Oct 09 2008
Monetize Your Blog With Domain Name (WHOIS) Search Box
I’ve been working these days to improve the domain name search service on BizPartner web site.
A domain name search service, or WHOIS service, lets you query the availability of a domain name. If it is available, you can register it. If it is not available, the search shows you who registered it.
It took me one whole day on Monday to revamp the previous WHOIS service. The service is now more robust, accurate and useful. It took me another one whole day on Tuesday to make the search available for bloggers and site owners to monetize their web sites.
Being a site owner and blogger myself, I understand the dilemma on how to monetize (make money from) a blog or web site. A business web site can sell products and services. But how about a non-commercial one, such as many personal blogs out there? How do they make money?
One common way is to make money from pay-per-click (PPC) advertisements such as those of Google Adsense. You just put up some snippet of HTML code on your blog, and it turns into advertisements relevant to your content. When your visitors click on any ad, you get paid by Google.
Another way is to sell other people’s products or services. This is “affiliate marketing”. You become their “affiliate”, and put up a link from your blog to their web site. When your visitors click on the link, and buy from the supplier, you get a cut of the profit.
This is what I’m trying to do with my domain name registration service. But instead of putting up just a link, you are given a domain name search box to be placed on your blog. When your visitors search for any domain name, and buy any domain name within 3 months, you get a commission.
This way, it’s win-win-win for you, your visitors and me. You provide an extra feature or service to your providers and earn money from it. Your visitors can search for their desired domain names on your site, without going to a domain name provider’s web site. And I can get more customers referred from you.
I also think that if domain name search is ubiquitous, more people will be encouraged to have their own domain names. Getting own domain name is also what I strongly recommend to those who want to blog. No more using free blog address!
Look at the search box I put up on the left of this blog. It may not look nice here, but you can change its appearance. Find out more here on how to put up a domain name (WHOIS) search box on your blog or web site.
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