NamePros Warning: Don’t Reuse Passwords

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It is dangerous to reuse passwords on different websites. Domain investors who do this can risk their reputation and/or domain names if one website is hacked or if password information is somehow leaked.

The Chief Technology Officer at NamePros issued a warning to domain investors today because of “an increase in credential stuffing attacks targeting domain investors.” Paul offers some good examples of how this can happen, and he also shared some advice on how to prevent it from happening to you.

‘The Domain Name is Not for Sale’


I’ve tried to buy thousands of domain names from registrants who told me some variation of ‘the domain name is not for sale.’ That may be true at that point in time, but the status can change. It doesn’t hurt to follow-up every once in a while.

I recently spent some time looking through hundreds of old emails I sent trying to buy domain names. I followed up on some older leads to re-engage the owners. Perhaps circumstances had changed since our last discussion. I like to follow-up between 6 months and a year after an email exchange, when I see a domain name isn’t being used.

Using Excel to Keep Sale Portfolios Updated

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Keeping a portfolio updated on platforms like Sedo, Afternic, and Dan can be a challenge. With sales and expiries happening on a regular basis, it can be easy to fall behind on updates. It is important to keep these portfolios updated so you don’t accidentally sell a domain name you previously sold or let expire.

I try to keep my portfolio updated in real time. When I sell a name on Dan, for example, I try to immediately delete the listing on Sedo and Afternic. When I let a domain name expire, I remove the listing from all platforms once I receive the final cancelation email. They key word is *try* and names sometimes slip through the cracks. Every once in a while I will do a comparison of my sale portfolios against my inventory list.

I am not a pro at Excel, but I want to share a step by step guide for how I am able to identify the names I previously sold or let expire that I forgot to remove from sales platforms:

Where I am Cautious with LTO

GoDaddy is set to introduce a Lease to Own purchase option for buyers of aftermarket domain names listed for sale via Afternic. This option has been one of the unique points of differentiation for sellers on Dan.com, a company acquired by GoDaddy last year.

While I offer LTO on most of my domain names I have listed on Dan, I am cautious about it with others because of the potential damage highlighted by Brad Mugford:

Number of Registrations Can be Misleading

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I consider the number of registrations for a particular SLD (phrase to the left of the dot) to be one of the more important “signs of life” for a domain name. When I am evaluating domain names to buy in the aftermarket or at auction, I pay closer attention to those that have many other extensions registered.

Importantly, the number of registrations can be misleading, so there is some nuance that goes into my process for evaluating these domain names.

This morning, I was looking at a domain name currently in auction. I see there are 10 extensions registered, including the .com. Using dotDB, I see there are only 2 other domain names registered with this term. That was peculiar to me because usually if a phrase or term is registered in many extensions, there will also be other domain names registered that have the phrase within the SLD.

Be Mindful of TMs on AI + 3rd Party Generated Content

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One semi-recent advance in relationship to domain name sales is the ability to create artificial intelligence content on landing pages. In addition to this AI content, some marketplaces allow, facilitate the use of, and/or encourage the use of third party created logos for domain names listed for sale. Domain investors need to be mindful of this content.

I was chatting with a colleague the other day, and he showed me something that could be concerning to a domain registrant. A domain name he was looking at had an image that was unrelated to the generic nature of the domain name but was associated with a trademark from a brand that has a similar name.