It Doesn’t Hurt to Ask an Expert

Elliot Silver
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I send lots of emails, and I don’t always get a response to them. I am not afraid to contact someone out of the blue, introduce myself, and let them know what I am seeking. In my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to ask an expert for some advice.

I have been contemplating what to do with one of my domain names I feel has potential. I’ve been trying to figure out whether to develop, and if I take that path, how to build a website or a business. I am not all that set on developing another website, but I am exploring opportunities.

While doing some research, the name of someone

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5 Tips to Keep a Domain Name from Lapsing

Elliot Silver
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For most people in the domain name business, this article should be filed under “common sense.” For many who aren’t as familiar with how domain names work, it is a good reminder to avoid losing domain names accidentally.

This is  evidenced by a recent article about the accidental expiration of the Stowe, Vermont school district, which led to someone else buying and owning the domain name. There are countless articles like this one, and while some organizations and people have legal recourse to attempt to reclaim trademark-related domain names, it does not appear that the school district has this option.

I thought I would share  5 tips that should ensure domain names get renewed and avoid a lapsing domain registration.

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Don’t Over-Negotiate a Good Deal

Elliot Silver
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Knowing when to pull the trigger on a  deal is not always easy. Most people want the best possible deal, and by trying to continue to negotiate after a fair offer is made, they may miss out on the opportunity if the other party pulls it.

Here’s a comment from Mike Mann on Facebook yesterday afternoon after he gave what he deemed “a super duper low price” for a domain name his company owned and was motivated to sell:

“Live by the sword. People wanted to buy ResponsiblePower.com from me, I offered a super duper low price to get rid of it and move on, then they kept negotiating and being annoying, now its priced on the site tenfold.”

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If you visit ResponsiblePower.com now, you can see the price is listed at

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Alternative Way to Contact Someone

Elliot Silver
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Getting in touch with a person can be a challenge. First, you need to find their correct business email address. If you have luck with that, you will need to break through the clutter of their inbox or perhaps get through a person’s administrative assistant who may not be inclined to connect you. I want to share an alternative way of contacting someone when you aren’t getting anywhere.

Many executives, founders, and other people have their own personal websites. I think this is especially true for founders and executives at Internet startups who have operated a number of businesses. Some update  their personal websites regularly, and others use them simply as a means of sharing their biographies.

What I have

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Your Offer Might Spark an Interest in Selling

Elliot Silver
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Here’s something to keep in mind when making offers for domain names: your inquiry might make the domain owner  consider actively marketing the domain name for sale.

In the last couple of months, I have made many  purchase offers for domain names that were not on the market. On a few of these domain names, shortly after making my offers, the companies decided to seek out a domain broker to sell their domain names. The prices of these domain names were far above what I would pay, and as far as I know, none of these names I am thinking about  have sold via broker.

When buying domain names, my strong preference is to make a deal privately. This generally allows me to purchase a domain name covertly, without the price reported publicly and without outside involvement from someone who might use this data to their advantage. When a broker

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You Might Want to Accept the First Counter Offer

Elliot Silver
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One of the most exciting aspects of buying and selling domain names is the negotiation. You have a purchase or sale price in mind, the other party has their price in mind, and you go back and forth in the hopes of closing a deal. Based on my experience, sometimes it is better to accept the first counter offer and just close the deal than risk losing the deal by counter offering.

Let’s say I want to buy a domain name I think has a wholesale value of $20,000, so I kick things off with a reasonable offer of $10,000. Sure, the offer may be a bit low, but it isn’t a $100 offer that the seller probably sees every week, and it is strong enough to show the seller that I am serious. Being a reasonable domain owner, the seller counters at $15,000. The hard part is deciding whether to try and save some money by either sticking to my offer or improving it. Alternatively, I can simply say “deal,” and get it done.

I have regularly gone back to try and get a better deal. Domain investing is part speculation, and I think an investor makes his money on the buy-side. Sometimes the market is weak or a domain name isn’t as valuable as I might expect, so getting a good deal is important. There is a big risk to going back and countering the counter offer though.

A seller may begin to re-think things. He may realize he isn’t likely to get what he wants on the name and try to find another buyer for the domain name. This can drive up the price. The seller may simply say “no thanks” and take the domain name off the market.

When I counter offer, I am effectively

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