NameMedia

Big Week in Domain Aftermarket

According to the weekly sales report distributed by DNJournal, last week saw some fairly strong deals. There were a few six figure deals, including the sale of Coffee.org, and the drop auction market was hot once again with some strong names fetching decent amounts. The real winner of the week was over at NameMedia.

Not only did NameMedia Senior VP Pete Lamson report to DNJournal that the company had a record first quarter, but May was also recorded as the best sales month in the company’s history. NameMedia’s Afternic DLS also closed 15 LLL.com domain names for $40,000/each last week.   Personally, I don’t own any LLL.com domain names by choice, but I think the purchase shows that the market for these types of domain names are as strong as ever, even with the risk seeming to grow.
Interestingly enough, I had been in contact with Bigfoot about acquiring Let.com from them about 15 months ago, and they were only asking $50,000 for it at that time. It appears they have since sold the name, which is perplexing given the fact that they just jumped in feet first with the purchase of 15 LLL.com names at retail price. I do think it is a good sign for owners of LLL.com names though who are looking to sell their names.
Numeric domain names appear to be hot commodities as well. Because of their relative short supply coupled with the number of uses for these names throughout the world, they always seem to fetch strong prices. I like the fact that numbers transcend languages and are important in many cultures. It is important to research what numbers mean in other countries though! I owned a few numeric names a while ago, and one of them happened to have something to do with death. I sold it ASAP.
It does look like the aftermarket is fairly strong compared to the general economy. I have been and continue to be a buyer both for resale and for development. Hopefully these trends will continue through the summer.

Safe Domain Name Transactions

After reading an excruciatingly long thread on DNForum that deals with allegations of scamming, stolen domain names, missing funds…etc, I wanted to share some general advice when buying and selling domain names. The advice I give is only based on how I personally do business, and I recommend using an attorney if that makes you more comfortable.
Before I purchase a domain name, I always check the Whois history to make sure the name looks like it is free and clear of problems. Frequent changes in ownership, different/inconsistent email addresses or phone numbers, and incorrect-sounding information always ring bells in my head and requires further checking. I also like to search using Google and the domain forums to see if the name has ever been in a dispute or had “issues.” Because I mostly

Afternic Launches Pre-Expiry Domain Auction Service

I received an email from Pete Lamson, Senior VP and GM of NameMedia this morning announcing that Afternic was launching a pre-expiry domain auction service. This is good news for the domain business, as Afternic has extensive experience in the domain auction vertical, and all of the NameMedia properties have strong customer and technical support in place. It will be interesting to see which registrar(s) will be partnering with Afternic on this venture.

———

NameMedia Launches Domain Auction Sales Platform

New Service Will Feature Exclusive Domain Inventory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 19, 2007 Waltham, MA—NameMedia today announced the launch of Afternic Auctions on the company’s award-winning AfternicDLS domain sales platform.   With this launch, NameMedia expands AfternicDLS’ suite of products to include exclusive pre-expiry domain auctions.   These daily auctions will allow buyers to purchase domain names from among thousands of names that have not been renewed by their owners prior to expiration.

“We are pleased to further enhance our marketplace by operating exclusive, daily domain name auctions,” said Pete Lamson, senior vice president and general manager of NameMedia’s marketplace. “The Afternic Auction platform, backed by Afternic’s personalized service and flexible bidding options, gives domain buyers another source of premium domain names.”

The Afternic Auction platform, launched after extensive customer usability testing, includes the following product benefits:

–       Simple search functionality and bidding interface
–       35 day “Preorder” period, followed by extended 5 day auction
–       Individually prepared Domain Appraisals available for every auctioned name
–       Personalized bid management system including:   Bid Increase Alerts, Domain Watch Lists, Closing Soon Reminders and more
–       Capability to download the inventory of upcoming auctions to facilitate analysis and bidding strategies
–       Secure domain escrow process

“Customer reaction during beta testing was very positive, particularly with respect to the platform’s search technology, bidding interface and bid management summary,” said Adam Gross, product director for NameMedia’s domain marketplace.   “We look forward to this launch of another new service for our customers.”

For more information, visit www.Afternic.com

####

For Press Inquiries, Contact:
Libby Levinson
781-839-2809

For Business Development Inquiries, Contact:
Tom Murphy
Vice President, Business Development
781-839-2871

About NameMedia

NameMedia operates a leading targeted online media business and a leading online marketplace for domain names. Further information is available at www.namemedia.com.

Are You Selling Your Names?

From the Afternic DLS Blog, and brought to my attention by Dan:   If you are looking to sell your domain names, NameMedia might be interested in purchasing them.   I am frequently asked by my readers for advice on selling domain names or locating potential buyers.   I frequently suggest that they auction their names, as that tends to yield competitive bids. However, many people are interested in getting cash now rather than waiting for an auction, then waiting to see if their names sold in auction, and then waiting some more to be paid if the names sold.

If this is the case, and you are looking to close quickly, it may be better to deal with a company who is willing to pay for your names without any hassles. I don’t know what types of names they are looking to acquire, but my dealings with NameMedia properties have all been positive, so now might be a good time to connect with them. It is always easier to approach a buyer with his wallet opened!

PS: If you email Pete (per the blog’s request) tell him I send my best!

NameMedia, Inc. Files for IPO

Heary congratulations to the folks at NameMedia, who according to Reuters  and a post on DomainNameNews.com  filed with US regulators to raise up to $172.5 million in an IPO.   The company plans to list its shares on the Nasdaq market under the highly appropriate ticker symbol “NAME.”

This comes on the heels of great growth in the domain space.   Some of NameMedia’s better known properties include Afternic, BuyDomains, and Smart Name among others.    The company also recently announced strategic partnerships with leading  companies such as Network Solutions and Register.com.

And also, courtesy of Sahar’s Blog, the filing can be found here:

NameMedia Forms Strategic Partnership

NameMedia Announces Strategic Marketing Partnership with Network Solutions

The morning, NameMedia announced a new partnership was formed with Network Solutions. When a customer searches for an available domain name on the Network Solutions platform, a number of “Premium Resale Domain Names” will be listed in addition to the results of the query. For example, when I searched for the availability of BritishNews.com, the following appeared:

“britishnews.com is a Premium Resale Domain and can be purchased for $5,000”

This should be a good partnership opportunity because people who are willing to pay $34.99 for the standard one year registration at Network Solutions (vs. $9.99 at Godaddy) are probably more inclined to spend more to buy a premium domain name. This is a win for all parties, including the customer, who will have the opportunity to upgrade.

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