Domaining.org.uk

In the early days of domaining, say up until  2002, domaining was easy (well easier).

You bought generic domains and, with the rise of domain name parking companies, you parked them and watched the money flood in. I accept there were many late nights and many problems for early domainers to overcome, but it is safe to say things are harder now.

Not all of the best domains are gone but domainers have to work hard to make money now and need additional skills. One of the most vital skill sets domainers need is web development skills, or at least an appreciation of what is involved in web development.

Many domainers do not want to worry about web development or site creation. Perhaps they are better off spending their time prospecting for domains or are better off concentrating on other business activities. (Those domainers will be sharing the revenue their domains attract with domain name parking companies, and thats not always the best possible option, for them.)

However, I think most people are not in that position.

For most domainers, developing out domains in their domain portfolio is a worthwhile use of their time and will lead to greater profits. I am not suggesting the creation of numerous minisites, but domainers should know which of the domains they own can be developed into profitable sites.

Lets be clear about this.

If you do not want a significant proportion of your profits to go to web developers in development fees, or if you would prefer not to share your revenue with domain name parking companies you need to acquire web development skills.

What skills? Well to start with a working knowledge of HTML, CSS and at least know what PHP and MySQL can do when integrated with one another. Ability to install Wordpress on a paid hosting service. Knowledge about website monetization options and search engine optimization is vital.

If you have no choice but to use web developers, perhaps because of time commitments, you should still have a good appreciation of the topics I mentioned above. That way you can talk to your developer in a language you both can understand, and are able to get from your developer exactly what you want.

Are you a domainer with web development skills? How important is it for a domainer to have those skils? Have you used developers to develop your domains? Would web development skills have saved you money and time? Share your experiences below….

I was having a discussion about domain names with a friend who is a computer programmer, a few days ago and he asked me why I continue to look for unregistered domains when the best domains are taken already.

Its a very interesting question because I wonder the same thing myself, sometimes!

It is certainly the case that many, many quality domain names have been registered for a long time and exchange hands for thousands, if not millions of dollars. However, in my opinion there are many good names out there - it is just that finding them is a lot more difficult than it was even five years ago. 

New words and terms are being developed and are emerging all the time. Technological developments, for example, constantly introduce new words and terms into common usage. Social and cultural changes are rich sources of new words. The business sector is constantly innovating and naming new business practices. Fortunately, this gives domainers plenty of  opportunities to buy/ register potentially valuable domains.

A wide range of websites follow business, cultural and technological trends and are useful guides to what might be hot in the future. There is even a website dedicated to what is called Predictive Domaining. Predictive Domaining discusses techniques for finding good domain names that have the potential to become valuable in the future.

That is why I have created a page on this blog listing all trend related sites that I can find, and I plan to update as often as possible. These sites reflect trends in technology as well as business and commercial trends.

Remember, trends come and go. Fashions will develop then fade, never to be heard of again. Products and services emerge and it is often unclear what the future holds for them. Technology changes all the time. So domainers need to be aware that this is a particularly speculative field and that great care is required. Inevitably, not all domainers are going to see success in this area.

Find out more by visiting my list of trend related sites - Trend watching and innovations sites for domainers

Do you know of any sites that I should add to my list? Do you use trend watching sites to find new domains? Why not tell me what you think below.