International Domain Names with Internet Explorer 7

IDN stands for Internationalized Domain Name, also known as multilingual domain names. It allows you the possibility to use more characters in domains names, besides letters and numbers. It uses characters available in other alphabets, like accents and uses a non roman style ( non English ) languages.

What browsers support IDN names today?

Only the latest version of Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 2 support IDN Names directly entered into the browser.

IE6 and earlier versions will not support IDN's.

What TLD's or ccTLD's support IDN?

First of all what I am saying with that question is what extensions can be registered like and IDN.

Here is a list of the ones that I have registered:

.com

.net

.tv

.cc

.jp = Japan

.cn = China

.de = Germany

.gr = Greece

.tw = Taiwan

Do all Registrars support IDN registrations?

No, as of writing this Enom.com does and so does Domainsite.com There are others that do but most do not. Please check with your registrar BEFORE you register any or you will get stuck with a long name that has no value whosoever.

What IDN's should you register?

You should use the same principles that you have learnt while registering English domain names. Go after the higher paying ppc terms first. Make sure if there are more than one way to say a word in any language that you get them all as you never know which ones will have the most traffic. I have registered quite a few dual meaning words and it's never the one I think that has the most traffic.

Most IDN's with Google over 1 million will have some traffic unless you get ridiculous generic terms like 'the' - which have no value whatsoever.

Also, as with English domains, dig a bit deeper. If loans is taken in the language you want go for things like home loans, car loans, boat loans and so on.

How to find and register IDN's?

There are many ways to find and register IDN domain names. The best way is obviously if you speak the language but even then you must be careful. Just like in English some common words will not actually be used and a short form may be used. In English most people know the word automobile but rarely would use it. Most would use the word car.

This can be illustrated by the two overture scores:

1572 automobile.com

18016 car.com

Now this does not mean automobile is not a good IDN to register, it just means go after the one that is more likely to be typed in a browser.

Now if you don't know anyone that speaks a language you are going after, your only choice is to use a good translator software, I suggest you use logos.it

When you enter a word it gives you results in multiple languages at one time and makes it really easy to get a keyword in multiple languages.

I have found that just like domains, the one I think will get the most traffic, surprisingly won't, but the languages I have never heard of get some traffic.

Now let's see how you go about registering IDN names:

Let's go to logos.it and look up the Russian word for weasel as an example. Take that word and so now I go download the IDN Domain Conversion Tool located at dnforum.com under the tools menu, then open it up and paste the russian word into the space under the heading IDN Domains and hit the ok button. You will get a code called a PUNY code which is: xn--80aa3ac5a, then take that and add a .com on it and you will end up with this xn--80aa3ac5a.com. Now check a whois or try to register xn--80aa3ac5a.com and see if you get it. To keep it organized and try to keep my domains in one place I register most of my IDNs at Enom. There are other choices if you like. You can take the actual ID code and go to and type in the IDN and it will tell you if it's available without doing the PUNY conversion but you should know how to do it anyways.

If I find an IDN like xn--f9b5b1c6b7k should I register .com or .cn or both?

This really depends on how strong the term is, if it's a great term and you have the $, by all mans register them both. If you don't my suggestion is get the .com. You will need to do some research here as every country operates differently. Some countries are big on their ccTLD's while others go for the .com first and only if that's taken will grab their ccTLD after that.

Personally, I have been registering the .com's and if it's a great term I get the ccTLD for that country if its available.

To learn more about IDN Names visit the Domain Name Forum where all the domain experts hang out and chat.

Are all the good IDN names taken?

Absolutely not, take your time and do some mining and you will find gold in them mountains.

Remember don't expect miracles from IDN domains now, the miracles will come once most of the world has a browser that can support it.

Should you expect to make $ from your IDN's now?

No, if you are lucky you will have a few that make something. I have registered thousands of these and at least half have traffic so that's good enough for me to know the future will be great for these. Be patient they will be worth it in the long run.

Is there anything else I should know about IDN's?

Yes, there is lots more, please take the time to learn about Domain Names and feel free to ask and post your questions as there are many IDN experts at dnforum.com and they will usually answer you within a few minutes.

