Buying Domain Names

Michael Cyger introduced me to DomainLeads.com, a recently launched domain industry tool created by the company operating Estibot. DomainLeads.com is a tool that helps identify the number of registered and developed TLDs (extensions) in specific SLDs (keywords or phrases). For instance, I can see the Logical SLD is registered in 134 extensions, and 13 of those are developed websites.

I think this data is critically important when it comes to understanding potential prospective buyers and determining the value of the .com domain name.

Every morning, as early as I am awake, I look through domain name expiry lists to see what is coming up for auction. I’ll spend anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours reading these lists of names in my Dropping email and on ExpiredDomains.net to identify acquisition targets.

Each day, there are domain names in these lists that are made up of terms or words that, to put mildly, are inappropriate for kids to read. Some of these domain names make me think, “who the heck would ever even think about registering that domain name!?” Some of the domain names I see crack me up, but their meanings would be difficult to explain to a child.

Earlier this week, I shared that I have been expanding my non-.com domain portfolio, and that I sold one of those domain names via Afternic. The domain name was transferred from my account at Namecheap, and I am awaiting the confirmation and payment emails from Afternic.

This is my first non-.com domain name sale since my .XYZ domain name sale back in 2022.

I have been expanding my non .com portfolio.

I have a non-.com domain name “On Hold” at @afternic. I paid a little more than $250 this year, and it’s pending sale at $4,595.

If it closes, it would be my first non-.com sale since my .XYZ sale in 2022.

🤞🤞🤞

— Elliot Silver (@DInvesting) May 27, 2024

Michael Cyger amplified a post that offers a look into a massive pitfall for operators on non .com domain names as well as off-brand domain names. Misdirected emails, also known as email leakage, is an issue many business operators don’t even know about or understand until it becomes a problem. See for yourself:

📌

"Domain suffix familiarity bias"

Where people append ".com" to a domain name because of mind share, habit or assumption.

It’s real. https://t.co/iAn98kzSXL

— Michael Cyger (@MichaelCyger) May 9, 2024

One of my wife’s friends called me today to talk about a domain name. She mentioned that she is thinking about starting her own business and had a domain name in mind that was available to register. She wanted my opinion on what domain registrar to use.

A question like that is simple for me. More often than not, a friend or friend of a friend will seek me out for help or guidance about an impossible to buy domain name or one that is extraordinarily valuable when their budget is limited. I am sure you deal with those kinds of buyers all the time, so at least credit is due for getting educated before making inquiries.