A Trademark For Your Domain

After working hard to create a website and introduce your products, you then set out to bring in a steady flow of visitors.  As you’re your traffic increases, the more your website grows, increasing the value of your domain.  After establishing a worthy online presence, you may want to consider trademarking your domain.  This is a great way to protect your brand from an array of unscrupulous competitors with thoughts of implementing your domain into meta tags, enabling them to boost their search engine rankings at your expense.  With your domain trademarked, you can take action against these characters and possibly have the search engines remove their deceptive listings.

The Relationship Between Trademarks and Domains

In simple terms, a trademark is a distinctive form of branding used to identify a product, service, logo, device or package, specifying that it belongs to a particular entity.  These items can be protected by obtaining a mark from the patent and trademark office, prohibiting others from taking financial advantage of your creation.

When it comes to domain names, the trademark and patent office has a totally different outlook.  From their perspective, the “http://www”is an element of the file transfer process rather than your domain name.  An extension such as “.com” or .”net” is viewed as a TLD (top-level domain) identifier and ignored in regard to the domain trademark.  For example, lets say your domain is http://www.mytrademark.com When submitting it for registration, you would provide “mytrademark”, which is the only portion that would get considered for the trademark.

No Locators

A domain is a locator that finds web pages.  When typing a URL into the browser, a server locates and displays the files on that page.  A domain name used strictly for this purpose cannot be trademarked.  Instead, the name must be incorporated into the website.  An example would be the electronics outlet Circuit City that has their own website.  You will notice that every page name contains “Circuit City” in it.  In this scenario, circuitcity.com is more than a locator, meaning “circuit city” is worthy of a trademark.

Generic and Descriptive Variations

A domain name that is generic or descriptive in nature can’t be registered for a trademark.  This is because it fails to specify a particular product or service.  For instance, “michiganbikeshop” is made up of generic terms, giving incite on who and where the domain owner is, but not exactly specifying it.  A domain comprised in this nature cannot be trademark. So how about coke.com, the website for the soft drink manufacturer Coca-Cola?  How would these rules apply to a name that is essentially a generic term for cola?  This website is trademarked because “Coke” is a term that describes a specific soft drink product.  It’s just a coincidence that several people refer to other brands of soda as coke, the results of a brilliant marketing scheme.

Conclusion

You started from nothing and built your website into a successful business - why not protect it?  By trademarking your domain name, you can keep the competition from leaching off your efforts while adding more credibility to your name. These benefits are well worth the investment.

Share this article:

(3 votes, average: 3.67 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Dec 12, 2008 : Domain Names No responses yet

What is Domain Parking?

The Domain Name System is an essential part of the internet.  While you don’t need a domain name to have a website, it is what gives your website an identity.  This adds a level of professionalism and credibility while allowing you to distinguish yourself from the web host.

Most of us purchase a domain name for our site and immediately take it the server of a particular web host.  Some people will buy a few names at once with plans of building later.  Others have a totally different idea, using their name in hopes of profiting with domain parking.

Domain parking describes the process of registering an internet domain and not associating it with a service such as website or email account.  Aside from using the name for future development and profit, some individuals use this practice merely to defend against cyber-squatting.

Domain parking essentially falls under two classifications: monetized and non-monetized.  On a monetized parked domain you will find content in the form of various advertisements on the website.  A non-monetized parked domain usually lacks content and displays messages such as “Coming Soon” or “Under Construction”.

Profiting From Parked Domains

Parked domain monetization has become a regular online advertising practice.  It is primarily used by advertising companies and even domain registrars to generate revenue from type-in traffic that comes across the website.  The typical parked domain set up for profit features several links and advertising listings.  This content is generally targeted to the visitor’s interests and might alter dynamically based on how the user interacts.  When the visitor types a domain name into the browser, it enables targeted content to be generated before the visitor even arrives.  In most cases, the domain owner is compensated based on the number of links that have been visited.  There may also be specific requirements that determine compensation such as acquiring a sale or subscription.

