Domainer, definition: an individual who invests in and monetizes internet domain names.

And that’s it. People have a tendency to over-explain the term, domainer. Domaining encompasses many activities associated with domain name utilization. Not just resale. Not just parking. Definitely not cybersquatting (though that exists). Domaining can include full-scale web development, or any combination of approaches. Domainers are diverse, and in my experience, often ethical and intelligent people.

Side note: Whoever wrote the current Wikipedia page on “domaining” needs to erase it and start over. The page contains too much misinformation and personal bias.

Most domainers became interested in domain names as an extension of enjoying the internet, and embracing some element of the net that was fun and exciting. Still others happened up on domaining, somewhat by accident, as a result of taking their company online and exploring things like website design and webhosting. What’s your story?

My story began with songwriting and recording music. I purchased a digital hard-disk recording system in 1992 having been a multitrack reel-to-reel guy for a number of years. In the mid-1990′s, I was recording area musicians’ CD’s, guest playing on their songs, and writing my own material which eventually led to my own CD. The internet was being discovered … usually via AOL over slow 28k modems (made only to test your patience and sanity).

I began designing a promotional website to market my music, and eventually needed to register something called a “domain name” (so people could access my music site over the net). Naturally enough, I registered my own name. Things began to take off after joining MP3.com, Billboard Music Net, and Soundclick … who all provided me featured spots on their internet charts. After some local newspaper articles on my music exploits, I decided to resign my position and take some time to move things further forward. This resulted in an unexpected detour.

As I was finishing two more songs, learning html and graphics editing, I had the proverbial epiphany (like many others!) when I heard about the multi-million dollar sales of Business.com and Loans.com. I became fascinated with the concept of what a domain name could represent, and how it could become a portal, or magnet, for people interested in a particular subject. I had been a pretty active member of music forums, and had seen the incredible way in which people separated by continents could connect. This was futuristic, and exciting. I wasn’t sure how the opportunity would take shape, but I knew something important was looming, and I wanted to join in.

Domain names seemed the most perfect, single vehicle for accessing this incredible future technology called “the internet”. But it was happening now! My local phone company was literally laying broadband cable day-after-day in the rural area where I lived. Something special was coming to America, and to the world. My innate curiosity really took off.

Having pretty much missed the boat in 1999 on true premium .com domains, I geared up & strategized to take the .info world by storm. dotINFO was the first “post-modern” .com alternative and it captured considerable attention. It made sense: .info for “information“. I got it!

So much has happened in the domain name industry, in so short a time it seems. But here we are today, 2009. And despite all that has passed, we are still near the beginning. The internet was not a fad. It’s a prolific, planet-changing technology. The .com “bust” was not some final end, but only a small hiccup in what appears to be a truly once-in-a-lifetime trip. I’m not done domaining. Are you?

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The Sedo auction for ParisFrance.com has concluded with a final purchase price of $15,644 (12,100 EUR) and Mr. Omar Haddedou being the winning bidder. 

PremiumDomains.biz just featured Mr. Haddedou and his prime geodomain portfolio which includes SanDiego.biz, Tulsa.us, and PebbleBeach.us. Omar will now add a world class .com tourist destination to his collection with the acquisition of ParisFrance.com.

The urban population around Paris is nearly 12 million people. But it’s the traffic from Europe and abroad that make up the 45 million annual visitors driving the local tourism industry. Omar confirms there will be an upcoming website. This domain name is what investment is all about. Congratulations Mr. Haddedou!

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Markets vary over time in growth and robustness, and from industry to industry. The perfect synergy between a business and their internet success depends on having a premium domain that beautifully fits the design of a particular company’s internet expansion goal.

Most companies exist within a narrow market (or business classification), and a company’s relevance to consumers is based on a combination of factors:

• Is the company credible? Do I trust them?
• Are the company’s products & services quality, and reliable?
• Is the company accessible?
• Does this company offer value? Is this company legitimate?

Achieving credibility, quality, accessibility, and legitimacy is the goal of every company. Making the all important first impression with your consumer base is what drives great business. With internet presence so critically important to every company’s future, having the perfect domain name just cannot be overstated.

Have you ever conducted an online search for a product or service and been taken aback by a somewhat ill-fitting website address? With so many scams and illegitimate enterprises on the internet, consumers have learned to question a company’s authenticity.

