web professional or work in a related industry, I would be glad to have you connect with me on LinkedIn. Twitter updates are broadcast to the LinkedIn stream.

Google+ – Add me to your circles. I’ll be sharing special updates and resources with Google Plus connections soon.

Web Development

It seems the theme for July is speed. Included are several great resources and some big news from Google on the webpage performance front.

Domaining

The domain industry continues to get exposure in the mainstream media. July was a busy month with several major industry moves and great editorials.

SEO

The web at large is catching on that social media and SEO go together. Google+ has been the tipping point, time to get on board.

Thank you for checking out these recommended news articles and resources. I hope you’ve found some beneficial information that can help your business or website.

As always, you’re welcome to share these links with your followers individually or by using one of the share buttons below. Any mentions are greatly appreciated.

Web Development, Domaining and SEO Link Roundup for July DotSauce Magazine

Google’s official Page Speed announcement reports speed improvements of 25% — 60% on some websites. The service works by routing your DNS requests to Google’s server where they rewrite your website and serve it to visitors faster with optimized CSS, image, text and script compression, caching and other tricks.

[Header image via Flickr]

Is Google’s Page Speed Service really necessary? I’m not convinced it’s for the masses yet because most of these techniques are available freely. However, I’m sure there is a large market for individuals or businesses who are willing to leave website optimization up to Google. It can provide some peace of mind in knowing that all the many best practices for optimization are taken care of for you.

Try It Out

You can see how the Page Speed Service would improve your website performance now at WebPageTest.org.

For now, the service is free for a select number of webmasters who sign up here. Google plans to charge a fee for usage in the near future.

Related Article: Instant Pages: Google Plans to Preload #1 Search Result

My Page Speed Service Results

I ran the DotSauce Magazine homepage through the comparison test. You can view my results here. Google was only able to speed up the site by about 0.1 seconds, a 1% improvement. Not surprising really as I have taken steps to increase website performance manually.

Page Speed Service Comparison

Don’t get me wrong, I did see some benefit to the service. The start-rendering time as reported by the comparison did show a marked improvement. Some images began loading 14.9% faster as you can see in the results, particularly on the visual comparison.

I attribute the already fast load time to optimization techniques and resources recently featured in my article, 12 Tips and New Standards for Optimizing Your Website. I highly recommend you implement most, if not all, of these tips if you haven’t already.

How did Google Page Speed work for your website load time? Would you pay a subscription fee for this service? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

This should prove to be a valuable service that will help boost business by reducing website bounce rate and increasing search rankings.

Google Launches Pay For Page Speed Service DotSauce Magazine

I have categorized and selected choice updates from the month of June in today’s link roundup.

To receive updates like those featured here, as well as more interesting resources and breaking industry news, please follow @DotSauce on Twitter.

Most of these links are also shared on the DotSauce Facebook page.

Branding & Domain Names

Each month it seems the domain name industry is featured in the mainstream media more and more. With ICANN’s approval of the new generic TLD space this month, I am confident this trend will continue. I found these headlines and resources particularly interesting.

Online Business

I’ve been pleased to read many informative and inspiring articles from respected entrepreneurs and industry leaders this month.

Web Development & SEO

Nearly a dozen great articles on SEO have been featured this month. The industry is evolving rapidly; optimizing for site performance, social engagement and producing quality content are becoming increasingly important to become an authority site.

Marketing & Social Media

These articles can help get you on the right path towards social media success. Get updated on the latest trends and social marketing techniques.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these resources and are able to use what you’ve learned to improve your online business. Join 15,000 others who follow @DotSauce on Twitter to stay in-the-know.

You’re welcome to retweet any of these links to your own following or share the entire link roundup. Have a great holiday weekend!

Domaining, Online Business and Web Development Link Roundup for June DotSauce Magazine

I’ve recently discovered a new, possibly better solution for displaying a domain portfolio within any WordPress page using the My Domain List WordPress plugin which is available at CodeCanyon for $12.

As it turns out, this plugin is a great way to both market your domains for sale and manage your portfolio privately.

[Header image via Flickr]

Automated Whois Information

One of the key perks of My Domain List is automated retrieval of whois information. This is a great feature which enables you to keep up-to-date on all of your domain information from multiple registrars in one central location.

My Domain List Management

The following data is displayed for all domains within a private domain management page.

• Domain registrar
• Owner name
• Whois creation date
• Ownership change date
• Expiration date

These details can be displayed publicly as part of your domain list table or kept private.

If you would like to manage your portfolio with My Domain List while keeping some domains private you can do that as well. Select the “Unpublish” to set a domain to only be visible through the domain management page.

Your domain list is displayed by placing a shortcode within a post or a page and customizing it to suit your needs, as in this example.

[my-domain-list-portfolio show='owner,extension,registrar']

With this initial release of the plugin there are some features left to be desired (such as domain search and categories), but all the essentials seem to be covered. The UI is well designed for both owner and visitors and the Make Offer process is user-friendly and inviting with a fixed priced domain.

My Domain List Screenshots

Here are more screenshots of the Domain List display and the private back-end. You can review the full plugin documentation here.

My Domain List – Full Demo

Incoming Offers Stats – Displayed on WordPress Dashboard

Optional Pagination by Letters

Get My Domain List

My Domain List is available exclusively at CodeCanyon. The WordPress plugin is reasonably priced at just $12. This is a bargain for being able to manage and market your domain names for sale.

Let me know what you think. Please leave a comment below if you decide to give it a try.

My Domain List WordPress Plugin: Market and Manage Your Domains DotSauce Magazine

I’ve kept watch and tried out many new web development techniques. I’ve also held an active interest in engaging with readers directly on site and through social networks as much as possible.

In this article, I share the optimization techniques and resources that have been most beneficial to me as a web developer and blogger.

Site Header Tips

1. Optimize your title. By default, WordPress and other CMS’s append your website name to the end of title tags on posts and pages. Using your choice of SEO optimization plugin, such as All In One SEO or WordPress SEO, you can configure post titles to contain just the title of your post.

This technique has proven to be beneficial for ranking well for key terms within post titles. It works because you will eventually receive backlinks with better anchor text and more relevancy on social network shares.

2. Set a default image URL for Facebook & LinkedIn sharing. In the past, images accompanying my articles when displayed on social sharing services like Digg, Facebook, bitly, and others always seemed to be the wrong one or missing entirely! The problem annoyed me to the point that I had to seek out a solution.

I was ecstatic to finally work out a simple way to define the proper post image every time. Plug this code into your site header to define the image URL.

<link rel="image_src" type="image/jpeg" href="post-thumbnail.jpg" />

3. Set an author link attribute. (New) Google, Bing and Yahoo recently announced a joint initiative hosted at Schema.org. This HTML tagging platform will work as a framework for defining the structure of a website and individual bits of data. This initiative to create a more open web filled with rich data is just getting started.

Google is getting started right away with a new way to connect authors with their content across multiple websites. Simply define rel=”author” when linking the author’s name in post display as shown here.

<a rel="author" href="http://markfulton.com">Mark Fulton</a>

Site Speed Tips

4. Track page speed with updated Google Analytics code. (New) Last month Google introduced a revolutionary new feature as part of the upgraded Google Analytics, tracking website load times.

With a little adjustment to your tracking code you can begin receiving reports on site speed analytics. Get this rolling and watch as the next few tips greatly reduce page load times.

_gaq.push(['_trackPageLoadTime']);

5. Minify JavaScript and CSS files. WordPress Minify is a must-have plugin for any site using JavaScript files and detailed CSS.

Automagically have all these files compressed and combined. This will reduce the number of HTTP requests, significantly speeding up page speed performance.

6. Compress images and serve them across multiple sub-domains. Another highly recommend solution for improving website speed is the WP Smush.it plugin which compresses images as you upload them.

I still recommend saving all images for the web using PhotoShop before uploading. Then let Smush.it work a little extra magic to reduce the file size further without noticeably compromising quality.

Additionally, hosting some images on different sub-domains allows them to be loaded simultaneously instead of one at a time.

7. Place non-critical JavaScript calls in the footer. By placing your JavaScript calls just before your closing tag you make sure all critical content and design layout is rendered before JavaScript enhanced elements. This is as important for user experience as page loading time.

Ironically, the new Google +1 button code suggests placing the script tag in your header. Put it in the footer instead!

