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What to Do if Your Domain Name is Owned by a Domain Investor… Not

Elliot Silver
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9

It’s a fear that many small business owners have when they want to go online. “Their” domain name is already owned by someone, and even worse, it’s owned by a domain investor. They can either try to buy that domain name, which will probably be expensive, or they can register something else creative.

SEO Bill Hartzer commented on an image of a domain name posted to Flickr by Michael Dorausch. I thought the domain name was unique, and you have to give props to this  ingenious  Philadelphia chiropractor whose customers must have great memories.

Yes, it really is ChiropractorPhiladelphiaPAChiropractorPhiladelphiaPA.com. I wonder what it’s like for him and his staff to direct people to the website.

This is an example of what I don’t think you should do if your ideal domain name is already owned by someone else.

Block Someone From Stealing Content

Elliot Silver
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22

Nothing agitates me more than when I see another website stealing my content. Well, maybe seeing unicorns killed for tasty unicorn burgers, but that’s about it.

It especially infuriates me when I do a Google search using keywords from my article and the other website is listed either above or below mine. You’d think that Google would be smart enough to know that the other website is a rip off of mine, but sometimes that doesn’t happen.

This is probably a no-brainer for those of you who are smart with web development and/or hosting, but for an amateur like myself, I just figured out how to block another website from stealing my content.

I use a DNS Look up tool and enter the website that’s stealing my content. I get that website’s IP addresses and take them to my  hosting cpanel. Under the security section, I visit the IP Deny Manager or IP Block Manager (or something similar), and I add the DNS of the offending website. Voila… my copied articles and content disappears.

Now they could change the DNS, but that wouldn’t be a fun game of cat and mouse for them. They probably spend their time sucking the life out of plenty of other websites and wouldn’t even notice you blocked them.

Anyway, it’s my way of getting a bit even.  If all that fails, you can send them and/or Google a DMCA takedown notice, but this is easier.

Adios, content pirate.

Great Reputation of Escrow.com

Elliot Silver
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7

Every now and again, I purchase a domain name from a company or person that has not heard of or worked with Escrow.com. Despite having the great name brand recognition the category defining generic domain name brings, as well as a stellar reputation online, some people ask for more information about the company before agreeing to use its services.

This happened to me this morning, and as I usually do, I sent the company a few articles about Escrow.com to help them feel safe in using the company’s services. I assume that this may be the same case for you, so I am writing this post to share some supporting information to make your buyer or seller comfortable using Escrow.com.

Here is some supporting facts to make your buyer or seller more comfortable about using Escrow.com.

Yes, Escrow.com is an advertiser, but the company did not ask for any type of endorsement. I’ve always had great service with Escrow.com and I trust the company without any hesitation.

NY Times Article Discussing Marijuana Domain Names

Elliot Silver
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19

I know, I know… I am pulling a Frager… 4 blog posts in a day.  Sorry – sometimes news just happens, and my email count just got much higher because of a dope New York Times article focusing on marijuana-related domain names and the speculation that has ensued.

The article interviews the editor of “a leading online news source on the domain business,” Mike Berkens, and part-time domainer and blogger, Shane Cultra, better known to most as Domain Shane, a guy who knows his way around buds, plants, herbs, and other green delights… he owns a garden shop in Illinois.

The NYT discusses the private acquisition of marijuana-related domain names, which have become hot commodities among speculators who hope to cash in if and when marijuana becomes legal in the United States.  There are a whole lot of other verticals in which people are doing this, but I suspect the Times chose this (and not gambling domain names for example) because of the controversy surrounding weed.

When buying names like this, keep a couple things in mind:

Never get high on your own supply, and the grass is always greener on the other side. Peace!

“Dot Com Industry Pioneer & Visionary” Discusses Generic Domain Names

Elliot Silver
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8

Domain industry veteran, Mike “Zappy” Zapolin, discusses the importance and intrinsic value of generic domain names in the video below. Zappy discusses what to do with a generic domain name and how to leverage these properties to make the most of them.

Zappy has significant experience with generic domain names like Beer.com, Computer.com, CreditCards.com and many others. He discusses some of the deals he’s done and how he built generic domain names out.

This is an interesting video you might like to share with your friends who aren’t familiar with generic domain names (or why you’re a domain investor).

The one thing Zappy might want to change in the video is the quote from Dominik Mueller, which appears at the 4:08 mark.

“Domains are a lucrative investment vehicle. In fact, domains can go up in value faster than any other commodity on Earth.” According to the most recent post on Dominik’s blog, Dominick wrote, “it makes perfect sense to officially announce that I am no longer in the domain business.”

Domain investing can be a fantastically lucrative business, but there’s a steep learning curve, and it can take a lot of time and/or money to become a successful domain entrepreneur today.

Domain Names Provide Better Value

Elliot Silver
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13

If a local business is interested in buying one of your domain names, and you are trying to hash out a price for the domain name, here’s something you can use to make your case to the potential buyer and show them just how much value a domain name has compared to other means of advertising / marketing.

A lighted pole sign that many businesses use to attract the traffic that drives by their business can cost upwards of $5,000 or more, and that’s for an ugly, static sign. Of course, this sign can only be used to give a small amount of information about the company, can’t really be drastically changed, and it doesn’t say much about the company. It also can only be seen by a limited number of local people who drive directly past it, slow enough and close enough to read it.

On the other hand, a generic domain name can be the foundation for a beautiful website that can describe a business, offer special discounts, sell products, and can attract a targeted, worldwide audience. The domain name can be seen by millions of people, costs very little to maintain, and it can be used in many different ways.

Finally, when a company has a sign made and installed, the actual resale value of the sign is probably around zero. In fact, it would cost the owner money to remove and/or replace it. On the other hand, a used generic domain name will increase in value with age and usage, and it can be easily sold or converted into cash.

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