Since its original registration on March 15, 1985, Symbolics.com, the first ever registered domain name, has been purchased by the Missouri-based XF.com Investments, changing hands for the very first time. The historic domain name was purchased from Symbolics for an undisclosed price. The Symbolics company is still in operation, nearly 25 years after making history. XF.com Investments, a real estate and domain investment company, considers this purchase a special milestone worth celebrating.
Archive for August, 2009
August 27
by Smitha
August 25
by Smitha
ICANN Says Domain Name Front-Running Doesn’t Exist
In a study recently commissioned by ICANN to evaluate the occurrence of domain name front-running, they have found no evidence to suggest that leading domain registration and domain availability checking sites are resorting to this practice. The study was carried out by Benjamin Edelman [PDF, 36K] at ICANN’s request. Three rounds of tests (more than 600 tests) were conducted over a ten-month period by Mr. Edelman. The study was undertaken after various members of the Internet community expressed concern over suspected occurrence of domain name front-running.
The Front Running Study: Testing Report [PDF, 120K] provides details of the methodological analysis and study findings.
August 24
by Smitha
August 21
by Smitha
RSS and Your Website
RSS or ‘Really Simple Syndication’ is an XML-based content format for distributing content, news, headlines, etc. Many popular news sites and blogs provide RSS feeds that visitors can subscribe to. By creating feeds for your own website, you are allowing vistors to subscribe to your latest updates. It is a great way of syndicating your content into other people’s websites. Adding content frequently and promoting the feed effectively can help drive steady traffic to your website. The links connecting back to your website is also great for search engine optimization purposes.
August 20
by Smitha
Why a Back Up Service is Important
Servers fail. Hackers compromise your account and delete all your files. Regrettably, computers are vulnerable to hard drive crashes, thefts and virus attacks that could delete all your files. You could lose a lot of stuff like legal and financial documents, email,digital photos and more. This is when a back up service comes in handy.
When enabled, a back up service automatically backs up your files on a daily basis. So if your website or other files are accidentally deleted, you could always download your most recent backup. This backup file will help restore any file that you have deleted or misplaced.
Ideally, your web host shoud be able to provide you with a 24-hour back up facility.
August 19
by Smitha
Impact of Web Hosting on SEO
Your web hosting has a good deal of impact on your SEO, according to experts. Ensure you host your domain with a reasonably priced provider. Choosing a cheap host can be harmful for your business in the long run. Also, check if your hosts have a good technical support team to back you up in case of problems. A few hours of site downtime can cost your business dear.
So spend some time reviewing providers, looking for quality, rather than going in for inexpensively priced ones. Low priced hosting services place thousands of domains on a single IP address, resulting in server overload, which could be detrimental to your business success,and resulting in all your SEO efforts going to waste!
August 17
by Smitha
Check the Domain’s Background Before Buying an Expired Domain
It’s true that some expired domain names give you the added advantage of a good page rank, and “link popularity”. However, you will need to do some serious research to ensure you buy a domain name without a history of problems. After all, the chosen domain name should not pose a risk to your online business’ future. A carefully chosen domain can help you capitalize on what the previous site has accomplished, save your business the trouble of clawing all the way up from the bottom of the search results page, and give it the much-needed jumpstart for your online success.
There are several key indicators with which you can check an expired domain name:
Check Google cache
Google blocks domain names that break their stringent regulations. Check if an expired domain name has breached any of Google’s guidelines by associating itself with serial spamming or reciprocal linking infraction. If it has, then getting a Google ranking would be difficult. Type “cache:domainname.com” in the Google search box for a snapshot of the version of the site that was last used for indexing. If no cached version exists, it signals a problem.
The date the domain name was originally created
Search the WHOIS database to find out the date of creation and expiry of the domain name. If the domain has been in existence for long, there is better chance of Google ranking it higher because of the “stability” associated with it. Check also how frequently the site has changed its hosting provider, which speaks a lot in terms of “stability”.
Nature of content
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August 12
by Smitha
Benefit From Expired Domain Names
Thousands of developed and thriving domains expire everyday. When a domain name expires, it becomes available to the public until someone else registers it. These expired domains would be continuing to receive endless traffic from search engines and also from a number of valuable links spread out across various locations in the Internet. Imagine launching a new website that already has a web presence with established traffic, the website having been promoted by its previous owner. This would be every marketer’s dream! Buying an expired domain name would be a good opportunity for you to cash in on.
Why Do Domains Expire?
There are many reasons for a domain name to have expired. The owner could just have forgotten to renew the domain name (maybe he was on a trip!), not paid the renewal fee, or just lost interest in the project.
How Do Domains Expire?
When a domain reaches its expiry date, the registry no longer delegates the DNS servers to its owner. All services will terminate and the domain goes into “expired” status. Termination does not mean the domain has been deleted. Some registries provide a grace period after deactivation following which the domain gets deleted. Grace periods may vary depending on registrars and TLDs. During the grace period, the current holder can still renew the domain for a standard renewal fee. However, achieving this status is a good indicator that the domain may not be renewed.
After the grace period, the domain moves into the “redemption period” during which time all WHOIS information is erased, and it will now cost the current holder an additional fee to reactivate and renew the domain registration. Back orders can be placed with the registrar at anytime during this process to guarantee you are first to be eligible when the domain registration becomes available.
The Benefits of a Pre-Owned Web Address
- A domain registered with major site listings is better than a “blank slate” domain that nobody knows about. (more…)
August 10
by Smitha
Free Domains With Web Hosting – Should You Take The Packaged Deal?
Fueled by competition and high demand, many web hosting companies offer free domain names with their web hosting plans. You would be asking yourself whether the domain name is free indeed and if it would be worthwhile buying such a web hosting package.
While anything ‘free’ is always tempting, you will need to look at the bigger picture and ensure that the deal serves your needs satisfactorily.
Important Factors to Consider in a Free Domain Name + Hosting Package
- Choose a reliable web hosting provider.
- Confirm that the free domain name offered will be owned by you.
- Ensure you have access to a control panel where you can make changes to your domain name.
- Be judicious in your choice of a domain name. Read the article Before You Choose a Domain Name for further details.
- Read the fine print and check out for any hidden or high fees that will be charged to you later.
- Be wary of excessively cheap hosting services as they may not live up to your expectations.
August 6
by Smitha
Value of ‘Country Specific’ Domain Name Extensions
A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) or country specific domain name is a TLD generally used or reserved for a country. They are now gaining in popularity given that the usual extensions like .com and .net are fast being snatched up by so many websites.
Each country has its own extension. For example, Britain uses .co.uk, India uses .co.in and Germany uses .de. Country-specific domain extensions are generally targeted at a particular country. Most countries prefer their ccTLD over a TLD. It is not necessary for a website to be physically located within the country of the extension. However each country has its own set of guidelines, like a .ca (Canadian) domain extension is available only for Canadian companies, while some countries have opened up their registration for anyone. It is always advisable to research country codes before they are bought.
Benefits of Using Country Specific TLDs
- Identifies itself to a certain geographical location. For e.g. people in the USA need not have to waste their time trying to purchase a service from ‘drycleaning.co.uk.’
- Country specific domain names are given a ranking boost by local search engines (Google.co.uk, Google.cn, Google.co.in, Google.com.au).
- Increases your click-through rates, i.e. if you are targeting a U.K. audience, and your display URL in your Google Adwords account shows a .co.uk domain name, you instantly gain credibility.
- You can customize and optimize the content to suit your market. For e.g. British consumers are more conservative and careful to market messages posted on websites. (more…)