Increase Conversions

8. Split test your business and lead generation copy. We’re hearing more and more about split-testing or A/B tests in recent years as easier tools are made available. The smallest of changes in copy, color or positioning of call to action elements can sometimes yield big returns.

Here are some economical choices for getting started with split testing your website content.

• Google Website Optimizer
• A/B Theme Testing Plugin for WordPress
• Visual Website Optimizer

9. Reduce bounce rate by engaging readers. There are a lot of great methods for engaging website visitors, encouraging them to stick around longer and click-through to further pages on your site.

I’ve written some common sense suggestions for reducing bounce rate in the past. Simple things like improving your navigation or adding images to content can help.

I have been pleased with increased engagement here at DotSauce Magazine using the following applications.

• Wibiya Toolbar (red toolbar at bottom of window) – An incredibly useful toolbar with lots of applications.
• Punchtab Rewards (“Rewards” icon at bottom left of window) – Encourage return visits and sharing content with Punchtab’s innovative new social rewards layer.
• HelloBar – Run a promotion in the header of your site to get immediate attention. Simple app with lots of thought put into it.

I have 5 beta invites to HelloBar for those interested. Please leave a comment and let me know you’d like one.

Extend Your Reach

10. Go mobile. I use the WPTouch plugin which automatically generates a mobile optimized version of DotSauce Magazine. Have you looked at your Google Analytics browser reports to see if many visitors are using mobile devices? It’s likely more than you think.

Greatly improve their user experience and conserve server resources by implementing a mobile optimized display.

11. Get social. Love them or hate them, social networks are driving traffic and allowing your following to engage and endorse your content. Discover the best widgets and sharing buttons for your website and include them in prime positions such as at the top of your sidebar or directly after post content.

I recommend you highlight the big 4; Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and email.

• Facebook Social Plugins
• Twitter Website Resources
• LinkedIn Share button
• Google +1 Button (New)
• Sharedaddy (Part of JetPack for WordPress)

12. Become a curator of the latest news and resources. This suggestion goes hand-in-hand with getting social. The most influential people on social networks are found generously sharing editorials, news and resources. It’s a great way to build a following and get recommended.

Every day I share a selection of domaining, online business and web development resources on Twitter, the DotSauce Facebook page, LinkedIn, social bookmarking and social news websites. I’ve been doing this for years and have found the practice to be very rewarding.

I’m now using Keepstream to publish a monthly roundup of the best links here on DotSauce. You can also find over 90 industry leading publications at the new DotSauce News site.

Next Up: Optimizing Publisher Experience

I hope you’ve enjoyed these tips and techniques for optimizing websites for both search engines and readers. I’m considering a related post that will feature methods of optimizing your experience as a publisher on the backend of a website. This year, I’ve discovered some very interesting tools and resources that make professional blogging that much easier. Stay tuned.

Thanks for reading my tips. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or suggestions about this article, I would love to hear your thoughts.

12 Tips and New Standards for Optimizing Your Website DotSauce Magazine

I take great pleasure in curating and sharing the most valuable articles, editorials and resources related to domaining, online business, marketing, web development and SEO. I hope you’ve had a chance to use and pass these resources on to your following.

It’s been some time since the last Twitter link roundup. I had considered discontinuing that post series, but the content shared in May is definitely worth a second look even if you did happen to catch the updates on the DotSauce Facebook page or the @DotSauce Twitter feed.

Domaining

Domain name industry news, articles and resources from DotSauce and around the web.

Small Business & Startups

Big collection of inspiration, editorials and resources for small business and entrepreneurs.

Marketing

Powerful techniques and tips for the constantly evolving world of online marketing.

Web Development & SEO

The latest in website development, design, management and optimization.

Like what you see? To stay up-to-date with our online business resources, follow @DotSauce or Like DotSauce on Facebook to receive ALL the updates. Thanks for connecting!

Domaining and Online Business Link Roundup from May 2011 DotSauce Magazine

[Image via Flickr.]

This particular piece of software called FeedNamer recently launched with a bang, using one of those very loud and long landing pages.

The application extracts words and phrases from RSS feed headlines and scans for domain availability. Supposedly hundreds of valuable domains are up for grabs using this method. I have my doubts.

I will admit the landing page is fairly well done for conversions, I can imagine this sort of thing taking off as some domain flipping courses and apps do. You’re getting what seems to be a pretty neat piece of automation software for $44. I’m sure a handful of you might even buy FeedNamer because I’m writing about it right now, even though I’m telling you NOT to.

The creator, Brad Gosse claims to be an 11 year veteran internet marketer, but I have to say he does not seem very experienced with quality domain names as evidenced by comments made in a video introduction. The examples provided are typical “dreamer” domains that someone just beginning to build a portfolio may think is valuable; domains with obscure niches or unprofitable speculative domains.

Putting the FeedNamer Concept to The Test

Knowing how simple the software is, I wanted to test the validity of the claims that good domain names can be extracted from RSS feed headlines. So, I put the concept to the test using free web based tools.

1. Find headlines

I used DotSauce News to get the latest headlines from 17 leading business blogs and 16 awesome marketing blogs.

I also tested extracting keywords from popurls mobile pages. Any page with feed headlines will work.

2. Extract phrases

Using the free web-based GetRank keyword extractor tool, I was able to replicate the FeedNamer software functionality by simply entering any URLs containing feed headlines.

I can’t say for sure that this keyword extractor is equal to the one used by FeedNamer, but I imagine they use comparable dictionaries. You will get a list of phrases as shown here.

3. Bulk availability check

Last week, DomainHole launched a fast and free bulk availability checker. I pressed the developers on Hacker News and they have confirmed no data is being logged.

Tip: You don’t need to format the text or type .com at the end of each line.

Simply plug the two or three-word phrase results you get from the keyword extractor into the bulk checker and you’re finished.

So, what is the result? Unfortunately, it’s as I expected; nothing good. I was unable to find any domains worth registering. To the developer’s credit, FeedNamer does mention that you will have to filter through some junk, I just can’t see any diamonds emerging from this junk pile.

I tried multiple different feeds and categories. Here are a few examples of my typical results:

If you haven’t already guessed, I am not a believer in this particular method of available domain mining. Do you see any domains even remotely valuable here? I for one wouldn’t want to be tasked with skimming through lists of this poor quality.

I highly recommend going with a domain suggestion tool that uses verifiable keyword data such as TailWords or DomainHole suggestions.

What do you think of the FeedNamer concept? What are your favorite domain suggestion tools? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Don’t Waste Your Money: FeedNamer Tool Flops DotSauce Magazine

I am pleased to announce DotSauce News has been completely renovated early and is now live. The original site was powered by a hosted service, Slinkset, which is being shut down completely. I had to act fast, but I am happy with the development progress of the new site thus far.

Wide and Unique Coverage

DotSauce News currently features 70 feeds representing a near comprehensive collection of the most popular blogs and publications from the following industries.

• Business
• Domaining
• Marketing
• SEO
• Web Development

More news sources will be added over the coming days and weeks and suggestions are always welcome. Please leave a comment below.

Advanced Site Features

Some site features and concepts are still being developed. No login is needed at this time, but the option to create a customizable DotSauce News account may be incorporated as a service offered to DotSauce Domain Club members in the near future.

Here are a few of the features that make DotSauce News stand out:

• Multiple industry coverage
• Feeds sortable by engagement score or alphabetically
• Full article reading for many feeds
• Multiple feed and in-article advanced search
• Curated list of favorite articles
• Multiple layout options for readability

What do you think of the new DotSauce News site? Read up on the latest in domains, business, SEO and more, then come back to let me know what you think.

Would you like to see additional categories or more advanced domain news feed sources such as domain marketplaces or discussion forums? Please leave your feedback in the comments below.

I would also appreciate it if you help spread the latest domain news coverage around the web by sharing the new DotSauce News site with your network.

DotSauce News Updated! Features Domaining and Related Industry Feeds DotSauce Magazine

TailWords is firstly an SEO tool, so there are a few minor search functions and features left to be desired for domainers. However, the application brings the available domain finder tool to a new level by incorporating useful keyword data.

These analytics were previously only available through external services such as Estibot and the Google AdWords keyword tool.

TailWords Keyword Data

You may recognize these TailWords features as common domain research metrics.

