| Registering, buying or selling of internet domain | | | | Generic domain names provide links and ads for the |
| names has been a big business for about a decade | | | | companies associated with these names. When |
| for several people with an estimated value of $2 | | | | people visit those website, they may click on PPC |
| billion. This is expected to double by 2010 with 90,000 | | | | ads. The revenue gets shared between owners and |
| registrations a day. | | | | hosting companies. is a very popular website for |
| Registration of new domain names with registrars | | | | parking of domain names and PPC revenue sharing. |
| has been on the rise. According to VeriSign Inc., by | | | | The value of domain names can be directly related to |
| the end of March 2007, as many as 128 million | | | | the amount of traffic that a domain generates. For |
| domain names were registered all over the world, | | | | example, names like could generate millions of traffic |
| representing an increase of about 31 per cent over | | | | and justifiably it went for $12 million. |
| the previous year. | | | | The domain name industry is like real estate on the |
| Some of the prominent internet domain names | | | | internet. It has grown exponentially over the past 10 |
| transacted last year included for $12 million, for $3 | | | | years and is still growing fast. A domain name can be |
| million, for $135,000 etc. Good domains may cost | | | | held like a piece of real estate investment. One of |
| upwards of $100,000. There are thousands of domain | | | | the popular places where auctions of domain names |
| names being traded at sites like sedo.com, and | | | | take place is Manhattan. This place attracts big |
| Most of the lucrative domain names in .com, .org, and | | | | players in the industry. |
| .net have been taken over. Domains ending at .com | | | | One important precaution that needs to be |
| have been the most leading amongst the whole | | | | undertaken is that one should not choose a name |
| category of Top Level Domain Names (TLDs). | | | | which corresponds to a trademark name of |
| There could still be many free domain names from | | | | somebody. |
| other categories like .edu, .gov, .net, .info, .biz, .name | | | | The ICANN is in the process of generating more |
| etc. However, of all the names dot com names are | | | | TLDs. This provides an opportunity for some people |
| clear winners. One can also be on the look out for | | | | to register or buy variations of domain names from |
| expired or expiring domain names and for buying | | | | those categories and reselling. |
| cheap for reselling. | | | | It is uncertain as to how far the domain name |
| The idea behind generic domain names is that people | | | | industry will survive. But it looks to continue to thrive |
| may type them directly in address bar and not in | | | | for a long time to come in view of the worldwide |
| search engines. Once a web page appears, money | | | | expansion of internet and desire of people to make a |
| can be made by pay per click advertising. | | | | presence on the net. |