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One of the most common questions I’ve seen among aspiring web entrepreneurs is how to get into the domaining business. Domaining is one of the earliest forms of commercializing the internet, and it remains a very lucrative industry for newbies and experts alike. I’ve written the following segment (which was originally an eBook, but due to lack of time and motivation I decided to post it as a blog segment) to serve as a handbook for people who know little to nothing about the domaining industry. If you already know quite a bit about domaining, then you may want to just skim this segment rather than reading it entirely. I’ll be adding a chapter or two to this segment every week.

Domaining 101 Contents:

• Introduction
• Extensions
• Researching Keywords
• Registration
• Parking

What are Domains and “Domainers”?

I assume everyone reading this segment at least has a moderate grasp on how the internet works on a basic level and how a user would interact with domains; therefore, I am not going to bore you with all of the technical mumbo jumbo and simply give you what you need and what you want: information on how to make a living through domaining.

A domain name is quite simply what you type into your address bar in your web browser when you want to visit a website; for example, if you wanted to visit Microsoft’s homepage you would go to http://www.microsoft.com - www.microsoft.com is the domain.

Every website is hosted on a web server which is setup much like your home computer in that it stores files in a folder system for users to access. However web servers are built differently and formatted to handle the pressures of web traffic. How you access these web servers is usually through domain names.

Domains were created primarily to make web navigation easier for individuals. Rather than having users memorize long series of numbers, IP addresses, the domain system was devised to make websites easier to recall and revisit. Domain names are also useful in the way that a website owner can change servers without changing his web identity. For example if all of your users visited your website by entering in your server’s IP address, then if you changed servers you would instantly lose your type-in traffic. Every website needs a domain name to realistically interact with the public sphere. Domains were created and are governed by ICANN. As a domainer it is very important to know what is going on in ICANN since they pretty much define the industry. I’ll talk more about ICANN throughout the segment.

Domainers are individuals who take advantage of this system of domains and generate income solely through the selling and parking of domain names (domaining). The beauty is that anybody regardless of age, background, or education level can profit through domaining. Does that mean everyone who reads this segment and starts his own domain business will make millions? Not necessarily. One should not approach domaining as a “get rich quick scheme” as is the common goal of many online entrepreneurs. Domaining should be looked at as a skill, a trade, or an art that has to be practiced and honed in order to profit. A common misconception is that web money comes easy; that’s not necessarily true. You have to work for your online income the same as you do in any other occupation. The difference is you get to work from the comfort of your own home, on your own time, and be your own boss. Does all this mean that you can’t make millions through domaining? Absolutely not, it is surely possible However, to make that kind of money through domaining you either have to have started in this business 5-10 years ago (good luck with that time machine) or learn the skills needed to succeed in the market today and have the motivation to put those skills to work. I intend to give you the knowledge and skills you need through this segment, but it is up to you what you do with it.

Earning Avenues

So now you know that there is money to be made in domaining, but where and how? Basically there are two potential earning avenues to take in domaining: selling and parking. Selling a domain is pretty self-explanatory, you acquire a domain and sell it for a profit. Most domainers sell their domains through public web markets which usually charge a posting fee or commission upon completion of a successful sale. There are also a lot of domainers who sell domains privately to other individuals or corporations. The selling method brings in more immediate revenue than the parking method. The problem with relying on this method as your sole source of income is the worry of always trying to find a buyer for your domains. Domain parking is a little more complicated and will be explained in greater detail later in the segment, but basically it means using a really simple web page centered around advertisements that generate revenue when visitors enter your site or click on the ads. Although this method generates less lump sum revenue than selling domains, it typically creates more consistent long-term income if done properly.

To be a successful domainer you are mostly likely going to want to use a healthy mix of both selling and parking. And as always, even if you stress parking over selling, when the right offer comes in you have to know when to sell.

SEO as it Relates to Domaining

It would be impossible to gain a firm knowledge of domaining without learning at least a little of SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing your website’s results rankings on search engines such as Google.com and Yahoo.com. Higher search engine results for your page means higher organic traffic through users visiting your site through search engine results. Although you as a domainer may never SEO your domains since you might decide creating websites for your domains is not for you, you should have a grasp on the importance of SEO because it does play a part in the value of your domains. SEO-friendly domains, or domains that would naturally perform well in search engines for certain keywords, are worth more than domains that do not contribute to SEO. Throughout the segment I will be going into further detail on how domains effect SEO, but if you want to gain a stronger foundation on the subject, you should check out Aaron Wall’s SEOBook (aff).

So now that you know the basics, it’s time to begin your career as a domainer.

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