pilkster.com

I’m not usually one for the forums, and don’t bother reading n00b posts when I do go sniffing around, but this response to a n00bs question about the pitfalls of buying sites is excellent:

Buying a site is usually plain sailing when you are dealing with someone reputable, like Honey says. A couple of things I do before buying a site …

Run a linkage data check using SEOBook’s LinkHounds
Use the Neat-o backlink tool from WeBuildPages to find anchor text on inbound links
If linked from the Yahoo! directory, is it a recent addition with a recurring annual fee
Is it in DMOZ.org?
Does it have any .ac.uk / .edu / .gov links?
Ask about existing reciprocal links, will they stay up?
Ask if there are any paid links, if so what do they cost per month?
Establish the history of the domain using Whois.sc
Does the site rank in Google / Yahoo! / MSN? If so, what are the phrases?
Does the current owner buy traffic using PPC?
Get screenshots of income and traffic stats (Forget about Alexa)
Chat with the vendor
Check out their history on other forums by searhing for their name

I tend to concentrate on getting a solid picture of the site’s foundation because this is what will make you the money in the month’s ahead.

Once you are satisfied, go ahead and make the deal. Settle on a price and a timeline. Most buyers accept PayPal for smaller transactions. However, if you would feel more secure using an escrow service then go for it.

Good job, Andy Boyd. One of the best posts I have ever seen on Digital Point, and a real help to newbies & some of us more ‘experienced’ types too.

Buying an expired domain name that has been used previously to host a site related to your topic is becoming a a popular way to get cheap targeted traffic. People allow domain registrations to expire and become deleted for different reasons, and may not realise the value they have.

How to find expired and deleted domain names and websites

Deleted and expired domain names can be found at many domain registrars, however some charge for the service. Some of the sites I recommend are:
pool.com

What to look for in an expired or deleted domain name

Before buying a deleted domain name check out the following:
Is the domain still listed at the major directories?

Being listed in the major directories is important not just because of the traffic that they provide but because they give a boost to your domains ranking at google and other major search engines.

DMOZ Submission and acceptance at DMOZ directory can take time, and may be impossible depending on the nature and content of your site.

Yahoo! If the domain is listed at Yahoo’s directory it can save you the $299 cost of submission for a commercial site, or a serious wait for listing of a non-commercial site.
Does the domain have incoming links?

This can be checked at google using a link: search, for example use link:pilkster.com
What was the domain previously?

Checkout the previous life of the the domain at the wayback machine, archive.org’s cache of the web. Using the wayback machine can also reveal the identity of the domain names previous owner.