analysis Domain Evaluation Series (Evaluation 1): Megalodons.com

[Eric Lyon]

In this series, I analyze and evaluate a random Top Domain name publicly, after getting permission from the domain asset owner at the time of the evaluation first.

Permission can be confirmed by a NamePros moderator or staff member here: Permission to evaluate publicly

The following domain name asset belonged to member @ksusha64 at the time of this evaluation.

Megalodons.com​

Let's dive right in...

Asset Type:
10-Letters / Dictionary-Word / Generic-Brandable / .com / Classic Legacy gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)

Defining (.com):

.com is one of the first TLDs to be used on the Internet's Domain Name System; it was originally intended for commercial purposes, though there are no current restrictions limiting it to commercial entities. It was introduced in 1985 by IANA, which is responsible for the overall coordination and management of the DNS; the organization was led by Jon Postel at the time. On January 28, 1986, the entities overseeing the DNS met and restructured its makeup to correspond to 8 TLDs, including .com, the others are: .gov (government), .edu (American higher education), .mil (American military), .org (organization), .int (international, specifically NATO relations), .net (sites related to the Internet itself), .bitnet (computers on the BITNET network).[1][2]

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Definition of com​

(Entry 1 of 2)
1comedy; comic
2comma
3commercial organization

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Note: That's pretty straight forward. Your asset is primarily the commercial meaning of .com, but could be spun into comedy or comic.

Defining (Megalodons):

Otodus megalodon (/ˈmɛɡələdɒn/ MEG-əl-ə-don; meaning "big tooth"), commonly known as the megalodon, is an extinct species of giant mackerel shark that lived approximately 23 to 3.6 million years ago (Mya), from the Early Miocene to the Pliocene epochs. It was formerly thought to be a member of the family Lamnidae and a close relative of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), but has been reclassified into the extinct family Otodontidae, which diverged from the great white shark during the Early Cretaceous

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Carcharocles megalodon was once the most fearsome predator to reign the seas. This ancient shark lived roughly 23 to 3.6 million years ago in nearly every corner of the ocean. Roughly up to 3 times the length of a modern-day great white shark, it is the largest shark to have ever lived. It had a powerful bite with a jaw full of teeth as large as an adult human’s hand. They likely could tear chunks of flesh from even the largest whales of the time. It should come as no surprise that upon discovery in the fossil record, the massive shark was named Carcharocles megalodon or “big toothed glorious shark.”

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2018 Movie: The Meg - A group of scientists exploring the Marianas Trench encounter the largest marine predator that has ever existed - the Megalodon.

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2021 Movie: Megalodon Rising - When history's greatest aquatic predator returns, the armada of modern warships sent to destroy it has no chance at all

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2023 Movie: Meg 2 - A research team encounters multiple threats while exploring the depths of the ocean, including a malevolent mining operation.

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2023 Movie: Black Demon - Stranded on a crumbling rig in Baja, a family faces off against a vengeful megalodon shark.

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A Google search for Megalodons shows about 39,500,000 results for competing pages that have the word "Megalodons" on them.

Note: That's pretty straight-forward as well. The definitions, movie popularity and history of the Megalodon makes it a very powerful potential brand. Did you know that one of the Megalodons favorite meals is eating whales? Yes, whales! If we were to really play on the power of the Megalodon, it might look something like: 1. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new exclusive private club for some of the most powerful people in the world. So powerful, that the typical and proverbial whale (Millionaire/billionaire) can't even become a member. - or - 2. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new sports team brand - or - 3. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new fitness center/gym - or - 4. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new investment group brand (Potentially a group of investors that have combined fractional shares in titles, deeds, domain names, and other liquid asset types.) - or - 5. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = An informational site about Megalodons - or - 6. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = An ecommerce that sells everything Megalodon (Cups, shirts, lighters, pens, posters, and more) - Nothing but niche targeted Megalodon merchandise...

Exact Match Sales data:
There's no exact match sales data for Megalodons in any extensions.

