How I Just Lost $327.85 (Fake High PR Domains on GoDaddy Auctions)

Wondering how I just lost $327.85? That’s what happens when you don’t do your homework. I really don’t like GoDaddy but when it comes to buying expiring domains that have existing PageRank, GoDaddy is one of the main options. GoDaddy Auctions is a platform where you can bid on domain names that are expiring or have been put up for auction. I like it because it’s easy to use, and it’s a good way to find PageRank (PR) domain names for a good price. However, there is major drawback…

Over the last few days I bid on a few PR domains, for a total cost of $327.85. I later found out they were all PR0 domains. When I first checked them, they all showed a PR3 or PR4, and I didn’t notice they were actually iframes/redirects. With GoDaddy Auctions, once the auction is over, you cannot go back… so I went ahead and paid the $327.85 fee. Check out the invoice I received:

Fake High PR Domains on GoDaddy Auctions
That’s $327.85 thrown out of the window. I check the PR of the sites I visit with a Firefox Add-on called PageRank Client, which is great for everyday PR checking, but quite useless when bidding on GoDaddy Auctions, because it doesn’t check if the domain is iframed, or redirects to another domain. That’s why I started to use RankChecker.com

Now if this sounds a little complicated to you, or just want to learn more about this, watch the video I just made. It’s only a few minutes long and shows exactly how not to be tricked.


Fake High PR Domains on GoDaddy Auctions (Video)

As you can imagine I’m glad I found out about this, because I could be one of those people bidding over $600 on a (fake) PR6 domain. The domain I mentioned in the video permanently redirects to another domain, which means all the link juice is transferred to that other domain. If I check it on RankChecker.com, here is what I get:

Fake PR
As you can see, the domain redirects to another domain, but on GoDaddy Auctions people bid on it thinking it’s a PR6 domain (while it’s actually a PR0 domain). Another way to check if a domain redirects to another one is to type info:domain.com in Google. If the results show another domain, it means the initial domain redirects to another domain. Anyhow… if like me you want to purchase PR domain names on GoDaddy Auctions, make sure you check the real PR of every domain you consider bidding one.

Author:
Colin Klinkert
Looking For a Cool Domain For Your Cloaked Links?

Link CloakingIf like me you like to cloak your links so you can track clicks and get all sorts of statistics to help you make decisions, then I have an idea for your domain name. I’m pretty sure I’m not the first one to have this idea, but at least I’m sharing it with you…

Whenever I share a link with my list (whether it’s an affiliate link or not), I want people to trust me. I want them to know I fully support the site I’m linking to… so they are more likely to take action. That’s why I got the domain name colinlik.es, so I can create links like colinlik.es/marmite (that one is just for fun) or colinlik.es/socialmonkee (instead of using colinklinkert.com/socialmonkee).

ColinLik.es
For example if your first name is Andrew, you could get andrewlik.es, or you could even use your business name. The domain name extension .es is for Spanish websites but in that specific case it doesn’t matter because you don’t need your links to rank well in the search engines. That’s just a fun and useful way to cloak your links, and to show people you trust the site you’re linking to. This could even increase your click rate…

Domain Name

If you’re not sure how you can use this domain, I suggest that you sign up to ViralUrl (which is free) or log in (if you already have an account) so you can add your .es domain name to your account and cloak links to get stats including clicks, unique clicks, conversions…

All you need to to is to log into your account, go to the ‘Advanced Shortening, Cloaking + Tracking’ page (in the ‘Links’ section) and follow the on-page instructions. You will then be able to cloak your links from ViralUrl, using your lik.es domain name, and get stats from the ViralUrl Links interface.

Alternatively you may setup WordPress on your .es domain name and install Pretty Link Lite, which is a free plugin that allows you to cloak links and get basic stats such as clicks, unique clicks… If you want advanced stats I suggest that you upgrade Pretty Link Pro. The only downside here is that you have to install WordPress on your lik.es so it’s a bit more work than with ViralUrl.

Do you like this idea? Did you just register a lik.es domain? Feel free to share it with us by leaving a comment below!

Author:
Colin Klinkert
GoDaddy Sucks! I’m Boycotting GoDaddy if They Don’t Fully Drop Support For SOPA & PIPA

In October 2011, Congressman Lamar Smith and a group of co-sponsors introduced the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) which expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement (and copyright holders) to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. The bill would allow them to seek court orders against sites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement.

