Section I : An Introduction to Domain Names | Part 1: Generic Domain Names

Domain names are like fingerprints—no two are the same. That said, domain names can be separated in categories, just like you can separate fingerprints into categories based on their loops or swirls. If you want to be a successful domain names to purchase, you need to learn how to separate the loopies from the swirlies, so to speak.

Domain naming strategies can save you money, because even though each category has merit in the domain name selling world, no two names can be marketing the same way to the same people. If you know how to sell your name, you’ll be able to reach the people who want to buy that name. Think of it this way: Pretend domain names are vehicles and you are the car salesman. On you lot you have a mini van, a sports car, and a variety of other vehicles. Each of those vehicles will serve a purpose to the owner, but you shouldn’t try to sell the sports car to the soccer mom or the mini van to the college student. If you want to make the sale, you have to separate your cars—or domain names—into categories and target the market properly.

Don’t worry if you can’t fit each domain name neatly into a category. The world just doesn’t work that way! Maybe your mini van has a rocking sound system or your sports car has amazing truck space and gets good gas mileage. Domain names can sometimes fit into a few different categories, which can be good or bad…but we’ll discuss that later on! Right now, your first step to becoming a successful domain name entrepreneur is to simply learn the categories.

Generic Domain Names

Let’s say that you want to grab a bite to eat with your friends, and you’re really craving a milkshake. There’s a myriad of fast food places where you live, but you can’t remember which ones sell milkshakes and which ones don’t. One thing is for certain, however. If you look in the Yellow Pages and sell a restaurant called Milkshakes—well, you know they’re going to have what you want.

Switch gears and pretend you’re shopping with your wife for a new kitchen table. You want to make this shopping trip as quick as possible, so would you hunt at a bunch of different furniture stores, some of which may have kitchen tables for sale, or would you head to the warehouse down the street names The Kitchen Table Store.

Ok, it’s rare that you’ll find a restaurant called Milkshakes or a store called The Kitchen Table Store, but that shows my point. These names are so utterly generic that there is absolutely no doubt in your mind what they sell! In real life, generic names like these can’t be copyrighted, like McDonald’s or Disney. Therefore, if you open a shop called The Necktie Store, your competitor can move in across the street and also open a shop called The Necktie Store.

Online, domain names can be generic as well. Say, for example, that you want to take your necktie business online. Buying www.necktie.com sounds like a good idea, right? Maybe—and maybe not. The good thing about a generic domain name is that, just like in the brick and mortar world, people will have no doubts in there minds what you are trying to sell. Also, some people may just type in your generic domain name on a whim instead of using a search engine. With a search engine, your name will probably be pretty high on the list when people type in the generic word. However, just like with a generic name in the offline world, nothing is stopping your competitors from having very similar names. You might be up www.neckties.com, www.nectie.com, www.neck-tie.com, and countless others. Simply put, it’s hard to make an image for yourself, and on the Internet, image is everything.

There are a few things you can do to spruce up a generic domain name if you’re going to be the final user. For example, a generic-plus domain name takes a generic word and adds another work, like an adjective. You’ll be much more memorable as www.PurpleNecktie.com, don’t you think? What about www.CheapNecktie.com? Generic-plus names can really add an edge to your business.

However, always remember that generic names will be a gold mine when it comes to traffic. It may not stand out as a business, but if you can’t think of any other sites and you really need a necktie, you’ll type in www.necktie.com just to see what they have to offer. If you want to build a portfolio of high-traffic domain names, generics are excellent to buy. In fact, you can make millions by doing this. The drawback? You have to spend the money to earn the money. Generic domain names are uber-expensive. Keep in mind that if you pay too much for one, it may be a long time until you get your money’s worth. If you’re a beginner at domain name buying and selling, don’t attack generic names first—finding a good one for a decent price is like finding the holy grail.


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