Probably many of us have been asked by friends or acquaintances what it is that we do as domainers. After all, the term domainer is not even in the major dictionaries. For this week’s article, I decided to compile an answer.
Create Names
Domainers create names. They come up with names that were never used before, they combine words in clever ways, merge words, or alter spelling. While a domain name is much shorter than a poem, in a broad sense it is similar, saying or suggesting something in a short form. Those who create names are similar in some ways, not all, to poets, artists, crafters, and composers.
Filter Names
Like a prospector who pans for gold nuggets amidst the gravel, most domainers spent time almost every day going through long lists of expiring and dropped names, finding those few nuggets that would make a great brand. Without domainers, many names would slip away, perhaps never to be found again.
Make Unused Names Available
There are many ways to secure domain names. One is to search for names that are either unused or underused, track down the registrant or representative, and then try to secure the name in a private acquisition.
Make It Easy To Find Names
Imagine if every business owner had to find domain names in the hands of many hundreds of millions of individual registrants, scattered around the globe and speaking many different languages. Further, picture needing to complete the transaction on an individual basis.
While the current domain marketplaces are far from perfect, by placing the majority of domain names on a relatively few marketplaces, with well defined payment systems and procedures, domainers make the process of purchasing a domain name much easier. Fast transfer registrar networks further simplify the process.
Find Specific Domain Names
A buyer broker or agent, or a domainer acting in that capacity, acts as an agent to locate, negotiate and secure a specific name.
Use Names In New Ways
Domainers chart new ways to use domain names. For example, investors saw the power and role of domain hacks. Early investors in country code extensions like .io saw the advantages, and now the extension is in wide use. Some new extension investors helped promote across the dot matches for both general and marketing use.
Propose Possible Names.
If you have taken part in a SquadHelp contest by submitting possible names, you have helped a business find the perfect name for their needs. Informally, most domainers help various people each year with suggestions of possible names.
Sharing Information
While some are involved in formal ways, almost every domain investor helps inform others on what makes an effective name. Whether it is through a blog, on social media, or in personal communications, sharing your expertise makes a difference. Some contribute through analysis of data, or researching topics, such as unreported domain sales or company rebranding examples.
One way that your information will reach a large audience is by posting right here on NamePros. It also will have a permanence and be searchable.
Make It Easier To Secure A Name
Potential purchasers of domain names have varying financial constraints. Certain payment systems are not supported in some regions. Some buyers, even though seeing the value in a name, don’t have the funds for a purchase.
By selling names at marketplaces that support multiple ways to pay, you make it possible for more to secure the name. If you add a lease-to-own option, you further extend who can acquire the name.
Domain Valuation
Some domain investors are directly involved in consulting on domain name matters, perhaps including valuation of potential names. While experts will not agree on the price for most names, nevertheless an informed impartial view on a price range for a name can be helpful.
Sensible Pricing
While there will never be full agreement on pricing for domain names, since each name is unique, I like to think that the majority of domain investors price names sensibly. That helps steer domain pricing in general, making the market for names less chaotic. The curated marketplaces usually provide a narrow range on possible prices for a name.
Present Names Effectively
While the strength of the name itself is foremost, potential purchasers like to have an engaging sales experience. That is helped by an effective presentation. If you have thought about ways a name could be used, been mindful in your choice of lander, created or edited a description, guided selection of a logo, assigned categories and keywords effectively, etc., then you have helped make the buying experience better. Artificial intelligence tools are helping to make some of these much easier – see NamePros Blog article: Artificial Intelligence Resources Available Today.
Evaluate Names
Curated sites can help elevate quality of domain offerings. Some domain investors perform a valuable service by being asked to serve on the review panel for new submissions at SquadHelp, or something similar elsewhere.
Develop Software and Sites
Some domainers have gone on to develop and offer tools to the broader community. Think of the various sites and tools we use daily or weekly. The majority of these were developed by domainers, filling a need that they saw personally.
Invest in Names
By investing in quality names, sticking with them through multiple years, we help to keep valuable names available to the business community. Each time a new extension is released, investments by domainers help the extension get through the initial lean period. In the same way that early startup investors help keep ideas alive before they are making a profit, domain investors help keep names alive.
Develop Names
Some domainers are also developers, showing the worth of domain names by putting them into use. Others use monetized parking on some of their names.
Collaborate with the Branding, Naming and Marketing Communities
While some domainers are active members of the naming and branding communities, many are not. Nevertheless, all can interact, formally and informally, with those communities, to the benefit of us all.
Monitor and Warn the Community
Occasionally there are bad actors, and it is important that the community be warned. There is a Warnings and Alerts section right here on NamePros, and many investors use social media as well.