Your internet web address is your company’s online storefront. The domain name, or portal to your company, is the doorway through which consumers will pass … or not. A premium domain name says “Come on in, we’re a credible company.” It raises the trust level, the confidence level, and says to customers that they can pull out their credit card and do safe business with you.

So you need to ask yourself: Is my website address helping my business? Is it logical, clear, and easy for my customers to remember, and relate to? Does it reinforce my company’s status within our business category or local market?

Or, is your online identity being compromised by a domain name that lacks synergy? Think about it. Does your domain name really describe what your customers are looking for? Is it tailored to your market? A premium domain is “premium” for a reason. It raises the integrity level.

FACT: A high-quality web address that is descriptive of your product or service says to the consumer that your company is: credible, quality-conscious, accessible, and trustworthy. That’s synergy. That’s an ingredient in the success formula.

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Domain names are typically classified into categories and sub-categories. This serves an important search function because much of the built-in value of a domain has to do with how well it describes a particular niche.

I find that the basic search of most aftermarket sites is far too general. Instead, I much prefer the advanced search because of the extra detail and specificity provided. This is particularly true when scanning long domain lists where there are thousands of domains to sift through.

For example, one can search for “Business” at Sedo and a list of over a half million domains is produced. Fortunately, 14 sub-categories are provided to refine the “Business” seach down to a more manageable size. Even with this improvement, the smallest biz category (B2B) contains 15,246 entries. Ever try to scan through 15,000 domain names? You will be cross-eyed & drunk from exhaustion before you get halfway through.

A few other helpful tools are available such as excluding hyphens & numerals, setting a price range, and choosing from various tld extensions. As my interests have become very specific over the years, I can perform a useful search by simply typing in a geo-location and/or business sub-category to produce a targeted list of possible acquisitions.

While I rarely scan expiring drop lists anymore, I recall catching many nice quality domains at 5:20 a.m. EST in 2006 and 2007. I competed against a number of like-minded domainers as we literally raced through the freshly released expiring domain lists looking for one or two good names among hundreds and hundreds of duds. Some of the successful drop-catch registrars released their list (and drop catch slots) in the early afternoon … requiring a duplication of the frenzied effort to snag a single vacant slot for a particular high-interest domain. If that doesn’t qualify you as a nerd, nothing will.

In any event, I appreciate advanced tools. Ultimately, they save time. And they shape your destiny. Every little advantage you find  … helps speed your path to success. Perhaps one day we’ll be lucky enough to have a domainer “insider tips”. A compilation of trade secrets from all the domain experts. I mean the really good stuff … that domainers keep to themselves. Something to look forward to.

Internet Domains aftermarket, domain search

I almost don’t believe what I’m seeing. ParisFrance.com is on Sedo with a current auction bid of just $3998 (3100 EUR) and the reserve has been met. That’s right … the .com. 

Paris, France is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world with approximately 45 million visitors annually.

I try not to be skeptical, but with under two days left in the auction, bids for a geodomain like this would easily be in six-figures and climbing rapidly. There is whois protection on the domain. That alone raises my suspicion about the authenticity of this possible sale (with only a nominal bid of $3998). Going to watch this one … and look for details.

Update (2/12/09): The Sedo auction has concluded and the winning bid was $12,100 EUR ($15,644 USD based on today’s exchange rate). Read more about the sale here.

.COM Domains france, paris, Sedo

John van den Berg is a respected and well-liked domainer who just sold RT.TV to Russia Today for $62,500. Russia Today is a 24/7 English-language news channel. They broadcast over six continents and 100 countries, and are headquartered out of Moscow with bureaus in many other cities worldwide. John’s sale evolved over a 5 month period with back and forth negotiations occurring with the government of Russia (since Russia Today is state-owned).

But things are really just beginning to heat up for John. He also sold Me.TV recently for an undisclosed amount due to the often employed non-disclosure agreement (NDA). And, he owns DE.TV which is in auction at Sedo right this moment. The reserve has been met and there remain 5 days left before the auction is finalized. Current price for DE.TV is at $10,892.

No, we’re not finished! This is the tip of the iceberg for John van den Berg. You may be wondering if he has any other premium domains. How about …

• Fly.TV
• Mexico.TV
• Italy.TV
• Dogs.TV, … and many more.

