Why I Like Screenshot Tool

I was making my daily inquiries the other day, when I saw a great domain name with a “coming soon” landing page. The page said that this was going to be a new venture and it would be launched sometime soon. There was no copyright or update date on the site or the footer.

Ordinarily when I see a coming soon page with a 2011 date, I generally refrain from making an offer. I know that development can be time consuming and expensive, so if the domain owner posted something that said the domain name was in the process of being developed, there’s little reason for me to make an offer to try and buy it since it will likely be expensive or there won’t be an interest in selling.

This is precisely where the screenshot history tool comes into use for me. On this particular domain name, I checked the screenshot history, and it showed me that the same landing page has been on the site since May of 2009. That indicates to me that the domain owner either got sidetracked or had other issues preventing him from launching the website. It also told me that he hasn’t monetized it, so he doesn’t know what he’s leaving on the table.

This information is invaluable in negotiating to purchase a domain name. If the guy replies to me and says he’s working on a website, I can tell him that it hasn’t happened in two plus years, so perhaps it might be a good time to throw in the towel and make some money from his underutilized asset. In any case, it’s a tool that I use on occasion, and when I do use it, I find it very helpful.