In this edition of Inside Interviews, we take a look at the $130,000 acquisition of Due.com by John Rampton. The domain name, which was acquired through auction platform Flippa.com last year, is now the base for an effective invoicing and time tracking service. Due.com has amassed an impressive 78,000 users in the first nine months of operating, and under John's leadership, the company shows no signs of slowing down.
Aside from creating Due.com, John has had a distinguished entrepreneurial career. After a construction site accident in 2006, John was left bed-bound for 12 months. During this time, he began to learn about online marketing and duly spent 16-20 hours per day online. Since then he has purchased, started, grown, and sold several companies online with his latest company quadrupling a seven-figure revenue stream in 6 months.
John was also #2 on the Top 50 Online Influencers list and is a writer for Forbes magazine. In this interview, we find out why John decided to acquire the domain name Due.com, as well as how he values domain names and why he is a fan of one-word .COM domains in general.
NP: Could you give us a description of what Due.com currently offers?
John: We’re a payments company that’s helping businesses to pay and get paid faster and in a much easier way.
NP: How did you find out that Due.com was for available to purchase? Did you find the domain whilst browsing Flippa, or was it offered to you?
John: I was browsing through listings on Flippa and noticed it. I always look through sites that are selling domains looking for deals.
NP: Did you use any tools (e.g., automated appraisals), services (e.g., manual appraisals, domain brokers), or data (e.g., sales data, search volumes, search results) to determine your best offer and/or the value of the domain?
John: No. I typically evaluate the history (links) and see if anything was on the domain previously.
NP: How much do you think it was worth before you purchased it and why?
I was willing to go up to $150,000 for it. I know it’s worth more than that but it’s more about what you’re willing to pay than what it’s worth.
NP: Was your acquisition of Due.com made specifically to build your new business, or was it a case of name first, then develop the idea?
John: Nope, I purchased the domain name as an asset. I never buy something I personally couldn’t develop out. When I saw it, I remembered another site I had thought about purchasing. I approached them and purchased their site and then merged the two together.
NP: Aside from Due.com, do you invest in other domain names? If you do, what are the types of names you like to buy?
John: I've previously owned Organize.com, Bart.com, Buttercup.com, Buttercups.com, Demented.com, Drowned.com, Frijole.com, as well as countless other one-word .COM domain names. I really like one-word .com domain names. I’m pretty specific. I know people always want those. It’s something where if I need money I can liquidate them quick.
NP: Do you think Flippa is still a good marketplace to acquire domains?
John: Yes, I feel it’s one of the best places out there to score good domains at a good price.
NP: In an interview with Flippa, you mentioned that you're good at figuring out how much a domain is worth. Can you share some of your methods of valuing a domain?
John: I would say I’m more good at finding good deals. I want stressed assets where people need money quick. Most sites out there list domains at a high price and when the right buyer comes along (which they always will and pay what you want) you get paid.
On sites like Flippa, you find buyers that are looking for quick cash and to cash out. This gives me opportunities to cash in on assets. I typically evaluate keywords, ranking potential and space. The shorter the domain I typically find I get more money out of it.
The more recognizable the domain, the better it’ll be for me to sell. If you have money to buy and don’t need for a while, think of domains as your “online real estate” where you can find good deals. Just like in real estate, get to know the market and start small. You might find you get into a bad deal if you don’t.
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Thanks to John for taking the time to speak with us about Due.com. If you would like to know more about John, or if you want to follow his blog, you can do so at JohnRampton.com. His blog is definitely worth reading, and it is filled with excellent content that domain investors and entrepreneurs will learn from.
You can also follow him on Twitter @JohnRampton or on Facebook.
Inside Interviews is a blog series profiling the buyers of high-value domain names. Find out their motives, negotiation tactics, and their opinions on popular domaining topics only on the NamePros Blog.
Aside from creating Due.com, John has had a distinguished entrepreneurial career. After a construction site accident in 2006, John was left bed-bound for 12 months. During this time, he began to learn about online marketing and duly spent 16-20 hours per day online. Since then he has purchased, started, grown, and sold several companies online with his latest company quadrupling a seven-figure revenue stream in 6 months.
John was also #2 on the Top 50 Online Influencers list and is a writer for Forbes magazine. In this interview, we find out why John decided to acquire the domain name Due.com, as well as how he values domain names and why he is a fan of one-word .COM domains in general.
NP: Could you give us a description of what Due.com currently offers?
John: We’re a payments company that’s helping businesses to pay and get paid faster and in a much easier way.
NP: How did you find out that Due.com was for available to purchase? Did you find the domain whilst browsing Flippa, or was it offered to you?
John: I was browsing through listings on Flippa and noticed it. I always look through sites that are selling domains looking for deals.
NP: Did you use any tools (e.g., automated appraisals), services (e.g., manual appraisals, domain brokers), or data (e.g., sales data, search volumes, search results) to determine your best offer and/or the value of the domain?
John: No. I typically evaluate the history (links) and see if anything was on the domain previously.
NP: How much do you think it was worth before you purchased it and why?
I was willing to go up to $150,000 for it. I know it’s worth more than that but it’s more about what you’re willing to pay than what it’s worth.
NP: Was your acquisition of Due.com made specifically to build your new business, or was it a case of name first, then develop the idea?
John: Nope, I purchased the domain name as an asset. I never buy something I personally couldn’t develop out. When I saw it, I remembered another site I had thought about purchasing. I approached them and purchased their site and then merged the two together.
NP: Aside from Due.com, do you invest in other domain names? If you do, what are the types of names you like to buy?
John: I've previously owned Organize.com, Bart.com, Buttercup.com, Buttercups.com, Demented.com, Drowned.com, Frijole.com, as well as countless other one-word .COM domain names. I really like one-word .com domain names. I’m pretty specific. I know people always want those. It’s something where if I need money I can liquidate them quick.
NP: Do you think Flippa is still a good marketplace to acquire domains?
John: Yes, I feel it’s one of the best places out there to score good domains at a good price.
NP: In an interview with Flippa, you mentioned that you're good at figuring out how much a domain is worth. Can you share some of your methods of valuing a domain?
John: I would say I’m more good at finding good deals. I want stressed assets where people need money quick. Most sites out there list domains at a high price and when the right buyer comes along (which they always will and pay what you want) you get paid.
On sites like Flippa, you find buyers that are looking for quick cash and to cash out. This gives me opportunities to cash in on assets. I typically evaluate keywords, ranking potential and space. The shorter the domain I typically find I get more money out of it.
The more recognizable the domain, the better it’ll be for me to sell. If you have money to buy and don’t need for a while, think of domains as your “online real estate” where you can find good deals. Just like in real estate, get to know the market and start small. You might find you get into a bad deal if you don’t.
--
Thanks to John for taking the time to speak with us about Due.com. If you would like to know more about John, or if you want to follow his blog, you can do so at JohnRampton.com. His blog is definitely worth reading, and it is filled with excellent content that domain investors and entrepreneurs will learn from.
You can also follow him on Twitter @JohnRampton or on Facebook.
Inside Interviews is a blog series profiling the buyers of high-value domain names. Find out their motives, negotiation tactics, and their opinions on popular domaining topics only on the NamePros Blog.
