Buying an existing domain name vs a new domain name
No one can deny that the Internet is here to stay and that businesses who do not embrace the internet are going to struggle in the coming years. With the Internet and Search Engines reaching a new level of maturity, I have noticed in their rankings that they are beginning to put more and more weight on the age of the domain in their index and because of this we have now reached a crossroad for many businesses to evaluate whether they are better off buying an existing domain versus registering a brand new domain. But Buyer Beware!
I have met many many people who have benefited and others who have been burnt by buying existing domain names. The major disadvantage of buying an existing domain name is that it may have been banned from the search engines for inappropriate search engine tactics, better known as ‘black hat techniques’. My own personal experience with the search engines and trying to talk to a human being in the past to plead my case over an issue with one of our own domains has made me come to the realization that none of them have a clue what customer service is and they do not care what they do to you. This is where the problem lies when buying existing domains.
If you purchase a domain that has been banned for either Search Engine Black Hat techniques or for click fraud then you can pretty much write off that domain ever getting into the indexes ever again. Which means that if you are relying principally on traffic from the search engines, then you are going to invest a lot of money and get absolutely no outcome. In fact one of our own clients was caught where the domain they had purchased was banned in just about every index and by many of the pay-per-click engines as well. The money they laid out for this domain was totally wasted.
Look, there are many reasons why domains can be banned, and in some cases they are banned by indexes because the owners simply did not understand the rules that the various search engines place on the websites that they index. Whilst that is no excuse in the scheme of things, as a buyer it is something you need to be aware of.
The key advantage of buying an existing domain that has been indexed is that it is often easier to optimize that site for certain keywords than it is by using a brand new domain. Whether you believe or do not believe that the Google sandbox exists (Google says that it doesn’t, and there’s quite a bit of evidence that they are telling the truth), in most search engines, the age of the domain in the index does play a role in your ranking. I have seen webpages in the index that have been there for 10 years and have less than 20 backlinks on extremely competitive terms and yet ranking in the top 5 of those competitive keywords.
The bottom line is this, where possible and if you can afford it, an existing domain name that is already in the index is a valuable commodity. Even more so if there is an associated website to go with it. Just look at the money Google paid to You Tube for their site.
Over the last few years my team and I have helped many clients broker existing domain names (usually associated with their company’s name) that have been in the index by people creating AdSense accounts for Google or Yahoo. Once they get control of the domains they have seen vast improvements in their traffic flow and search engine positions because the domains they had bought had been in the index for some period. In fact every one of them that has done this now has top rankings in all the major search engines.
When we are evaluating domains that have been owned for some period there are a range of elements that my team and I look for. The general elements we review include -
- Is the website currently working?
- Does the domain exist in any of the major search engines?
- Can you verify ownership of the domain or are the domain details blocked?
- Where is the domain currently residing?
- Is the domain in an area on the Internet that is used by black hat people or organizations that use questionable techniques?
- What is the IP Number of the server the domain resides on?
- Can we find any indications of references to issues with this domain name on professional search engine forums or blogs?
- Does the domain reside on any black lists for spam or for activities related to advertising? We also look to see if the domain is on any number of white lists as well (this is a positive issue)
- Does the domain have a history in traffic tools such as Alexa? Have there been any comments or statements placed in the Alexa Register or similar registers?
- Is the domain registered with a reputable domain registration company?
My team and I will also look at whether or not this domain has been owned by a range of different companies or individuals and in particular if it has been deleted or pre-owned before today and resold.
I should note that there are many other issues we look at, but the ten above are the key issues everyone should look at when deciding to buy an existing domain. There are many reasons why domains may not have positive findings for each of the issues above, but just as if you were trying to buy a business, you need to see if there are any issues, and if there are can they be dealt with and are they likely to cost you money. Nobody likes to lose money on a deal, especially me, and when buying domains you need to make sure that you have done your homework and that the domain is worth the money you are investing.
