The Benefits of Building Out Related Sites
Many of my domains that I choose to develop are about camping and outdoors related domains. I do this for a few various reasons.
The first is that I love camping and I therefore enjoy building out sites about my passions and I have no problems writing content or looking up information about my sites. I know all of the bigger websites in the area and also know what my visitors want to see. You can tell when you visit a website that is just put up by someone to make money and you can tell when you visit a website that has been made by someone who knows what the website is about. Yes my sites are built to make money, but they provide useful reviews that help people. I have built sites on topics I know nothing at all about too, and my top preforming sites are the ones I know the most about.
Another great thing about building sites in related areas is the interconnection you can do between them. On many of my sites I cross promote my other sites and drive traffic between all of the websites. Often people interested in one piece of camping gear might want to look at another item of gear. There is also a nice SEO benefit of being able to create back links from your sites to each other.
Lastly when you build sites in a network I keep an eye on other names that might drop or be for sale on the after market. For example I developed 3seasontent.com last year and its is a steady revenue earner, earning on average around $10 a month. I saw that 4seasontent.com a much better name in terms of search volume and item selling price was set to expire and I was able to pick it up on snapnames. I am almost done with finishing up the site for 4seasontent.com and I can't wait to make it live. I already have a perfect place to get links and traffic from; My other related sites!
Building out sites in related areas that you have knowledge about has many benefits. Take something you are passionate about and throw up a few sites, you will enjoy doing it and the extra revenue they bring in!
Weekend Update
So much has been going on lately I just wanted to give everyone a short update on a few things going on with me.
- School just started again, Senior year which is very exciting but I feel that all I talk about is colleges and all of the stress that the application process entails. But it is nice to be back in school and see all of my friends, but I really did not miss the homework and test over summer!
- I am working on finishing up a batch of 10 new minisites. The previous 6 I made are now generating over $100 a month using EPN, adsense, and affiliate programs. I was able to pick up some related domain in the outdoor / camping are and a few other domains. I am very excited to see how the new sites do in the coming months. I want to finish them up by the end of the weekend.
- My Indian Domain eBook is almost done. I a working on the last few chapters and editing my writing. If you want to learn about the Indian Domain Market I would say my eBook would be a great place to start I can't wait to share it with you all.
- In the area of end user sales I am trying a few different things. Phone calls are working great for me now its just hard to find any time to call during hours because of school. I am also trying some things with ebay auctions and emails. I am also working on sending some physical letters soon to see how the response rate is.
- Cross Country season just started down here and I have been running twice almost every day and this week I ran 56 miles. Trying to break 16 in the 5K by the end of the year.
-I have ad spots open on the blog if anyone is interested the price can't be beat!
Have a great weekend! and as alway if you have any questions feel free to email me.
Greed Cost Me a $250 Domain Sale and 3025% Return on My Money
A week ago I hand registered a domain that I found while randomly surfing the web that I thought had some good potential end users. So the cost was a little less than $8 using a coupon code at godaddy.
I had not done anything with it untill yesterday when early in the morning I sent out 3 emails to businesses that I thought might have interest in the name. Two hours later I returned to my computer and I had no replies from the emails I sent out but there was an email from the Network Solutions Certified Offer System. I had never had any experience with the Network Solutions Certified Offer System so I googled it and quickly skimmed over the details.
In the email I had sent out listed an Buy It Now price for the domain for $350 which I thought was a fair price considering the number of possible end users. The email from Network Solutions Certified Offer System stated the offer was for $250. I thought about accepting the price which would have been a return of 3025% on my $8 investment, but I decided to counter with $325 and a few seconds later I got the dreaded email that states the buyer refuses your offer this negoiation is over.
Well I lost out but I learned a good lesson. For me there are plenty of names to sell for $250-$750 to small end users it is better to take the $250 then sit on a name for a few years waiting. Where else can you take $8 and turn it into $250 in less than a week?
Another note I did not love Network Solutions Certified Offer System I like to talk directly to the buyers but if they wanted to remain anonymous it is a good way to do so. And after they refused my $325 there is no way to go back and contact them.
Have a great weekend!
India Part II: A View from The Youth
In India I stayed with a host family in Delhi for only a few days and then I spent the rest of my time at the boarding school surrounded by youth or traveling with guys I met to their cities. In my month I spent with the kids who I would say were all members of the middle and upper class I realized some interesting things about their relationship with money, the internet, and technology in general.
First the phones, every guy I was with had a nice phone. In my previous article about India I mentioned how everyone even the servants had basic cell phones but these phone were not basic phones that they had. I saw as many iPhones, blackberries, android phones and other top phones as I see at home in Florida. They also do not have unlimited data plans like we do in the united states but they used the internet and facebook all the time from their phones. The number of mobile internet users in India is going to be huge, and there is a huge opportunity to do something with the market. The basic phones unlike the top end phones do not have full html internet browsers and they will need to view mobile sites to make the internet work well on their phones.
Internet use was also a big thing I noticed. At the school they limit the kids internet use and block most sites. (I had to get special permission to unblock gmail.) So when we got to go into the city and leave school we would head right for an internet cafe with computers for all that were unblocked. Everyone would go check facebook, and other sites that they could not open at school. They loved to look up cricket, and soccer (football) websites. Internet speed was good but not blazing fast but it was no problem loading most sites and downloading stuff.
As for other technology many of the kids had iPod touches and other various mp3 players. Many of them love American music and movies.
The big market in India right now is the upper and middle class because most of them attend school which is taught in English and the are exposed more to western culture and the internet. When these students become the leaders of India after being exposed to technology and the internet they will begin to use it more in their business and realize the importance of the world wide web.
I asked many guys about what they think the difference is between the .com and .in and .co.in and they said they are all equal in their eyes. The .com is still the most well known but in India the .in has gained mainstream recognition as the domain extension for India.
Again this is a perfect reason why Indian domain names I believe make a great long term investment. I hope you enjoyed this post, the Indian Domain Names eBook is almost done and I it will be given away for free on my blog thanks to sponsorship from Inforum.in
Learn From Your Domain Drops
The decision to drop domains or renew them is a common issue faced by every domainer. When it comes time for me to renew my names every year I have to look at my plans for the domain, if it is getting traffic or generating revenue and try and establish an overall estimate of its value to me and use in my domain portfolio.
When I do decide to drop a domain I often check back on some of the ones that I debated the most over to see what happens to them. If a domain goes to auction or is picked up by someone else I try and learn from that and next time I will maybe not drop a similar domain name.
For example I owned the domain outdoorsecuritylight.com and let it expire a few months back. I see now that it has been picked up and is on the Epic platform. Other of my domains have also been picked up and developed, but most still are available to register. Many of the first domains I purchased I dropped because like many first time domainers I really did not know what I was doing and I registered all sorts of domains that I look back and laugh on now.
I am always tying to learn more about domaining and become better at it. Looking at what happens to a domain when you decide to drop it is a great way to evaluate the decision you made.
Anyone have any good domain drop stories?
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