If we could accurately predict relative sell-through rates (STR) for different domain names, we could focus on names that are likely to sell quickly. Curated marketplaces would also benefit, since they would be able to predict the kinds of names that are more likely to sell, and not waste promotional costs on names with low sales prospects.
SquadHelp released a Domain Insights Tool that comes a long way toward achieving this goal. Last week, SquadHelp CEO Darpan Munjal shared results showing an impressive correlation between the insights tool score and the sell-through rate.
How To Access The Domain Insights Tool
The Domain Insights Tool is free to use, but you will need to have a SquadHelp account.
From your account dashboard, select Data & Insights, and then Domain Insights Tool.
In the Get Domain Insights box simply enter the domain name you want to try, and then press Search.
Currently the insights tool only provides results for .com extension names. There is a limit to how many requests you can make in a 24 hour period, but it seems pretty generous.
Domain Insights Tool Data
The Domain Insights Tool provides the following information:
It shows that the word has a solid 6.5% STR, but when the word is leading, as the case for this domain name, the STR is even higher, more than 10%.
The insights tool also provides data for the trailing word, shown below. In this case the STR results are marginally lower, but still very strong.
I have tried out the tool with several hundred domain names, mainly two-word brandables. The accuracy splitting into words is impressive, as are the possible use cases. The STR information is particularly valuable. For some names, the insights tool also gives the prices for comparator sales.
Impressive Predictor of Sell-Through Rate
The tool is still in beta, and I presume they are making regular adjustments. However, the domain insights tool performs well as it currently stands. CEO Darpan Munjal recently released the results shown below.
As you can see, domains that scored 7 or higher on the insights tool have a much higher retail STR, more than 4x the rate for names that scored 6-7. Highly scored names sold at almost 6x the rate of names that scored 5-6. For ratings above 7, the exact value seems to not strongly influence the STR, but all are high.
The tool, apparently, allows you to differentiate between two similar names, one of which has 4 to 6 times better chance of selling than the other name.
Rapidly Scan List of Names
SquadHelp introduced AI Domain Grader for processing a list of names. To access, from your account go to Data & Insights then select AI Domain Grader. Enter the list.
After a couple of hours, SquadHelp will email you a link with results for the names. It does not provide a score, but only the indicated decision, brandable fit high or low. That is supposedly based on the score, however.
Using the combination of AI Domain Grader followed by Domain Insights Tool on names that the grader suggested worthwhile, I now am much more selective on what I submit for premium consideration. Not every name with a high brandable fit will be accepted by their expert panel process, but a high percentage. in my experience, roughly 80% of high ranking names do get accepted.
Closer Look At Factors
SquadHelp consider 50+ factors, but don’t share the detailed list. You can get some sense by looking at positive indicators of high ranking names, however.
While it was rare for the names I checked, it is possible to get a perfect 10 rating on some names. I blanked out the details that would identify my name, but below is the display for one such name.
You can see on the right some of the factors that contribute to a high score. This was a short (6L), two-word name, with only two syllables. They ranked the synergy between the two words as high, and the STR was strong on both words. Other positive factors included an aged domain, registered in 9 TLDs, and already developed in one of them.
These factors make sense. The beauty of the Domain Insights tool is that almost instantly all of them are checked, with sell-through rates calculated on a large retail sales dataset. The comprehensive report is quickly provided, and clearly presented.
Interestingly, although rating very high according to the insights tool, this particular name was rejected twice in the past on SquadHelp, once in 2019 and again in 2022. I have not decided whether to submit it again. I suspect, now with much more data, it is likely the expert panel would accept it. I have resubmitted a few names that were rejected in past years, but ranked very high with the tool, and most were accepted this time.
Final Thoughts
I think the tool will allow us to be more selective in what we invest in, and save the marketplaces and us time in what we choose to submit to curated marketplaces.
I know there is a strong backlash against anything automated within part of the domain community, but please consider for a moment what this tool does.
Domain Insights has now become part of the checks I do when I consider a name that could serve as a brand. I still check some things manually, like how many listings in OpenCorporates, or what similar names are listed for sale on marketplaces.
As always, do your own research and make your own decisions, but SquadHelp’s Domain Insights is, in my opinion, an important resource for those who deal in brandable names.
My sincere thanks to SquadHelp for bringing this valuable tool to our community, and sharing data demonstrating its effectiveness.
SquadHelp released a Domain Insights Tool that comes a long way toward achieving this goal. Last week, SquadHelp CEO Darpan Munjal shared results showing an impressive correlation between the insights tool score and the sell-through rate.
How To Access The Domain Insights Tool
The Domain Insights Tool is free to use, but you will need to have a SquadHelp account.
From your account dashboard, select Data & Insights, and then Domain Insights Tool.
In the Get Domain Insights box simply enter the domain name you want to try, and then press Search.
Currently the insights tool only provides results for .com extension names. There is a limit to how many requests you can make in a 24 hour period, but it seems pretty generous.
Domain Insights Tool Data
The Domain Insights Tool provides the following information:
- The Domain Score This is based on 50+ parameters, and results are on a scale from 0 to 10. There is a color-coded interpretive display, with scores of 6.0 and up being green. A lot of domain names, at least in my experience, produce scores in range 5 to 7.
