It seems everyone is jumping into the traffic domain name game - either purchasing them for their own use or purchasing traffic from others who own these domains. For those that dont know, a traffic domain is one that has either expired and still receiving traffic, or one that is being typed into the browser url location (type-in traffic) by users looking for a particular website. These are hot little properties but often abused as some register typos of an existing popular domain - such as Google for example. Yes, Virginia, there is a lot of traffic in those typos.
I own a number of expired & type-in traffic domains and have overall had good results. The worst one gets about 10-15 visitors a day but manages to earn anywhere from $5-$20 in revenue through a pay-per-lead program I use. Combined, all my traffic domains pump out a nice chunk of change without me even having to host them, look at them or even think about them.
On the other side of expired domain & type-in traffic is services which allow you to purchase traffic from domain names which they control and manage. Now you would think this sounds pretty good after what I reported about my own traffic domains, but the sad truth is that the majority of these services are complete scams.
Oh yes, theyll deliver the targeted 5,000 or 10,000 hits you purchased, but the reality is that the actual traffic from their domains either doesnt exist at all (generated by software to create an illusion of unique visitors) or comes from sources like auto-surf sites. And its not like you can really monitor & evaluate this traffic to know if its real or not, and you certainly have no way of knowing if its targeted or just junk hits. Youre basically putting all your trust in the site offering the service and since none offer any guarantee that the traffic will bring you sales, theyre off the hook.
Look at it this way - lets say a service is offering 100,000 premium targeted visitors for the very low price of just $49.95. Think about it. If you had 100,000 targeted real visitors at your disposable, would you sell them off for essentially pocket change Of course not. If you were selling a product for $29.95 and only 1% of those 100,000 visitors made a purchase - then that would be 1000 sales totalling $29,950. Can you really believe that they would let that amount of money slip through their fingers just so that they can do you a favour
Do yourself a favour - If youre thinking of purchasing traffic from one of these services, keep your money to invest in more reliable and proven options or learn about finding and registering expired domains (an article on this topic coming soon) and register them for yourself.
Carole Nickerson has been a web developer and internet marketer since 1998. She now spends her days actively filling up her new blog with all she has learned. To find more like this visit:
Can one domain make a difference Issues like homelessness, politics, war, and inequality seem so huge that its easy to feel powerless. That helpless feeling seems to depart, however, as soon as you visit Grassroots.org; you discover that you not only have the power to be a solution to the worlds problems, but you have the opportunity to stand up for the causes of a better world. Read on to learn what Grassroots.org is up to and how they are helping build a better world one domain at a time.
Not only can a domain have a direct impact on the world, but it also sends a message to others by inspiring them to take action that creates opportunities for positive social change on a local and global level. Who better to illustrate how much a domain can impact the world than Michael Mann, who in 2002 started Grassroots.org, a provider of free Internet and business services, i.e. domain names, hosting, email and consulting, to qualified charities.
Michael Mann and Grassroots.org is planning on changing the world slowly but surely by getting critical social facts to people throughout the world thanks to their 600+ domain names. They have a unique vision and understanding that the Internet has the power to make the world a safer, happier, healthier place by using advanced business and communications tools like domain names, to gain leverage in spreading usable social information. This strategy seems to be working as their vast network of associated domain names are attracting loads of traffic and receiving positive visitor comments.
Michael Mann is the executive director and founder of Grassroots.org, a clearinghouse for the best selection of domain names to build upon for humanitarian purposes to enable non-profits and everyday citizens to conduct their charitable activities online as efficiently as possible. In the past, he has turned his business efficiency and marketing expertise into a series of successful online companies, founding an Internet ISP in 1994 (later sold to Verio, Inc. in 1998) and currently residing as President of BuyDomains.com and Chairman of BrowserMedia.com. Over the last few years, Michael has been involved with charities for a number of organizations including working with the homeless, political action groups, and having the proud achievement of serving as a volunteer Chairman for a non-profit organization called Byte Back, which operates eight computer training centers serving the poor and unemployed in the inner-city.
As an expert in the domain industry, which is illustrated by his position as president of BuyDomains.com, Michael is supporting many causes by supplying 501c3 non-profit organizations an opportunity to co-develop on a selection of 600+ domain names to build upon for humanitarian purposes, including domains like Homeless.org, Relief.org, Addicted.org, Starvation.org and more. Michaels actions at Grassroots.org is helping the world grow from the ground up, which in the Internet terms means using a domain name as the foundation for each cause. GrassRoots.orgs understanding of the power behind a highly brand-able domain name is evident in its strategy to improve the worlds current social, political, and economic problems.
A prime example of this power can be seen at EarthCare.org, a domain name that was supplied and co-developed by Grassroots.org. According to Grassroots.org, EarthCares domain name has been a key contributor to getting the groups message heard: to educate and inspire youth to care for their communities and the Earth. Their web site is helping educate youth to create lifestyles that are beneficial to the natural environment by engaging them in programs that implement innovative environmental solutions. EarthCare.org, with the help of Grassroots.org, demonstrates that a domain name and web site have the power to communicate meaningful messages and information that are contributing towards building a better world.
Shaun Cronrath is the President & CEO of DomainPurpose.com, a domain name registration company offering all the major domain extensions --.com, .net, .org, .info, .biz, .name, .ca, .us, .cn, .eu, .de, .pro and more.