• Google Search Volume – Displays a daily volume figure taken from 2010-2011
• Average AdWords PPC Bid Price – Data from 2010-2011
• Broad Search Results
• Phrase Search Results – Number of results for phrase search with keywords in quotes
• Search Results, All In Title – Number of results for phrase search that have all keywords in title
• Number of Words
• Number of Characters

Other more advanced filters are also available as shown in this screenshot.

Example TailWords Advanced Search

Using TailWords to Find Available Domains

TailWords automates a valuable domain discovery method that many domainers currently do manually. It’s also doing a better job at it. Using the app, we’re saving at least two time-consuming tasks; finding keyword data and bulk domain lookup.

I did notice some minor discrepancies in the data. A small percentage of domains found were actually unavailable, which is to be expected. So, don’t get too excited about any particular domain before doing a real availability check. You should also remember that the search volumes and PPC bid data are estimates.

Being a long-tail keyword research tool, TailWords is definitely a promising application for acquiring three-word domain names with high search volume and potentially high PPC values. I was able to find numerous quality three-word domains and a select number of two-word domains after spending some time plugging in keywords.

Highlighting keyword order

Tip: Domainers should be wary of keyword positioning when using SEO data. Use your browser search feature (Control + F) to highlight the main search term to more clearly identify entries with the proper positioning.

Check out TailWords for yourself and let me know what you think of its potential as a keyword domain research tool. I have a feeling I will be spending a decent amount of time with this new tool. So, please leave a comment if you would be interested in a more detailed review of TailWords advanced search options and how the data offered can be used.

Impressive New Keyword Research Tool Pinpoints Available Domains DotSauce Magazine

After reviewing the full offering, I am convinced that CodeGuard is going to be a must-have service for serious web professionals and I am thrilled to be using it to protect my websites.

[Image by Flickr user Aaron Landry]

Super Backup

CodeGuard connects to your site through FTP and seamlessly goes to work for you backing up and monitoring your files.

Unlike traditional cloud storage services like DropBox, CodeGuard can be setup to backup your website hourly, daily or monthly and stores a unique image of your site each time.

Thwarting Hackers

Over the years I have seen a steady rise in attacks against websites and have even fallen victim to some very devious hacks and exploits myself. I wish CodeGuard would have been around to alert me about those issues.

CodeGuard continually scans your website files for unauthorized code. Pro members can be alerted by email in as little as a few minutes if anything malicious appears.

Mishaps Be Gone

CodeGuard Pro members never worry about breaking their websites. An amazing “rollback” feature works just like an undo tool, letting you effortlessly restore a previous version of an entire site.

The rollback feature could be particularly helpful when dealing with CMS updates that can at times break a customized website.

FREE Beta Offer With Activation Code: DOTSAUCE

CodeGuard is offering up to 5000 free accounts during their beta launch. They have been kind enough to provide DotSauce readers with an invitation.

Simply enter DOTSAUCE as your activation code when signing up for CodeGuard. You can use this activation code to backup one site for free or get CodeGuard Pro features and backup multiple sites for just $10 per month.

If you’re interested, hurry and try out the free Beta offering while it’s still available.

What do you think of CodeGuard? Leave a comment below to let us know how it works out or ask any questions you might have about CodeGuard’s service.

CodeGuard is a Must Have for Website Backup and Malware Monitoring – Free Beta Offer! DotSauce Magazine

These applications and resources can be an invaluable addition to your domain investing tool-set. Enjoy!

[Image by Flickr user bertboerland]

1. Rapportive for Researching Inquiries and Offers

Just yesterday a DotSauce Domain Club member contacted me for a consultation seeking advice on a recent offer received by email. He wanted to know if he should respond with an asking price or direct the person to a Sedo auction. As part of my recommendation, I suggested researching the name and email address of the interested party and gave Rapportive as a starting point. Surprisingly, the Domain Club member was able to discover the incoming offer was actually a domain buying scam.

2. Tout for Email Marketing

Last year I wrote about how to automate end-user domain sales marketing using the web-based Tout email application. I’m pleased to report that Tout has received updates in both user-interface and interesting new features.

3. WordPress for Blogging and Building a Domain Portfolio

I mention WordPress and blogging all the time, and will continue to do so because it is such a valuable medium for online businesses. Publishing unique content about your interests or niche can drive new customers from search engines and build your reputation.

4. Facebook for Networking

This link leads to the ever popular Domaining on Facebook group. If you are a serious domain investor who wants to learn and network with your colleagues, I welcome you to request an invite and join in on our discussions.

5. Noted for Research and List Manipulation

Noted is a very unique resource you’re unlikely to see mentioned elsewhere. Noted was developed a decade ago and I have been using it as my primary notepad application ever since. The simplicity, speed and text manipulation features offered by Noted have saved me countless hours. Learning to master find and replace can be a great skill for domain research.

6. Ping.fm for Social Marketing

This application is another time-saver that I don’t know what I’d do without. Ping.fm enables you to broadcast a 140 character status update to dozens of social networks at the same time. You can also create specific groups to segment which networks receive each update. For example, I have specific groups for sharing with everyone or just the DotSauce Facebook page.

7. Google Docs for Spreadsheets

Domain investors are constantly dealing with spreadsheets full of domains and analytics. Storing these files on the Google Docs cloud can offer you quick access and unique tools on the go. You may also want to check out Web Scraper for Chrome which can extract and export tables on web pages to Google Docs.

8. Browser Addons & Bookmarklets for Saving Time

There are dozens of very useful browser addons for making online business easier to manage and saving you time on repetitive tasks. The two links above lead to round-ups of some incredibly useful Chrome addons and a list of browser bookmarklets for domain and SEO research.

9. Friends & Family for Feedback

The people you talk with everyday are likely only somewhat familiar with the domain name industry, but they can still be an invaluable resource. When it comes time for usability testing you can ask for a quick opinion to get an outsider’s perspective. Whether it’s your website navigation or a potential domain investment, ask a friend what they think.

10. Sleep & Exercise for a Balanced Mind

I recently read a surprising article on sleep at the Harvard Business Review that really hit home. Tony Schwartz says sleep is more important than food, “even small amounts of sleep deprivation take a significant toll on our health, our mood, our cognitive capacity and our productivity.“ Working from home, I am often a night owl, but I have been trying to manage my sleep better and it helps greatly.

I hope you enjoyed these 10 unconventional ideas, tools, and resources and have a chance to put them to good use. If you know someone else who would find these useful, consider sharing this post.

Did I miss a unique resource? Please leave a comment with your favorite unconventional domain tools.

10 Unconventional Tools & Resources for Domain Investors DotSauce Magazine

Our given names have become brands in the digital age regardless of profession, industry or interests. It’s how we connect on social networks and get discovered on search engines.

Expecting parents can use the new Rewordious Baby Names application to find a great name for your baby boy or girl with a matching .com domain.

The application might also be useful to see if other members of your family have available domains. I noticed a few relatives when trying it out! Time to make some phone calls.

[Header Image: Jason DeRusha, Sam Loves To Blog, via Flickr]

Baby Names With Available .Com Domain DotSauce Magazine

I’m happy to share a great solution I’ve discovered for quickly extracting data from many websites. It is a new Chrome browser extension called Web Scraper and is a great example of a new era in web productivity. This is one smart tool that can be used for common domaining tasks. The application is not restricted to the confines of a web address. Web Scraper can read user input (the selection) and is able to inspect and analyze the source of any given web page.

Web Scraper enables you to highlight text from any web page and right-click your selection to “Scrape similar” data. The scraped data is shown in a preview table alongside features for removing unwanted columns or applying a preset filters for manipulating the data. When finished, the data can be instantly published as a new spreadsheet to your Google Docs account.

I’ve tested this application and found it to be useful within the GoDaddy Domain Manager, AdWords Keyword Tool, Estibot, SnapNames, DNJournal Weekly sales reports, Domaining.com closing auctions, bulk WhoIs lookups and other domain research and management locations.

I look forward to seeing more smart tools that have relevant applications for the domain industry. There are some great domain and SEO bookmarklets and an increasing number of Chrome apps for developers which are helpful. However, there is still a lot to be desired.

Web apps are fast converging with browser functionality. I know there is a lot of potential for time-saving and automation; ultimately making our industry and domaining success more accessible to the public.