John was born in Holland and he currently lives in Kenya and Dubai. He began domaining in late 2004, and owns approximately 2200 domain names of which 150 are .TV web addresses. .TV is the ccTLD for the island of Tuvalu, but is better recognized for the word “Television” having been smartly rebranded years ago by the .TV Corporation.

My guess is we will be hearing about more top sales from John. Fly.com was just sold for $1,760,000 in a recently publicized deal. By association, one can presume that there is significant dollar value attached to John’s Fly.TV which sounds like the ultimate online, media-rich travel portal.

However, my favorite is probably Dogs.TV … WOW! Fantastic domain name and a perfect fit for the .TV web address. “People love dogs” is a gross understatement. Dogs.TV could become the world’s # 1 website for all things canine. Can’t you imagine global dog enthusiasts uploading their favorite funny videos of all their pooches? The entertainment value would be never-ending, and lucrative. John has a nice start already toward this end.

Congratulations to John van den Berg! He loves the .TV extension. And he made a prudent domain name investment that is paying off. THE BEST … is yet to come.

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San Diego is a truly great American city. It is ranked the 9th largest in the country with a population close to 1.3 million people. The greater metropolitan area is estimated at just over 3.1 million. With pro sports and a world famous zoo, San Diego has more than its fair share of tourism.

SanDiego.biz is the geodomain website of Mr. Omar Haddedou. Omar is a domain name investor and website developer who builds many of his web properties around the travel and tourism industry. He first began investing in domain names in 1999 beginning with various City+Restaurant.com combinations (since he had previously been a restaurant owner). At the time, Omar was not heavily involved in the internet and consequently sold the restaurant domains for a nice profit.

In 2001, Omar created New Marketing Online and began to develop websites for customers. He also began investing in .BIZ and .US as he recognized that the growth of the internet would eventually exhaust the .com pool. Omar noticed that .com’s were consistently selling for high premium prices. This led him to invest in the newer web addresses that would eventually attract greater attention as the internet’s good .com’s became unavailable.

In addition to SanDiego.biz, Omar also owns and operates a number of other geodomain websites: Tulsa.us, SantaCruz.us, and PebbleBeach.us (world famous for golf and slated to be the site of the 2010 U.S. Open).

Omar acquired San-Diego.us in 2003 and developed the property using some of the skills he honed designing sites for others. Having learned about Search Engine Optimization (SEO), San-Diego.us now enjoys the second position on Google for the search term “San Diego Hotels”. Nice! Stats research indicates that San-Diego.us drew between 5,000 and 12,000 site visitors per month through 2008.

Never one to sit idle, Omar continues to innovate and develop … recently moving into French geodomain destinations like Vallauris.com and Poitiers.com. Other high-quality domain names from Omar’s portfolio include: WashingtonDCLawyers.com and CaliforniaRentals.us.

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I am finding a variety of companies, large and small, entering the .US market. Not only for investment purposes, but real companies branding with the .US extension, or testing the waters in creative ways. Mutual-funds.us is owned (registered) to Time Inc. who are utilizing this keyword rich domain for their CNN Money website.

CNNMoney.com receive over 9 million unique visitors per month, and they launched a broadband video channel in January of 2008. CNN’s use of Mutual-funds.us looks very interesting, and is obviously appropriate for their finance-oriented website. Although CNNMoney.com is displayed in the header logo, the entire site reads Mutual-funds.us in the url address bar.

Next up is the San Francisco Chronicle at SFChronicle.us. This is a massive, deep content website in the modern news media format. Very clean and well organized with all kinds of information, headlines, and commentary to interest nearly everyone. SFChronicle.us is registered to The Hearst Corporation who are well-known goliaths in the news, media, & publishing industry.

Also catching my eye as I net surfed today was DaytonaBeachRentals.us. I love these geo-targeted domains and the fact that local companies use them as intended. As you can guess, DaytonaBeachRentals.us is a real estate website listing a plethora of homes & condos for sale or rent in the Daytona Beach, Florida area. The owner, Aswin Suri, has erected a killer website, and appears to be a major force in the local real estate industry around Daytona Beach.

.US Domain Names, Internet Domains .us, cnn, daytona, media