Sometimes you are better off simply paying a few dollars and putting in a lot of hard work with a new domain than buying a domain for a few thousand dollars only to find that will never rank well in the search engines because it has been banned.
For other great online and offline marketing ideas visit the author’s website Online Marketing Business Opportunity. If you would like the opportunity to read the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill simply visit his website where you can download the book and audio reading. To help you in learning this material he strongly recommends his High Performance Meditation Music at – Meditation Music. Article Source: EzineArticles.com
November 22nd, 2009 19:10
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December 15th, 2009 10:25
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December 31st, 2009 11:36
It is not difficult to process an Internet domain registration. Anyone with access to the Internet can register one or several domain names. The basic requirements are a domain registrar, a domain name, entry of essential information, and payment to the registrar. Of course, lack of knowledge of the basic terminology or about how the process of Internet domain registration is managed can make it seem anything but simple. This can result in a reluctance to initiate the process. Registrar, domain, domain name…what exactly does it mean? Fortunately, all this can be put into perspective.The term domain refers to the actual website. The domain name is the address that allows people to access the site. A website that has been accredited as a domain registrar will manage your Internet domain registration, collecting the necessary information, sending it to a central directory, and maintaining your registration records. There are many domain name registrars available. A Web host will not only process your Internet domain registration, but will help you build and maintain a website as well. If you do not have a strong technical background, filing your Internet domain registration through a Web hosting site may be the answer.Sometimes the part of the Internet domain registration that seems the easiest, like creating your domain name, may be the more difficult than expected. Like postal addresses, Internet domain names must follow a specified format and be unique. Following the standard www the domain name consists of a name, then what is known as an extension. The most common extension is .com, but there are several others available. An example might be www myownwebsite dot com. The name should be reflective of the website it will represent. Together, the name and extension must form a domain name no one else has registered. The Internet has a governing body, ICANN, which ensures each domain name is unique, and that the required information is collected during the Internet domain registration. Access to the information stored from the Internet domain registration process is available on the InterNIC website. The registry itself is WHOIS.Fortunately, most Internet domain registrars provide a search to determine availability of the name you want. The search will tell you it is available or offer suggestions. If none are satisfactory, you can enter a new name and search again until you find an available name that suits your need. Now you are on your way. Provide the data required. File the form. Your Internet domain registration is complete and your registrar will alert you when it is ready to use.
January 17th, 2010 23:38
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January 27th, 2010 21:04
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January 28th, 2010 09:38
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January 28th, 2010 16:45
Not entirely sure what you mean. I made a clean theme, I use bad behavior and akismet to monitor comments.
February 17th, 2010 14:33
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February 19th, 2010 19:44
Interesting, (or rather, those bits I could easily read). I am color blind (tritanopia to be precise). I mostly use Safari browser (not sure if that makes a difference), and a great deal of your web page is tricky for me to make out. I know that it is not your problem really, but it would be nice if you would bear in mind color blind surfers whilst carrying out your next web page re-working.
February 21st, 2010 16:34
I’m not sure what you mean. Don’t you get gray for blue and so on? Nothing on the site (apart from the ads, which are pretty much outside my control visually speaking) relies on color for comprehension. If you’d give me more details of exactly what the problem is, I’ll look into fixing it – on this and other sites under my direct control.
I don’t know about Safari, but most modern browsers give you the option of overriding the style sheet for colors, font size and so on with a local style sheet. This might be worth looking into. [I guess font size isn't likely to be an issue for color blindness, but it's worth mentioning for anyone else reading this comment that changing the font size by using a local stylesheet can cause some sites to go completely wrong.]
February 26th, 2010 06:50
Hi..I am reading your page for a few days now is there any way to subscribe by email
February 26th, 2010 11:26
I’ve done a bit of research and found a plugin that will probably achieve this. Be ready in a couple of days. — UPDATE : plugin didn’t work.