If you’ve spotted an innovative or advanced new application that can be applied to domain research or management please share in the comments below. And, if you’ve found Web Scraper useful, consider sharing this article with your network.

Smart Domain Tool: Web Scraper for Chrome Extracts Data From Any Page DotSauce Magazine

In an age of social networking, having a big list of followers, friends and fans is also beneficial. However, Twitter and Facebook essentially run on real-time, so your audience will only see brief messages occasionally. That is the unfortunate, yet necessary nature of the social stream.

Email is different and all-together more valuable than social marketing, because it reaches people in a place that is highly important to them at a time that is convenient.

Now there is no excuse for not having an email list to make more sales and drive traffic to your domain name portfolio website, blog or business.

Just a few months ago, MailChimp introduced freemium email newsletter services for small accounts and has just announced today an increase in the limit for free accounts to 2000 subscribers.

You can sign up for free here. They are  bringing on thousands of new users daily, so be patient with their website server for the moment.

I will say that I personally use AWeber to manage the DotSauce newsletter and email lists for my other websites, because of the more advanced features and tools.

I have become accustomed to Aweber, but MailChimp is a perfectly capable service with most of the same features and many other neat tools. I actually use MailChimp’s Google Analytics plugin for WordPress which mashes up data from Google Analytics, MailChimp and WordPress post data.

Give it a try and begin building your list of regular customers, clients, fellow domainers, businessmen and entrepreneurs for example. You may also want to target a particular niche. It is important to offer some value in exchange for subscriptions; exclusive offers, discounts, coupons, resources, news, or information. For some great advice on getting started, you will be interested to read the latest from Copyblogger on how to get more email subscribers.

I hope you enjoy the fun and innovative MailChimp experience and are able to grow your email newsletter beyond 2000 subscribers! The pricing at that point is just pennies per email and surely worth every one.

Please consider subscribing to the DotSauce newsletter for more domaining and online business resources.

No Excuse for Not Having an Email List, MailChimp Goes Free for Up To 2000 Subscribers DotSauce Magazine

In this roundup, I’ve collected and sorted all the top links to articles and resources shared on Twitter thus far in 2011. I’m sure it’s possible for even my most dedicated followers to miss some updates, so I have hand picked the top links and organized them by category for your convenience.

You’re welcome to share these resources with your own following. Mentioning @DotSauce would be very much appreciated . Enjoy!

Domaining

Domain name resources, articles and news.

Web Development

Web development articles and free resources.

Business & Entrepreneurship

Articles and editorials encouraging online business success.

Please follow @DotSauce on Twitter where I frequently share links like these that are related to the domain name industry, website development, online business, social networking, internet marketing and more.

You can also Like DotSauce on Facebook to receive instant updates on the latest articles at DotSauce Magazine. Of course, if you’re feeling very motivated, you can leave a comment with your thoughts and share this roundup post with your friends and followers.

Twitter Link Roundup 2011 Edition: On Domaining, Web Development & Entrepreneurship DotSauce Magazine

Consider this list an added resource or continuation of my article on 5 Tips on Selling Domains for Maximum Profit. If you’re looking to reach a wide audience of fellow domainers, webmasters and resellers then this list is for you. Earn some extra cash or liquidate your portfolio with no upfront expenses.

[Image: Colin, FREE, July 18, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike]

Prepare your domains for sale and submit your listings absolutely free to the following forums and classified websites.

Free Domain Forums and Classifieds

1. NamePros Domains For Sale
2. WebHosting Talk Domain Advertising
3. v7 Network Domains Marketplace
4. DigitalPoint Buy / Sell / Trade
5. DomainState Domain Sales
6. WebmasterTalk Domain & Website Sales
7. @DNMarket Group on Twitter
8. Facebook Domain Name Marketplace
9. Devsa Domain Marketplace
10. NamesLot Names For Sale
11. ChowCow Free Domain Classifieds
12. 4.cn Domain Marketplace
13. Hacker News Trades
14. Domain Discussion Forum Exchange
15. Domainer’s Market Group on LinkedIn
16. Tycoon Talk Domain Marketplace
17. Craigslist Business / Commercial Classifieds

Niche Domain Marketplaces

1. AcornDomains Marketplace (CO.UK)
2. ccTLDs.com Global Buy / Sell / Trade (All Country Codes)
3. IDNForums Market – Internationalized words and special character sets
4. Short Domain Forum – 3-6 character domains and dictionary words
5. INForum Marketplace – (.IN) Indian domains

Commission Based Marketplaces

1. Sedo (10% commission)
2. Bido Auctions (8% commission)
3. Afternic (10-20% commission)
4. SnapNames (20% commission)
5. GoDaddy Premium Listings (Requires domains at GoDaddy, 30% commission)
6. Pool.com (10% commission)
7. Aftermarket.com (10% commission)
8. BrandStack Domains (15% commission)

If you decide to promote across multiple forums and marketplaces, be sure to manage your domains properly by removing old listings. Best of luck with your domain sales!

What are your favorite free places to list domains for sale? Please share a link in the comments below if I have left out a popular resource.

30 Free Places to List Your Domains For Sale DotSauce Magazine

I’m not writing this to get you to convert to Google Chrome, but I am going to tempt you with a collection of amazingly useful new applications and extensions that can be found in the new Chrome Web App Store. Enjoy!

[Image: Ian Manrue, Wrenches, February 28, 2009 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution.]

Web Development

Window Resizer – Quickly change the size of your actual browser window to see how your website looks at common screen resolutions.

Web Developer Tools – This is identical to the web developer toolbar that is so popular for Firefox users. Featuring an assortment of useful web dev tools.

Development & Code Search – Provides quick access to documentation for popular programming languages.

IE Tab – As the name implies, launch a tab running Internet Explorer inside chrome to see how your website looks for those poor souls.

Sight – Automatically highlights code syntax when source of websites is viewed in the browser.

Pastebin – Quickly store or retrieve text or code from a secure or public location on Pastebin.com

MeasureIt! – Determine the pixel width and height on any element of a page.

Speed Tracer – This official Google plugin really puts your website performance to the test and provides valuable information for improving load times.

csscan – Quickly view the CSS properties of any element on a page.

Blogging

Create Link – Allows you to copy the current page URL and title as a fully formatted HTML hyperlink or customize your own link structure.

SEO SERP – Check the search ranking performance of multiple websites against particular keyword term or phrase.

SEO Site Tools – A comprehensive suite of tools for researching and analyzing SEO and social performance of any website.

Pixlr Grabber – Useful for taking a full or partial screen capture of any website and instantly enables crop and editing.

Word Count – Watch what you’re writing. This app counts the words and characters within a selection.

RSS Subscription – Amazingly, Chrome does not automatically recognize RSS feeds. This application remedies the problem and helps you quickly subscribe to the feed of any blog.

Social Media Marketing

Session Manager – Enables you to save individual sets of tabs to open anytime you want. Use this to quickly open a set of important websites or for repetitive tasks that require multiple windows.

Personalized Web – This powerful application allows you to mold the web to work for you. Modify the code of any site to your liking.

iMacros – Automate repetitive tasks with ease with this advanced application. Record and playback actions to make your PC do the grunt work.

Stay Focused – Limit the amount of time you spend on time-wasting sites or manage your marketing efforts by making sure you cover all the bases before you run out of time.

Proxlet Tweet Filter – An amazing new web application layer for Twitter.com that enables useful features such as filtering your twitter stream, hashtags, and blocking annoying Twitter applications.

Thank you for browsing this list of tools for website development, blogging and social marketing. What are your favorite items from the Chrome Web App store? Let us know which tools you can’t live without.

If you found these Chrome applications useful and know someone else who might, please consider sharing this post.

Chrome Web App Store’s Useful New Tools for Web Developers, Bloggers and Marketers DotSauce Magazine

Hop over and browse the latest articles and features that spark your interest. Consider subscribing to their updates to stay updated and gain a new perspective from these fresh minds.

[Image: C4Chaos, kosmic blogging in samsara, February 26, 2006 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike]

New and Interesting Domaining Related Blogs

1. Domain Noob

John Humphrey is a newcomer to the domain blogosphere, as if the domain name didn’t already clue you in. This smart and business savvy writer has already published several interesting editorials. Definitely one to bookmark and subscribe to.