I hope this helps some of you get started in what should be an interesting area of domains.

WHOIS Domain Name Search

 

 

Have you ever tried looking for a domain name with the use of the WHOIS domain name search? If yes, then great for you! But for those who haven't heard about the WHOIS domain name search, then you should read on for you to discover the wonder of this particular thing.

On the Internet, every domain registrar maintains a WHOIS database containing all contact information for the domains they 'host'. This WHOIS database contains information about a domain name including name server, registrar and full contact information. Internet Network Information Center (InterNIC, http://www.internic.com) maintains a central registry WHOIS database that contains only the registrar and name server information for all .com, .net and .org domains

So, when we perform a WHOIS domain name search, we are using a WHOIS tool to look up contact information for a domain name from one of these WHOIS databases on the Internet. The WHOIS database will return the registration information that is intended for domain names. The name and the contact details for the domain name holder and the domain name administrator will be presented. It is important to know that the contact information for domain names under the hands of the WHOIS domain name database may vary depending on the registrar.

WHOIS Tool

You can use the following tools to run a WHOIS domain name search:
? http://who.godaddy.com/whoischeck.aspx
? http://www.checkdomain.com

The Use of WHOIS domain name search

1. Check Your Own Domain Name: Many experts said that it is necessary when you do a WHOIS domain name search on your own domain name, you should verify that your contact details are accurate. If you encounter errors in the domain name details, you could fix errors on your domain names by contacting your web hosting company.

2. Website Background Check: You can find out how long a website has been around, who owns it, and where that company or individual is actually located by doing a WHOIS domain name search. You will be able to spot a scam operation by comparing the information you find from the search with the information that is shown on the website. For example, if a website claims that it has been in operation for many years but your findings show that the domain name they use has just been created a week ago, you may not want to trust this website.

In some cases, you may not get any information from WHOIS domain name search if the domain name is protected by domain name protection service.

Domain Name Protection

Some web hosting companies provide domain name protection service that will help a website owner to protect his or her privacy. Domain name protection service protects website owner's identity from domain-related spams. With this service, only the domain name protection service contact information will be shown in the WHOIS domain name search. Website owner's contact information is kept completely private. The website owner still owns the domain name. He or she can cancel, sell, renew or transfer the domain.

Think Before You Purchase Domain Names

Here we will try to give you some tips that may be help you to purchase domain names you need.

Purchase domain names in the extension that is as much relative to your business organizational model as possible. For example, .ca means your business is based in Canada and .de clearly explains your German location. However, there are global domains, such as .com or .net.

Be careful when choosing a domain name registration service provider. Some of them are scammers and after you tell them the name you want to register, they do it themselves and then make you buy it from them. They may also charge you for more money than you though from the initial offer. Do some research - scammers are usually mentioned at least once on the Internet. Telephone support availability is a good sign your domain name registration service provider is a serious business and it is simply comfortable to settle up problems instantly by placing a call. Besides that, look for accreditations, for example from ICANN. Serious companies try to gain as much accreditations as possible so that it improves their image and guarantees their security. If a domain registration service doesn't have any accreditations, it shouldn't be considered to be a scam or alike, but it is a warning sign.

Try using keywords when choosing your domain name. Some search engines, like Google for example, do take keywords in the domain name into account so this may help you rank a little bit higher in search results. However, choose the shortest name possible so that it is easy to spell and remember.

 

Make sure you purchase domain names that are not potentially dangerous to be sued for. Avoid trademarks infringement and don't try to squat someone's domains. This is simply not fair and may cause problems.

If the domain name you want is available in several extensions, we recommend you to consider buying as much of them as possible so that no one can take advantage of your success.

Let's imagine you've found a company you like. Hit Google to search for example for "domain registration" or "domain names purchase". If you find information about the company your chose in the first several pages of results, it means the company has been operating in domain registration business for quite a long period of time. If you can't find any traces of the company in search results and/or observe it only in AdWords, for instance, this is just another reason to check everything once again.

