Tag Archives: domain name company

Scam Domain Names

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Do you think buying something as simple as a domain name means that industry is free from scams? If you do think again, since everyday hundreds of people get milked out of their money thinking they are going to get a perfect domain name. Granted, fraudulent domain name companies haven’t received as much press as ‘work-at-home’ companies or other businesses of that nature, but they are still just as deviant. The two main ways a domain name company goes about scamming its customers involves either selling the domain name at a ridiculously high price and/or not delivering the domain name as promised.

The typical price of a domain name ranges from being 0 dollars to around $35. However, if a domain name company is shady they could charge a price that is much higher. This fee could range from $300 to over $2,000. And, unlike legitimate web hosting companies that might charge such a fee, domain name companies of a shady vein do not offer other services such as web hosting or marketing assistance. Their sole sale is of the domain name.

The second way fraudulent domain name companies scam people is by not providing a domain name at all. This happens a lot with so-called ‘free’ domain names, but can also happen with paid ones of any price. The normal turnaround time for domain name forwarding ranges from 1 to 7 days. If this timeframe has passed and a customer has not received a domain name, they probably won’t receive one.

What does a person do if they discovered they’ve been scammed? Well, if they fall for the first scam where they pay hundreds for a domain name, they may not be able to do much, if the company does indeed deliver the domain name. At most they could try to get a refund, but this is a long shot since companies that shady probably won’t allow for such things.

On the other hand, if a domain name hasn’t been delivered at all, a person can first file a complaint with the Internet Crime Center, (also known as IC3). This organization has a partnership with the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. So, if they think a domain name company has acted in a fraudulent manner, they could use these entities to help conduct criminal investigations against them.

Next, the jilted party needs to consider filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Although this organization doesn’t have as many legal/governmental ties as the Internet Crime Center, it still has a lot of power. This is because many people turn to the BBB before they decide to do business with a company. By filing a complaint with them, a person that has been scammed could protect others from undergoing these same difficulties.

Finally, there’s the option of reporting the fraud to the credit card company or payment processor. If a credit card company determines fraud has occurred, webmasters will at least get their money back. If payment processors such as Paypal think fraud has occurred, they will proceed with freezing the account of the domain name company. When this happens they cannot do further business until they clear up the discrepancy.

Hyphenated Domain Names

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You think of a perfect domain name. It contains a keyword that is found in search engines, has no trademark issues and is memorable for website visitors. You try to register your domain name with a domain name company. It appears to be taken. So, you put a hyphen in it. That version of your domain name is not taken, but should you go on and invest in it? This article will explore what webmasters need to consider if they are deciding to use hyphenated domain names.

First, they need to think about their website visitors. Most people are not accustomed to using hyphenated domain names. Even if they like a website, it may be simply a matter of forgetting to include the hyphen. If this happens then the unhyphenated version of the domain name will be what receives traffic, which is definitely not what a webmaster wants. Of course, if a domain name is not hyphenated in the first place, then such an issue would never arise.

However, a hyphenated domain name that is keyword-rich has a higher chance of getting a good ranking from a search engine than a non-hyphenated domain that is not SEO optimized. A higher search engine ranking might outweigh the initial disadvantage of how inconvenient a hyphenated domain name is. This is because if a website has a high search engine ranking, people won’t need to type in the domain name in order to access it. They can simply click on the listing given in search engine results. And if they like the site, they will bookmark it, an action that is preferable, since it shows they are really interested in what the site has to offer.

Webmasters should also consider whether or not their domain name is more understandable if they use a hyphen. Consider the unusual domain name molestationnursery.com. This is actually in reference to a website that talks about mole nurseries, not molestation. Yet, what will most website visitors think if they saw the domain name in that manner? Including hyphens can make such a website much clearer.

It would also be better for SEO, since search engines would index mole-station-nursery.com with keywords related to moles.

So, basically, there are advantages and disadvantages to using hyphenated domain names. If a webmaster thinks their domain name is going to bring them a lot of search engine traffic, they should go for it. And in some cases, a hyphenated domain name is necessary to make its meaning easier to understand.

Otherwise, webmasters should try their best to create non-hyphenated domain names, since these are the types of domain names that rule the Internet world. If they are having trouble coming up with a better domain name, they can consider using a domain name generator. Many domain name companies provide rudimentary domain name generators if a selected domain name gets turned down. Webmasters don’t have to settle for these type though, since there are more sophisticated domain name generators that can offer even more suggestions.

All About Mobile Domain Names

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When the Internet first came out it was restricted to a wired connection to a computer. Eventually technology improved, creating wireless Internet. At that point the Internet could be accessible through desktops, laptops and mobile devices without wiring. This means that the Internet was now portable. And as more mobile devices are getting created, consumers are exploring how to increase this portability. In fact, wireless Internet has gotten so popular with mobile devices, domain name companies have created a new extension. It’s called .mobi.

.Mobi is the extension of choice for websites that are being formatted for cell phones, pdas and other mobile devices. It can be bought from most major domain name companies such as Godaddy or Network Solutions. As far as registering a .mobi domain name, one would go through the same type of procedure that is associated with traditional domain names. This involves first choosing a .mobi domain name and seeing if it is available.

If it is not available, the domain name company will offer suggestions on what a person can use. Either way, the customer will be given another chance to select another .mobi domain name. Once they get one that is not taken, they can proceed to purchase it. The contract will last one to two years, depending on what they agreed upon with the domain name company. When the contract is up, a person will have to renew their .mobi domain name if they want to continue to keep it.

So, why would a webmaster decide to invest in a domain name that is restricted to mobile devices? Well, it’s mainly because they get an opportunity to center in on a market that is relatively new. Since most webmasters or companies are trying to take advantage of the .coms or the .nets, the .mobi has become somewhat forgotten. This means that it is prime for search engine keywords that would normally not be available for traditional domain names. It can also allow a webmaster a branding opportunity for their company.

However, since a .mobi domain name means a webmaster is creating a website specially designed for a mobile phone, it cannot have the types of frills that it could have if it was being promoted on a computer. Good mobile websites need to be mostly textual with very limited number of pics, (if any). Granted, plain text is not fancy, but it doesn’t require much loading time. Mobile phone sites should also not be very large nor should they be created with frames or other more complicated layouts.

A webmaster may also want to consider trying to divert the mobile website visitor to a regular website. One way this can be done is by advertising the domain name that is associated with a traditional website. But it must be made clear that the site will only display appropriately on regular computers. Another option is trying to capture the person’s email address by offering them something free, such as an e-book or low-cost merchandise.

When they sign up to the email subscription, their first newsletter could advertise the traditional website a webmaster wants promoted. By doing either of these options, webmasters can still take advantage of pay-per-clicks or affiliate programs, revenue generators which may not be promoted on .mobi websites due to viewing limitations with banner or text ads.