The actions could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators, barring search engines from linking to such sites, requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites… The bill would make it way too easy to get court orders to shut down any site suspected of participating in copyright infringement in any way, even if it happens to be indirectly.

There are 120 or so SOPA supporters, including ABC, CBS, ESPN, GoDaddy, NFL, Sony Music Entertainment, Time Warner, Visa… Shortly after the release of the list of pro-SOPA companies was released the list of anti-SOPA companies, which includes names like AOL, eBay, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mozilla, PayPal, Twitter, Yahoo!, HostGator, Craigslist…

GoDaddy Sucks

GoDaddy Sucks!

I personally am against this bill as I think it’s the beginning of the end of the Internet as we know it today. Just like how I Can Has Cheezburger’s Ben Huh stated he will move his 1,000 domains from GoDaddy, I will move my 718 domains if they don’t drop full sport for SOPA.

GoDaddy quickly pulled support amid boycott threats but still supports the Senate version of SOPA: PIPA or PROTECT-IP. The company has also stated that they would consider supporting future versions of the bill… and the fact that GoDaddy helped craft the bill’s current wording hasn’t helped the case either.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy Sucks!

I feel concerned not only because I can be directly affected by this bill (e.g. if someone uploads copyrighted content on my sites) but most importantly because I feel one day we will have no more freedom… I will move my domains as they expire, as I invite you to do the same if you have domains on GoDaddy. I already wanted to move my domains when I found out about Bob Parsons’ elephant hunt… Now I have another reason!

GoDaddy

I will systematically move my domains off GoDaddy until they are ALL moved off, and never order from GoDaddy again. We, as online business professionals, deserve better, so it is with this in mind that we are opening our own service where you don’t get ripped off on renewals like GoDaddy does with hyped up marketing and cheap coupon prices, only to sting you with auto-renewals at much higher levels.

GoDaddy Suck

With our domain service we will give you FREE privacy protection so that your information does not get onto spam lists, unlike GoDaddy which charges you for this. Our service isn’t fully set up yet so for now we recommend that you move your domains to NameCheap.com or Name.com which have both publicly proclaimed their opposition to SOPA and PIPA (or wait until our domain service is up and running).

SOPA

GoDaddy Sucks!

How to Transfer Your Domain Name From GoDaddy to Another Registrar

Here is a simple step-by-step guide to move your domain name from GoDaddy to another registrar:

Step 1 – Verify that the domain name is eligible for transfer: The domain has been registered for at least 60 days, and has been at GoDaddy for at least 60 days. The Registrant contact information has not changed for at least 60 days.

Step 2 – Update Administrative contact information: Before you can transfer a domain, the Administrative contact information must be up-to-date at GoDaddy, because the Administrative contact receives the transfer request (by email) and okays the transfer.

Step 3 – Get the authorization code or retag the domain name: Some domain name registrars require that you provide an authorization code for your domain name, to provide an extra level of assurance that the transfer request comes from an authorized source. In GoDaddy, go to ‘My Domain Names’, and click the domain you want to transfer. In the ‘Domain Information’ section, find the ‘Authorization Code’ row and click ‘Send by Email’. Then click ‘OK’.

Step 4 – Unlock the domain name: The domain must be unlocked. Locking is a feature registrars offer to prevent unauthorized transfers (hijacking) of domain names. In GoDaddy, go to ‘My Domain Names’ and click the domain you want to transfer. In the ‘Domain Information’ section, find the ‘Locked’ row and click ‘Manage’. Select ‘Unlock domains’ and click ‘OK’.

Step 5 – Transfer the domain: The final step depends on which domain name registrar you are transferring the domain name to. If you’re transferring it to Namecheap.com, you can find more information here. If you’re transferring it to Name.com, you can find more information here. If you want to transfer it to our domain service, please be patient… We will add the final step to transfer your domain to our domain service below.

If you want to learn more about SOPA (and PIPA) and why you should not be supporting it, I suggest that you read Stanford Law Review’s concise and informed takedown of SOPA.

Author:
Colin Klinkert
ICANN to Allow .Whateverrrr Domain Registrations

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has changed a rule that will allow the reservation of existing domain names that use any combination of letters and numbers.

