Make Sure the Seller is Authorized to Sell

For many of us who actively inquire about domain names, we use the Whois registrant email to contact the owner. I was inquiring about a domain name the other day, and something happened that I wanted to discuss and warn you about.

The domain name I was inquiring about is not currently being used. The company that owns the domain name operates on a different domain name, and their .com domain name is not being used. I sent an email to the Whois registrant (a privacy protected email address), and I also copied another email address I thought might be able to help because I didn’t know if the privacy email would work.

Within a couple of hours, I received an email response to let me know the company would consider selling the domain name and I could submit an offer. Shortly after that, I

Suggest a New gTLD Domain Name to a Domain Owner

I’ll preface this article by saying that this suggestion probably won’t work. That being said, even if there is a very small chance it works, it’s worth using it as a last ditch effort to acquire a domain name. Let me explain further.

For the majority of my domain acquisition efforts, I try to purchase domain names that have been registered for many years. Oftentimes, I contact the owners of domain names that are either underutilized or the websites haven’t been updated for a long time. I figure that a neglected website may mean the owner has thrown in the towel, and if I can strike a good deal, I can re-sell the domain name to someone who may not have bothered to inquire because of the existing website.

The trouble I have found is that many people and companies are reluctant to sell the domain name attached to their business, even if the offer is reasonable. Some people are concerned about

Monitor Domain Names You Sell

A friend told me a story about a domain name he sold for quite a bit of money that was later dropped by the buyer. It doesn’t make sense that someone would pay for a domain name in the aftermarket only to let it expire, but it happens, and that’s why you should monitor domain names you sell.

There are many reasons why a domain name might drop after someone pays for it. Perhaps they decided they didn’t want to move forward with their project or the person leading the project no longer works for the company. There are a multitude of reasons for why it could have expired.

I can give you three reasons for why you may want to monitor your domain name sales:

Check All Aftermarkets for Domain Prices

I was doing some research on a domain name I am interested in buying, and I saw that it was listed for sale on the domain owner’s website for $2,500. I continued my searching, and I noticed that it was also listed for sale on Sedo with a buy it now price of $6,000. To get the best deal on a domain name, you should check all aftermarket websites for that domain name listing.

I don’t have the best system of tracking domain names and prices. I might list names for sale on one aftermarket and then go back a few weeks or months later to list them for sale elsewhere. Usually, I look up the price at one venue to price a domain name the same at another venue. Sometimes I don’t always do this, and the pricing is different. Sometimes I will also update a price at one venue and not another. As a result, the price of a domain name may be different depending on the aftermarket.

When you are buying a domain name, I recommend looking up the listing at different aftermarket websites, even if the acquisition is being made in private. If you see a better price for the domain name, you may be able to purchase it cheaper elsewhere. If you are dealing directly with the owner, make sure you reference the lower price.

The domain market is dynamic. There are a number of factors that contribute to the price of a domain name. Sometimes domain owners are forgetful or neglectful, and their prices aren’t updated across the board. When you are buying a domain name, you should see if you can find the name listed for sale for less because you may score yourself a better deal. At the very least, you’ll learn the domain owner’s previous price expectations, and that information may help you negotiate a better deal.

As a domain owner, you should keep your prices updated across the board to prevent this from happening. Backing out of a deal because the buyer saw it priced less elsewhere might end up being harmful to your reputation.

Know Competing Prices

When you are setting buy it now prices on your domain names, or when you are responding to a purchase inquiry, it’s important to know prices for comparable and similar domain names. It’s easy to find these similar domain names, and taking the time to look can keep a prospect interested.

For many of the inbound inquiries I receive, the prospect is also looking at other domain names. For instance, if someone inquired about BreastLift.com (a domain name my company owns), they might also be looking at BreastLifts.com, BreastEnhancement.com, BreastAugmentation.com, and perhaps BreastLift in other domain extensions. If I reply that my price is $100,000, and one or more comparable domain names is much less expensive, they may cross my domain name off their list.

Some people don’t care about losing a prospect when it comes to their premium domain name. As a domain seller though, I would rather sell a name for less than the ideal price rather than lose a great offer. For instance, if the prospect could buy an alternative domain name for $65,000, it might behove me to lower my asking price to come more in line with a comparable. There may not be a lot of people willing to pay that much for a particular domain name, and pricing a domain name more competitively might be helpful in closing a deal.

A secondary reason for knowing comparable prices is

5 Exterior Factors I Consider When Valuing a Domain Name

I buy and sell all types of domain names related to various trades and industries. One day I might be negotiating to buy a real estate domain name and the next day I might be trying to sell a domain name related to cosmetic surgery.

There are certain standard domain name factors I generally consider when I am trying to place a value on domain names, and I think other domain investors look at these as well. I use the Keyword Planner tool to see search numbers, and I find the Adwords CPC to see how much advertisers are paying for clicks. I also look at the age of the domain name and number of extensions registered (and by whom). Comparable sales and prices for similar domain names are also standard factors.

There are other general domain name factors I also consider, but for the sake of this post, I’d like to discuss five of the exterior factors I consider to place a value on a domain name I am trying to acquire or sell. I welcome your feedback, and I invite you to