Basics of Internet Squatting

Have you ever tried to register a domain name about a certain topic and discovered that just about every name related to that topic had already been taken? Do you ever wonder who could possibly own all of those domain names? Most of the time, when this occurs, people have purchased the domain names with no plan to ever use the website. They simply buy the domain names and sit on them so that other people cannot register the domain. This is done primarily to prevent competition.

There is a name given to this domain impropriety. It’s called domain squatting. Domain squatters are people who have a website related to a topic and they don’t want any competition. They have the means to purchase lots of domain names and they do so very quickly.
Often times, these people won’t use the websites at all. The only time they ever think about the sites is when they bought the domain and when they pay the fee for the domain. If you try to visit those websites, you will be directed to a generic landing page that has nothing to do with the topic. This is very frustrating for those people who are actually looking to do something with a domain name. There really is no way around it, though. The early bird gets the worm each and every time in the domain name world.

You might think that only a few website owners do this, but in fact, there are many who have started to make this their habit. It began as a trend that a few smart people took part in. After a while, it became commonplace for people to try and protect their domain name investment. You will see a great number of these squatters on the most popular keyword topics, making it even more frustrating for folks who are looking to get into business. Domain name squatting is not illegal, though. It’s just something that might be looked upon as unethical.

You might think that this domain name squatting sounds an awful lot like domain parking. Though the basic premise is the same, the major difference lies in the intent of the folks who buy these website domain names. People who purchase a domain name and park it for a while are only biding their time before they make a move. They aren’t undermining the integrity of the internet. Folks who squat on domain names are destroying what the internet was designed for. They are not criminals, but they certainly aren’t helping the cause.

The rise in domain name squatting has caused quite a lot of discomfort for webmasters who have to register domain names that aren’t exactly great. Though it’s a move driven completely by the desire for profit, it’s not good business practice. The intention to mislead internet browsers is a flawed one to begin with. When internet users are tricked, they don’t come back to a certain niche. That is bad for just about everyone involved.