I know this is contrary to some things I’ve said in the past few weeks, but today I feel like registering a few new domain names. Lately, I’ve felt quite a bit of pressure due to a variety of factors (mainly the launch of a new website), and there’s nothing like finding some nice unregistered names to get me back in the domain spirit!

To find some hidden gold, I am going to start by doing some Google research on new technology trends. I am going to think about ways in which people might go online to search about the new technology, and perhaps buy a domain name or two. I do keyword research when buying domain names in the aftermarket, so why not do some hypothetical keyword research on my own. I will ask myself, “if this thing gets big, how will people search for it?” I don’t necessarily need to rely on what scientists or developers are calling it - more like how people will intuitively search for it.

I really enjoy this aspect of domain investing. In some respects, I felt like I went from a gold miner to a jeweler, as I decided I would be better off developing a few of my domain names rather than relying on the sale of my names to make a living. While some people have the luxury of earning passive PPC revenue, I am more interested in building a business.

Sure it’s difficult and unchartered territory for me, but I am working with a great developer, a few great SEO “advisors,” and I have been receiving amazing advice from people who are already very successful. With guidance from experienced veterans, the development process is much easier. Today, though, I am going back to my roots and going to search for some domain nuggets.

Early last week, a reader of mine asked me to go through a portion of his portfolio (about 250 domain names) to review which names I would renew and which names I would drop. He offered to pay me for my time, and I agreed to do this in exchange for a donation to the ICA. While reviewing his list of domain names, I thought about the types of names I think he should keep and the names I think he should drop.

Most of the names in his list have strong keywords, but many were backwards and out of place. This isn’t one of his names, but it would be like RestaurantsNewYorkDelis.com or something like that. While the keywords Read More »

I dont register many new domain names. I prefer to focus on strategic aftermarket acquisitions when I buy, as I believe the payoff can be greater. However, just like almost every other domain investor, I like to register new domain names every once in a while. Hunting for domain names is fun, and it feels great to find a gem in the rough - although one person’s gem may be someone else’s waste. I think everyone would agree that a gem of a new registration is a name that earns its annual registration fee and more, without any marketing effort.

In March, after doing some keyword research related to the outdoors and hunting, I registered MountedHeads.com (no link to avoid violating TOS). Although the Overture wasn’t strong, I felt the name was unique and in an interesting niche. Of course, “mounted heads” is related to taxonomy, where hunters pay to have their animal heads mounted. There are currently over 18,000 Google results for the term, “mounted heads,” and although it isn’t typical that a parked page is ranked so high, this one ranks #5 out of 18,000.

From the time I bought the name, I have had it parked on Fabulous. Between March and September, I received almost no visitors at all. I started receiving traffic in October, and I have been averaging about 20-25 visits per month, not too bad for a newly registered domain name. The name is also seeing a 40% CTR and rising, now that I made some minor keyword adjustments and used the Fabulous+ program to customize the layout based on landing page testing.

The name has made more than twice the registration fee, and it has earned 9o% of that revenue since it started receiving more traffic in October. While this wouldn’t be considered a great name for the biggest portfolios, it’s a gem of a new registration. Based on just a 10 year revenue multiple (using $4/month), this is close to a $500 domain name. Not bad for paying $6.95 for it less than a year ago.

It seems that everyone wants to get into the domain investment business. All it takes is internet access, a good idea and around $8.00 and you can buy yourself a great domain name! Shoot - you don’t even need a great idea to register a domain name. Come on, everyone has a few of those alcohol-induced purchases, right?

The point is that it’s very easy for people to register domain names and become involved in the domain business. One thing I’ve noticed is the diverse backgrounds of people I know in the domain industry. There are marketers, lawyers, doctors, techies, professors, salesmen…etc. The list of professions is deep, to say the least. This is because the domain industry spans every single profession and industry, allowing those with a strong background in a particular field to have an advantage over others.

Take my friend Ben for example. He’s a finance guy who knows that business well. After many discussions about the domain industry, my friend decided to get his feet wet and register a few domain names that jive with his finance background. Although he won’t be able to retire on most of the names he purchased, he did acquire some pretty good names in YuanInvestment.com (Yuan is the Chinese currency), MarginInvesting.com, and YenInvestment.com (BTW, if you are interested in acquiring these, drop me a line!).

Although he may not even realize it until reading this post, I think the most valuable domain name that he owns is his own first/last name in the .com. He is now in control of his name on the Internet, which will be important once he really makes a name for himself. Ben is a smart guy. When the domain industry really comes from under the radar, Ben will probably be managing billions of dollars, and he will have a leg up on everyone else. Shoot, maybe Ben will be the financier that helps propel the domain business forward.

I was watching the news last night and there was a story about New York City offering nicotine patches to people trying to quit their smoking habit. Instead of calling them “nicotine patches,” the news anchor referred to them as “tobacco patches.” I hadn’t heard that reference before, but I thought that if a person with a teleprompter in front of him made this error, there are probably others out there who might do the same thing.

I quickly did a Whois search for TobaccoPatch.com and saw that the name was registered in 1998, although the domain name doesn’t resolve. I searched for TobaccoPatches.com, and voila, it was unregistered! I snatched it up and will park it to see if anyone is making the same mistake as the television anchor. Just a few clicks a year, and the name will pay for itself. I know a name like this is certainly a gamble, but I would rather take my chances on this than on creating a random word that doesn’t exist.

I just found a couple decent names that were unregistered. I was able to register HMOCompanies.com and HMOCompany.com. Although there aren’t a ton of Google listings for these two names, there are advertisers on the top and side of Google. With some decent SEO, these names can possibly produce some valuable clicks.

Moral of the story: There are still good GENERIC domain names to be found out there without having to turn to the aftermarket. Keep on searching. Landing a decent new registration feels almost as good as reeling in a great one-worder in the aftermarket - with less financial risk.

I have frequently seen people lamenting that “all of the good domain names are taken.” I think this defeatist talk is far from the truth. Yes, just about all of today’s relevant one word (and most two word) domain names are taken. However, there are still some targeted, high paying keyword .com names that have never been registered before, and they are just waiting for you to buy them. These domain names are hidden gems just waiting to be found.

A few months ago, I was reading about subprime credit and mortgage issues. I did some searching, and I registered SubprimeHomeMortgages.com. Just a couple of weeks ago, I sold it for over a hundred times my investment. Some people thought I might have sold it for less than full value, but why be greedy? Registering new domain names is as easy as keeping up on the news and following trends. Many people I know in the business enjoy the thrill of hunting for great unregistered domain names as much as buying 6 figure names.

A couple pieces of advice on registering new domain names:
1) NEVER register names with trademarks. If the company wanted it, they would have bought it. Also, if there was traffic, unfortunately a tasting company would probably have bought it already. You are just looking for trouble.

2) Always read various newspapers, blogs, industry journals…etc. Domain registration is about speculation. I saw that there is new insulin technology, so I bought DisposableInsulinPump(s).com. Domain names cost $7 - you have much better odds than the casino!

If you are a person who thinks all the good names are registered, here are a few that I just registered last night:
TruckDrivingInsurance.com
CheapToiletries.com
NewYorkInsurer.com
NewYorkInsurers.com
PeepShowBooth.com
PeepShowBooths.com