Former websites that resulted into expired domains are often sought after for monetary purposes, a practice known as drop-catching.  Even when the website expires, it typically maintains most of its primary incoming links.  This method has become popular because such domains tend to attract the greatest amount of traffic, typically right after being claimed.  As search engines and website administrators realize the domain is no longer active, they remove those inbound links, significantly decreasing the level of traffic on the parked domain.

Another way to profit from domain parking is to act as a placeholder for an existing site.  In this instance, the domain owner could also decide to redirect the domain to another website they created.  This can done with a URL redirection, pointing the domain as an alias of a primary domain, or by using a method known as domain cloaking.  When such processes are handled by the eventual owner, the domain is then considered to be in use and no longer parked.

Parking Your Domains

Domain parking has become so widespread, it is now common web hosting feature.  You will find that many companies allow you to park an unlimited amount of domains.  Of course the names will have to be purchased, but they can be profitable if you’re able to master the system.

Share this article:

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Nov 21, 2008 : Domain Names No responses yet

The Many Benefits of Sub-Domains

Before we go into the benefits of sub-domains, we shall first go over the basics of primary domains.  The average domain looks something like “www.mysite.com”. Every domain refers to a specific internet website and each is viewed as single site by the search engines.  Although a single domain may consist of several pages, those pages are still considered an inclusion of the same site.  While this is a good way to expand your site, there are more efficient ways to gain  exposure.

Hence the name, a sub-domain is merely an extension of your primary domain.  However, it is viewed as a separate domain and independent of the domain it is based on.  This means that a search engine like Google would see a sub-domain as a separate entity of its own, allowing you to have more of your pages indexed into the database.

Creating a Sub-domain

Thanks to web hosting technology, many end-users create and manage domains directly from their control panel.  Instead of creating an extra web page that would read something like “www.mysite.com/toys”, you would create your some domain as like “www.toys.mysite.com”.  This simple variation can attract more search engine spiders and visitors to your website.

How You Can Benefit

In general, sub-domains are not as widely used as their counterparts, mainly because some still do not know how to create them or understand the benefits.  The truth is that they are easy to set up and can act as powerful weapons in your SEO (search engine optimization) marketing scheme.  Sub-domains offer numerous benefits including the following:

Cost-efficient: Primary domains have become very affordable as some companies offer them for $5 or less.  However, if you have a desire to create more than one site, that $5 adds up quickly. You can easily find yourself paying hundreds more to maintain those additional sites.  Even a web hosting provider that doesn’t offer multiple domains will typically allow you to create multiple sub-domains at no cost whether its 10 or 1,000.  This essentially gives you the ability to create several websites all from a single account under your primary domain.

Search Engine Friendly: Perhaps the greatest benefit of sub-domains relates to SEO.  When creating a sub-domain, Google or Yahoo will view “www.toys.mysite.com” and “www.mysite.com/toys” as two unique sites, doubling your chances of receiving higher rankings.

Easy to Create: Sub-domains are simple to create as they do not require much technical skill or any special programs.  This process is especially easy when you only need a few of them to start with.  If you need to create a large amount perhaps for yourself and affiliates, there are special software applications that allow you to accomplish this task with ease.  As long as you are hosting with a good company, creating and managing your sub-domains should be a breeze.    

Sub-domains have recently become more popular as they are now a major feature in web hosting packages.  They offer many opportunities for someone looking to expand their business without putting themselves in the hole.

Share this article:

(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Oct 02, 2008 : Domain Names No responses yet

Understanding the Domain Game

Domain names serve many benefits to the internet business.   Some use them simply to do away with the unprofessional email domain supplied by their ISP.  Others do so to add more credibility to their website, giving the impression that they are their own brand and independent entity.  There are exceptions, such as when a company wants to present a form of affiliation by showing that they are a part of an existing site, whether its connecting them with a specific organization or region.  Even in this instance, autonomy is more assured when having a domain of your own rather than using a page on a third-party site.

