| |
| |
|
Domain Name Information |
|
|
|
How Do I Buy a Domain Name?
Q: I'd like to buy a domain, but I discovered that it's already registered by a bulk domain buying company (just check negres.com). I tried to contact them but I have received no answer. Do you know how much these companies charge in average for a domain? Or are they focused on the traffic and clicks and will not let it go? Any recommended approach to bid for the domain? A: This is a tough one because domain names, unless you have a legal claim on them, exist in a pure commodity marketplace. What I mean is: the value of a domain is defined solely by its perceived value to the buyer. If you wanted to buy one of my unused domains (for example, "BABY.NET" which is for sale, actually) then I might ask $20 for it, or I might ask $200,000 for it, or, who knows, $2mil. What's it worth? Well, that depends. If you're a huge company with a massive marketing budget and are passionate about obtaining this exact domain then $500,000 might be a fair market price for it. But then again, maybe $100 would be more than it's worth. Economics books talk about pricing strategies where you charge "what the market will bear", and you can see where in domain names, well, that's almost impossible to figure out without a specific buyer involved. There's no third party, no standards organization, no reference point for what domains are worth. I've bought domains from others for $200 and I've paid $8000 for one domain. My most recent domain purchase, BLOGSMART.COM, was about $500. I should note that I have never bought a domain from a scalper (some people call them "squatters", or "domain squatters") or domain resale agency, however: My impression is that domain resellers encourage domain owners to set unrealistic prices and hold out. For the individual domain owner who doesn't know any better, it seems like a good deal and if offers at lower price-points roll in, well, they're easily ignored. Then, three, four or even five years later, the domain owners with dozens or even hundreds of domains suddenly realize that they really aren't worth much after all because it's clear at that point that the market isn't valuing the domain the way that the reseller is. But even without that disconnect, domains aren't typically worth what you may think they are. To see what I mean, pop over to AfterNIC, one of the top resellers in this space, and browse their 'recently sold' and 'featured' domains lists. A few tips on valuation, before we get there, though: '.com' are worth more than other top level domains, dictionary words are worth more than multiple word amalgamations (think 'car.com' versus 'myfavoritecartodrive.com'), and that domain names with hyphens are worth less than those without. Further, remember that if you get a singular name, you need the plural, if you get a hyphenated name you need the unhyphenated too, and so on. Unsurprisingly, the closing bids for "tiny-treasures.com", "yourbetterhalf.com", "onenet.us" and "2EB.com" aren't very impressive, but there are a few that shine as particularly good domains: "america.org" (sold for $20,000), "maple.net" ($5,000), "x360.com" ($5,000), "itoldyouso.com" ($15,000) and "searchme.com" ($15,500). Based on that, "baby.net" should certainly be worth at least $20,000, don't you think? I believe that the best domains change hands in private transactions, however, and that if you've a third-party involved, it will unquestionably complicate the situation. Anyway, back to your specific situation, I would try one more email message to the domain owner, and if they don't respond, well, it's probably time to do some creative synonym brainstorming and come up with a different name entirely. If they respond, but are asking for far more than you're willing to pay, keep dickering: I've been surprised how quickly potential buyers vanish, when I'm just negotiating a price. Good luck to you! Dave Taylor is an internationally recognized expert on business and technical topics and is the author of 18 different books and thousands of magazine articles. His Q&A Web site is http://www.askdavetaylor.com/
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Whats In A (TLD) Name? They're pushing for a top level domain (TLD) exclusively for porn sites. I'm quoting from this article at http://www. Why El Cheapo Domains Will Cost You Money You want your own online business? Good because it's one of the most fun things you can do with your spare time and can be very profitable.Remember that just because it's an online business doesn't mean that you should treat it with any less professionalism or seriousness than you do your daytime job. How to Profit with Domain Name Speculation Domain Name speculation has become big business. According to recent study, the average domain name bought and sold by domain name speculators realized a 377% profit. How To Choose The Best Domain Name In this article we are going to look at the thought process you should go thru to choose your domain name.First of all let's define what a domain name is. Is Your Domain Name On Someones Wanted List? A good domain name is, and will always be, essential for any online business. If you ask me, the internet is still only just evolving from infancy. Is Your Domain Costing You Traffic? You visited a great website some time ago that had some fantastic information on it. It is not easily found in search engines results so you decide to type the domain name into your favorite browser. How to Register an Expiring Domain Understanding the process and options involved with registering an expiring domain can be a confusing task. How, Where, When?This article will explain the basic steps to researching an expiring domain name, and the many different options (or should I say necessary steps to insure success). The Growth of ru-Domains The registry of ru-domains reports, that the number of domain names registered in Russia's national domain, the ru-domains, has increased 19.82% in the first half of 2004 to 256. 42 Killer Domain Secrets Exposed! The Basic StuffEvery website needs a domain name. Example "WebBootCamp. Warning: Your Domain Name Could Infringe On Trademark Rights! If you have or are about to purchase a domain name, YOU could be in trouble and you don't even know it yet.. Get Your Own Domain Name Or Die Online Would you buy from someone with an "@yahoo.com" e-mail address? I wouldn't. Signing up for a Domain Name? Consider Private Registration A plethora of websites exists to register a domain name. Google 'register domain names' and have a fun-filled time comparing prices. 5 Tips For the Perfect Domain Name What is a domain name? A domain name is the location of your website on the Internet. Your domain name will be what you become known by online so it's important to get it right. Whats in a Domain Name? You've decided to start up your own website. You've weighed all of your options, and have come to the conclusion that you want to purchase web space for your site. Choosing Your Domain Name - Internet Marketing This is actually an important key to your business and sometimes its success. I will explain why through-out this article. 8 Million de-Domains DENIC, the registry of the German Top Level Domain (TLD) has announced, that it has received the eight millionth application for the registration of a de-domain. The de-domain has the position as the world's favourite Country Code TLD, ahead of . How to Profit from Expired Domain Name Registration After the dot com crash, expired domain names and expired domain name traffic have been a source of potential income. It is important to inexpensively obtain the automated tools required to track the thousands of domain name registration and abandoned websites that are removed from the domain registry and become available for purchase. Think All the Good Domain Names are Taken? Have you heard of the other tlds (top leve domains) such as: .free, . Domain Name Registration - Key Tips Domain name registration is a necessary, easy, and strategically important first step in establishing an online presence, whether for business or otherwise. A well-chosen domain name registration can set you up for success with your new site in so many ways, the most prominent of these being increased search engine traffic. ICANN Registrar: jp-Domains for Anybody Cologne, October 10 2004. ICANN Registrar Secura announces today, that the company is now accepting the registration of jp-domains from companies and individuals outside of Japan.
|