Rod Beckstrom, President and CEO of ICANN, stated, “ICANN has opened the Internet’s naming system to unleash the global human imagination. We hope this allows the domain name system to better serve all of mankind.” This decision was made due to a large increase in requests for alternate domains and new domain extensions.

New Domain Extensions

This new rule change will allow businesses to reserve any type of final domain and allow them to completely customize their online web presence. Imagine an entire domain set aside for shopping and retail sites (.shop), an entire domain set aside for adult entertainment or porn sites (.xxx), and even a special domain for location based websites (.nyc, .atl).

New Domain Extensions
Today’s decision will usher in a new Internet age,” said Peter Dengate Thrush, chairman of ICANN’s board of directors. “We have provided a platform for the next generation of creativity and inspiration.”

In the past, alternate domains were considered untrustworthy or unconventional, and many consumers have even shied away from the less popular domains. All of that will likely change with this new ruling however, thus opening up a wide spectrum of usable domains.

Currently there are a total of 22 accepted or generic “top-level domains” (.com, .org, .net) which will obviously be expanded upon greatly once registrations begin. ICANN will begin accepting requests and submissions for new domain extensions in January, 2012.

This could ultimately change the way everyone navigates the internet. It could also introduce a new range of opportunities including direct domain web searches, parental control domain blocking, and many similar internet feature implementations.

Of course one of the biggest problems that could arise from this decision, is a more fragmented internet environment. By opening up these new domain registrations, ICANN is also opening a longer list of domain name possibilities. More domain names, means a greater possibility for mirror domain name registrations, which could lead to a potentially dangerous situation. For instance a business could have a certain domain name registered (ending in .com) and a scam party could have the mirror domain registered (ending in .whatever) and a lot of uneducated consumers could fall into a deep trap, by thinking the mirror domain belongs to a legitimate business.

New Domain Extensions

Of course even though a fragmented internet environment could potentially impact everyone, it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone will be negatively affected. ICANN made a statement about the issues that could arise from this decision, reassuring that “strong efforts were made to address the concerns of all interested parties, and to ensure that the security, stability and resiliency of the Internet are not compromised.”

Unfortunately, we won’t know exactly how this decision affects the internet until the registrations begin in early 2012. For those interested in submitting new domain extensions, ICANN has published the Applicant Guidebook to direct consumers and businesses on how to apply for a new gTLD (generic Top-Level Domain).

Author:
Julien
When To Be Cheap: Where It Pays To Skimp & Where It Doesn’t

One of the great things about living in the information age is that the prices of a lot of products and services have been driven way, way down. It wasn’t too long ago, for instance, that getting even a crappy webpage would cost you an arm and a leg. Now you can get the same work done for maybe a hundred bucks, if not less, or you can use a program to do it yourself, even if you only have little knowledge of the internet.

This is good. This means that the barriers to entry have never been lower, so it doesn’t cost much of anything to get a business up and running, especially online. By the way, if you don’t have an online business yet but want to build one, make sure you download my ebook 10 Actions Steps to a Successful Online Business. Enter your email address in the box on the left and click ‘Get It Now’. With all that said, there are places where you don’t want to skimp on money. These are not places where being cheap will actually save you money. Off the top of my head…

Domain names – You can get a domain name for like ten bucks a year on a domain name registrar like GoDaddy or NameCheap, but some people are still reluctant to do so, instead opting for free stuff. This is usually a bad idea, unless this is for link building purposes. You want as much control over your virtual real estate as possible. If you do have some success, you could lose it all when the provider of the free service shuts you down. Not worth the risk.

Hosting – Likewise, hosting is so cheap that there’s no good reason that you shouldn’t have it. If you can’t spare five bucks a month to get hosting, you should maybe reconsider how you are spending your time. If you’re serious about making money online, you should definitely get a web host that not only offers you hosting but also tools to market your products and services, like ViralHosts.

Content – It’s possible to get writing for one or two dollars per five hundred words, but that doesn’t mean that you should. Content is your first impression and your meat and potatoes, and it is not an area where you should be cheap. Try to write content yourself, and if you can’t or don’t want to, hire someone with proven copywriting skills and experience.

Can you think of other places where you don’t want to skimp on money? I have a few other ones in mind… like autoresponder marketing. Please leave a comment below, and let me know your thoughts! Remember you can also get in touch with me via my Facebook page!

Author:
Julien