"The Secrets of List Building Unmasked"

Traditional domain names consist of a word or phrase that describes a website followed by an extension.  Extensions can be .com, .net or country-based such as .fr or .jp.  So, if this is the case, how can domain names like blo.gs or del.icio.us exist?  It’s because a domain name doesn’t have to follow a traditional format.  When it is created in the manner demonstrated above, it is called a domain name hack.  With a domain name hack, a domain name spells out a ‘word’ by using a combination of periods and less popular country-based or state-based extensions.

Now, if you think a domain name hack is a simply a trick created by spammers and/or webmasters with no life, think again.  Yahoo obtained the rights to both blo.gs and del.icio.us, despite their unusual-looking format.  There are also popular organizations that are actually known by domain name hacks.  Examples include who.is, (a site that lets a webmaster know the specifics behind a domain name and their associated website), and whocalled.us, (a site that allows consumers to list the numbers of telemarketers).  Even other countries use domain name hacks in their own languages.  Consider Germany’s popular Schokola.de, (which means chocolate in English).

So, does this mean webmasters should consider using domain name hacks?  The answer is it depends.  It is important to remember that while domain name hacks are witty, many of them can be inconvenient for web surfers.  Some may even wonder if the site is legitimate, since the most common extensions are .com, .net, .org and .biz.   However, since there are domain name hacks that still receive a healthy amount of traffic, it is possible that website visitors might overlook how a domain name hack is titled if the site it is pointing to proves to be worthwhile.  There is also the option of having a second more normal-looking domain name point to a domain name hack.  This gives website visitors two ways of being able to access one’s website.

How can a person think of a good domain name hack?  First, they need to get a list of all the extensions that are possible with a domain name.  They then need to find a domain name company that sells that sells the extension they are looking for.  Then they will need to think of any word or phrase that includes the letters used in the extension.  But they will need to make sure these letters are at the end of the word, since extensions conclude a domain name.  An exception could be made if a person considers using third-level domains.  In this situation the letters of the extension could be used in the middle of the domain name hack.

If a webmaster finds they are having trouble thinking of a word or phrase that contains their selected extension, they could use a keyword analyzer to help them.  Yahoo and Google offer keyword analyzers for free, though webmasters might find more use from paid keyword analyzers.  This is because paid keyword analyzers offer more information about a keyword than free ones.

"The Secrets of List Building Unmasked"

When it comes to choosing a domain name there are 2 distinct schools of thought. Let’s examine each one separately.

1. Use ‘YourOwnName’.com

This is an excellent way to establish an online presence that will stand the test of time. Building your own “Brand Name” is definitely something you need to consider, but I differ from many people’s opinions on whether this should be your first website. I would strongly recommend this be your second site choice because you will need to work long and hard to establish your credentials and a strong following before a site like this will begin to show a profit ( more information on that is at www.OnlineBrandBuildingSecrets.com and you should seriously consider reading the book that I have for sale there ).

You really want fast cash in your pocket at this stage so as to be able to move onward and upward quickly and option 2 for website choice will see you listed in Google much faster. Using your own name and building a genuine group of followers will bring you satisfaction and profits for years to come but it needs to be done correctly. If you screw this up you name will be MUD and the task of repairing that will be even more difficult than starting from scratch. The time will come when you should start to establish your online presence but first, let’s make some money!

2. Use Keywords from Your Chosen Niche.

This is where I recommend you start your online marketing, with a website that revolves around your chosen niche. You should already have several keyword lists made up and you should already know which of those keywords is highly searched – that is, which keywords your potential customers actually type into the search engines. Now we simply need to find an available domain name with those keywords in it. This will get more “organic” search hits from very early after going live and will be much easier to move up the rankings.

Now then, let’s go and find out whether your perfect domain name is actually available. For that, I use a free service called NameBoy.com. ( I am not an affiliate of this site and earn no commission or credit for sending you there, so go ahead and right click that link and select ‘open in new tab’ from your browser’s drop down box, it will open a second browser window and you can alternate between this window and the other while you follow these instructions ).

You will notice in the main window of NameBoy that it lets you choose a primary and a secondary keyword for your search. If you have a highly searched 2 word key-phrase you can go ahead and type them in. If your preferred search key-phrase is a single word then you can simply type that into the primary box and hit search.

