All Posts Tagged With: "TDNAM"

If you are new to domaining, you will probably start out where most of us started, and that is the public registry.   Even today you can still find some good domains available for registration and you can often make some quick money flipping these domains to resellers on eBay or message boards.   With that said, eventually all domainers come to the realization that the money is minimal and you will be forced to either quit domaining or enter the world of backordering domains.  

I know when I started it was pretty intimidating.   Not only does the money involved go up significantly, but you will often find that you are going head-to-head with other domainers who have a lot deeper pockets for premium domain names.   With that said, you can often find great domain bargains on good domains that aren’t worth the attention of high-end domainers.  When you first enter the world of backordering, this is going to be your bread and butter and will determine if you are successful or not.

So, where do you start?   You’ll first need to setup some accounts.   You’ll need an account with the following companies:  Pool, SnapNames, and Namejet.   You’ll probably also want a TDNAM account, but that will be the same as your GoDaddy login information.   If you don’t already have a GoDaddy account, I recommend you create a GoDaddy account (even if you don’t plan to register domains there). 

Now you need to work on developing a list of keywords you are looking to target.  If you don’t go this route, you will spend a good part of your day mindlessly digging through lists of expiring domains which is inefficient and mindnumbing.   Once you’ve picked the names you want to go for, I recommend setting up email alerts each day for domains containing your keywords.  Most services will offer this and it will make your life much easier. 

Each day you will want to dig through the lists of domains coming available and pick which ones you’d like to backorder.  For SnapNames, Pool, and NameJet, you just add them to your backorder list and if there are multiple bidders, you are entered into an auction.   Only the winning bidder pays, so you are out nothing if a great domain goes to auction.  If noone else bids, you get the domain!  Keep in mind that the minimum bid on with each of these services ranges from $29.00-$59.00.

For TDNAM, backordering works a little differently.   You’ll want to search their expiring domains lists and “Watch” the domains that you are interested in until the last half hour if possible and then place your bid (2 minutes before it ends is the most ideal).   Bids here usually start at $10.00.  You will need to add $9.95 to any winning bid to cover a year renewal, so keep that in mind when you are bidding.

Sometimes you may have an interest in a domain and the Whois shows that it has or is going to expire soon.   If this is the case, you’re probably better off just waiting and going after it through backorder.  This is especially true when the domain is not one that is going grab a lot of attention.

You’ll want to look on the WhoIs to see where it is registered and determine where you need to go to backorder the domain.  Most registrars have deals with backorder companies, which gives these companies first crack at any expiring domain names that they have.  This can be confusing at times trying to figure out where you need to go, so I’ve thrown together this list of the top backorder companies and the registrars they have relationships with:

• TDNAM - GoDaddy, WildWestDomains
• NameJet - Network Solutions, eNom, BulkRegister, ClubDrop
• Pool - NameScout, DotAsia
• SnapNames - Register.com, Moniker.com, Answerable.com, MyDomain.com, Dotster.com, DotRegister.com

Have any other questions about backordering domains?   Let me know in the comments below!