2. Kevin Ohashi

This entreprenuer has had his eye on the domain industry for awhile and is sharing some really interesting research related to domain sales, internet and technology. Kevin recently released a handy List Manipulator tool that can be used to arrange, tweak and customize lists of domain names.

3. Domain Incite

Kevin Murphy is a journalist churning out a steady stream of domain industry news and the occasional editorial. Kevin has provided views from ICANN meetings and other industry happenings as well as keeping us very updated on progress and state of new generic top-level domains (gTLDs).

4. Domain Sherpa

I discovered this brand new publication a few weeks ago and immediately saw some potential. The founder is very ambitious, dubbing the new website “the domain name authority” right away. I wish them the best of luck and will be keeping watch on their progress. It is nice to have a little friendly competition.

5. DomainTools Blog

While this is in no way a newcomer to the industry, DomainTools recently dusted off their blog and have begun to publish new domaining articles and resources. The latest is a an article with an interesting perspective on how to value a domain.

6. Domain Consultant

This is my favorite of the new domain industry blogs. Mike Fiol of Domain Consultant and BoxCar domain marketplace has been publishing regularly for several months now. Posts feature interesting and fun updates on domaining, domain sales, valuation and educational resources for experienced domain investors.

I hope you enjoyed these links and found some interesting new blogs to subscribe to. Of course, you’ll also want to be sure to subscribe to DotSauce Magazine to stay up to date on all the latest articles on domains and resources for online business success.

6 New and Interesting Domaining Blogs You May Not Know About DotSauce Magazine

Not only does a blog help establish your identity and lend credit to your expertise, it can drive traffic to your business and help pay the bills.

In this article I will describe some of the best ways available today to make money blogging.

Business Services

These scripts and plugins can enhance your website with powerful new features.

1. Job Board – A job board is a simple software solution that functions like a directory and a classifieds system rolled into one. There are numerous solutions for WordPress and other CMS systems you might be using.

Additionally, some major job search networks such as Simply Hired have affiliate programs which can be implemented on your blog through various means.

2. Classifieds – Another great feature to add to a blog is a classifieds system. Essentially enable your visitors to post short advertisements for their own products and services. This could potentially be the focal point of a blog. Classifieds can work well for a local website or a popular niche segment.

3. Paid Directory – Who says a blog can’t be a directory too? New options are becoming available to add directory features of varying feature sets to blogs. Alternatively, you can use a feature rich platform like PHP Link Directory in addition to your blog CMS.

4. WP Auctions – With WP Auctions you can embed a fully featured auction platform into your blog. This could be relevant to some publications and unique products that are right for auction style sales.

Banner Advertising

Sell graphic advertising positions in your header, sidebar, below or within blog posts.

5. BuySellAds - This is one of the top networks for direct ad sales, particularly in the technology and web/graphic design industries. The directory of sites on the BuySellAds network continues to grow with nearly 3,000 blogs on board. Publishers can apply to setup a profile for their website.

The service will cost 25% of your revenue, but you set the rates. The real value is that thousands of advertisers purchase banners seamlessly through the network website.

6. Google AdSense – This is often the only option for new publications, but can provide some added revenue to established blogs. Google’s network works on a Pay-Per-Click system in which advertisers bid for targeted placement.

Some clicks may only pay out pennies, while highly relevant content for products and services can sometimes bring in clicks of up to a few dollars each. You will need to rake in at least $100 in earnings before receiving a check, so be prepared to stick it out if you decide to invest time implementing AdSense.

One way established blogs can earn revenue from AdSense is by adding the code to older articles that are receiving high search traffic.

7. OIO Publisher – If you do have an established blog bringing in any amount of regular traffic, it’s time to start looking to sell advertising directly to interested businesses and related websites. The OIO-Publisher plugin for WordPress makes for an easy solution to managing direct ad sales.

Affiliate Networks

Connect with the best networks to earn commissions on top selling products related to your content.

8. Share-A-Sale –  This rising player in the affiliate business offers you access to over 3000 retailers in all major categories.

9. PepperJam Network – Another great network with high quality products and services.

10. Commission Junction – The industry leading network represents thousands of the top brands and businesses.

11. Google Affiliate Network – Google recently launched their own affiliate network and now represents hundreds of retailers in dozens of categories.

Affiliate programs offer you the opportunity to sell products that will be widely recognized and possibly already used by your website visitors.

You have the option of making referrals by adding links within related article content, emails, status updates. You can also feature graphic banners for affiliate programs to fill unsold ad space.

Sell Your Products

An excellent way to bring in the big bucks is to dedicate time to creating your own products.

12. Membership Site – Create a subscription based members only area of your site. This can be accomplished using new WordPress plugins, discussion forum software like vBulletin. The most advanced and feature rich option is AMember, which can connect to almost all blog and CMS platforms.

13. Write an eBook – Writing a book on your topic of choice is a long-time standard for making money with your blog. If you are an expert on a subject, it could pay off very well to publish the sum of your knowledge in an enticing digital download. Remember, once you’ve completed the work of marketing your eBook has just begun.

14. Sell Access to Your Tweets – This new concept has just emerged and could become a trend in coming years as more people are accepting of pay walls for premium content. The model has proven to be a success for some stock advisors, celebrities and other experts.

15. WP e-Commerce – This software is the most popular storefront solution available for WordPress. This enables you top open up shop directly from your WordPress dashboard and begin taking orders for your products and services.

16. Downloads – Digital goods are big business. You can sell information, white papers, photos, art, data, and much more. A wise way to deliver downloads is to mange them with an email subscription service. This way you can build a list of your customers or readers and additionally have the download automatically delivered when the subscription is confirmed.

My email marketing and delivery service of choice is AWeber. You can also use scripts, services and various plugins like Ecwid to charge a fee for file downloads.

Bonus! Sell Domain Names – Join the new DotSauce Domain Club to discover how you can build a portfolio of quality .com keyword domains to resell for considerable profits.

Sell Yourself

No, not in Vegas. Offer your technical knowledge and skills at a reasonable rate.

17. Donations - Hook up with PayPal and create a unique donation button to add to your website permanently or within a special blog post. There is no harm in asking for a little support and you may find your loyal readers more than happy to support you.

18. Consultation – Another way to sell your expertise is by offering it on a personal basis with private consultation. Explain how you can help an individual or business achieve success. Include a well formated contact form for interested parties to contact you directly from your blog.

19. Your Services – What can you do to work from your computer? Millions of freelancers are working from home everyday. With some skills on your side, you could be earning added revenue by promoting these services to your blog readers.

Graphic design, writing, web development, programming, marketing, SEO, all that interesting stuff you learned to make your blog better can be put to good use.

20. Sell Your Website – When the time finally comes that you need to move on from your project you may consider selling your blog. The good news is that if you have been putting any of the other methods of making money into practice then there is a chance your blog is quite valuable.

Flippa is the leading website sales marketplace. Post comprehensive auction details including proof of traffic and revenue for the best results.

Happy Blogging!

All these resources and ways to make money have been of particular interest to me personally. I hope you have found them useful as well. I wish you the best on your quest for blogging success in 2011.

I’m sure there are many other great options and companies available to help you earn profits while blogging. Please share your tools of choice in the comments below and pass this article on to aspiring pro bloggers.

20 Ways to Make Money Blogging in 2011 DotSauce Magazine

On this Thanksgiving, I would like to give a special thanks to the select domain tools I use frequently that are made freely available to everyone.

1. DomainTools WhoIs – Comprehensive domain history
2. Google AdWords Keyword Tool – Keyword research data
3. FreshDrop – Domain buying research
4. Estibot – Automated appraisals and statistics
5. Domaining.com – Industry news and editorials
6. WordPress – Blogging and content management
7. DNJournal Sales Reports – Ron Jackson reports top sales
8. Moniker Bulk Domain Lookup – Fast and safe lookups
9. SEOSiteCheckup – Choice SEO research tool
10. NamePros – Industry discussion forum

You can find handy bookmarklets here for several of these free tools.

I hope you enjoy these essential domain tools and research resources. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

10 Free Domain Tools I Am Most Thankful For DotSauce Magazine

There are over 7.5 million unique place names represented with an additional 5.5 million alternate names. The data trickles on down to your very own neighborhood and street level. Even interesting geographic features such as elevation and environment type are included.

