| Your domain name is the .com, .net, .org or some other | | | | name of your website gives you a huge boost. For |
| dot something that people use to get to your web site. | | | | example, if you're looking for affiliate blog, we will be in |
| is mine.A group of investors headed by Jake | | | | the top five search results. In this case, Google ignores |
| Weinbaum (the guy behind Disney's go.com) paid $7.5 | | | | TLD unless you tell it otherwise. Affiliateblog.info will |
| million for the name back in 1999, aiming to make it a | | | | come up before us because their pagerank is higher |
| showcase B2B site. According to their own press they | | | | (that's a discussion for another day). So if you think |
| have succeeded. Yes, it's a terrific name - short, sort | | | | getting near the top of the organic search results is |
| of descriptive and easy to remember. There's some | | | | more important than having someone type your name |
| cachet there, but is it $7.5 million worth? That cash | | | | directly into the address bar (and you very well could |
| could have bought a lot of promotion or branding for | | | | be right), then grab yourkeyword.cc or yourkeyword.to. |
| whatever name they could have had for ten bucks, or | | | | I've done it, and I've suggested it to others.Once the |
| a hundred, or two hundred grand.Each year for 15 | | | | user comes to your site the name just needs to be |
| years The first $500K in profit goes toward amortizing | | | | memorable enough so they type it in to get there the |
| the cost of that domain name. That could also pay for | | | | next time. Or they may forget and Google you again. I |
| a terrific affiliate program, a truckload of banner and | | | | do it every day. No matter how great your name is, if |
| PPC advertising, and a nice BMW lease for Mr. | | | | the content is lousy they won't come back anyway.So |
| Weinbaum (who probably doesn't need a BMW).But | | | | should you buy a domain name? I don't know - I |
| the thing has set off a wave of domain name | | | | bought this one. And I made honorable mention in the |
| speculation that staggers the mind. People are | | | | Domain Name News for the price I paid ($2500). I |
| snapping up domain names and ransoming them off to | | | | bought the name because I liked it, I liked the number |
| wide-eyed entrepreneurs with business plans and | | | | of incoming links to it, and I felt comfortable paying for |
| dreams of riches. Being a hardcore capitalist I am torn | | | | it. I've never paid more than a couple hundred dollars |
| about domain name speculation - I am tempted to | | | | for a domain otherwise, and I have more than 200 of |
| applaud the person making a buck by getting there | | | | them. My favorite by far is Blozzo.com, which I just |
| first and grabbing up the good names, but I am | | | | bought today for $25. I have a pretty terrific idea in |
| annoyed at the restraint of commerce that takes | | | | mind for Blozzo too.I would try to come up with my |
| place while someone negotiates with one of these | | | | own name before I bought someone else's. Here are |
| guys to get the right name.So if I look at the top 50 | | | | some tips:1. Try to go with a .com. It's the name |
| websites on Alexa, most of them should be easy to | | | | everyone associates with the Internet. Any other Top |
| remember names, right? Wrong. I would argue that | | | | Level Domain (TLD) like .org or .net is just going to |
| only one, match.com, is an easy-to-remember name | | | | confuse people, unless it sounds better than the .com. |
| that describes what the site is about.I keep hearing that | | | | For example, if you are about networking or a |
| the reason these so-called generic or descriptive | | | | network, a .net is more natural. If your site is |
| domain names are so valuable is that some people | | | | informational, you should use .info if it sounds okay. |
| just type domain names into the address bar of their | | | | One of my favorite $10 domains is seosecrets.info. I |
| browser rather than using a search engine. This fact | | | | think it sounds good. Hands down the most ingenious |
| seems to be intuitively false. I find it hard to believe that | | | | use of a TLD is del.icio.us, the social bookmarking site. |
| someone looking for information on a particular | | | | The use of the .us TLD is absolutely brilliant.2. Leave |
| business would type in Furthermore, if I look at the top | | | | out the dashes and meaningless numbers. If it's a |
| 50 websites on Alexa only one, match.com, is an | | | | choice between this-domain.com, and thisdomain.net, |
| easy-to-remember name that describes what the site | | | | take the .net. No one remembers to put the dashes or |
| is about.I wondered how many people actually type in | | | | the numbers in, unless they are an integral part of the |
| their address bar (address bar?) instead of using a | | | | name like or 3. Use the fewest letters possible to |
| search engine anyway. I didn't find the answer, but | | | | describe what you do. I own Purple Monkey Media |
| Jupiter Media tells me that 64% of people looking for | | | | Group. would have been perfect. It's taken, of course. |
| something use a search engine.That means that 36% | | | | was not. I grabbed it. I could have taken |
| of people use something other than a search engine. | | | | purplemonkeymediagroup.com, but it would have been |
| What makes me believe that people typing stuff into | | | | too long. Remember, every additional letter is a |
