Travel Domain Names for Sale
From LoveToKnow Web-Design
So you have a great idea for a business, and all you need are some suitable travel domain names for sale. Well, good news: There are lots of nuggets out there, waiting for be found!
Do You Even Need To Buy It?
Before you embark on a potentially expensive business journey identifying and negotiating a purchase, take a step back and think about the options. Buying someone else's domain is usually more expensive than registering one yourself, especially if it's an active site rather than a parked domain. Perhaps that money would be better spent bringing in a talented web designer to help your Dreamweaver-project look halfway professional.
Even if you have a very specific URL in mind, odds are there's a very similar option available for registration -- perhaps even a better one that you didn't think of. Start with a WhoIs-lookup for the site you're interested in; it'll provide you with a number of available alternatives right off the bat. You can also brainstorm a little using the search engine optimization tools below.
Finding Travel Domain Names for Sale
There are tons of sites out there that specialize in brokering deals between buyers and sellers, as well as current and former cyber squatters who just so happen to sit on a chunk of good domains waiting for an offer. Some good resources that jump to the good stuff without having to slog through a ton of irrelevant ones for sale:
- Slashroot.com has a great selection of travel-specific domain names for sale. This link is to their "showcase" page, with more info underneath.
- TurnkeySoftwareProjects.com has an extensive, at-a-glance list of all available sites currently for sale.
- HomebasedTravelAgent.com has hoarded a number of URLs that they are now selling. Special coverage of Hawaii, cruises and specialty travel.
Run a Google search and you'll find a ton more, although they tend to be a little more of the "everything in a bucket -- good luck fishing it out" variety. You can also check eBay and other auction sites.
Due Diligence
Whether you end up liking an unregistered domain better or not, it never hurts to do a little due diligence, especially if you are indeed about to plunk down a sizeable chunk of coin for someone's domain. For these purposes, due diligence goes beyond checking ownership and the like -- it also involves checking the popularity of the keywords that make up the URL against their search engine rankings.
Very slight variations can make a big difference. For example, suppose you were planning to buy either "HawaiiVacations.com" or "HawaiiVacation.com". Both owners are asking roughly the same price. Which one should you choose? Well, as of this writing one of the tools below revealed that "Hawaii Vacation" had been searched for 15,650 times across some 180 search engines in the past 12 months, but "Hawaii VacationS" only had 10,630 searches. Bingo.
Naturally, this type of search engine optimization is most effective as part of a concerted effort once you get started creating your site. As an online business owner, SEO is to you as the rain is to a farmer -- everything you do should always be done with an eye towards the almighty Google. Two good tools for this type of research are Keyword Discovery and WordTracker.
Buying a Domain That Isn't for Sale
So what happens if the name you want really is the only game in town for your needs, but the current owner does NOT have a For Sale sign on it? If it's a small business, try emailing the owner -- just be careful not to trip the spam blocker; a brief note, preferably from a provider other than Yahoo, Hotmail and other free services, is good. Avoid forms if possible, as you run the risk of assistants "misfiling" it to preserve their jobs.
If you successfully establish contact, you're in for a negotiation where you don't have the upper hand. If the owner is willing to sell, you may have a chance but don't count on a bargain. Keep your calm, don't get emotionally invested, and be prepared to walk at any time, just like at the car dealership.
Closing the Deal
In closing, travel domain names for sale is no different from any others -- if you can find an available alternative you'll get it quickly, cheaply, and guaranteed free of baggage. A domain for sale through a broker will cost a little more, but the broker typically handles the transaction itself. A direct sale between you and an owner should go through an escrow service (unless it's a really low amount) to ensure you don't get ripped off. Either way, remember that it's what you do AFTER you've acquired and hosted the URL that counts.
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This page has been accessed 2,011 times. This page was last modified 08:04, 22 April 2008.
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