Help With Technical Problems
Domain investors have built up an impressive expertise related to domain names. We know the details of what happens when a name expires, how to push or move a domain name, how to send a message to a registrant, how to see details on registration of a name, how to set security certificates or DNS records, how to compare renewal costs for an extension at different registrars, the essence of legal aspects and UDRP, etc. You have probably helped others multiple times this year without really thinking about it.
Educate
Whether formally through presentations, a course, a book, an online discussion, a workshop, or articles, or informally on a one-to-one basis, you can contribute to the understanding of branding, naming, domain names and related topics.
Serve The Community
There are many ways that you can serve the domain name community. One of the most obvious, is being an active contributor right here at NamePros, in particular helping to answer queries and sharing news. Some contribute by serving on a group within ICANN, helping to organize meetups or conferences, serving as a speaker or moderator, etc.
Give Back
In a variety of ways, domain investors support and contribute to worthwhile causes each year. On an individual level, they often help people even when there is no financial return.
So what is it that domainers do? A lot!
What have I overlooked? Please share in the comment section other ways that domain investors contribute.
The NamePros Blog article Naming As A Service provides additional ideas related to this topic. I would point out that MediaOptions trademarked the somewhat similar phrase Domain Names As A Service in 2015.
Create Names
Domainers create names. They come up with names that were never used before, they combine words in clever ways, merge words, or alter spelling. While a domain name is much shorter than a poem, in a broad sense it is similar, saying or suggesting something in a short form. Those who create names are similar in some ways, not all, to poets, artists, crafters, and composers.
Fun Fact
Did you know that domain broker and investor @Kate Buckley is also an accomplished published poet? Read her story in this @Ron Jackson article in DNJournal.
Did you know that domain broker and investor @Kate Buckley is also an accomplished published poet? Read her story in this @Ron Jackson article in DNJournal.
Filter Names
Like a prospector who pans for gold nuggets amidst the gravel, most domainers spent time almost every day going through long lists of expiring and dropped names, finding those few nuggets that would make a great brand. Without domainers, many names would slip away, perhaps never to be found again.
Learn More
If you are wanting to become better at finding nuggets, an essential tool to use is ExpiredDomains.net. Reading the article Finding Expiring and Recently Expired Domain Names is a good first step.
If you are wanting to become better at finding nuggets, an essential tool to use is ExpiredDomains.net. Reading the article Finding Expiring and Recently Expired Domain Names is a good first step.
Make Unused Names Available
There are many ways to secure domain names. One is to search for names that are either unused or underused, track down the registrant or representative, and then try to secure the name in a private acquisition.
Get Started in Private Acquisitions
If you think private acquisition might be for you, but wondering how to go about it, this NamePros Blog interview with Bogdan Vovchuk is a good first read.
If you think private acquisition might be for you, but wondering how to go about it, this NamePros Blog interview with Bogdan Vovchuk is a good first read.
Make It Easy To Find Names
Imagine if every business owner had to find domain names in the hands of many hundreds of millions of individual registrants, scattered around the globe and speaking many different languages. Further, picture needing to complete the transaction on an individual basis.
While the current domain marketplaces are far from perfect, by placing the majority of domain names on a relatively few marketplaces, with well defined payment systems and procedures, domainers make the process of purchasing a domain name much easier. Fast transfer registrar networks further simplify the process.
Make Your Names Visible
The NamePros Blog article The Many Ways People Might Discover Your Domain Name provides an overview of optimizing visibility of your names.
The NamePros Blog article The Many Ways People Might Discover Your Domain Name provides an overview of optimizing visibility of your names.
Find Specific Domain Names
A buyer broker or agent, or a domainer acting in that capacity, acts as an agent to locate, negotiate and secure a specific name.
Use Names In New Ways
Domainers chart new ways to use domain names. For example, investors saw the power and role of domain hacks. Early investors in country code extensions like .io saw the advantages, and now the extension is in wide use. Some new extension investors helped promote across the dot matches for both general and marketing use.
Propose Possible Names.
If you have taken part in a SquadHelp contest by submitting possible names, you have helped a business find the perfect name for their needs. Informally, most domainers help various people each year with suggestions of possible names.
Sharing Information
While some are involved in formal ways, almost every domain investor helps inform others on what makes an effective name. Whether it is through a blog, on social media, or in personal communications, sharing your expertise makes a difference. Some contribute through analysis of data, or researching topics, such as unreported domain sales or company rebranding examples.
One way that your information will reach a large audience is by posting right here on NamePros. It also will have a permanence and be searchable.
Make It Easier To Secure A Name
Potential purchasers of domain names have varying financial constraints. Certain payment systems are not supported in some regions. Some buyers, even though seeing the value in a name, don’t have the funds for a purchase.