Visit the GeoNames Data page for download information and options.

Data Without the Download

GeoNames also has a graphical web interface for those looking to quickly browse the database with a Google Maps overlay . When you perform a keyword search from the homepage you are presented with all matching locations around the world.

Once you select a specific location you can filter and download a .csv list file of up to 50 surrounding place names.

Several of the tools are seamlessly integrated with WikiPedia, including many interesting web services that can be used to enhance the functionality of your own website or application.

This is likely the same data powering tools like GoDaddy’s Geo Domain Map and Name.com’s Geo Domain finder.

Finding Quality Geo Domains

I think a good Domaining strategy is to filter populated places down to the most quality city-centric domains. These would be places that are most populated and relevant to people in a given city.

You can then append additional keyword lists such as local services (insurance, design, construction, magazine, blog, sales, coupons, etc.) to the city names. While the majority of these domains will be taken, you may be able to find some gems still available.

Do you have an idea for using the GeoNames data for domain research or to build an application? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Free Database of Place Names from GeoNames DotSauce Magazine

Today, SEOMoz is suggesting that browsing  video descriptions and comments for related data can be beneficial for SEO research.

While reading the text from YouTube video descriptions and comments, copy related terms and enter them into the Google AdWords Keyword Tool to discover their actual term popularity.

We can then use popular related keywords and phrases to write content that people are looking for.

Check out the interesting guide on SEOMoz.

YouTube as a Keyword Research Tool DotSauce Magazine

The new checkout pages have been rated faster in usability testing by PayPal which helps tremendously to reduce shopping cart abandonment.

Also introduced with the update are custom payment page styles which allow PayPal members to include two branded logo images and surrounding border colors displayed as a gradient.

New page styles can be applied to all of PayPal’s eCommerce options:

• Buy Now button
• Checkout button
• Donation button
• PayPal Shopping Carts
• PayPal Website Payments

Follow these simple steps to create a custom style for your PayPal checkout.

Step 1. Navigate to Profile Summary

Step 2. Navigate to Custom Payment Pages

Step 3. Add New Page Style

Step 4. Enter Your Logo Image URLs

Your logo should be resized to 190×60 pixels. It’s a pretty small space, so be sure to eliminate any whitespace in your logo by cropping it first.

The large 750×90 pixel banner image and additional border color options are also available, but are optional.

Step 5. Enter Color Code

You may find the Colorzilla addon for Firefox or EyeDropper extension for Chrome helpful for this step.

Do not include the # sign when pasting your hex color code here.

Step 6. Set Default OR Add Page Style Variable to Code

Once saved, you have the option to make your new custom page style the default for your account.

If you accept payments for more than one business or service, I recommend you add the “page_style” variable to define the name of a style for each of your checkout buttons or shopping cart code.

page_style=”AQDN”

Your PayPal checkout should now feature your logo and accompanying colors. Here’s to a better branded, more seamless checkout experience for your customers!

Are you happy with these improvements? Are you planning on using all of the new page style options or just some? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts or consider sharing this how-to guide with a fellow PayPal merchant.

How To Customize The New PayPal Checkout Page DotSauce Magazine

These all come highly recommended for the serious blogger, but are sure to get a new comer excited about the possibilities of customizing and improving the blogging experience.

Featured below are new ways to snap the web, edit your code, curate tweets, organize upcoming posts and even get more readers. Enjoy!

1. Pixlr Grabber

Capture the web quickly and easily. Pixlr Grabber is a browser extension for both Firefox and Google Chrome developed by Pixlr, a slick web based image editing solution.

The Pixlr Grabber extension helps you take screenshots of selected portions or entire webpages. You can then save to your computer, upload to the web or immediately share your screenshots with friends.

2. Code ‘n’ Run

This simple web application enables you to connect to your own server via a secure FTP connection and edit your website code.

The interface is extremely minimal and user friendly, perfect for use on an iPad. Code syntax is properly highlighted and multiple files can be worked on quickly and efficiently.

3. KeepStream

The Twitter app I’ve been waiting for is finally being developed. KeepStream is a new startup that aims to help you organize your favorite twitter updates. You may have noticed it in the latest DotSauce Link Roundup.

You can select tweets from your public timelines, your own stream, a search, a Twitter list or your starred favorites. Tweets with links in them can optionally feature full titles and short descriptions of the destination pages.

Tweets are saved within a nicely formatted list that is shareable and embeddable. Here is a live example:

4. Editorial Calendar

This new WordPress plugin provides a clean calendar view of your posting activity. Browse your live posts and quickly create drafts for posts you’d like to schedule at a later date.

Using this plugin definitely beats selecting dates manually from the new post page.

Get in a rhythm and manage your posting schedule with this great plugin. I’m sure it’s going to be one of the next best essential plugins for all blogs.

5. Sharedaddy

Hot off the presses! Automattic has just announced this exciting social sharing plugin today.

Sharedaddy is for both WordPress.com and self-hosted WordPress blogs. The plugin places buttons below your post that enable readers to quickly share posts on social networks, bookmarking services or directly to a friend’s email. The option is also available to add additional services.

View this video for a quick walk-through of the Sharedaddy administration or see the plugin in action below this post.

Stay Tuned For More

I hope you found these new apps and plugins for bloggers as useful as I did. Stay tuned to DotSauce for upcoming collections of useful new apps for social media and business soon.

If you have friends who are fellow bloggers, consider being one of the first to put the new Sharedaddy plugin to good use. Thanks!

5 Incredibly Useful New Apps for Bloggers DotSauce Magazine

In this article I will share the tools and resources I use to take brief glimpses into the future. Using these tools, you too can gain insight into trends and make predictions about the course of your own industry.

Followed by the 10 resources I describe 6 ways you can take advantage of the data for potential profit. Enjoy!

1. Recorded Future

An amazing new service is now providing free updates on future events and trends related to any industry or topic. This brief video introduction to Recorded Future explains how you can use the service to learn about the future.

Select as many topics or as you wish and you will receive an email update for each topic either daily or weekly.

The emails feature a visual overview of the volume and scope of future events and a listing of article references.

2. Twitter

The media has embraced Twitter as an amazing source of breaking news accross the globe. If something big is happening tomorrow, it’s probably already being talked about on Twitter.

Twitter’s real-time nature makes for a great place to watch out for what’s new, emerging and promising. A visit to TweetMeme can show you what people are reading and sharing. There are also many apps and services for monitoring trends. What The Trend displays crowdsourced data on why things are trending.

Other useful services include TweetDeck which now is live streaming capable, TweetTabs live monitoring and TrendsMap local trends.

Use Twitter Lists to follow the news-makers, influencers and curators and #Hashtags to tap into global conversations.

3. Technical Researchers

Many wonderful organizations are working to analyze trends and data so that we might better understand society and the internet.

Here are some great places to start for the latest research on the internet and online business.

• Pew Internet
• GigaOM
• eMarketer
• Morgan Stanley
• Jacob Nielson
• VeriSign

4. Futurists

I am a fan of Ray Kurzweil for his far reaching vision of the future (or it could be the sci-fi geek in me). His talks on the singularity event of exponential technological development make me thrilled to live in such an age of growth.

Futurists can also be a unique source of information for business in the short term. They use extensive experiences, public polling, deductive reasoning and other scientific studies to make predictions.

One futurist recently enlightened us that newspapers as we know them will be gone by 2022, to be replaced by crowdsourced journalism. This makes me excited to be on at center stage as the world discovers blogs and other homegrown online media.

5. Trend Hunters

I like to leave things to the experts in many situations. Trend hunting is no different.

The following examples are well-respected for staying on top of the latest in technology, media and more. Try to find the go-to sources for your niche.

• TrendWatching Briefs
• WIRED Epicenter
• ArsTechnica
• Current TV
• AllTop
• TED
• TechCrunch
• The Cool Hunter
• eBay’s Inside Source

6. Website Traffic

Arguably one of the best ways to predict the future is by viewing the trends in website traffic. This data can be found at Compete and Alexa.

Jacques Mattheij recently predicted that Facebook will overtake Google in the next 18 months using website traffic estimates.

7. Looxii Social Monitoring

While I have not had a chance to fully try out this curiously named service (I’m guessing they were going for ‘look see’), it does seem very promising as a social media monitoring tool.

