Afternic

I search for domain name acquisition targets in many ways. One of the most regularly used methods is simply visiting a domain name to see how it is used. There’s no sense in making an effort to buy a domain name if it is being used as a brand by a billion dollar company or well-funded startup.

Domain names that are available for sale often have a “for sale” landing page either hosted by the registrant or by a platform like Afternic or Sedo. Afternic landing pages, for example, notify the visitor that the domain name is for sale without providing any pricing information. The landing page implores visitors to submit their information to get a price within 24 hours or to call and get a price immediately:

In October, Afternic made a significant upgrade to the user control panel in a beta platform that became available to all sellers. The objective was to integrate some of GoDaddy’s look and feel as well as provide functionality upgrades for Afternic customers. I’ve been toggling back and forth between the beta and classic version, and I think the new platform offers a cleaner look and saves me time making pricing updates.

This afternoon, Afternic unveiled a new dashboard to all customers with added features and enhanced functionality. I have spent a bit of time using the new dashboard, and I think it is a solid upgrade from the classic platform.

I asked a representative from GoDaddy to share what updates were made and are now available, and here’s what I was told:

GoDaddy and Afternic operate the largest domain name sales network, partnering with more than 100 other domain name registrars and platforms to sell customer-owned domain names. A customer that lists a domain name for sale via Afternic will have their listings shown on the purchase pages at registrars like Namecheap, Google, Name.com, and many others when a prospective buyer searches for that domain name.

GoDaddy’s Fast Transfer network makes it relatively easy for domain investors to sell their domain names. When a buyer at Namecheap, for example, purchases a domain name listed for sale via GoDaddy/Afternic on the Fast Transfer network, the domain name will automatically transfer to the buyer without the seller having to take action. Once listed and approved, the seller doesn’t play much of a role in selling domain names via this channel.

The GoDaddy / Afternic network should and does make it easier for domain investors to sell domain names to people they may have never reached, but it is not without its issues. There are pain points that I deal with when selling via GoDaddy and Afternic, and I want to offer some suggestions to improve the process.