New Domaining Tool: Domize.com

In my never ending search to bring readers the newest domaining tools to hit the scene, take a second and familiarize yourself with Domize.com.

At first glance, Domize looks like your regular Ajax instant domain search tool but one thing that sets it apart is the "trail" of results that are instantly displayed as you type. Pretty cool.

Notice when I typed in the phrase "credit cards", or even restaurant employee scheduling, each letter typed in is queried to show availability.

Although the results are lightning-quick, Domize is limited to .com, .net and .org results.

Being a brand new tool, I'm hoping other extensions will be added soon.

Don't forget to subscribe to stay up-to-date and current on all the new domain industry tools as they roll out.

Visit Domize.com

How To Search Google Using A Specific Domain Extension

This post is for all the domain newbies out there.

Here's a simple little trick you can use to utilize Google and only search for keyword results using a specific domain extension such as .tv, .asia, .mobi and such.

First, get to the Google Homepage and click on "Advanced Search" to the right of the search bar.

Next, find the area that states "Search within a site or domain". This is where you will type in the domain extension that you want to search under. Go ahead and type in .mobi or .tv in that search field. Then click the "advanced search" button.

After clicking on the advanced search button, you will be taken back to the Google search page, but now the term "site:.tv" will automatically be queried.

Closer look.

Now all you have to do is type in your keyword in front of the "site:.tv" term and presto, all your search results for your keyword will now be narrow down to all websites that end in the .tv extension.  This works for all domain extensions.

Pretty nifty for trying to find websites that queries your search using a specific domain extension instead of getting all .com search results.

Enjoy.

Go Daddy Declares April 29th WebMasters' Day

"If newspaper carriers, cartoonists, doctors and hairstylists all have their own day, it's time for Webmasters to receive the same recognition. That's why, to honor the professionals responsible for the content on Web sites across the world, GoDaddy.com is declaring April 29 Webmasters' Day."

Good karma on Go Daddy's part by honoring and recognizing the efforts of these behind-the-scene professionals who are invaluable to any company with an online presence. 

"The Internet wouldn't be where it is today without this underappreciated group who keep content on the ‘net fresh," GoDaddy.com CEO and Founder Bob Parsons said. "I think a day to remind everyone of how vital Webmasters are is way overdue."

For more information about Webmaster's Day or to send a virtual postcard to your Webmaster to thank them for all they do, visit http://www.GoDaddy.com/WebmastersDay

School of the Unethical: Renting .edu Blog Space

Oh how the domain industry needs a hero.

It is now being reported that LinkAdage and the Pickering Institue have teamed up to open up a blackhole of unscrupulous actions by offering anyone blog space for rent...on an .edu domain.  This in effect allows ANY average-joe-schmo to post their blogs under a .edu sub-domain without actually being affiliated with any sort of educational institute.  Dirty pool in my book.

Here is a few excerpts of the front page of the Pickering Institute website:

"Our blogs allow you to reach an education minded audience that is difficult to reach with mass market blogs such as Blogger or Blogspot."

"PI.edu visitors are looking to learn about new things, and we are building the web's most sophisticated blog community. Having a PI.edu gives you instant credibility because we have strict guidelines as to who can have a blog and the quality and truthfulness of the writing."

Did you read that last sentence?  Read it again.

"Having a PI .edu gives you instant credibility because we have strict guidelines as to who can have a blog and the quality of truthfulness of the writing."

Basically...they are saying, "Pay us $50 a month and you can blog using our coveted .edu domain extension." This just kills me. 

Ian over at MarketingConversation.com seems to feel the same way, and posts that using this method of marketing a blog:

1. Takes advantage of a vulnerable population.
2. Skews the search engine algorithm that expect educational information at .edu domains.
3. Is in poor taste.
4. And is generally bad for the community.

I agree.

"For those who don't know: Links from EDU domains may get more authority in the search rankings. So a lot of folks prize links from .edu web sites. That's why this could be a compelling offer to unscrupulous marketers." Ian also explains. 

