Posts Tagged ‘domain name’

Today we are going to look at how to do a 301 Redirect and why they are useful for all domainers alike. Check out the step by step below:

1. Locate or create a .htaccess file on your server. Your .htaccess file gives search engine robots instructions on security and redirects.

2. If you don’t have an .htaccess file on your server, you can easily create one using a text file. Name it “.htaccess”

3. If there is already an .htaccess file scroll down past the code that is already there and begin your new redirect instructions.

4. Put in your redirect information, which should look like this:

redirect 301 /directory/file.html http://www.domainame.com/directory/file.html

*Note: The first part “/directory/file.html” is the location of the file being moved and the second part  “http://www.domainame.com/directory/file.html” is where the file is being moved.

5. Upload the file to your server.

Now i know there are better ways to get this done but this is the manual way and i think everyone should know how to do it this way first. Many hosts, registrars, and even your control panel will do this for you. You just simply put in the address you want to point the domain at.

Why am i showing you this?

Well there are a couple of different reasons someone might use a redirect. The first thing would be an obvious one, you changed the domain name and you do not want to lose traffic.

Another reason is for affiliate links. You can actually set a link such as http://www.ygrab.com/godaddy to cloak an affiliate link. This will not actually take you to a part of ygrab but instead to the affiliate link.

You can also use them when you are doing maintenance on your site. You can point the URL at a temp screen so you can work on the site live. This way you are not getting people in and out of an undeveloped project.

If you have another reason feel free to let us all know !

Alright this is the part everyone reading this has been waiting for. Lets register a domain name! Wait wait wait first lets look at some ways to find some nice keyword .com (or other extension of your choice) domain names.

If you have browsed through the forums and top domain sites by now you already know there are tools out there to find domain names. We are going to look at some of those tools and other ways to find and register domain names.

Alright the first tools we are going to look at are tools that find domains based on keywords that the put in to them.

DomainSuperStar.com – This is a site that has some pretty powerful tools that they offer for free and a paid basis. The one tool i am talking about most is the Type-In Traffic finder tool. Its as simple as typing in a keyword and it pops out some highly searched terms for that keyword. I.E. I typed in “Register” and i get things like RegisterLibrary.com or PayrollRegister.com

HotNameList.com – Now this one is one for the trend watchers. They basically take top keywords in recent news or in things they feel like looking at and pop out the most highly searched and top paid domains they can come up with. They have a metrics that displays words, letters, estimated CPC, monthly searches, and trademark issues. Powerful tool and i check it everyday. They have names like TestingPesticides.com and WelfareOfficer.com.

GoDrops.com – If you are looking for an interactive domain site, this is your stop. GoDrops.com specializes in active dropping domain names. Basically from 2pm Eastern Time to 3pm Easter Time they host a live chat/drop event. You get to watch domains drop in real time and try to register them while discuss and chat about domain names or the drop. Very fun and recommended for everyone.

PremiumAvailables.com – This is a site that is run by a friend of mine. Its a blog format available domain list. Its not updated every day but when it is there are some pretty good domains listed. Just go and give a quick check from time to time.

Now that we have checked some awesome tools to find some great domains there are quite a few different ways to find domains. Some complicated some simple. Here is a way that Mark from DotSauce.com(Video!) has posted that is pretty fun and interesting in finding niche domain names.

In addition to these tools you may want to check out other domain blogs and forums for available domain lists and tips on finding good domain names. I am trying to keep it simple with these tools and lists. This is a very good way to find out whats good and whats not. On top of that it takes a lot of guess work and browsing for the new player in the domain game.

Task:

Find a domain name and register it with the domain registrar you have chosen in the past. If you need any coupons for a specific domain registrar let me know and i will see what i can dig up. Do not forget to post your shiny new domain here for everyone to see.

By now we have found out what domaining is and what goes in to a good domain name. I have put the tasks of finding out why top domains sell for what they do and to get quaint with the industries top sites. At this point i know you are itching to register a domain name. This is the point where you can go horribly wrong in your domain venture. I am going to go over some top domain registrars and the benefits you should look for in a registrar.

The first thing you need to look for when finding a registrar is security. This is probably the most important thing when it comes to a registrar. When you see that news of registrars getting hacked or just losing data this can really hamper your venture at those registrars. In the past there has been registrars closed down because of security issues and the CEOs scamming people. The result is losing your domain all together or going in to a long and hard battle to get them out of the black hole that is a closing registrar.

Next thing to look for is popularity. Obviously the top registrars are the most popular ones. This is not a huge thing but it can help and signify that customer service is good or they are good at what they do.

The one thing most people look at is the price of the domains. Yes this is huge but its like the old saying, “You get what you pay for.” This is also true in the domain industry. Do not always go for promotions unless its at the registrar you are comfortable with. Most top registrars may have seemingly high prices but they also have coupons to get wholesale prices on domains. Also if you are a high registering customer you can get cheaper prices as well.

Ease of access and customer service is also a top priority. Having a control panel that is easy to navigate and change things when you need to are extremely important when managing domain names. On top of that customer service must be able to answer any question you need. Also be able to be contacted at any time.

Another thing that is a simple thing but you may want in your domain names is privacy. Now this is something that some offer for free others offer it for a price.

Task:

Now that we have went over some key points in picking a registrar here are some top registrars i want you to have a look at.  Go over the list here and check out all the services, prices, and reviews about them. Try to pick one that you would like to registrar a domain with and post your choice back here and tell us all why.

GoDaddy.com

Moniker.com

Name.com

NameCheap.com

Dynadot.com

DomainSite.com

Dotster.com

eNom.com

NetworkSolutions.com

Please check out RegistrarJudge.com for Registrar reviews.

Please avoid 1and1.com and RegisterFly.com (horrible registrars)