I want to share another domain buying tip (two actually), which might seem totally obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how often I don’t adhere to these when I buy domain names.
The primary piece of advice is to set up default nameservers at your preferred domain registrars. Most companies will allow you to set up default DNS in your account control panel, and this will ensure all newly registered domain names are set up to your preferred DNS. Assuming you plan to park the domain names, at least temporarily, you will be able to use your parking company’s DNS.
Once you have secured the domain names in your account, you will want to remember to add them to your parking account. It’s a nice time saver to not have to wait until the names show up (refresh, refresh) and then click around to change the DNS, but it does you no good if the domain names aren’t added to your account. Your parking company may be happy, but you won’t earn anything nor will you be able to field purchase inquiries.
If you are looking to sell the domain names at an aftermarket company, and you don’t want to park them there, be sure to add them to those accounts at the same time. In the past, I had not really done all of these steps at once, and if I didn’t do them at the time of registration, the  likelihood  of doing them later is slim.
You should post all of these tips in a ebook and I will pay for it.
Nah… already have enough work and would rather give it away. The advertisements on my blog provide enough revenue for me.
Thanks for the compliment.
This is one of my biggest beefs with Afternic. If I add a domain to my account and it was previous in someone else’s, I have to contact Afternic, and wait several days until they can manually add it. Then, I have to contact SmartName to request them to add the special “To Buy This Domain, Contact…” banner on each domain I am adding. What a pain the the arse! Yes it can be done manually, but who remembers the code? Frank, leave the door open and I think I’m coming your way soon!
Frank isn’t integrated with Godaddy yet, and that drives many domain sales leads.
Thanks, Elliot. I tried your first tips and hand registered
Teamhandball.net now I will try your second tips and see if I will be able to flip it fast 😉
Not sure I would have registered it to be honest. Personally, I don’t love .nets as standalone investments, and I don’t see a commercial usage for the name, which would give someone a reason to buy it.
I love handball and I guess that the reason I reg that domain 😉
It’s a big thing here in Europe . But here it goes more with handball rather then team handball . I guess in US team handball is more common to say then handball .. Right ?
I’m new to domain names buying/selling.
I hand registered the following:
shopmilitarysurplus.com
shopsurvivalgear.com
southpadre.me (spring break destination).
Any of the three have value or should I stick my other hobbies?
Thanks.
Good tips Elliot!
Also, on the “selling” side, I’m amazed how many times someone who buys a domain doesn’t update their DNS and just lets the domain sit there. I’ve had a few sales where the buyer doesn’t update the DNS and it sits pointing to where I had them….which is okay by me.