So, isn't this breaking the law in some form?

Not really.  Seems LinkAdage and the Pickering Institute have found a loophole when it comes to the rules of use around .edu domains.  Since the Pickering Institute is considered a verifiable educational institute, they can assign third-level domains to other parties. This is where the Pickering Institute begins to mold themselves into a "blog community" instead of an "educational institute". 

You can almost hear the onslaught of worthless writing that will soon be flooding the .edu universe.

 

So, How much does it cost to kill a top-level domain extension?

Seems only $50 per month.

Sad.

What Kind of Domainer Are You?

Are you an Investor?  What about a Flipper? You might be a Monetizer? 

Found a fun post over at Media Wizard's blog that divides domainers into 7 general categories according to how they proceed with a domain after purchase.  

The categories are:

- The Investor

- The Flipper

- The Developer

- The Builder

- The Monetizer

- The Broker

- and The Provider

Here's a sample excerpt:

The Investor
"These are the sharpest of them all. Buy good quality when prices are low, hold long term, sell high. These guys hold onto assets, maybe even develop them, ensure that they’re hot and in demand when the market is totally ripe, then sell them. The advantages of emulating this type is that you can afford to sell 1% of your portfolio each year and still manage to pull in the major bucks. The downside is renewals, unless your portfolio generates enough revenue, this cost needs to be factored in. People like Frank Schilling, Rick Schwartz, Sahar Sarid, Adam Dicker, Michael Goldman and probably most of the other big ticket guys will be found in this group."

Take a moment and read the rest of the post here.

And don't forget to comment back  after you decide what category you fit into.

Personally, I think I fit into a couple of groups.  

Walt Disney Goes On Domain Buying Spree

At a New York press conference today, Disney-Pixar Films unveiled their highly-anticipated upcoming lineup of 10 new animated feature films to be released through 2012.

Over the past 30 days, Walt Disney-Pixar Films has began to register a ton of new (and interesting) domain names not only for these specific future planned films, but also for some rumored upcoming works in progress. Speculation and gossip in the Disneysphere has begun to explode over the recent domain names bought by Disney.

The domains recently registered by Disney:

101DALMATIANS2DVD.COM
ADVENTURELANDBLURAY.COM
ADVENTURELANDDVD.COM
AMIGOSDVD.COM
AMIGOSOFFER.COM
BOLTBLURAY.COM
BRIDESHEADREVISITEDBLURAY.COM
BRIDESHEADREVISITEDDVD.COM
BUNNYTOWN-DVD.COM
BUNNYTOWNONDVD.COM
CAMPROCK2.COM
CAMPROCK2.NET
CAMPROCKTWO.COM
CAMPROCKTWO.NET
DADNAPPEDDVD.COM
DISNEYBUNNYTOWNDVD.COM
DISNEYCHANNELONDVD.COM
DONALDDVD.COM
DONALDOFFER.COM
MORNINGLIGHTBLURAY.COM
OLIVERANDCOMPANYDVD.COM
PRINCECASPIANBLURAY.COM
TINKERBELLBLURAY.COM
SNOWWHITEANDTHESEVENDWARFSBLURAY.COM
SNOWWHITEANDTHESEVENDWARFSDVD.COM
SNOWWHITEBLURAY.COM
CHRONICLESOFNARNIABLURAY.COM

FATHERKNOWSBEST-MOVIE.COM

GODSOFMARS-MOVIE.COM
GODSOFMARSMOVIE.COM

JOHNCARTERANDTHEGODSOFMARS.COM
JOHNCARTERANDTHEWARLORDOFMARS.COM
THEGODSOFMARS-MOVIE.COM
THEGODSOFMARSMOVIE.COM
THEWARLORDOFMARS-MOVIE.COM
THEWARLORDOFMARSMOVIE.COM
WARLORDOFMARS-MOVIE.COM

