Here are a few tips to get you started in the domain name game. In this article you'll find links to resources that I've found useful in my search for valuable domain names.

Speculation with domain names has become a multibillion-dollar industry. Recently, single domain names have been sold for almost 10 million dollars. Wow. I got into the domain name game about a year ago in the hopes of making some extra money by registering domain names and then selling them for a profit. Right now I've got a domain portfolio of about 600 names. I've sold a few for a modest profit, but haven't yet landed a big sale.

It's an exciting game though. You can register a domain name for as low as $0.99, and then you just wait for the right buyer to come along, and you might be looking at a nice profit. However, the problem is that most good domain names have already been registered, and if you want a nice name for yourself, you're most likely going to have to buy it from a domainer, and the prices can be steep. It's not easy to make money buying and selling domains, but it's certainly possible, and anyway it's worth registering a few hundred just in case you land a winner! You could develop a portfolio of about 500 names for as low as $500 if you register .info domains exclusively. For .com domains, registrations start at $6.95, so a portfolio of a hundred names would cost you about $700.

There are hundreds of domain registration service providers to choose from. Competition is fierce, so it's worth looking around for the best deals. Just do a google search for "domain registration" and you'll be sure to find lots of ads by companies eager to sign you up for their services.

Personally, I use my own domain reseller account for registrations. You can use it too if you wish. Thanks to the reseller system, I can offer very reasonable prices for domain registrations - I don't think you can get domains any cheaper from anyone else. It's secure, there is 24/7 support, and you can't beat the simplicity of the process. If you like the sound of that, check out my service at UNEC Domain Registrations. Also, since you know the owner (me), this way you'll know who to talk to if you have questions or trouble. Send me an email if you join up, and I'll be sure to add you to my InnerBlogger VIP list!

Domain Name Appraisals and Valuation

What is a domain name worth? This is the question for those in the domain name game. How does one valuate a domain name? How can one know which domains to register or buy?

To answer this question, are a variety of domain name appraisal services have been made available on the Internet. There are two types of appraisal services: automated appraisals and human appraisals. Automated appraisals are scripts that analyze a domain name according to some metrics that supposedly have predictive value for the commercial potential of a domain name. These are often free of charge. Professional human appraisals are just that, valuations done by human evaluation of the domain name. These are often offered by domain registration services and domain marketplace services.

You can order a professional appraisal at SEDO.com for €49 ($65). You can also get a domain appraisal at GoDaddy for as low as $5.99. Personally I would recommend the SEDO appraisal, if you have a domain name that is already obviously valuable.

Automated appraisals on the Web are mostly free, and most of them can be very unpredictable. The most accurate free automated domain appraisals are provided by EstiBot.com Domain Appraisals. That is my site, so you'll know who to turn to if you have complaints…but it really is the best, just give it a try and see for yourself. It is statistically more accurate than many paid appraisals. It also gives you a nice keyword analysis report on your names.

Of the other free automated appraisal systems, possibly the most popular is Leapfish.com. It does give reasonably good appraisals in about 20-30% of cases, but you should always check with other appraisal tools, too. It does not match EstiBot in accuracy, not even close. DomainScore.com is a nice tool for purely English keyword domain names. It cannot handle brandable names or numeric names. It will not give you a dollar value, but a score, which you can then compare to their so-called Premium domains, which all have to get a certain score. It's not a bad tool, but is limited to pure keyword domains.

Domain Registration and Reseller Accounts

If you plan to register a lot of domain names, it's a good idea to purchase a Reseller account. This will enable you to register your own domains at a significant discount, plus has the additional advantage of enabling you to set up your own domain registration business. With a reseller account, you can sell domain registration and web hosting to others. It's a nice way to earn some extra money, setting up an account and starting your own domain name business is very easy and risk-free. The main company will handle 24/7 support and hosting your website so you can just sit back and enjoy your new business. Everything is automated. You can buy a reseller account from me if you wish (so you'll know who to turn to with questions), just go to ProfitCash Domain Reseller Accounts.

Drop me an email if you have further questions about these things - I'll be happy to help you get started with domaining.