Domain names are dirt cheap these days and so easy to get that it seems like everyone has at least one. Many online affiliate marketers tend to collect domain names though… either they have a new business idea and register a domain name for it, or they simply come across a fantastic domain which isn’t already registered.

So they register domains. In many cases, lots of these domains end up just lying around unused — there just isn’t enough time to develop every single idea you come up with.

You don’t have to let your unused domains just sit around gathering dust. There are actually many ways you can make money from them; here are three of the easiest.

1. Domain Parking — The fastest and simplest way to make money with an unused domain name is to simply park it at a service such as Sedo where you’ll be paid a portion of the click income generated from visitors to the domain.

This isn’t a way to make large amounts of money, of course, unless you have hundreds of extra domains lying around or you happen to have one with tons of traffic. It is a way, however, to at least let the domain name earn its keep. In other words, you can usually earn enough each year to pay for the registration renewal fees. And sometimes you’ll even earn a small bit of profit too.

2. Domain Redirection to Affiliate Products — Another very easy way to create a steady stream of income from unused domains is to simply redirect the domain to an affiliate product or program you’re associated with.

If you have a golf-related domain name for instance, simply point it to a golf-related affiliate product. This way, any time someone finds the domain online, they’ll automatically be taken to your affiliate link for the product in question. And sales can dribble in all year. If the domain has a decent amount of steady traffic, you can even make a decent monthly income with this method.

3. Automated, Self Updating Sites — This is actually one of my favorite things to do with unused domain names; it allows you to slowly grow a larger site which can increase the amount of money it makes over time, increasing the amount of traffic visiting it, and it will be a sellable asset in the future if you decide not to keep it.

Creating automated self updating websites can be done in a variety of ways, too. You can have a blog which parses RSS feeds about a certain topic, or you could have one which posts relevant affiliate products for sale. The site could also feature coupons and special sales or deals, or it could simply be a regularly updating directory on a specific topic.

Since the site regularly updates itself automatically — and especially if it’s published in blog format — it will generate search engine interest, backlinks from other websites, and organic traffic for you daily. And that traffic is likely to grow over time because your site continues to be updated regularly.

Kathy Burns-Millyard publishes the Affiliate Marketing Profit Tools blog where you can learn how to create an automated self updating site on your spare domains.

Domain names, when wisely invested, can be quite lucrative, just as investing in real estate would be. It’s picking the right name, following the registration requirements and selling or trading at the right time. With any investment, you want to be well informed of exactly how and when you can turn a profit, and there are important considerations before you want to even make your purchase.

The shortest name is almost always the better option. Phrases are OK, and some of them will get a lot of hits to your site or get you plenty of offers for decent money, but keep in mind when people are doing searches, they usually just put one or two words. The less words, the more hits you are likely to get.

Avoid domain names that have hyphens or numbers. People rarely if ever put either of those in their searches.

If you have never purchased a domain name before and want to use one for your business, website or as an investment, you may want to ask around and find someone that has invested in domains before and get all the advice you can from them. Find out what hurt them and how they negotiated the value. You may also want to seek advice from a business advisor or domain name appraiser. It may cost you a little bit of money, but a small cost in the beginning could lead to big profits in the end.

Become familiar with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). ICANN governs extensions (i.e., .com, .org, .edu, etc.) from around the world, from its headquarters in California. Certain extensions have different rules and regulations, so your location could affect the rules and regulations you are governed by.

Don’t just buy a domain name from anyone. Do your research and get background on the seller. Make sure the seller actually has the name registered and owns it. They should be an accredited owner. There is a website called WHOIs that will tell you exactly who owns what name. In Australia, the name for the WHOIS website is AUda. Australia has some different rules they go by.

Often, people forget to register a domain name, think they own it and did at one point, but if the registration isn’t renewed every year and the $10 registration fee is not paid, the name goes up for grabs again to anyone that wants it. When buying, be sure to check the registration date, and if it is less than 60 days old, it is not a legal sale.

There is no formula for purchasing a domain name, just as there is no formula for purchasing a home. It’s about knowing the rules, regulations, registration requirements, etc., and going from there. The most important thing is picking a name that everyone wants. The more people that want it, the more valuable it is and will give you great negotiation power when selling or trading.

Always do your research when investing. Always check backgrounds as well as consider the market potential of the name you’re considering. Will a name that is valuable now be valuable in the future? For example, would VCRs.com be as valuable today as it was 25 years ago? No. Of course we didn’t have the Internet in the 80s, but hybrid cars are going to become more and more popular with the oil issue right now, so hybridcars.com would probably be a valuable name that will continue to gain more and more value as time goes on.

R. Scott Hall publishes Marketer’s Express where you can learn more about buying domain names.

Go to the World’s Largest Domain Registrar — GoDaddy.com