Developing Your Domain & Getting Top Search Results!
Posted by Chief Editor , Tuesday, 10 June 2008

We’ve already covered the “build verse park” topic in previous issues, and will happily again as there’s a constant paradigm shift revolving around that question.  Lets, however, assume that you do decide to build out a domain. How much does THAT cost?  It must be prohibitive – right?  Wrong.  Here’s a couple of thrifty ways to build sites that have rich utility and social networking functions: www. copenda.com/, www.ning.com, www.VBulletin.com, www.Joomla.com.

These site content management systems often accommodate inclusion of external profiles such as Digg, MySpace, Facebook and the like. Putting in code for AdSense is relatively simple for click-revenue from Google search results sponsors, and you can sign up for a wealth of affiliate programs for cost-per-acquisition (CPA) revenue through CommissionJunction.com, Linkshare.com and the like.  We’re using some of these in the development of www.HookupsAndBreakups.com.

Ok – simple, but not EASY!?  Indeed – the concepts are simple, but it does take some work.  Just sitting and waiting for page loads and previews of your finished site can be tedious if not downright taxing! 
Can’t someone else do this cheap?  YES!  India.  At a recent TRAFFIC show I was stunned hear that excellent developers work happily for $500 to $700 per MONTH.  Depending on how robust and updated you need your site to be – you might get away with anywhere from $500 to $2,500 in a total budget to bring your site where it needs to be.  Don’t spend the money – use a low or zero percent credit card and enjoy the float until your revenues come in.

Ok – so I know how to get a quick and cheap site for my good domain – how do I climb the results ladder in Search?  LET A PROFESSIONAL DO IT FOR YOU.  We can spend another issue on manual manipulation of Search (tagging your images, windows, site-map, frames, etc. etc. etc.).  Let us present a simpler example – choose a reputable, low-margin/high-volume SEO company.  As I’ve alluded earlier – I have some rental property.  One is a vacation rental in Hampton, New Hampshire near the ocean – also online at www.DriftwoodLanding.com.  I was contacted by www.elocallisting.com and asked to give ONE DOLLAR so they’d have my credit card info and that they’d get me front page search results on Yahoo and Google, then, in a month or two it’d cost me $149 or so.  I was skeptical – but told them I’d give it a shot. 

The result?  Both Google and Yahoo have a local listing element that appears first before all other results.  DriftwoodLanding.com is now FIRST on BOTH!   Now, I want you to consider the overall budget and time involved in contemplating your domain development – and whether or not it may be worth giving one a try. 
Just another nugget for our DomainGraduates.

~Yours in domains.
-Jude

Source: Jude Augusta writing for DomainNews.com, ESQ./MBA is the Contributing Editor for DomainGraduate. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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