Domain names are classified by extensions.  The most sought after domain extension by commercial organizations is .com with .net being the most popular alternative.  Other endings such as .biz and .edu are generally unfamiliar to web surfers, mainly because they tend to be harder to remember.  Even the webmaster building their site for personal reasons goes after the .com extension as it is usually the way most people refer to a website.  The part of the domain that proceeds the extension is typically based on the company’s name or niche.  There are exceptions such as if the name has already been registered, a factor that is becoming more likely these days.

Registering the Name

After finding a domain that is just right for your site, registering the name is pretty easy.  The actual registration process can be done online with the aid of an ICANN accredited registrar, a web hosting company or even your ISP.  The price on domain names has dropped significantly over the years, costing $5 or less with some services.  In most cases, the more you buy, the cheaper they become.  Many domain registrars will entice you with different variations of your name such as .net, .biz, etc.  After the initial purchase, domain names generally have to be renewed every one to two years.

As mentioned before, if you have come up with something clever, there is a possibility that the domain has already been registered.  You can save yourself the trouble and frustration by doing research on the name in question.  WHOIS is one service that allows you to check the ownership of a particular domain.  Keep in mind that this service and others are usually 48 hours behind the actual registration, which is typically how long it will take for your domain to become active.

Once the domain has been registered, you then have the option of leaving the name parked for use later down the road, or pointing it at the server on which your website resides.  This can be achieved by changing the DNS (Domain Name System) settings so that the domain points to your web host.  Almost all domain registrars provide a free user interface to make adjustments to these settings.

If you are looking for a domain, there are numerous services to choose from.  GoDaddy is the most well known service but names are also provided by a number of web hosting companies and resellers as well.

Share this article:

(3 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Sep 25, 2008 : Domain Names No responses yet

Domain Name Strategies

When it comes to domains, there are the basics such as where to buy and register the name, then comes the advanced mechanics.  After finding a registrar you want to do business with, there are a few things you should know about domains to give yourself a good push on the web.

Choosing a TLD

There are many different TLDs (top level domains) that can be appended to your domain: .net, .org, .biz, .gov etc.  While several domain registrars actively market and sell these extensions, the best TLD you can buy for your name is .com.  In fact, some have suggested that if one can’t be found for a name you have mind, you would be better off picking a new domain entirely.

The rationale behind this approach is simple - if you want people to visit your website, it would be much wiser to come up with a domain that is easy to remember.  More often than not, the first extension visitors will reference the domain name by is .com.  If they have to think long and hard to remember the name, or type in the wrong URL a few times, those visitors are more likely to give up and take their surfing elsewhere.

Buying Your Real Name

One name that’s almost sure to be available is your own.  If you want your customers to find you, this is the easiest way.  This could allow you to keep contact with existing customers and establish relationships with new clients when your name becomes popular on the web.  Using your real name for a domain builds tremendous credibility to your brand and makes it much easier for people to find you in a search engine.  This is a simple yet effective way to create a positive buzz for your website.

Common Misspellings of Your Domain

Another strategy involves purchasing the most common misspellings of your domain name.  You would be surprised at how many visitors will type in the wrong URL when looking for your site.  Unfortunately, a human might cause you to miss out on sales.  For instance, if your domain is mydomain.com, it may be a good idea to purchase misspelled names like myydomain and mydommain as well.  Instead of designing three different websites with the same content, all you have to do is point those domains to your primary domain, thus redirecting traffic to where your visitors intended go in the first place.

Get Some Advice

Just as with everything on the internet, both the visitor and webmaster have the luxury of hopping online and accessing a wealth of information.  If you are stuck deciding on a domain, finding a resolution could be as easy as asking your clients or associates for a few suggestions.  Give some of them a collection of names and see it what it narrows down to.  This could be fun and rewarding if you offer some type of incentive for participating.  Since these are the people you’ll be associating with the most, they just may be able to help you come up with the perfect domain for your website.

Share this article:

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Sep 18, 2008 : Domain Names No responses yet