I am seeing more and more of this and I believe it's time to lay the cards on the table. I am highly bothered by domainers who attempt web development without knowing the basics. If you have thousands of dollars to throw away on developers, designs, content writers, advertisers and consultants then this post isn't for you. If you can't afford to do that, then listen up.

Before you even attempt to create a webpage or hire a developer/designer, have some type of basic understanding of the internet. Most business owners don't know a thing about how the internet works but domainers should know better (and I've developed for both audiences). This is important because: a) You know what direction you want to take your domains. You need to be able to get that across to your developer. b) Most developers/designers aren't domainers. They more than likely won't understand in full terms what you're trying to do. c) You need to do things in a way that is different from everyone else. I see quite a few domainers copying others when it comes to development.

Learn the basics of:

• The Internet (Email, hosting, domain forwarding, etc)
  
• SEO and Natural Traffic Patterns
  
• Design Usability (Upselling, Navigation, Ad Placement)
• Basic Marketing (Advertising, Word of Mouth, Promotion and the differences)
• Content Writing
  

It also wouldn't hurt to learn about FTP and HTML. Both are easy to learn and will prevent you from having to hire someone to install simple scripts.

When you develop your domain portfolio, you are the ring leader. If you don't have a clue then neither will your developer. And your revenue will show it.

"Andrew" writes:

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"I just dropped out of college to get into domaining. I had over a year left in my degree - could not see where it was leading - and so opted for domaining."

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Ouch! I really wish you posted before dropping out. Domaining is just like any other entrepreneurial position: you have your good months, your bad months and something awful in between. While staying in college won't improve your cash flow, a good job rewarded from your college degree would.

You mentioned something about doing online college. I would encourage you to try. Although be warned, it's actually harder than it seems. I did almost a year of online college and you basically have to teach yourself, lots of reading, no immediate hand-raising answers to questions and less online free time.

HOWEVER, I can't promise that college is for everyone. Only, only, only if you believe college is a waste of time (for the field you want to pursue) I would encourage you to find some type of cash flow for the first couple years of domaining. Either way, you still need some type of cash flow.

Welcome and good luck.

Tia Wood