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Have a Real Presence Online When Selling Domain Names

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When it comes to selling domain names via outbound marketing, credibility is very important. If a prospective buyer receives an unsolicited and unexpected email about purchasing a domain name they’re interested in buying, the first thing they’ll most likely do is check to see who the sender is. Without a having a presence online, you could look less legitimate and prospective buyers may be apprehensive about buying your domain name.

One of the best ways to establish trust is by having a professional website that explains who you are and what your business does. For instance, my corporate websites (TopNotchDomains.com and Embrace.com) ensure prospects can see that there is a real business behind my email. Both websites outline my experience and the company background. They also show that I’m not hiding behind a free email address, and I am a real person. They should be able to surmise they can safely do a deal with me/my company.

2021 vs 2025 – % of .coms in my Portfolio

I don’t closely track the percentage of domain extensions in my portfolio. I could have 75% .com or I could have 99% .com domain names in my portfolio, and the only implication is higher (in general) renewal costs. Because I buy more domain names that I sell, my portfolio has been growing each year, so tracking the increase in renewal costs isn’t really helpful in seeing how the percentage of .com domain names is changing.

I’ve primarily invested in .com domain names since I started my business 20 years ago. I think great one and two word .com domain names are the most desirable assets for businesses around the world, and I have always wanted to invest in domain names like these that sell themselves.

Nominations Open for 2026 ICA Awards

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The Internet Commerce Association (ICA) is now accepting nominations for two domain investing community awards. Domain investors may now submit their nominations for the 2026 Lonnie Borck Memorial Award and the Trailblazer Award.

The Lonnie Borck Memorial Award was named in memory of one of my closest business friends, Lonnie Borck, who passed away at 47 years old in 2016. The award is given to an individual who helps “build a stronger, more connected community.” Lonnie was someone with many friends in this business, and it was always great spending time with him at various conferences and elsewhere. Five of us still have a weekly text message chain we’ve kept going for many years in Lonnie’s memory and honor.

Bodis Gives Performance Update After Google Parked Domain Opt-Out

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Bodis sent an update to customers yesterday about recent performance impacts related to pay per click parking revenue. The company attributed the decline to a major change implemented by Google, which was announced earlier this year.

Google is now automatically opting out advertising on parked domain names. The result of the change is less PPC parking revenue for customers who use parking services like Bodis and its competitors.

Here’s the announcement from Bodis:

Glad This Sale Wasn’t an LTO

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Sometimes, the most obvious use for a particular domain name is in a manner that would either be offensive, controversial, or negative. This will probably be common sense for most people, but it is a good idea to keep the lease to own option off for domain names that could be used in a way that could damage its future usage.

I recently sold the a two word .com domain name that was acquired by a political campaign. The domain name was first used as a forwarder to a YouTube video, but it now hosts a landing page with that video. The title of the video matches the domain name without the extension. I would classify this as a way to cast an opponent in a poor light.

Com Laude to Acquire MarkMonitor

Com Laude has built its reputation as a leading domain name management service and registrar for large corporations. The company competes against several other companies that offer similar services in the domain name industry, including MarkMonitor, CSC, and GoDaddy’s Brandsight.

This morning, Com Laude announced the acquisition of MarkMonitor. The company was owned by Newfold Digital, which had somewhat recently acquired the brand from Clarivate in 2022.

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