Learn More
See the NamePros Blog article: Things to keep in mind when dealing internationally for a timely reminder of things to keep in mind.
See the NamePros Blog article: Things to keep in mind when dealing internationally for a timely reminder of things to keep in mind.
By selling names at marketplaces that support multiple ways to pay, you make it possible for more to secure the name. If you add a lease-to-own option, you further extend who can acquire the name.
Domain Valuation
Some domain investors are directly involved in consulting on domain name matters, perhaps including valuation of potential names. While experts will not agree on the price for most names, nevertheless an informed impartial view on a price range for a name can be helpful.
Sensible Pricing
While there will never be full agreement on pricing for domain names, since each name is unique, I like to think that the majority of domain investors price names sensibly. That helps steer domain pricing in general, making the market for names less chaotic. The curated marketplaces usually provide a narrow range on possible prices for a name.
Present Names Effectively
While the strength of the name itself is foremost, potential purchasers like to have an engaging sales experience. That is helped by an effective presentation. If you have thought about ways a name could be used, been mindful in your choice of lander, created or edited a description, guided selection of a logo, assigned categories and keywords effectively, etc., then you have helped make the buying experience better. Artificial intelligence tools are helping to make some of these much easier – see NamePros Blog article: Artificial Intelligence Resources Available Today.
Evaluate Names
Curated sites can help elevate quality of domain offerings. Some domain investors perform a valuable service by being asked to serve on the review panel for new submissions at SquadHelp, or something similar elsewhere.
Develop Software and Sites
Some domainers have gone on to develop and offer tools to the broader community. Think of the various sites and tools we use daily or weekly. The majority of these were developed by domainers, filling a need that they saw personally.
Invest in Names
By investing in quality names, sticking with them through multiple years, we help to keep valuable names available to the business community. Each time a new extension is released, investments by domainers help the extension get through the initial lean period. In the same way that early startup investors help keep ideas alive before they are making a profit, domain investors help keep names alive.
Develop Names
Some domainers are also developers, showing the worth of domain names by putting them into use. Others use monetized parking on some of their names.
Collaborate with the Branding, Naming and Marketing Communities
While some domainers are active members of the naming and branding communities, many are not. Nevertheless, all can interact, formally and informally, with those communities, to the benefit of us all.
Learn More
Check out the NamePros Blog article How Does a Business Choose a Name? to learn more about naming agencies, naming contests, and more.
Check out the NamePros Blog article How Does a Business Choose a Name? to learn more about naming agencies, naming contests, and more.
Monitor and Warn the Community
Occasionally there are bad actors, and it is important that the community be warned. There is a Warnings and Alerts section right here on NamePros, and many investors use social media as well.
Help With Technical Problems
Domain investors have built up an impressive expertise related to domain names. We know the details of what happens when a name expires, how to push or move a domain name, how to send a message to a registrant, how to see details on registration of a name, how to set security certificates or DNS records, how to compare renewal costs for an extension at different registrars, the essence of legal aspects and UDRP, etc. You have probably helped others multiple times this year without really thinking about it.
Educate
Whether formally through presentations, a course, a book, an online discussion, a workshop, or articles, or informally on a one-to-one basis, you can contribute to the understanding of branding, naming, domain names and related topics.
Serve The Community
There are many ways that you can serve the domain name community. One of the most obvious, is being an active contributor right here at NamePros, in particular helping to answer queries and sharing news. Some contribute by serving on a group within ICANN, helping to organize meetups or conferences, serving as a speaker or moderator, etc.
Give Back
In a variety of ways, domain investors support and contribute to worthwhile causes each year. On an individual level, they often help people even when there is no financial return.
Fun Fact
Did you know that a strong motivation for the original NamesCon conference was to serve as a vehicle for raising funds for the charity WaterSchool? While the original fund raising had taken place over several previous domainer meetings, NamesCon and WaterNight provided a mechanism to raise that to new levels. Read about it in this DNJournal biography of NamesCon co-founder Richard Lau.
Did you know that a strong motivation for the original NamesCon conference was to serve as a vehicle for raising funds for the charity WaterSchool? While the original fund raising had taken place over several previous domainer meetings, NamesCon and WaterNight provided a mechanism to raise that to new levels. Read about it in this DNJournal biography of NamesCon co-founder Richard Lau.
So what is it that domainers do? A lot!
What have I overlooked? Please share in the comment section other ways that domain investors contribute.
The NamePros Blog article Naming As A Service provides additional ideas related to this topic. I would point out that MediaOptions trademarked the somewhat similar phrase Domain Names As A Service in 2015.