MOONROCK-MOVIE.COM
THEMOONROCKMOVIE.COM

SWINGVOTEMOVIE.NET

BDISNEY.NET
BDISNEYLIVE.COM
BDISNEYLIVE.NET
BDISNEYLIVENET
BDISNEYLIVENETWORK.NET
DISNEYBD.COM
DISNEYBD.NET
DISNEYBDLIVE.NET
DISNEYBDLIVENET
DISNEYBDLIVENETWORK.NET
DISNEYLIVE.NET
DISNEYLIVEBD.COM
DISNEYLIVEBD.NET
DISNEYLIVENET
DISNEYLIVENETWORK.NET
LIVEBDISNEY.COM
LIVEBDISNEY.NET
LIVEBDISNEYNETWORK.COM
LIVEBDISNEYNETWORK.NET

THESUITELIFEONDECK.COM
THESUITELIFEONDECK.NET

SEVENSEASHIGH.COM
SEVENSEASHIGH.NET
SEVENSEASHIGHSCHOOL.COM
SEVENSEASHIGHSCHOOL.NET

HANNAHMATED.COM
HANNAHMATED.NET
HANNAHMATION.COM
HANNAHMATION.NET
HANNAHMONTANACROSS-COUNTRYADVENTURE.COM
HANNAHMONTANACROSSCOUNTRYADVENTURE.COM
HANNAHMONTANAFAMILYREUNION.COM
HANNAHMONTANAMATION.COM
HANNAHMONTANAMATION.NET
HANNAHMONTANAOFFTHECHARTS.COM
HANNAHMONTANAOLDFRIENDSNEWBEGINNINGS.COM
HANNAHMONTANAULTIMATECHOICE.COM
HANNAHMONTANAWELCOMEHOME.COM
HANNAHMONTANAWHEREITALLBEGAN.COM
HANNAHMONTANIMATION.COM
HANNAHMONTANIMATION.NET
HANNAHMONTANAILFILM.COM
HANNAHMONTANAILFILM3D.COM

JONASBROTHERS-MOVIE.COM
JONASBROTHERS3D.COM
JONASBROTHERS3DCONCERT.COM
JONASBROTHERSCONCERT3D.COM
JONASBROTHERSCONCERTMOVIE3D.COM

ABCFAMILYSEARCHFORSANTA.COM
SEARCHFORSANTA2008.COM
THESEARCHFORSANTA.COM

DISNEYJAZZCELEBRATION.COM
DISNEYJAZZCELEBRATION.NET

DISNEYMAGICPLACES.COM

DISNEYSTEPNATIONALS.NET

DISNEYMUSICBLOCKPARTY.COM
DISNEYMUSICBLOCKPARTYTOUR.COM

And some weird ones that no one knows yet why, but assumed future projects:

GOGOROBO.NET
*DISNEYNATURE.US
SHOPKGOTV.COM
MALEMATE.NET
SOCIALCRIB.NET
TOBYFILMHEAD.COM
COLDENBOOKS.COM
HAPPYMONSTERBAND.NET
RUICKANDHUNTPUBLISHING.COM
PERCYJACKSONBOOKS.COM
NIKKI-IN-THE-CITY.COM
WIZARDS-FIRST-RULE.COM

RELATIVEMADDNESS.COM
RELATIVEMADDNESS.INFO
RELATIVEMADDNESS.NET
RELATIVEMADDNESS.ORG

PATTYSPETS.NET
PATYSPETS.COM
PATYSPETS.NET

THEROCKDOME.COM
THEROCKDOME.NET

The full list of domains can be found courtesy of The Disney Enquirer.

Domain Tool of the Week: Domain Idea Box

Over at TiaWood.com, Tia has created a brand new domaining tool named the Domain Idea Box that helps domainers generate domain name ideas from a simple keyword or phrase search while also allowing unique data type parameters to be set . It's free and I'm already addicted.

The look is clean, simple, fast, powerful and straight-forward and this is why Tia's new domaining tool is our Domain Tool of the Week.

Let's take a look at in in more detail.

Still in beta, with only one text field and one button, it will take a user about 10 seconds to understand the simple elegance of using the Domain Idea Box. But don't let the simplicity fool you to what this tool can do.

