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Private Messages: Sedo vs. Afternic

Elliot Silver
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15

When completing a transaction at Sedo and Afternic, all parties communicate via the private message systems found on each platform. The domain broker and/or escrow agent act as an intermediary between both parties, giving instructions and answering questions, while keeping the buyer and seller at arm’s length.

With Sedo’s private messages, the recipient is informed that there is a new message in the transfer center, and in order to see the message, the recipient must log in to his or her account at Sedo. This can be annoying, especially when the update is minor or when away from the computer. You don’t really know the content of a private message until you log in to read it, and you obviously can’t reply directly in the email.

When Afternic representatives send private messages, the full message appears in the email content the recipient receives. The recipient can see what’s happening with a transaction rather than having to log in to an account to read the message. In addition, recipient can reply to the sender directly from the email.

With most domain forums like DN Forum and Domain Boardroom, private message emails include the message in them. I don’t believe the recipient can reply directly via email, but it’s good to know whether the message is urgent or can wait until later.

It would be great if Sedo could include the private message in the email content.

DomainTools and Domain Name Sales Should Hook Up

Elliot Silver
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7

When I am in acquisition mode, I almost always use DomainTools to do my Whois searches to find contact information for domain owners. One advatage of using DomainTools is that I can see if a particular domain name is listed for sale on an aftermarket platform like Sedo, Afternic, or Aftermarket.com.

Here’s what it looks like when a domain name is listed for sale:

This graphic tells me two things. First and most importantly, the domain name is listed for sale by the owner, so I know that I can buy it for the right price. Second, it tells me I can inquire about the domain name using one of the platforms instead of negotiating directly with the owner. This allows me to stay anonymous throughout the negotiations. It’s very helpful to see a domain name listed for sale via DomainTools.

With Frank Schilling’s Internet Traffic parking platform, domain owners can choose to display a bright orange banner announcing that the domain name may be for sale via DomainNameSales.com. It’s not necessarily for sale, but if you see the banner, it’s a good indication that the domain owner is willing to sell for the right price.

If you haven’t seen the banner for some reason, here is an example:

As of right now, it doesn’t seem that names listed on Domain Name Sales are listed on DomainTools, and I think that should change. This would likely increase sales volume, as it is another way to let people know a domain name is for sale without having to visit the landing page.

One issue would be that some people parking on Internet Traffic that utilize the sales banner are only passively interested in selling their domain names, and the likely wouldn’t want their names listed. I am sure this can be easily addressed, perhaps with a check box offering the listing on DomainTools and perhaps other venues.

I think if Domain Name Sales and DomainTools hook up, it will benefit domain owners who would like to sell their domain names.

NameMedia Launches “Wholesale” Domain Name Sales Marketplace

Elliot Silver
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19

Direct Domains

When seeking appraisals, domain owners often ask to distinguish between wholesale value and retail value. The wholesale value is how much another domain owner or bargain hunter would pay, while the retail value is how much a company that needs the domain name would pay to secure it.

NameMedia  operates BuyDomains, which primarily caters to retail buyers, and the company sells millions of dollars in inventory a month. The company also operates Afternic, which sells company-owned domain names as well as privately owned domain names.

This morning, NameMedia announced the launch of DirectDomains.com, which the company is calling a “wholesale marketplace site.” This new site, which is currently being tested with NameMedia-owned inventory, will be targeting “value buyers.”

Here’s what the company has to say about the launch of the new brand:

“As the domain market continues to grow, we recognize that there is a need for a range of price points for difference audiences. We long-ago pioneered the premium domain marketplace, and today we still achieve the highest median price of any domain marketplace that sells in volume. Our research has shown, however, that could be a substantial opportunity in targeting “value buyers” with domains, and so we are testing that concept with this new site.”

I think it’s a good idea, but I hope it doesn’t cannibalize sales from its other platforms. If an end user buyer is looking at two names, I would hope he or she would select the better, higher priced domain name instead of the less expensive option.

Have a look at  DirectDomains.com  when you have a chance to see how the company is positioning the names. It’s a pretty cool looking site, and it’s a neat concept.

First Afternic Auction on Snapnames / Moniker Ends Thursday

Elliot Silver
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1

Afternic  is running its first auction in conjunction with Snapnames / Moniker, and it closes on Thursday, June 21. There are some pretty solid domain names at fair reserves up for auction, and I’ve highlighted my top picks for the auction with reserve prices considered. Unlike most auctions, there aren’t really any names for sale at crazy prices.