Note: Not a deal breaker, had to look.

Sales data for Megalodon:

megalodon.net

195 USD

2021-08-16

GoDaddy

Note: The singular .net version sold for a low 3-figures back in 2021. Not very helpful, but interesting to see.

Sales data for Plural-Word .com:

weapons.com

45750 USD

2023-11-01

NameJet

milliseconds.com	2550 USD	2023-10-17	GoDaddy
deuces.com	12500 USD	2023-10-16	Sedo
compasses.com	3556 USD	2023-10-13	GoDaddy

limousines.com

30500 USD

2023-10-04

GoDaddy

modules.com

30500 USD

2023-08-17

GoDaddy

Note: There's a few sales reports in this combination to look at that are more recent, though, some of the words are bit more popular (used more often) than Megalodons.

Ranking Data:

DA = 1
PA = 1
Spam Score (Dapa) = 9%
Spam Score (WSC) = 11%
OS = 18%
Age = 23 Years and 126 Days
Backlinks = 2
Referring Domains = 1
DoFollow Ratio = 100%

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Note: Unfortunately, your ranking data and backlink profile do not help add any value to your asset. While your spam score a 9%/11% is on the lower end, a good acquisitions team will still try to leverage it to devalue your asset a little since a new start up would need to clean it up before they could launch a trusted and authoritative brand on it. You'll want clean it up before you pitch it. Your assets age may help with stacking around $360 on it's value.

Helpful information about spam scores:

• This guide from MOZ can help walk you through some stuff regarding spam scores: https://moz.com/help/link-explorer/link-building/spam-score
• This one provides a checklist to reduce high spam scores: https://www.copernica.com/en/documentation/some-tips-to-lower-your-email-spam-score
• This one will help with email blacklists: https://uptime.com/blog/domain-blac...:text=If your site is on,to ask to be removed.

WayBackMachine:

• Your asset resolved for the first time in 2003 as a Godaddy parked page
• In 2010 your asset resolved as a different Godaddy parked page
• In 2016 your asset kept trying to redirect, but kicked blank pages (Possibly an ad rotator)
• In 2017 your asset redirected to a kumbaya.com sales lander and experienced an influx in traffic until 2019 (Possibly where your spam score started)
• In 2021 your asset resolved as an Undeveloped.com sales lander
• In 2022 your asset resolved as a Domain.io parked page
• In 2023 today your asset resolves as a Dan.com sales lander

Source

Similar Brands:


Megalodon.com = Sales Lander
Megalodon.net = Parked Page
Megalodons.net = Parked Page
Megalodons.org = Does not resolve
Modules.com = Lander
Limousines.com = Parked Page
Compasses.com = Parked Page
Deuces.com = Lander
Milliseconds.com = Sales Lander
Weapons.com = Lander

Opinion:
As mentioned prior, your ranking data and backlink profile do not help add any value to your asset. While your spam score a 9%/11% is on the lower end, a good acquisitions team will still try to leverage it to devalue your asset a little since a new start up would need to clean it up before they could launch a trusted and authoritative brand on it. You'll want clean it up before you pitch it. Your assets age may help with stacking around $360 on it's value.

All the sales reports we looked at are still parked, landed, or do not resolve, which is generally bad news, as it indicates that resellers are having a hard time finding buyers wanting to develop brands on their generic-word assets. Even the .com and .net singular version of your asset are showing no signs of any action.

Not all hope is lost though, as the good news is that we did find some real world use cases for Megalodon (see logos above) that indicates some people are definitely branding with assets similar to yours already.

The hobbyist and end user values below will more than likely be an affiliate or freelancer looking to monetize with ppc, ppl, pps, etc. type campaigns. An end user may even seek a white-label partnership for a commission.

Your unicorn, in my opinion, is what I mentioned earlier:
1. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new exclusive private club for some of the most powerful people in the world. So powerful, that the typical and proverbial whale (Millionaire/billionaire) can't even become a member.

2. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new sports team brand

3. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new fitness center/gym

4. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = A new investment group brand (Potentially a group of investors that have combined fractional shares in titles, deeds, domain names, and other liquid asset types.)

5. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = An informational site about Megalodons

6. Megalodons.com = Megalodons = An ecommerce that sells everything Megalodon (Cups, shirts, lighters, pens, posters, and more) - Nothing but niche targeted Megalodon merchandise...

Let's take a look at #6 to apply the 25% rule as an example for potential:
A Google shopping search reveals products ranging from $1.99 Megalodon toys to $5k+ Megalodon Fossils.

Leveraging a Hobbyist eCommerce that only sells in the niche of Megalodons, but encompasses everything related to Megalodons, it would be feasible that most of it's inventory would be Drop-Ship affiliate Partnership programs + Some Standard Affiliate Programs + Some in-house inventory to get started in it's first year of going live.

We'll assume that the hobbyist/start-up made some bad marketing decisions in it's first year with poor targeting. So it only averaged 25 sales per month in the first 12 months = 300 sales for the first year total.

We'll also be modest and say that the majority of the sales were on the lower end toy spectrum with an average of $3.95 per sale (Commission) x 210 sales = $829.50. With a slightly higher average, we'll modestly say 88 sales average $15.95 each (Commission) = $1,403.60. That leaves 2 sales for the year that were more collectable, like fossils, that averaged $799 each (Commission) = $1,598.00.

Modest Total (Low-End Guesstimate for a Hobbyist eCommerce): $829.50 + $1,403.60 + $1,598 = $3,831.10 in the first year with a projection to triple sales in year 2 with a better targeted marketing campaign. To be modest, once again, we'll just multiply the first year by 2 years, which is the standard practice for buying a revenue generating business model (In some cases x3 years), so that's: $3,831.10 x 2 = $7662.20.

In the perfect situation with the ideal pitch and ready to take action start-up looking for a playful and nostalgic spin on a campaign brand, we can potentially apply the 25% rule as a 1 time royalty and negotiation starting point of the first-year projection into consideration of value. (25% = $1,915.55 + Aged value of $360 = $2,275.55 for a Hobbyist)

A genuine start-up will obviously have a larger marketing budget with better targeting and clear 10x to 100x more than the modest hobbyist guesstimate above. Some of the other identified potential uses (1 thru 6 above) for Megalodons.com may have much more profitable 1st year guesstimates/projections.

The hard part is identifying the potential end-user, gathering more research on their specific niche, formulating a presentation, negotiating, and closing.

Your asset does have a little reseller liquidity, but you will still have to do a lot of leg-work to find the right buyer and apply the hard parts I also mentioned above, which in most cases, investors fail at.

Thoughts on yours (Domain Only) – (Nov 2023 Market):

• Reseller = $1.1k to $2.2k​
• Hobbyist = $2.3k to $5.6k​
• End user = $5.7k to $10.9k​
• Unicorn = $11k to $42.7k+ (With the right presentation you could exceed this.)​

Here's how I like to break it down:

• Reseller: This is a domain investor with no intention of developing. They generally park or use a landing page of their own to resell a blank canvased domain for a profit, either to other resellers, hobbyists, or end-users. These investors hand register, pay wholesale, or aftermarket pricing to lower the risk and increase profit potential. (Smallest budget)​
• Hobbyist: This is a domain investor with intent to develop an asset themselves to increase value and provide a means for a domain to pay it's own renewals each year, eliminating renewal overhead expenses. This type of investor tests different markets with developments until they find a sweet spot, in which they expand development, optimize monetization efforts in a few different verticals, resell domains or domains + websites with verifiable traffic/revenue/etc., monitors the aftermarket, and pushes forward into entrepreneurship. (Mid-Budget)​
• End-user: Contrary to popular belief, this is also a domain investor (They can be independents, partners, entrepreneurs, small businesses, large corporations, non-profits, or even government agencies). They invest in a domain name asset to develop for the purpose of generating revenue or delivering an important message to an online audience/customer base. Every hour and penny they put into that domain names development is still an investment into their digital asset (property), increasing the value, and potential. Most end-users have no intention of reselling a domain asset, however, it does still happen as part of company takeovers and acquisitions. (Biggest Budget)​
• Unicorn: This is when all the planets align in your favor to discover the perfect end-user ready to take action with little to no negotiating to build their empire, not only with your domain asset, but also for the specific end-user direction I mentioned in the evaluation above. Unicorns are not part of normal evaluations and will only appear in this breakdown when a potential unicorn category is identified.​