With Looxii you can monitor up to 2 keywords for free and have reports emailed to you daily. The reports contain data of mentions and trends across blogs, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook.

8. PostRank Labs

The team at PostRank, which I have previously praised for their innovative new services, are showing no signs of slowing down.

PostRank Labs features a suite of amazing tools such as social trends, blog widgets, even a engagement analytics plugin for your Google Reader.

Their newest tool allows you to compare social engagement across 3 different domains.

9. Google AdWords & Insights

Advertisers bidding on keywords at Google want to know which terms will be most beneficial to them. The world’s best search engine has gone to great lengths to provide amazingly useful data for just that purpose.

Fire up the Google AdWords Keyword tool and you will see a small graph at the right of each row which represents the local search volume.

This data is particularly useful for web publishers and businesses looking to increase the effectiveness of their search optimization efforts.

Google Insights provides a one-year forecast, comparisons and notable news for multiple terms.

Lastly, I have something for you to watch out for. Google has recently acquired Metaweb and Freebase, a massive public database of virtually all types of data.

10. Bookmarking Data

I have noticed a few things having kept an eye on Delicious popular bookmarks off and on over the course of many months. Invisible trends and influences moving through the blogosphere, often at the highest levels on the most popular publications.

TechCrunch articles will cause spin-offs, one blog will counter with it’s own arguments, a popular piece (The Web Is Dead) may cause the whole internet to share their opinion. We’re all connected much more than you might think.

Other places to find out what people are reading and sharing include Reddit, Digg, Hacker News, and LikeButton.me.

6 Ways You Can Profit From Future Research

After checking out the above tools, you might be asking yourself, “How do I profit from knowing about the future?” Unfortunately, there are no lottery ticket numbers or sports scores to be had.

This is going to take some initiative and time invested, but the rewards can be great. Here are some ways I’ve come up with that you can use this information for profit.

1. Buy domain names of future products and services

As an example, I purchased HTML5Framework.com during the coding standard’s debut on the web. If I had decided to research this earlier, I could have registered countless other valuable HTML5 domain names.

Another example, RecycledFood.com; the business of turning food waste into energy and other products is growing rapidly. I registered this for a small fee and it may now be worth quite a bit.

2. Start a blog about a trending or emerging category

The sooner you begin publishing content the better, because the blogs of today may be some of the leading publications of tomorrow.

A prime example of this would be social media blogs. They are now some of the most heavily trafficked destinations on the web. One of the most popular, Social Media Examiner launched just 1 year ago and has already grown into a million dollar publication.

3. Invest in companies which show future potential

I enjoyed the following bit of information from Paul Graham, founder of startup incubator Y Combinator during a talk on the future of software and startups.

Hackers are a leading indicator of what people will be using in the future.

4. Get a head start on marketing products

Not many people know that Google TV is launching in the fall this year. I have been writing about it and sharing updates on this destined game-changer for several months now. This simple act of writing a post will give my site more authority and relevance for later coverage.

When it comes to web content and affiliate marketing, those who act first often come out as the winners as far as search rankings and eventual commission earnings.

5. Become an early adopter

Sharing all the latest news, resources and tools with your network is a great social media strategy. It also helps you learn the pulse of your industry and catalog all it’s resources.

6. Launch a startup or build the next big app

I just read this interesting bit of information recently on TechCrunch. There is a ton of opportunity for those who run ahead of the pack.

One company that has been overlooked as a potential platform for other startups to build a business on remains YouTube, which Google acquired for $1.65 billion in 2006.

Thank you for taking the time to review these tools and resources for predicting the future and my ideas for profiting from future predictions.  If you would like to suggest further resources or share your thoughts on this topic please don’t hesitate to leave a comment.

There is a world of interesting data out there with many secrets yet to be discovered and it is only going to get better.

10 Tools You Can Use to Predict and Profit From the Future DotSauce Magazine

The following 100 websites are made up of the most popular and widely used domain tools, resources and businesses.

I have used various metrics and sources to compile this list, such as traffic estimates and bookmark data. Certain websites have been excluded which may be popular, but are dated and irrelevant to the industry today.

1. GoDaddy (Registrar)
2. DomainTools (Domain Lookup & Tools)
3. NameCheap (Registrar)
4. DNSstuff (Domain Tools)
5. BustAName (Domain Finder)
6. Instant Domain Search (Domain Lookup)
7. DomainsBot (Domain Finder)
8. Domai.nr (Hack Finder)
9. NameBoy (Domain Finder)
10. SnapNames (Expiring Domain Auctions)
11. MakeWords (Domain Finder)
12. Moniker (Registrar & Domain Auctions)
13. Sedo (Domain Auctions)
14. Pool.com (Expired Domain Auctions)
15. eNom (Registrar)
16. Afternic (Domain Auctions)
17. Register.com (Registrar)
18. Who.is (Domain Lookup)
19. 123-Reg (UK Registrar)
20. Name.com (Registrar)
21. NamePros (Domain Forum)
22. Domize (Domain Lookup)
23. NameJet (Expired Domain Auctions)
24. DNForum (Domain Forum)
25. ICANN (Governing Body for Domains and IPs)
26. Estibot (Automated Appraisals & Research)
27. FreshDrop (Domain Research)
28. IANA Root Zone (Details on TLDs and country-code TLDs)
29. MyDomain (Registrar)
30. dnScoop (Automated Appraisal)
31. JustDropped (Expired Domains)
32. Archive.org Wayback Machine (Website History)
33. PickyDomains (Paid Name Suggestions)
34. DNJournal (Industry News)
35. Domain Name Wire (Industry News)
36. Alexa (Domain Traffic Stats)
37. Compete (Domain Traffic Stats)
38. List of Top-level Domains (Wikipedia Info)
39. AllWhois (Domain Lookup)
40. EuroDNS (European Registrar)
41. Dotster (Registrar)
42. BuyDomains.com (Premium Domain Sales)
43. DomainTyper (Domain Finder)
44. DeletedDomains (Expired Domain Search)
45. Whois Source (Domain Lookup)
46. Flippa (Domain & Website Sales)
47. Wordoid (Word Generator)
48. Google Apps for Domains (Domain Tools)
49. DirectNIC (Registrar)
50. Whois.com (Domain Lookup)
51. WhoIsHostingThis? (Web Host Lookup)
52. NameBio (Domain Sales History)
53. DynaDot (Registrar)
54. MelbourneIT (Australian Registrar)
55. NetCraft (Internet Security Research)
56. Google Analytics (Traffic Logging)
57. Domaining.com (Industry News Aggregator)
58. Nominet (.UK Registry)
59. Domain.com (Registrar)
60. DynDNS (DNS Hosting)
61. OpenDNS (Secured DNS Service)
62. CrazyDomains (Australian Registrar)
63. Yahoo Domains (Registrar)
64. PCNames (Domain Lookup)
65. DropDay (Expired Domain Research)
66. NameTumbler (Domain Finder)
67. Google AdWords Keyword Tool (Keyword Research)
68. TheDomains (Industry News)
69. DomainNameNews (Industry News)
70. Rick Latona (Broker)
71. DomainNews (Industry News)
72. Elliot’s Blog (Domain Blogger)
73. DotSauce Magazine (Domain & Development Articles)
74. AvailableDomainNames (Available Domain Lists)
75. DNSalePrice (Domain Sales History)
76. DomainState (Domain Forum)
77. NameBee.com (Industry News Aggregator)
78. CircleID (Internet & Domain News)
79. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. (Industry Conference)
80. DOMAINfest (Industry Conference)
81. SuccessClick (Domain Blogger)
82. Morgan Linton (Domain Blogger)
83. Rick’s Blog (Domain Blogger)
84. DomainNameSales (Domain Blogger)
85. Parked.com (Parking)
86. NameDrive (Parking)
87. Fabulous (Parking)
88. WhyPark (Parking)
89. SmartName (Parking)
90. Google AdSense for Domains (Parking)
91. Trafficz (Parking)
92. Skenzo (Parking)
93. Domain Development Corp (Parking)
94. Above.com (Parking Manager)
95. iGoldRush (Domaining Portal)
96. IDNBlog (International Domain Blog)
97. Domain Masters (Radio Program / Podcast)
98. DomainerIncome (Domain Research)
99. DNHeadlines (Industry News Aggregator)
100. DNCalendar (Industry Related Events)

I encourage you to visit and explore all the domain industry websites that peek your interest!

