Hustling For A Domain Name

The explosion of the worldwide web and the accompanying improvements in technology and communications have brought a lot of changes in the way firms carry out their affairs. Instead of the traditional brick and mortar outlets, businesses are now turning to clicks and bytes in a bid to survive in the digital revolution. Just like in the past where businesses fought to get hold of the best real estate locations, the competition seems to have shifted on to the internet domain listings. This competition has turned out to be very fierce as there is not an infinite number of catchy domain names.

It was because of this realization that I decided to register a domain name 4 years ago with the hope of using it should I open up my own business. As expected, the domain name that I had in mind had already been snapped up but luckily my second choice was available. Rather than hope that the name will not be taken up should I need one, I decided to register the domain name and I have been holding onto it since.

Like myself, thousands upon thousands of business name domains are being held for the same reasons as mine or with the intention of being sold just like prime real estate. As it turns out, the second most expensive domain ever sold was business.com, which was sold for a tidy sum of $8 million. In case you are wondering about the most expensive domain name sold, look no further than to the world's oldest profession.

With more than 108 million and growing domain names out there, there has never been a greater need for businesses to differentiate and brand themselves in order to stand out. For these reasons, it's no wonder that some of the world's most successful business have very unique domains. A prime example is REMAX, one of the biggest real estate company in America, which owns the website realtor.com. Other prominent internet domain names include auction powerhouse ebay.com and and Apple Inc's itunes.com music store.

As such it has turned out to be that the difference between success and failure for many businesses can lie in the choice of a domain name. With businesses seeking to compete for customers in the global marketplace, a good domain name can catapult a business straight to the customers and to the forefront of the competition.

This past month, I fast forwarded some of my plans to venture into business. With already one domain name registered, I decided against using it because of the different nature of the business that I want to operate. Armed with a business name, I started the search for a domain name. Like in the first instance, almost every name that I thought of had been taken up and parked by their owners. In fact, none of the websites were operational. I tried almost every combination of words and names that I could think of. A few of the domain names that I came up with were not registered but they didn't seem to have the umph that I wanted and they sounded lame. One week later and almost one hundred domain names scribbled in my scrap book, I finally found a domain name that I liked. The best part is that it is better than what I had originally thought of. Thanks to the people who taken upon themselves to park domain names, I now have a better domain name than I had wanted.

My search for domain names led me to domain names auctions whereby other registered domain owners are trying to sell their domains. It's not surprising that there are some Kenyan domain names being auctioned. It's not possible to tell if they are being auctioned by Kenyans as they are privately registered but just looking at the names makes me think that they may not belong to Kenyans as they are generic names. Though it does not surprise me that none of the domain names have attracted a single bid.

And for the price they are fetching, I would think it is better to get a dot-ke identity especially if the business is targeting Kenyans. While the dot-com arena may have matured, I understand that there are approximately 10,000 dot-ke registrations in comparison to the 30 million plus dot-com registrations. The downside is that it will cost you twice as much to get a Kenyan domain registration than if you registered a dot-net or dot-com equivalent. If only you can find one. The good thing is that the dot-ke registry fees have come down and it now costs approximately $30 for a two year listing. However, some Kenyan ISPs who have taken up to re-selling domains may charge less for the domain name registration in return for providing other web-related products such as web development and hosting services.

I will continue holding onto the dot-com domain that I registered 4 years ago until when I determine whether to go into business or remain in employment. Should I give up on my plans I will try to auction it or pass it on to a friend rather than just let go of it. I consider the $15 that I pay every year for private registration as a small price to pay compared to looking for a domain name in the future.

Business byte; As of last year, Google Inc owned no less than 520 domain names. This number comes from the companies Google has acquired and a host of other names that it holds in order to protect it's online brand from cyber squatters and others seeking to capitalize on Google's online clout to run their businesses.