I hope that helps give a better idea on how I personally evaluate domain assets.

P.S. If you like my evaluation, let me know by commenting below or using the like/thanks feature. This helps encourage me to do more appraisals in the future when I have the time.

Thanks and good luck with your investments.

DISCLAIMER: For those reading this evaluation, please keep in mind that it's only for this domain name and not any variants or different combinations. It is not advised to register a bunch of variant domains based on a single domain evaluation. Each variant change may or may not decrease or eliminate value.

Value can never be determined from a single point of research or variable. It's also important to understand the potential use of a domain asset in terms of monetization and revenue structure. This gives an inside look at what such an asset may be worth in a particular niche industry.

These are quick evaluations based on my personal experience/knowledge in multiple direct and related online industries dating back to 2005, offline industries since 1996 and 40 to 90 minutes of current market research for the specific domain being evaluated. It should be noted that the most accurate evaluation can sometimes take several hours or even days of research, data compiling, comparisons, etc.

The views expressed in this evaluation are of my own, not those of namePros™.

This evaluation is not certified, nor does it constitute or reflect what a fully termed evaluation may reveal.

DO NOT use this evaluation alone as a reason to register or acquire a domain asset. Do your own due diligence and research before ever investing into anything in life.

Legal Notice: If you are dealing with a Brand asset of companies that may have been established prior to asset acquisition, you may want to consult with an IP/TM attorney in the country you reside. Most have 1 free consultation. Just to be sure, if you haven't yet.

Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

Looking for more helpful articles about domain investing and reselling that I wrote over the years?
(Insight) Domain Evaluation/Appraisal Methodologies
Domain Selling Psychology - An Inside Look
Domain Investment Capital - Options
Marketing Ideas and Techniques

Thinking about branding and/or developing one of your domain assets?

Check out the namePros design contest section and design contest rules.​

 

[Kai W.]

I had asked you to help me with my assessment when I first arrived here and still find your assessment responsible and meticulous. Thank you.

 

[Eric Lyon]

I had asked you to help me with my assessment when I first arrived here and still find your assessment responsible and meticulous. Thank you.

Thanks for the kind words.

Keep in mind, much like stocks, titles, and deeds, markets can become volatile and/or shift over time. There's even instances where a commodity or liquid asset was in a Bull market one month and dropped like a hot potato into a Bear market the next month.

With the above in mind, evaluations on domain assets can also change frequently with current trends and shifting market segments.

If it's been 5 years since your last evaluation (2018), you may want to consider a new one

As a VIP you do have access to the Professional Appraisal section of the Insiders Club.

It's good to hear from you again.

 

[Matty W.]

You never cease to amaze me with your meticulous research and explanations behind your domain valuations.

 

[Name Trends]

PM Sent

Thanks

 

[Eric Lyon]

Insight request:
I would like to work on bettering these evaluations where possible and have a few questions regarding this one:

1. How accurate do you think the evaluation for Megalodons.com was?
2. What would you evaluate Megalodons.com for?
3. What parts of the evaluation do you agree with the most?
4. What parts of the evaluation do you disagree with?
5. Was this evaluation helpful in providing a starting point to do your own research for other domain names?
6. What would you suggest be added to these evaluations to make them even better?

I look forward to your feedback.