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[D571]Domain Names For Free

by Marcia Yudkin, Mar

The key is to find the vanity phone number first, Quimby says, and there are many more available toll-free numbers that spell out something related to your business than you would imagine. For instance, when he ran a search for toll-free numbers related to naming, he came up with 888-DR-NAMING (which I immediately reserved), 866-NOW-NAME, 877-PRO-NAMING, 888-WEB-NAMING, 877-TOP-NAMING and hundreds of other options.

Once you find a toll-free vanity number, the next step is to make sure the corresponding domain name is available for registration. 888DRNAMING.com was available, and I reserved that as well for future use. Then I was all set for a radio publicity campaign, a national advertising campaign or just rebranding.

Some points to keep in mind if this sort of naming strategy excites you:

* Although North American phones show letters on the keypad, telephones elsewhere in the world may not. Likewise, toll-free numbers in North America cannot be dialed from other continents. If you have a global business, branding only through a toll-free number that works only in one part of the world may not be a smart idea. However, it can still be a good way to attract North American customers, since you can forward the toll-free number for just pennies a minute almost anywhere else in the world.

* The cost of getting calls through a toll-free number can be as low as 2.85 cents a minute, with no monthly fee or monthly minimum charge. Aside from the one-time cost of getting a vanity toll-free number, it doesn't cost any more on an ongoing basis than a toll-free number that does not spell anything.

* Although numeric numbers are easier to dial, vanity numbers spelling out words get more calls than numbers comprised of random numbers. In a study done by Bellcore, print ads that had an 800 toll-free number attracted six times as many calls as regular, non-toll-free numbers. And contrary to what you might expect, this held true regardless of the socioeconomic status of the caller.

* Older telephones don't show the "Q" (which correlates with 7) or the "Z" (which correlates with 9), but most recent models do. Note also that you'll get more misdials if your vanity words include the letter "O," which can be mistaken for the zero key.

* The more you advertise on billboards, trucks, radio or TV, the more important it is to have a number that spells something. And if you are a small company, a vanity number makes you seem bigger and more established. When Bill Quimby tells people to call him at 1-800-MARKETER, few would guess he works out of his home. A toll-free number also emphasizes that the company wants to hear from customers.

* Whereas so many great domain names are already taken, many more of the 800YourName.com type of domain names are still available.

Ever considered speculating on Domain Names? Or maybe you've failed to turn a profit from a Name you had high hopes for? Well don't beat yourself up, just stay with me because I'd like to share a few thoughts that I know will interest you.

You're already aware that obscene amounts of money are made from Domain Names. You know that every month names once purchased for as little as $12, are changing hands for amounts ranging from $25 (100% Profit!) up to 5 figures sums, and frequently six or even seven figure fortunes. And I'm not referring to sales of websites, just Domain Names on their own. (Not only dot com's, but also .net's, .org's, .info's, even .biz names, plus many national extensions like .us, .de etc.)

Now, lets digress, does the following sound like any one you Know?

He dedicates an hour to thinking up a domain name that's bound to appeal. Armed with credit card, he eagerly Googles up a Registration Service.

Discovering the domain name is already registered, he quickly comes up with several less appealing variations, at last finding one that's available to register. Cost $15. Job done, he sits back to contemplate a massive profit expected imminently.

Days drift by, then weeks, then months. No one materialises with an offer. Not to be deterred, he gets pro-active and offers the domain on eBay for $999.95 (Worried that his asking price maybe too low). One week - plus one $6 bid - later, scratches head, rubs chin and wonder's, what next?

Staying positive, he reads a few domain articles, but is now developing a sneaky suspicion that either this Domain Name business aint all it's cracked up to be, or some vital knowledge is missing. Decides to put Domain Speculation on hold, and turns his attention to other matters.

OK. Maybe our apprentice speculator was a little more scientific about things, but you get the message.

I've owned close to 1000 Domain Names and, to be honest, I too got it badly wrong. No - lets be honest - horribly wrong! In fact, it's cost me an horrendous amount of cash. Only recently have I begun to see where I went wrong.

I now realize that the whole process is one demanding a professional strategy, e.g:

?Decide whether to acquire for income, short term re-sale, or income plus capital appreciation.
?Buy Domain Names with just a few, carefully selected, niche's in mind.
?Use key-word searches to generate Name ideas that truly reflect what those in your chosen niche/s are seeking.
?Choose whether to search for unregistered names (hugely time consuming when it comes to finding quality names, most of which have been registered) or look to buy in the secondary marketplace, where you'll pay more, but maybe stand a better chance of acquiring a valuable asset.
?Locate the right Registration Service. (Low Registration Fees, plus availability of additional services you may want to utilise)
?Know what you'll do with your Domain Name once you've acquired it, e.g:

?Hold on to it
?Park it.
?Lease it (A much overlooked option).
?Create a website to promote it, and simultaneously generate some revenue.
?Offer it immediately to prospective buyer's active in the niche you've chosen.
?Offer it on a Secondary Market Site (like Sedo)
??Talk up? the name on Domain Forums to try and generate interest.
?Offer it to a Domain Name Portfolio Owner. (i.e. a corporate entity that control thousands of Names).
?Offer it on a specialist or general Auction Site.

And that's just the beginning. You could target recently expired domains to exploit the traffic they still get. Or use services that specialise in catching ?dropping names?, i.e. where owners no longer want to renew registration (or have forgotten their domains are due to expire).

The good news is that, when it comes to domain names, there are many avenues to explore and exploit.

There are great publications that tell you exactly what to do. There's excellent, modestly priced, easy to use software to make the whole process faster, easier and, potentially, more profitable. TIP: Even if you decide you don't need these tools, at least check out the sales spiel, which often lets slip some top tactics used by the Pro's, and reveals a few excellent tips at the same time.

Don't give up on making money from domain names, just start thinking smarter, and get the results you deserve.

Article Source : online fashion marketing

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Both Marcia Yudkin & Martin21 Taylor20 are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Marcia Yudkin has sinced written about articles on various topics from Internet Marketing, Writing and Marketing. . Marcia Yudkin's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.

Martin21 Taylor20 has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing. Martin Taylor is the author of this article on . Find more information about. Martin21 Taylor20's top article generates over 1900 views. to your Favourites.