The list could have included 100 more domain resources, so I apologize if one of your favorite sites is not included. If there is a very popular domain website that I’ve missed, please let me know. I may compile an extended list sometime in the future.

Thank you for looking! Don’t forget to bookmark this for future reference.

Top 100 Domain Tools, Resources and Websites DotSauce Magazine

Every day on Twitter (@DotSauce), I share links to articles, resources and apps of interest to web professionals. This month I have categorized links as domaining, small business, startups & entrepreneurship, social networking, web development, design, and WordPress.

These links were selected from June 12th to July 12th 2010.

Domain Names

Mahalo uses keyword domains to drive traffic http://bit.ly/aLs5L3

Worldwide domain registrations double over past 4 years http://bit.ly/b9BXVh

How To Automate End User Domain Sales Marketing http://bit.ly/aUqqv8

Domain Name Dispute and Arbitration Resources http://bit.ly/cSKSdo

Right Brain Domaining http://bit.ly/dlEb0Q

Job.com: 50% Of Visitors Come From Direct Navigation http://bit.ly/cximY3

How Domaining is Like Collecting Baseball Cards http://bit.ly/caKm1h

Premium TLDs: Not All Extensions Created Equal http://DotSauce.com/3753

Small Business

Self hosted options voted best to set up shop online http://bit.ly/d0B7W4

A look at the freemium business model http://bit.ly/aeONDQ

How The World Spends Time Online http://bit.ly/cGT6hH

10 Ways To Be Your Own Boss http://bit.ly/bT4Vnf

How to Bootstrap a Business http://bit.ly/a2dEca

9 Expert SEO Tips for Small Businesses http://bit.ly/cghbdY

Everything I learned in business came from 3 charts http://bit.ly/akZOYv

Startups & Entrepreneurship

76 Powerful Thoughts from Paul Graham http://bit.ly/9IX3dU

Everything You Need To Know About Startup Ecosystem http://bit.ly/aPzV9w

How to hire a programmer to make your ideas happen http://bit.ly/atnHXg

10 Tips for Startups on Naming Your Company http://bit.ly/bqFL62

Competition Is Overrated http://bit.ly/d6Ufv0

Why many successful entrepreneurs came out of PayPal http://bit.ly/dlW2Lz

BBC Special: Start-Up Stories http://bit.ly/bBho96

Social Networking

15 Awesome Social Media Infographics http://bit.ly/ap5KNk

Twitter T.CO Domain As Official Link Shortener http://bit.ly/d9wkdb

How Much Is a Facebook Fan Really Worth? http://bit.ly/ba6em0

Measure Social Media and Its Impact on Your Brand http://bit.ly/bel6H4

Is Social a Source for B2B Leads? http://bit.ly/bF9oXv

Jive Software Wants to Be Facebook for the Enterprise http://bit.ly/d55Yw4

Pick&Zip – Download All Your Photos from Facebook http://bit.ly/cPLyyH

MySpace will attempt a comeback later this year http://bit.ly/9nvyIy

2/3 of Web Users to Visit Social Networks by 2014 http://bit.ly/bkx8xT

6 Social Media Mistakes And How to Fix Them http://bit.ly/af12fc

Web Design

Get a head start: Designing Websites for Google TV http://bit.ly/9g44sd

Fancy Sliding Form with jQuery http://bit.ly/ctk3Ak

10 Beautiful Minimalist Icon Sets http://bit.ly/9PdbSV

Will LESS Make CSS Obsolete? http://bit.ly/aqCX7V

50 Powerful Time-Savers For Web Designers http://bit.ly/cfugo9

Web Development

Information Architecture: Enhancing User Experience http://bit.ly/cjUSml

Spice Up Your Website With jQuery Goodness http://bit.ly/ds5Ik6

30 Pro jQuery Tips, Tricks and Strategies http://bit.ly/9iy88e

Firefox Reveals Websites’ Best Friend and Worst Enemy http://bit.ly/92yf6q

The Right Keyword Analysis For Your Website http://bit.ly/9qI2o4

The Right Keyword Analysis For Your Website (Part-2) http://bit.ly/93y0fw

The State of HTML5 Apps http://bit.ly/bxDaAt

29 Worst Practices: SEO Checklist http://selnd.com/c66S5S

Beginner’s Guide to SEO from SEOmoz http://bit.ly/cpLPaH

Collection of website user experience misconceptions http://bit.ly/aeAwre

The 10 HTML Tags Beginners Aren’t Using http://bit.ly/dwLbSi

HTML5 Rocks!: A resource for web developers by Google http://bit.ly/aKgViR

Link Building With The Experts http://bit.ly/cam58E

WordPress

WordPress Plugin – Ozh Drop Down Admin Menu http://bit.ly/bkLyhD

WP 3.0 Easy Post Types Plugin http://bit.ly/9MGtCd

WordPress Plugin – Compresses  files – WP Minify http://bit.ly/aS7TEB

The Ultimate WordPress Shopping/Ecommerce Toolbox http://bit.ly/cuL8yb

Essential Plugins for WordPress 3.0 http://bit.ly/bQGDNg

Build Your Own Website Network  With WordPress 3.0 http://bit.ly/cNPpVR

10 Useful WordPress Security Tweaks http://bit.ly/akY5PB

Email Commenters WordPress Plugin http://bit.ly/9uSHau

WP Facebook Plugin http://bit.ly/boKJJe

Top 15 Premium WordPress Plugins http://bit.ly/9IwgWz

Random & Useful

Best Chrome Addons for Power Blogging http://bit.ly/crj42ab

Google Chrome Gets Extension Sync http://bit.ly/a0iCMT

Encrypt the web – HTTPS Everywhere for Firefox http://bit.ly/9glXUe

Everything you need to know about the internet http://bit.ly/cm0zsV

Bounce – Fun, easy way to share ideas on a website http://bit.ly/aLVGZq

67 trendy innovations – Innovation Insanity: http://bit.ly/9felnf

How People Are Using the iPad http://bit.ly/df5aY5

I hope you found a lot of these resources useful.

Be sure to follow me on Twitter for all the latest updates. You may also want to bookmark this post for quick access and feel free to share these resources with your social following.

Link Roundup 2 – Domaining, Startups, WordPress, Social & More DotSauce Magazine

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.

How To Automate End User Domain Sales Marketing DotSauce Magazine

Many have questioned the accuracy of Compete and Alexa traffic rankings. Could social engagement data soon be viewed as more relevant metrics?

PostRank came on the scene in 2007 with a goal in mind of helping people find the best blogs by topic and to help publishers measure their influence and reach.

Today, PostRank is monitoring and tracking social engagement across all domain names in real-time. Data is gathered on where and when someone shares a post on any number of social networks or makes a comment on-site.

The PostRank Labs team are working on (among other things) a tool that will look very familiar to many of you.

We all love website comparison charts, but this is not simply an estimation of website traffic like you’re thinking.

See this PostRank Labs demonstration for a quick preview of the data.

I was surprised at the differences between on and off-site engagement when comparing websites and how that percentage affects the engagement points total.

PostRank Domain Industry Rankings

I have setup a “Domains” tag on PostRank and added a number of publications. Unfortunately, some blog feeds were not able to be discovered by PostRank. Feel free to add additional feeds if they are relevant.

Clicking a title will show individual posts and enable you to find those with the best social engagement performance.

Social Data, Coming Soon to an App Near You

The PostRank Data Services toolkit for developers has just been updated with a Domain Activity API. Developers may use the APIs to incorporate PostRank, FeedRank and Domain Activity metrics into their own applications.

If you’re a programmer, the PostRank APIs may provide a unique opportunity to develop applications or services related to social engagement. I have a few ideas for using the real-time domain activity analytics, please get in touch with me if you would like to hear them.

I have a feeling we will start to see specific metrics such as provided by PostRank become more prevalent and useful.

Keeping tabs on your PostRank domain activity can help you get motivated to start actively promoting your content on social networks. Find out what works and potentially discover new ways to engage your readers and keep them coming back for more.

New PostRank Domain API: Tracking Social Engagement (+Domain Industry Rankings) DotSauce Magazine