Buying Domain Names

I inquire about a lot of domain names, and I bid on many domain name auctions. This may seem pretty obvious, but how the domain name looks and sounds is what catches my attention the most. Various stats and keyword information are important to note, but I try to buy domain names I can see people wanting to turn into brands, and it starts with the name itself.

Beyond this simple thought, there are a number of elements that make me want to buy some domain names more than others. In fact, I would pay a premium for a domain name – perhaps even overpaying for a domain name – when everything lines up perfectly for me. I want to share some of the appealing elements that make me more interested in certain domain names:

When I am evaluating a domain name to buy in the aftermarket – either via auction or private acquisition, the number of TLDs (extensions) that are registered with that keyword or keyphrase is a critical metric for me. The more domain names that are registered in different extensions, the better and more valuable the domain name usually is.

It isn’t the number of registrations that makes the .com domain name valuable though. It is the fact that other entities have valued this keyword or phrase enough to spend money to secure different variations of the domain name. The more registrations typically signifies the more others would covet the opportunity to have the matching .com domain name, making a potential sale more likely.

I am on the hunt for one or two exceptional one word .com domain names right now. When I seek out a domain name to buy, I often try to reach the right person at a company that does not appear to be using a domain name. Either the domain name does not resolve to an active website or it forwards to a branded website and does not appear to be used for much else. While many companies will tell me a domain name is not for sale, I have learned that frequently means a compelling offer needs to be submitted to convince the company to sell the domain name.