Interview with DomainTweeter from DomainingMindMap.com

The publisher of DomainTweeter launched a new website DomainingMindMap.com that is seeking to become the directory of all things Domaining. Since I’m a big fan of anything that helps give greater exposure to the Domaining world I thought it would be good to do an interview with DomainTweeter about his new site.

Thanks to DomainTweeter for taking the time to answer my questions – as always I’ve love to hear from YOU so please share your thoughts as well!

1) How did you come-up with the idea for the Domaining Mindmap?

I was looking for a better way to organize the huge amount of domaining information I had accumulated over the years. Before creating the mindmap I used a combination of bookmarks, delicious tags and a outlining program called Treepad to keep track of everything. I had hundreds of great tools and resources in my notes, but had trouble finding many of them when I needed them.

I’ve always been a big fan of mindmaps – they’re a great way to organize large amounts of information and can really help explain complicated subjects. I’d been using them for years to help plan programming and development projects, so it was a pretty natural progression to create one for domaining.

Working on the mindmap helped me better understand the many specialities of domaining and made me realize just how much information there really is for domainer to master. Things like keyword tools, dropcatching services, geodomains, ccTLDs, domain aftermarkets, parking services, minisite software, SEO strategy and more.

I’m hoping DomainingMindmap.com will help make sense of it all and help domainers quickly get up to speed on any areas that they aren’t familiar with.

2) What are your future plans for the site?

I’ll be adding new domaining tools and resources to the site each day as I come across them – from tutorials and helpful blog posts for beginners to advanced tools and scripts for experienced domainers.

I’m also in the process of including my notes for many of the tools and services listed in the mindmap. For example, in the ‘minisite services’ section of the mindmap, I’ve listed the prices and features of each of the major services so they can be compared at a glance.

Down the road, I’ll probably offer sponsored advertising but right now I’m focusing on expanding the mindmap and getting word out about the site.   I’ve been using Twitter to announce updates to the site and will
be also be discussing parts of it on my DomainTweeter.com blog.

3) What makes this site different from other Domaining resource sites?

There are some great domaining resources out there, but I think the depth of the information and the way it’s presented  make DomaningMindmap.com unique. Many of the tools and resources listed are not well publicized and I’m hoping even the most experienced domainer will learn about some great new tools.

One of the benefits of using the mindmap format is that I can offer advanced users additional information without overwhelming beginners. Take my ‘Expired Names’ section for example.  Beginners can learn about the basic dropcatching services that we all use, but advanced domainers can drill down to see how to obtain raw zone files, access registrar APIs and use custom scripts and tools to process this information.

I’ve also tried to structure the site so it can be easily browsed – even if you are not quite sure what you are looking for.   For example, clicking on ‘Selling Domains’ will bring up sections for domain brokers, different marketplaces, pricing resources, escrow services and advice for locating and selling to end users.   There’s also a search function listed at the bottom of the mindmap which experienced domainers can use to jump directly to a topic.

Here’s some info about DomainTweeter in case you don’t read his blog:

DomainTweeter has been involved in the domain and SEO industry since the mid-nineties and currently spends his time as a full-time domainer. Recently he has been focusing on his ‘available domains’ newsletter and DomainTweeter.com blog which highlight good keyword domains available for registration along with end user suggestions and monetization tips.

Morgan Linton

Morgan Linton