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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

3

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

0

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.

How to Buy a Domain Name That is Owned by Someone

For a domain investor, buying a domain name is second nature. Investors hand register domain names, purchase domain names via expiry and private auctions, and acquire domain names owned by others via private acquisitions. For people who aren’t in the domain name business, acquiring a domain name can be confusing, frustrating, and challenging.

When I want to buy a domain name owned by someone else when the landing page or website doesn’t provide information, the first thing I look at is the Whois record. Among other information, public Whois data provides the domain registrant’s name, location, email address, and phone number. Domain registrars like GoDaddy have Whois lookup tools, as do third party services like DomainTools. Oftentimes, the registrar where the domain name is registered offers the most detailed information.

Different Ways to Make Money Domain Investing

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When it comes to domain investing and domain investors, there are quite a few different business models to make money. Each business model requires a different strategy and different tactics that are often divergent. Choosing a strategy or multiple strategies is an important decision to make, and a domain investor’s strategy can change over time.

Some people have small portfolios of exceptional domain names with high prices to match. They may sell infrequently and are content to wait for the ideal buyer. Some people have huge portfolios of names that churn sales regularly. They use the cash flow to grow their portfolio. Some people don’t focus on selling but they monetize their domain names in various ways. Some people have hybrid business models.

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