Therefore, when you purchase domain names, remember to go through careful planning and research. Choose the companies you trust not only because you want to. Register domain names that will appeal to your visitors and won't infringe someone's rights...

Domain Hosting - Your Success Lies on Choosing the Right Company

No matter in which business you are involved in it certainly demands a website of your own. In today's Internet Age, a business cannot make as a brick and mortar alone. This is why domain hosting would be an important term for you to learn and understand. Many hosting providers offer domain hosting today at very cheap and affordable prices. What you have to do is to find the best with unlimited domain hosting offers, as well as security and maintenance. However, do not be lured in by the Multiple domain unlimited hosting, stick to the single domain unlimited hosting as many multiple domain hosting providers oversell their servers. Just like on an airline when the airline oversells the seats on the plain, then they have to make special offers to have people volunteer to take the next flight. Well with hosting, there is no next flight and the oversold servers cannot keep up with demand, so your site will not be reachable.

Many hosting companies offer a free package which shows very attractive at the beginning but comes out with a negative outcome most of the time. Before you make your domain name registration, you must be sure that no other company or individual is using your name. The registration is offered online by the hosting companies. So you have to be very careful about choosing the right domain host for you, it is not all just about cost, most of the time it should only be about quality. Pick the web hosting company that is offering the highest quality of service as well as the free services available. Some offer privacy protection, an email account, dns services and even chat services for free with every domain name registered.

Picking out the best hosting among so many is a very big problem. Many things need to be considered, mainly the companies are offering you and what services will be best for you. If you are thinking about owning several sites, then you must look for a multiple domain hosting. All of your sites will be maintained under one panel. Be sure the hosting company provides you adequate space, sufficient bandwidth, strong security, regular maintenance and last but not the least a very spontaneous customer service. Your domain registration should be seamless and many hosting companies also offer secure web certificates. You need to look at everything and ensure you are relying on the right hosting company. And remember, watch out for domain hosts that are trying to offer unlimited hosting with multiple domains, multiple domain hosting should never be unlimited hosting.

Domain hosting is essential for every sort of business; it doesn't matter if you own a hot dog stand or a multimillion dollar investing firm. Your domain hosting provider will provide you with a domain name such as.com,.net etc., if possible get a.com as it is the most recognized. But many web hosting companies are giving you the opportunity of hosting many websites with a single account. This is undoubtedly a risky feature.

What is multiple domain hosting? It is actually in high demand if you have several websites and you want to reduce the costs remarkably. You are running your several websites under one control panel. Only one hosting account is needed if the company offers you unlimited hosting "run". Let me ensure this is clear. In multiple domain hosting you are to select a primary domain and then define the other sites as sub domain and this will reduce your total maintenance cost. It also offers you the optimum utilization of your space and data transfer rate (bandwidth).

Before registering with domain hosting companies, be sure you are the owner of the domain. Read the terms and condition carefully, all web hosting companies are not created equal; depend on a quality company like Gossimer instead. Many web hosting companies offer an unlimited bandwidth and space. But most of the space and bandwidth is not utilized by the customers. The load on the server is kept down because the basic website requires very few resources and this feature allows the hosting company to spread the load amongst a larger customer base.

Many cheap domain companies may offer you unlimited bandwidth, unlimited space and many more eye attractive offers. Is it possibly true? The answer is No. you have to understand they are not for a community service. Most of them offer you a shared server. So security is a big question. Moreover, if you carefully examine the website hosting terms and condition you will be able make sure you understand the entire thing and will not lose your domain because the host decides to claim it. Their offers most often indicate some limits of traffic or something. So, don't run after the free offers.

If you are about to decide for a domain hosting company the last thing to check are the security facilities. You should make sure about your authorization of ownership, your unique domain name registration, the validity of your domain registration and the check out whether the terms and condition of the domain hosting provider are favorable for you or not. Do not look for the multiple domain hosting offers. It is worth the additional cost to host each domain name separately.

Domain hosting is the primary step of bringing your site into the global arena. So your business success lies immensely on choosing the right domain hosting company. Keep the words above in mind. Stay focused.