The Knot is Wrong About Domain Names

On several occasions, I’ve helped friends register or acquire a domain name for their wedding websites. A domain name like JackAndJill.com is obviously easier to remember than a longer url from a wedding site like TheKnot.com or WeddingChannel.com, and it certainly looks better on wedding invitations, save the dates, and other wedding reminders.

This afternoon, I was looking at TheKnot.com website to help a friend with her wedding website, and the company is providing some incorrect information on its FAQ page about domain names. According to the FAQ page:

“I searched for a domain, but the domain name I want is taken! Is there any way to get it?
Sorry! If the search says it’s already registered, then it’s not available. Try searching for another domain.”

Obviously, The Knot wants to keep this page simple. Explaining the process of reaching out to the domain owner or contacting a domain broker in an effort to purchase the domain name via the aftermarket would be time consuming. It would also not be profitable because they wouldn’t sell a $19.99 domain registration to someone who wants a domain name they need to buy via another channel. However, the answer that the domain name is not available is simply not true. It may be available with a bit of extra effort.

Perhaps The Knot could work out a deal with a domain broker or domain brokerage to inquire about domain names on behalf of its clients if requested. Maybe TheKnot could hire someone to do this on behalf of clients and make a commission on closed sales.

Let’s say I wasn’t in the domain space and I bought a wedding domain name when I got engaged 6 years ago. For nostalgic reasons, I couldn’t let myself let the domain name expire, so I’ve been paying $10/year to GoDaddy to renew it. If TheKnot came to me and offered me $500 for the domain name, I’d consider selling it, especially knowing another couple was going to use it. They’d make $75 at 15% commission, which is better than their $19.99 domain registration cost.

Of course, this business model is contingent upon someone wanting to spend $575 to secure their perfect domain name, but I would imagine they could make money this way and make clients happier.

At the very least, they should briefly explain that a domain name could be bought on the aftermarket rather than taking the easy way out and telling people that their ideal domain name is not available, which is not really true. It may not be available via TheKnot, but it may be available via other channels.

Elliot Silver
Elliot Silver
About The Author: Elliot Silver is an Internet entrepreneur and publisher of DomainInvesting.com. Elliot is also the founder and President of Top Notch Domains, LLC, a company that has closed eight figures in deals. Please read the DomainInvesting.com Terms of Use page for additional information about the publisher, website comment policy, disclosures, and conflicts of interest. Reach out to Elliot: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

9 COMMENTS

  1. With all of the crap happening with wedding planning, I don’t think there is much of an appetite for the recently engaged to add “engage a service to buy a domain on the aftermarket for my website” to their to-do list. And for the very small percentage of people who would use such a service, there is probably very little money to be made for theknot (not to mention trying to explain the concept to newbies).

    • If they don’t want to offer the service (which they probably wouldn’t), they could at least answer the question with a correct answer. Perhaps “Sorry! If the search says it’s already registered, then we can’t help you get it” because it is not accurate to say that it isn’t available.

      Sure, it would be more helpful to provide an in-depth answer, but at the very least, they shouldn’t provide an answer that isn’t true.

    • To be fair, I think by “not available”, they mean “not available for registration”, which is technically correct — because it’s already registered.

      Honestly though, this FAQ was probably written by someone who has no clue about the distinction you’re making.

      • Perhaps, but it’s technically incorrect.

        I would be upset if I settled for ElliotAndKarenWedding.com or something when ElliotAndKaren.com was available for a couple hundred (or less) from a couple who got married 5 years ago and have no need for it anymore.

  2. I’m going to have to agree with Gordon here. It would be crazy for The Knot to even mention the resale market. It would be opening a can of worms they don’t need. The reality is most people don’t care about domains whether we think they should or not

  3. All the questions on the FAQ page are answered with basically a couple sentences. I would love for someone to explain how they can buy the name, where they can buy the name, and why the hell is it going to cost them 500 bucks. To explain this would take a full page. Anybody out there please give an explanation in the shortest possible way and lets see how many words it will take. If you can do this in less than 2 sentences you are a Rockstar.

  4. I think the information is correct for what it is: a FAQ for people planning a wedding. Who in their right mind would pay $$$ on the aftermarket for a disposable domain they will just use for wedding invitations and maybe to share the photos afterwards?

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