It will be interesting to watch the close of the auction since Afternic has considerable end user contacts, and I am sure they’ve reached out to potential buyers, including people who previously inquired  about domain names that are up for sale.

I am surprised more portfolio owners don’t use auctions like this as a means to close deals. Auctions can create liquidity and bring new buyers into the fold along with others who have expressed an interest in particular domain names in the past.

Here are my top choices in the auction with current bid or reserve range:

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BuyDomains Testing Simple Sales Lander

Elliot Silver
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27

A friend sent me the link to a new landing page currently being tested by BuyDomains, and I thought it was interesting. When you have a chance, take a look at the landing page for RemoteGuardian.com, a domain name owned by BuyDomains. You’ll notice how simple the lander is, with a “This domain is for sale” graphic and not much else.

In addition to the large graphic, there is a call to action phone number and form to submit information for a price request. There is no monetization on the landing page (aside from the sale notice), and there isn’t a price listed either.

My gut says that they are probably testing this on low/no traffic domain names, and excluding PPC links won’t cause a loss on those types of names. Many small business owners and individuals visit a domain name they are interested in owning to see if anyone has anything built on it, likely because many aren’t all that knowledgeable about finding a domain owner using the Whois database. In my opinion, there’s little sense in having PPC links on no traffic names, since that may look like some development to these visitors who may be reluctant to make an offer if they see any type of development.

I reached out to the company to ask for details, and Ted Olson, Director Monetization at Afternic and SmartName, gave me a bit of insight: “As always, we test new ideas and concepts on our own portfolio before rolling it out to our partners. This is the first of many iterations to come, and we are excited to see how well it performs.”

If BuyDomains rolls out with this on a wider range of domain names, perhaps domain owners should take note of the change since they may consider this on their own domain names that get little traffic.

Thanks to NameBio for mentioning this to me.

Guest Post: The Domain Market Is Booming, And It’s No Wonder Why

Elliot Silver
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7

This is a guest post from Jason Miner, who oversees  Afternic’s  Sales, Business Development & Customer Service departments while also guiding the Product and Development teams. With over 6 years at Afternic and more than 15 years of senior management experience, Jason brings adept leadership skills to the helm of Afternic.

The domain market for primary registrations and premium domains shows no sign of slowing down. From the latest Verisign Domain Name Industry Brief :   “Registrations have grown by more than 20.4 million, or 10 percent, since the fourth quarter of 2010” and “the .com and .net TLDs experienced aggregate growth, reaching a combined total of 13.8 million domain names in the fourth quarter of 2011.”

It’s also been almost two decades since the first e-commerce purchase, yet recent studies estimate that around 40% of small to mid-sized businesses still don’t have a website! From McKinsey’s Internet Matters report:   “All business leaders, not just e-CEOs, should put the Internet at the top of their strategic agenda.” These indicators show that there is a great deal of unmet need for premium domain names for ecommerce sites that are yet to be built.

Since a solid domain is the foundation of any business’s website, the domain industry – and especially the aftermarket – is poised for a huge amount of growth. Improvements in the premium domain transaction process and increased trust in the aftermarket have made it easier for customers to find and purchase premium domains.

Improved Processes Leads to Improved Liquidity

Afternic has made a substantial commitment to and investment in technology to improve the premium domain sales process. Whereas premium domains were previously subjected to a lengthy escrow process, those for sale through Afternic Premium Promotion are now available to the buyer almost immediately. This fluid transaction process is critically important to the growth of the domain aftermarket; customers expect that what they are buying online will be available right away.

Improved Trust by Partnering with Industry Heavyweights

This improved infrastructure has brought many of the world’s leading registrars on board with listing premium domains for sale alongside primary registrations. This both expands the audience for premium domains and lends added legitimacy to the domain aftermarket – which is newer and less known than older registrars.

New Domain Extensions Increase Awareness

Domains have been in the news a lot lately, especially with ICANN’s announcement of new TLDs and the varied responses to this announcement. Any news that keeps domains and their value “top of mind,” is good for the industry.

We expect that consumers will value past performance (.com domain extensions being the most trusted historically, for example) as a predictor of future success, ensuring that .com will still remain the gold standard.

Learn more about selling your domains on Afternic today.

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