| their address bar doesn't happen much is this simple | | | | potential typing error.4. If you have a domain name that |
| fact...of the people using search engines last | | | | needs to be reinforced, get a good logoand sprinkle it |
| November, 43% searched for common websites like | | | | liberally on your web site, along with some slogan that |
| Ebay. In other words, instead of typing in people | | | | will reinforce the name in people's minds. You would be |
| Googled Ebay and clicked on one of the results. That | | | | surprised at how inexpensive this can be.5. If you can |
| is absolutely hysterical. And totally believable.What do | | | | save a few bucks with your own domain name or by |
| all these facts mean? They mean that as far as | | | | buying a cheaper domain name, do it, and use the |
| getting the person there the first time, everyone starts | | | | money to get yourself placed higher in the search |
| off on the same square. If your domain name can get | | | | results or Adsense placement.6. If you can't come up |
| the minority of people who just type into their address | | | | with a descriptive domain name, go the other way. |
| bar to your website without a search engine, it's worth | | | | Depending on your site's focus, pick a memorable |
| more than someone who can't.Here are some of the | | | | short name that will stick in people's minds, get a great |
| legendary domain name sales in the past several | | | | logo and include the name prominently in your |
| years, according to Zetetic:$14,000,000 - 2006 - | | | | advertising and marketing. It's called branding, and it's |
| $7,500,000 - 1999 - $5,500,000 - 2003 - $5,000,000 - | | | | tried and true.7. Ask your wife, friend, boyfriend, |
| 2002 - $5,000,000 - 1999 - $3,500,000 - 1996 - | | | | husband, dog, lawyer, associate, Mom, Dad, cousin, |
| $3,350,000 - 1999 - $3,300,000 - 1999 - $3,000,000 - | | | | uncle, Police Chief, blog writer. They're smarter than |
| 1999 - $3,000,000 - 1999 - $2,750,000 - 2004 - | | | | you anyway, and they are going to be the one looking |
| creditcards.comAll of these with the exception of | | | | for the site, not you. Some of my best ideas have |
| (computer networking) should get address bar traffic, | | | | come going to or from somewhere with my wife and |
| because people who type will type in the descriptive | | | | just brainstorming.Here's the bad news: it may take |
| names - if I'm looking for sex-related stuff, I'll type in | | | | you a while to come up with the right name. There's |
| Where my mind gets boggled is in ROI. If you're selling | | | | more good news though - in the real world most |
| something on that nets you $25, you'll need to sell | | | | domain names sell for $1,000 or less.Can't get started? |
| 200,000 of those George Foreman grills just to pay for | | | | - Go to a site that sells domain names (here's mine), |
| your domain name.It also dawned on me that if you | | | | and put in a word that describes your business. See if |
| pay $12,000,000 for sex.com, the free publicity | | | | the name is taken (it probably will be). Open your word |
| generated is probably also worth millions.So now | | | | processor or go to and put the word in. Get a few |
| everyone gets dollar signs in their eyes and thinks they | | | | more words. Check those. If there's a .com available |
| can make a million with their domain name. Here are | | | | and it looks good, grab it. If not, add the word site or |
| some examples of asking prices from (yes, that's a 6) | | | | blog or online to your word, and see if that works. |
| - $7,000,000 | | | | Don't wait. If you think it might be useable, spend the |
| - $3,500,000 | | | | $9.00. I came up with I liked it. I decided to think about it |
| - $1,000,000What does this mean for you? Well, | | | | some more. Someone grabbed it that afternoon. Just |
| there's some good news and some bad news. | | | | chisel loose the nine bucks (or less) and buy the |
| Remember back a few paragraphs when I said that | | | | domain.If you want something a little more |
| everyone starts on the same square? That's really the | | | | sophisticated there are several sites that are good for |
| good news. You can choose a pretty good domain | | | | helping you come up with a name, like DomainsBot and |
| name, put together some terrific content, employ some | | | | Nameboy.If you draw a blank, go over to Sedo or |
| simple Search Engine Optimization and buy some | | | | Afternic and see what's for sale. Search for a word |
| keywords or exchange some links and you have a | | | | that describes what you think people will associate the |
| pretty good chance of getting people to your site the | | | | name of your site with, and see what pops up. That |
| first time. Since most of them are coming via a search | | | | may give you some ideas.These sites and more can |
| engine they're not going to notice your domain name | | | | be found in the Tools section of Name Journal tracks |
| until they get there anyway, so your domain name | | | | domain name sales.Matt DeAngelis runs AffiliateBlog. |
| means the same thing (nothing) to the majority of | | | | Matt is the former CTO of Modem Media, a pioneer in |
| people using the search engine.One last thing: if you're | | | | the Internet ad space. As a foot soldier in the Internet |
| hoping to be close to the top in the search results (the | | | | revolution, Matt devised the technology behind many of |
| so-called organic SEO), having your keywords in the | | | | the most successful ad campaigns of the time. |