First, you enter in a keyword or search phrase in the text field. Next, you have the option to search by either .com, .net, .org, .info., .tv, .biz or unfiltered.

The next step is to narrow down the data type you are searching for.

The options are:

You finish by clicking on the "Generate Ideas" button and The Domain Idea Box instantly creates multiple suggested ideas right at your fingertips for you to use. The best part is you can check availability on any of the generated results by clicking on the green checkmark box next to each given result directly with Moniker.

Free, easy and simple. And with this tool still in the beta stage, I am hoping to soon see a wider TLD extension selection available that may include .mobi, .Asia and maybe some IDN's. A choice to use other domain registrars to check availability would be nice too. All in all, this tool rocks.

One more thing. I know a lot of domainers out there are skeptical in using any sort of search/generation tool for fear of someone stealing your ideas but don't worry, Tia is a member of the ICA and adheres to a strict code of conduct of not collecting or storing any query data information. Thanks Tia.

Visit Domain Idea Box

Minnesota Twins Purchase New Domain Names For Brand New Stadium

Some speculation has begun regarding the proposed new name for the Minnesota Twins baseball team's brand new $544.4 million, 40,000 seat stadium set to open in Spring 2010. Recent purchases of some domains by the Twins, such as LandOLakesPark.com and LandOLakesField.com have baseball fans everywhere suggesting that the Minnesota-based company, Land O' Lakes, has stepped up to the plate to sponsor the stadium.

On a side note, does anyone else notice that if Land O' Lakes was the decided name of the new ballpark, the stadium would be pygmy marmoset for sale known as LOL Stadium?

Anyways, Land O' Lakes isn't the only company vying for sponsorship of this new field. Great River Energy is also considered an option and the purchase of the domain name GreatRiverField.com and some other variations by the Minnesota Twins hint at that possibility also.

With the stadium set to debut in about 2 years, the naming of the stadium is probably a little farther down the timeline but it's interesting to see a baseball team's front office trying to protect their intended name for it's new stadium.

Here's a cool link to the Minnesota Twins live webcam showing current construction progress.

Also, some fun facts:
-Minnesota's new ballpark will feature one of the closest seating bowls to the playing field in all of Major League Baseball, and will have approximately 18,500 infield seats.

-The ballpark will feature a 360-degree open main concourse giving fans an uninterrupted view of the playing field. The concourses will be twice as wide as those found in the Metrodome.

-Minnesota's new ballpark will feature multiple "Knotholes" along the 5th Street side of the ballpark allowing fans to watch the action outside the park without buying a ticket.

-Outdoor - open-air, natural-grass ballpark, with a view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline.

Google's New Search Tool Causes Controversy Among Businesses

Google has recently unveiled a new web search engine platform named, Suggest Labs, that has is causing a lot of negative chatter among business and company owners that rely on web exposure to drive traffic to their website. 

Let's take a second and review exactly how Google's new search tool works and is why domainers need to be aware of this new experimental search engine. 

First, the user visits Google Suggest Labs and types in their search term just as they regularly would from the Google main page.  At a glance, it basically looks like the same interface. 

As the user begins to type their search inquiry, a real-time AJAX window automatically pops up below the search field to offer some alternative websites that are relevant to the intended search.  

The user than has the option to either proceed with their intended search by clicking on the "Google Search" button OR simply click on one of the suggested search terms recommended by Google.   From the user standpoint, this seems like a great convenient tool.  Easy search, nice suggestions. 

But, from the business standpoint, it's beginning to ruffle some corporate feathers.

Let me explain. 

Google's new search-within-a-search feature seems to work great with either generic or broad search terms, such as exercise or music, by offering users more options to help narrow down their search results.  But, as users begin to type in more exact search terms, such as WalMart or Circuit City, the new search engine begins to display a "directory" of individual pages on that company website instead of allowing a full web search.  Notice in the picture below that when I typed in WalMart, the suggestions are streamlined to include WalMart directory pages, not a full web search.  No problem huh? Wrong. 

