Home Blog

Afternic Should Identify “Hot” Names in Seller Portfolios

0

I regularly visit my Afternic control panel to look at search numbers. I think it’s helpful for me to understand which domain names are getting searched at GoDaddy and how much they may be in demand. Afternic currently shows the GoDaddy search volume for listed domain names in 30, 90, and 365 day increments, as well as by unique and total searches.

I think this data is helpful. I think it is particularly helpful when I see a domain name have a high total search volume but a smaller unique search volume. To me, this indicates that one prospective buyer is searching for one of my domain names multiple times. This could, in turn, get me to add a BIN price, enable or add length to the LTO term, or raise/lower my BIN price depending on the situation.

.SI, .AI, .XYZ, .IO, .CO, .com

5

There’s been a lot of talk on domain investor discussion outlets regarding .SI domain names. .SI is the ccTLD extension for the country of Slovenia, and the extension is managed by the Academic and Research Network of Slovenia rather than a marketing firm looking to grow the extension.

Lately, as AI and .AI domain names have grown in breadth and value, a number of domain investors have discussed how .SI can stand for “superintelligence” in a similar fashion to how the Anguilla ccTLD became popular amongst AI startups and companies. The thought, it seems, is that now is an early time to buy .SI domain names akin to 10+ years ago for .AI domain names.

Create Trust with Corporate Website

2

If you’re going to manage you own inbound sales inquiries, I think it’s a good idea to create a corporate website.  The website can be a simple HTML website or something that is more fancy, but it should have enough information to help build trust between you and a counterparty. You can also create an email address with the matching domain name to reinforce credibility and make it clear the inquiry is being handled by an authorized representative of the business.

I operate two professional websites for my business – TopNotchDomains.com and Embrace.com. The former is more of a corporate website and the later is more of a marketing website. Both of these websites offer details about who I am and provide background information about my business. The idea is to show counterparties I am experienced in the business of domain names and know I can be trusted to complete a deal.

Don’t Re-Upload Premium Atom.com Names

5

I’ve had some decent luck selling domain names on Atom.com. I think their new AI review tool is useful for quickly getting domain names listed for sale at its “Premium” listing level. I tried something I would not suggest doing, and I want to share the result of this error so other people don’t make the same mistake.

I think people use Atom to find a brand name for a business or product more than simply buying domain names at a domain registrar. This has led me to add more domain names I think could become brands. Identifying these domain names from my portfolio of ~2,500 domain names isn’t a quick or easy task. The AI review tool at Atom is a good way to identify domain names that might have a better chance of selling.

Pulled Out Just in Time

I was recently going back and forth in a competitive domain name auction. My initial research that morning had given me an amount I felt the domain name was worth. This intel helped me bracket an amount I was comfortable spending.

I received a couple of outbid emails, and the high bid was close to the maximum amount I felt comfortable spending. Instead of bidding once more, I did some cursory research to see what companies existed in that brand space. I opened several websites that appeared to be different companies operating on a similar brand name. One thing stuck out to me – all had the same unique favicon. I stopped bidding and lost the auction.

Are You Going to a World Cup Match?

The first match of the 2026 World Cup kicks off in about 3 weeks. I grew up playing soccer. I wasn’t great, but I loved the sport. Both of my kids play competitively, and they love it, too. My wife and I spend a significant amount of time taking our kids to soccer practices and games. Over Memorial Day weekend, we watched our kids play in 7 matches in 4 cities!