So we’ve learned quite a bit about domain names and domaining in general over the last month or so. Today, I took one of my non-paying customers over at Nickel Pro and parked one of his domains so that we can attempt to recover some of what he owes us 😛

The procedure is dead simple. I decided to use Google adsense for domains and everything was very straight forward – I set up everything in under 10 minutes!

From Google,

“AdSense for domains allows publishers with unused domains to help users reach relevant information by presenting content on the domains.

Users often type domains into their address bar or follow expired links leading to sites with no content. Instead of an “under construction” page or 404 error, AdSense for domains provides links, search results, advertisements and other content. To do this, we use semantic technology targeted to the domain name. You earn revenue when users interact with the ads on your site.”

So, you have a domain that you’d like to park using adsense? here’s what to do:

1. Log in to adsense
2. Click the ‘Adsense set up’ tab
3. Click on adsense for domains
4. Follow the simple instructions

That’s it! next, I’ll show you how to create a custom landing page for parking purposes. Stay tuned!

The non-paying client in question is www.kipsang.net. The owner ordered the domain but never paid for it or used it so I lost money – time to earn it back. The parking pages should be up in about 48hrs.
Edit: This baby is up and running. Visit Kipsang: http://www.kipsang.net/

Alright, we’ve had an introduction to domaining and domain names, domain extensions and how to get good quality domain names. What are we trying to do? We’re learning how to make money from buying and selling (at a profit) domain names. If you aren’t yet aware, selling domain names can earn you thousands (of US dollars) per sale. At what cost? A typical domain names costs 800 bob.

Today, we shall go through the process of buying a domain name. This is called domain registration. Now, I’ll be honest: I have no idea of how registration works from the technical point of view. Honestly, though, you may never need to know how the back end works.

Simply put, you buy domain names from Domain Registrars. They are licensed to sell domain names by ICANN. Once you buy a domain with a registrar, they put it into the registry and mark it as owned by you – so that no one else can register it later. Domain registration fees are paid when you register a domain and are charged annually. Once you buy a domain, it is yours in every way and you can manage it as you like.

Factors To Consider When Buying Domain Names
Registration Cost – Domain costs can range from $10 to $2,000 depending on the extension so it pays to shop around and get the best deal. However, as with everywhere else,you get what you pay for. You may buy a domain at $1.99 and get pue hell. It’s a fine balance of cost and quality that you cant to be looking for.

Domain Management – As I’ve said above, don’t get caught up looking for cheap domain names and forget that a good registrar should offer more than just registration services. Having the ability to manage your domains well is critical and a good registrar should have, at the very least, the following:

• Ability to set DNS (domain name server)
• Ability to modify your domain address
• Ability to setup a URL redirect
• Private Whois option available
• Ability to manage multiple domains from a single account
• Automatic renewal or renewal notification long before the annual registration fee is due

Customer Service – Sometimes you need help in one way or another, especially when you are new to domaining. It would help if your registrar is responsive and helpful. A good way to tell if the registrar has good customer service is to email them before ordering and judge the speed and quality of their responses.

Where Can You Buy Domain Names
Web Host Kenya Ltd – Many people look for good, reliable Kenyan domain registrars (to get those .co.ke domains) with little luck. Web Host Kenya is a diamond in the dust! A bit pricey for international domains, though.

Name.com – I have used this service for a while now and I have absolutely no complaints. They offer everything that you need as well as some extras (like Google Apps for domains integration).

Namecheap – They have a fantastic reputation and a huge amount of satisfied customers. They make transferring domains a breeze which is important to consider since domainers are constantly buying and selling new domains.

GoDaddy – GoDaddy is a popular registrar. They also have a good domain management system and fantastic customer support.

Other recommended places that you can buy domain names:
Dotster.com
Network Solutions

How To Save Money When Registering Domains
A little-known way of saving money during domain name registration is using coupons. When buying a domain name, there is usually a place where they ask for a coupon code – if you put one in, you get a discount!

Here’s a few places you can get coupons:
DNCoupons
Happy Coupons
Coupon Cache
Daily eDeals

Don’t Have A Credit Card?
If you don’t have a credit card or debit card, your domaining career is going to be difficult to start as almost all the above registrars accept payment only online. We can help, though (and cheap too). Basically, we have a credit card so if you do not have one, we can register the domain name of your choice for you after you pay us in cash, cheque or by MPESA.

Our charges:
International domain names – $10 (Kshs 800) per year
Local domain names – Kshs 4,000/- per year

Contact us.

This article is part one of a series of articles that will fully explore making money online from domain names. The other articles in this series are:

1. Introduction
2. Domain Extensions
3. Researching Keywords
4. Domain Name Registration
5. Domain Name Parking
6. Selling Your Domain

Be sure not to miss any of these articles by subscribing to Like Chapaa (free) or signing up to receive free updates by email.