This is exactly where the main complaint from featured companies begins.  Basically, instead of having visitors search for "directory" information from the company's own website after a user visit, Google is giving Internet searchers the same options without the user even visiting the company's website.  More traffic for Google, less traffic for that company's website. Not exactly a good equation for a that featured business's total website count. 

It has been rumored that Amazon.com has already requested Google to remove their featured listing from the new Google Suggest search engine because of this exact reasons stated above.

Today's domainers need to be aware of this alternative search method offered by Google and take into account how keywords and SEO may not figure into this new method of search.

Stay informed.

-Rudy

13 Ways To Improve Your Domain Trend Spotting

Searching for the newest global trends is a relentless and time consuming task. All over the world, each minute of the day, new trends are emerging that unsuspecting consumers will be influenced by because of their of their "newness or freshness" and flock to find out more information about that certain product/service or fad. As a domainer, it is advantageous to be on the cusp of these brand new trends to create a domaining strategy that will be beneficial for people wanting to know more about them when they research them online. (think keywords, not cybersquatting)

Below are 13 websites that I personally use on a frequent basis to familiarize myself with current trends and forecasts that are creating a stir on the global marketplace. A little research can harbor great rewards for a domainer.

TREND HUNTER is the world's largest trend spotting and cool hunting community. It is an explosion of cool, fueled by a global network of trend spotters and cool hunters. Innovation and strategic advantage hinge on the ability to anticipate the latest trends and identify the next big thing. By tracking the evolution of cool, Trend Hunters generate ideas, stimulate creativity, and ultimately unlock cool.

Y Combinator is a venture fund which focuses on seed investments to startup companies. It offers financing as well as business advice and other opportunities to 2-4 person companies looking to take a great idea to a product. Y Combinator looks for companies with “good” ideas over companies with experience and a business model.

Engadget is a multilingual technology weblog and podcast about consumer electronics. The weblog has won several awards. Engadget currently has four different sites, all operating simultaneously with each having its own staff, which cover technology news in different parts of the world in their respective languages.

The Guy Kawasaki Blog, a practical blog for impractical people, covers the world of innovation and marketing from the viewpoint of a successful and popular quirky business perspective.

AdRants is an editorial that covers emerging marketing and advertising trends, cultural and demographic shifts affecting advertising strategies, new campaign launches, viral and buzz marketing, useful industry research and the examination of the industry's shift from old paradigms to new.

ValleyWag is a tabloid-style news and gossip website about Silicon Valley and it's technology. It is kind of tongue-in-cheek but offers good insight to the current status of the high-tech hotbed.

Cool Hunting is a daily update on ideas and products in the intersection of art, design, culture and technology, and features weekly videos that get an inside look at the people who create them.

Killer Startups reviews 30+ internet startups per working day and allows member voting for the one you think will be a killer.

The Business Week Innovation Page lets visitors read the latest design news on product design, game design, branding, and architecture. Get information on business process innovation.

Google Hot Trends is for sharing the the hottest current searches with you in very close to real time. What's on our collective mind as we search for information? What's interesting to people right now? Hot Trends will tell you. At a glance, you'll see the huge variety of topics capturing our attention, from current events to daily crossword puzzle clues to the latest celebrity gossip. Hot Trends is updated throughout the day, so check back often.

Springwise and its network of 8,000 spotters scan the globe for smart new business ideas, delivering instant inspiration to entrepreneurial minds from San Francisco to Singapore.

Cscout Japan is the most innovative and trendsetting country in the world with a great and still undeveloped potential for European companies. Japan’s Automotive Industry is the No.1 worldwide. Japan is the leading innovator of electronic appliances and gadgets. Japan is the birth place of the gaming market and boasts with the most advanced Mobile Communication Industry. It is well-known for its Media, Manga/Anime, successful TV shows and series etc.

T3 magazine online - the hottest gadget news and technology reviews from cameras to mobiles, TVs to MP3 players.