- A list of Key Signals This indicates positives detected for the name, with a green up arrow, and negatives through a down arrow. Some of these are obvious, like number of letters and syllables, and whether name has alliteration, but others are based on things like the typical sell-through rates for a term and the synergy between the words in a two-word domain name.
- AI Generated Domain Description If you have been using the SquadHelp AI tool to generate domain descriptions for your listings, you will be familiar with this. Most of the time the descriptions are well researched and written.
- Potential End Users for the domain name. I find this section particularly well implemented. The Domain Insights Tool typically presents about five types of companies that the name is a good fit for, and for each include a couple of sentences justifying the choice.
- Possible Industries These are listed in word only fashion, for example things like Data Analytics, Biotechnology, Healthcare, etc.
- Specific Use Case Ideas These are, as title suggests, much narrower and more specific, for example a DNA-based dating app, or customized skincare recommendations. You can decide how realistic these are, but I found it helped me see more comprehensively how a name might be used.
- Domain Registration and Development This includes the number of TLDs the term is currently registered in, along with which extensions. Under current status it shows if name currently listed on SquadHelp. If the name has ever been submitted for SquadHelp Premium, the date and result, for example if rejected. If someone has loved the name in a naming contest, that is noted as well.
- Root Word Analytics gives information on the sell-through rate for the root word(s) as well as the competition, a measure of number of similar names for sale. Color-coded graphical displays (see below) help present the values.
- There is also a button to Show Trademark Conflicts
It shows that the word has a solid 6.5% STR, but when the word is leading, as the case for this domain name, the STR is even higher, more than 10%.
The insights tool also provides data for the trailing word, shown below. In this case the STR results are marginally lower, but still very strong.
I have tried out the tool with several hundred domain names, mainly two-word brandables. The accuracy splitting into words is impressive, as are the possible use cases. The STR information is particularly valuable. For some names, the insights tool also gives the prices for comparator sales.
Impressive Predictor of Sell-Through Rate
The tool is still in beta, and I presume they are making regular adjustments. However, the domain insights tool performs well as it currently stands. CEO Darpan Munjal recently released the results shown below.
As you can see, domains that scored 7 or higher on the insights tool have a much higher retail STR, more than 4x the rate for names that scored 6-7. Highly scored names sold at almost 6x the rate of names that scored 5-6. For ratings above 7, the exact value seems to not strongly influence the STR, but all are high.
The tool, apparently, allows you to differentiate between two similar names, one of which has 4 to 6 times better chance of selling than the other name.
Rapidly Scan List of Names
SquadHelp introduced AI Domain Grader for processing a list of names. To access, from your account go to Data & Insights then select AI Domain Grader. Enter the list.
After a couple of hours, SquadHelp will email you a link with results for the names. It does not provide a score, but only the indicated decision, brandable fit high or low. That is supposedly based on the score, however.
Using the combination of AI Domain Grader followed by Domain Insights Tool on names that the grader suggested worthwhile, I now am much more selective on what I submit for premium consideration. Not every name with a high brandable fit will be accepted by their expert panel process, but a high percentage. in my experience, roughly 80% of high ranking names do get accepted.
Closer Look At Factors
SquadHelp consider 50+ factors, but don’t share the detailed list. You can get some sense by looking at positive indicators of high ranking names, however.
While it was rare for the names I checked, it is possible to get a perfect 10 rating on some names. I blanked out the details that would identify my name, but below is the display for one such name.
You can see on the right some of the factors that contribute to a high score. This was a short (6L), two-word name, with only two syllables. They ranked the synergy between the two words as high, and the STR was strong on both words. Other positive factors included an aged domain, registered in 9 TLDs, and already developed in one of them.
These factors make sense. The beauty of the Domain Insights tool is that almost instantly all of them are checked, with sell-through rates calculated on a large retail sales dataset. The comprehensive report is quickly provided, and clearly presented.
Interestingly, although rating very high according to the insights tool, this particular name was rejected twice in the past on SquadHelp, once in 2019 and again in 2022. I have not decided whether to submit it again. I suspect, now with much more data, it is likely the expert panel would accept it. I have resubmitted a few names that were rejected in past years, but ranked very high with the tool, and most were accepted this time.
Final Thoughts
I think the tool will allow us to be more selective in what we invest in, and save the marketplaces and us time in what we choose to submit to curated marketplaces.
I know there is a strong backlash against anything automated within part of the domain community, but please consider for a moment what this tool does.
- It checks 50 different factors.
- For each root word, it calculates retail STR, if sufficient data exists.
- The tool also checks how often the two terms are found together, rating the synergy.
- Domain Insights checks how many times the exact term has been registered.
- For each registered extension, it determines if the site is developed.
- The tool has access to a database of tens of thousands brandable retail sales, allowing a valuation based on similar names.
- The software uses AI to generates lists of broad and narrow categories of use, and I suspect incorporates information on how large the market is in those use niches.
Domain Insights has now become part of the checks I do when I consider a name that could serve as a brand. I still check some things manually, like how many listings in OpenCorporates, or what similar names are listed for sale on marketplaces.
As always, do your own research and make your own decisions, but SquadHelp’s Domain Insights is, in my opinion, an important resource for those who deal in brandable names.
My sincere thanks to SquadHelp for bringing this valuable tool to our community, and sharing data demonstrating its effectiveness.
