Use BrowserShots when to check new web sites.

There are hundreds of versions of various web browsers in use, and each of them has its own quirks. I learned this when I launched the re-designed Domain Name Wire. (Thanks again to SiteGraduate for the redesign.)

There were two main browser issues we had to overcome. First, the site was just a bit too wide for most browsers when people used a 1024 resolution. 21% of Domain Name Wire visitors have a 1024 wide resolution. Second was a CSS problem with Internet Explorer 6, since IE 6 has horrible CSS support. I didn’t think this would be a big issue, but it turns out nearly 10% of visitors to Domain Name Wire still use IE6.

There’s a quick way to test your web site in multiple browsers and operating systems — BrowserShots. All you have to do is enter your URL and select which browsers, versions, and operating systems you want to test. You can then add other requirements, such as screen resolution and color depth. BrowserShots then goes to work, grabbing screenshots of your web site across its network of opt-in computers.

When you develop one of your domains, I highly recommend using BrowserShots to test your web site. Even if you have a site you developed years ago, you should double check that it’s passable in all major browsers.

© DomainNameWire.com 2009.

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TRAFFIC ccTLDs and Domain Roundtable round out first half of year.

Domain conference goers have been treated to many options this year, and two more events are coming up next month. These conferences will be very different from the typical conference, with unique programming and cities as a backdrop.

TRAFFIC ccTLDs will take place in Amsterdam June 1-4. Rick Latona is organizing the event, which will focus exclusively on country code domain names. Many of the speakers and guests at the conference work for the country code domain registries.

The show has not yet sold out, so organizers are rolling back the admission price to early bird rates of $1,495. There’s also a part-time domainer option for $395 a day, open exclusively to European residents. Day passes do not provide access to evening events.

Domain Roundtable goes to Washington D.C. June 14-17. With the center of U.S. government as the backdrop, this event will cover not only traditional domain conference topics but also policy and regulatory issues. You can expect policy makers and registries to rub elbows with domainers.

Registration for Domain Roundtable is $995.

© DomainNameWire.com 2009.

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New Premium promotion option utilizes instant transfer technology.

Over the weekend Afternic rolled out a number of changes, including a new “Premium” promotion level.

I caught up with NameMedia Senior Vice President and General Manager Peter Lamson, as well as members of the product and customer service teams, to learn more about this new level of promotion. (NameMedia owns Afternic.)

Premium promotion improves on the existing “Enhanced” promotion level. Domain names listed at the Premium level are shown in the results of customer searches on a growing roster of domain registrars, including Network Solutions and directNIC.

These registrar partners have specific requirements. “Most registrars will want to have their site visitors be able to buy a secondary market domain the same way they would register a regular domain,” said Lamson.

The key is being able to instantly transfer a domain name. With Premium promotion, domain names must be transferred to NameMedia partner Network Solutions, which has instant transfer functionality. Although NameMedia is happy with its Network Solutions partnership, it is working on other registrar partnerships so that names don’t have to be transferred to Network Solutions.

NameMedia runs a number of checks on domains that are submitted for Premium promotion. It does a basic valuation to make sure bad domains aren’t listed for a million dollars, then it performs the standard compliance and trademark check. Domains are also screened for baseline quality and ownership is verified. Through its partnership with Network Solutions, domains are constantly monitored for whois changes. If you sell a domain outside of Afternic, the system will be quickly alerted to remove it from Afternic’s inventory.

Afternic’s latest release has a bug that prevents you from changing promotion levels right now, but this should be fixed soon. The big question for most domainers is if it will be worth transferring domains to Network Solutions to take advantage of this sales opportunity. Network Solutions is offering $9.99 transfer pricing, but I suspect many people will hold off until other registrars come on board.

© DomainNameWire.com 2009.

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