3 Domain Name Elements That Appeal to Me

I inquire about a lot of domain names, and I bid on many domain name auctions. This may seem pretty obvious, but how the domain name looks and sounds is what catches my attention the most. Various stats and keyword information are important to note, but I try to buy domain names I can see people wanting to turn into brands, and it starts with the name itself.

Beyond this simple thought, there are a number of elements that make me want to buy some domain names more than others. In fact, I would pay a premium for a domain name – perhaps even overpaying for a domain name – when everything lines up perfectly for me. I want to share some of the appealing elements that make me more interested in certain domain names:

Domain name doesn’t look like it is for sale. This could mean the domain name has a developed website on it, is owned by a major corporation, or there is something else that would make a prospective buyer think, “there’s no way I will be able to buy this domain name” and move on to choose something else. If it is hard (or seemingly pointless) to contact the owner, it is less likely the owner has received many serious offers.

Not listed in domain name newsletters or platforms. If a domain name has been marketed for sale before, it is less appealing to me. There’s a level of excitement around changing nameservers on a recently acquired domain name and seeing offers and inquiries flow nearly immediately.

Obscure or non-working Whois information. Like the first element, if it is difficult to track down the registrant and/or contact the registrant, others had the same issue and the registrant probably hasn’t seen many offers over the years. Most people are either a bit lazy or simply give up when they can’t easily get in touch with a registrant.

In my opinion, if a major corporation or a well-funded startup wants to acquire a domain name and they can get in touch with the registrant, it becomes a financial decision. If these prospects passed on buying a domain name, there are that many fewer prospects out there for an investor to sell a domain name. If prospective buyers couldn’t or didn’t contact the registrant, there may be even more people interested in a domain name if I buy it.

Put simply, a domain name is more appealing to me if it was never available for sale prior to my buying it – or if it was nearly impossible to contact the registrant to work out a deal.