NOTE: I do not recommend a single word for your domain name because it will be too broad, in most instances, but the choice is yours.

If you have a three or four word phrase that you would like to use then you need to get a little creative when entering them into NameBoy, maybe 2 words in the primary box and one in the secondary or vice-versa, 2 words in each box or even 3 in the primary and 1 in the secondary, it will all work but you may also end up with a heap of hyphens in your domain name.

Hyphens are not a bad thing, sometimes they can actually help to make your website name more easily readable at a glance and sometimes they are even necessary in order to get the domain name you need with good keywords. Having said that, try not to overuse hyphens because they can have the opposite effect with your visitors and give your domain an amateur look. You will know when it looks right and you have a domain name that has your desired keywords and is pleasing to the eye.

When you type in your keywords and choose whether to allow NameBoy to add hyphens or rhymes, press ‘Go NameBoy, Go’ and you will be told whether that domain name is available or not. Here you will get some options to choose from. NameBoy will suggest other domain extensions, if .com is not available, such as .org, .net, .info and so on.

My personal preference would be to stick with .com unless all your keyword terms are unavailable. Many marketers believe that .org and .net are equally as good but I tend to disagree. Simply for the fact that some of your searches will be typed in by people who have been to your site before ( and didn’t bookmark it ) and if your domain name is, for example, www.fishingtackleshop.net and your previous customer unwittingly types in www.fishingtackleshop.com they will immediately go to your direct competitors shop. Weigh into this argument that you originally wanted that website address and it was already gone means that your opposition was up and running before you. They could have more stock, a more visually appealing website, better deals, whatever – that customer may never find their way back to your site! Competition is essential in this game but you must always retain the upper hand.

Moving on, NameBoy will also give you a list of other domain names that are available and has a check-box system to show the various file extensions for each name. Don’t be scared to go back to the previous window and switch your keywords around and try another search. Be careful not to jump on the first .com address that is available because, quite frankly, some of them stink. Switch the words around, try your second preferred key-phrase, do whatever you have to do in order to get a domain with your desired keywords that is easy for your customers to remember and type.

Now this part is important, write down the domain name exactly and leave NameBoy – Do not register your domain with them. Go to GoDaddy or BlueHost to register your domain, it is cheaper at one of these and much easier to manage. I have used both of these sites in the past but I now have all my websites ( 23 ) on the 1 hosting account at BlueHost. I found them to be above average for value and excellent for tools and support. CLICK HERE TO SIGNUP FOR BLUEHOST.COM ( Note: As an affiliate of BlueHost I will receive a commission if you decide to purchase through this link ). I recommend that you use BlueHost for 1 major reason – simplicity. Unlike GoDaddy, who will sell you a domain name and then sublet you to “Domains by Proxy” or “HostGator” for hosting, at BlueHost everything is under one roof.

Okay, now you have a domain that will rank in the search engines and you have reliable hosting, all that remains is to get your product onto your domain. I will return tomorrow with a few options to get you running but first I want to recommend something that will make you money even before your website is live.

Go to OTOGoldmine and register for a free account. ( Note: This is also my affiliate link but common sense should tell you that, because I am telling you to register for a FREE account, there is nothing in it for me ). When you have your account set up go to create a campaign and follow the steps to create a campaign without a website. Let me explain why, you have a website but it is not live yet so if you were to create a campaign and use your domain name to redirect to, there would be no-one home. So, create a campaign without a website and take the code they give you and add it to your 404 page on the domain at BlueHost ( or where-ever ) simply use a free ftp client ( FileZilla is free to download and has excellent instructions for newbies ) to open the 404 page and add the code. Now, when anybody can’t find your site, the 404 error page will display and offer them a product from OTO Goldmine. If they purchase you get a commission, and your site isn’t even live yet! Isn’t this fun! Even after your site goes live, you leave that code on that page and it will continue to work for you. Alternatively you could go back to OTO Goldmine after your site is live and change your campaign so that, if your visitor says no to that offer, they are sent to your home page instead of going to OTO Goldmine. This will still make you a commission if they agree to the offer. Want to see how it works? Click on THIS LINK to go to one of my 404 pages.