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interviews Inside Interview: Behind the Seven Figure Purchase of invest.com

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We have brought you a number of interviews about companies that have created brands on ultra-premium .COM domains. Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing the team behind an investment company that has decided to place a considerable amount of money into buying the domain invest.com.

The company, which offers innovative portfolio management services, raised $20mm to purchase the domain invest.com as well as hiring a team or experts to help make the platform a success. The exact price of invest.com has never been revealed, but public reports in 2014 suggested the price was in excess of $5mm.

investcom.jpg

invest.com's Logo
Having just launched their portfolio management services in the UK, the team at invest.com took time to speak to me about their company and why they opted to buy the domain name invest.com.


NP: Can you tell us about the business behind invest.com?

invest.com: invest.com is a new online investment company and the first in the UK to specialise in alternative investments. Until now alternative investments have only been available to institutional investors and the very wealthy, we are disrupting this status quo.

We raised $20 million in the first year from a number of global investors, including VC investment fund, Singulariteam. This was enough to purchase the invest.com domain and employ a talented team of technical, financial and marketing experts, including a heavyweight management team.

We launched in the UK on May 23rd 2016 offering portfolio management services which give investors easy and affordable access to a range of fully automated alternative investment strategies, which use computerised algorithms to trade automatically. They are similar to quant hedge funds but with next day liquidity.


NP: Why did you opt to launch the company using the domain invest.com?

invest.com: As an online company, our domain name is really important, we wanted it to be intuitive, memorable and straightforward. invest.com is all of these.

It also reflects our philosophy that “anyone can, everyone should” invest and include alternatives in their portfolios.

Finally it demonstrates our commitment as a long-term player in the world of investing.


NP: How did you find that the domain was for sale? Was it offered to you, or did you seek it out?

invest.com: From the beginning, we knew that we were developing a disruptive brand and it was important that our name and domain reflected this. We knew invest.com was available and that it was the domain we wanted for our company.


NP: What was the original asking price for the name, and how much did you eventually spend on purchasing it?

invest.com: Due to a confidentiality agreement I’m afraid I can’t disclose the precise amount.

Editor’s note: As you might expect, this was a seven figure sale, but an exact price cannot be shared. According to a report by TheDomains.com, the sale was over $5mm, but this cannot be confirmed.

invest.com’s staff did say that it is “great value for money given the nature of our business, our clients and what we are trying to achieve.”



NP: Would you have considered paying more for the domain than you did?

invest.com: We were very considered in our approach and made sure to carry out the appropriate due diligence to ensure we got a good deal on the domain name.

From the research we carried out, we had a good idea of the “market rate” and how much had been paid for other domain names, so were able to negotiate a sum that offered great value for money.


NP: Did you use any tools, services, or data to determine your budget for the acquisition of invest.com?

invest.com: We did an in-depth review of the market to see how much had been paid for similar domain names in the past and then set a budget accordingly.


NP: Has owning such a valuable domain helped you attract customers?

invest.com: Having a simple and easy-to-remember domain name has certainly helped raise awareness, but what’s actually attracted customers is our cost-effective and simple proposition, our strong management team, and our transparent and collaborative approach.


NP: Was it vital to your brand to acquire this name? Did you consider other domain options instead of invest.com?

invest.com: We did of course look into other options but felt that invest.com was the right fit for us as it reflects the straight-talking, simplicity of our brand and proposition, as well as our ambition to encourage people to invest.


NP: What has been the reaction of customers, investors and staff to this name?

invest.com: Overall, the reaction and feedback from all stakeholders has been very positive; it is simple and easy-to- remember, reflects our brand values and proposition very well.


NP: What would your advice be to other startups looking at buying a new domain name?

invest.com: Avoid choosing anything too long or complicated. If you can, try and pick a domain name that could also be your brand name like we did with invest.com. The benefit of this is that when someone talks or writes about you, they automatically direct people to your website because the two are one and the same.

Your domain name should also reflect your brand proposition and values. Finally, make sure you research how much has been paid for other domain names in the past so that you have a good idea of what constitutes “value for money”.

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Thanks to the invest.com team for taking the time to speak with us. invest.com is a fantastic domain, and an excellent example of how a company is using a premium domain name to it’s full potential.


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.

Do you own a high value premium domain name that's being used as part of a business? Contact me to be a part of the Inside Interviews series.
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
As an online company, our domain name is really important, we wanted it to be intuitive, memorable and straightforward

There are so many online businesses who simply overlook this while picking the domain for their business.
 
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Good interview.

I don't think even 20-30% of managements knew that one can buy premium domain names by paying good amount of money. Just see the domain names of start-ups that are receiving funding.
 
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The Company is "Entrepreneur with farsightedness", Good Buy.
 
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Great Info... Thanks for Sharing...
I'm interested in learning who the people are in the development team...
~Patricia
 
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NP: Did you use any tools, services, or data to determine your budget for the acquisition of invest.com?

Invest.com: We did an in-depth review of the market to see how much had been paid for similar domain names in the past and then set a budget accordingly.

Buyers tactics.
 
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great 6 letter dot com right there
 
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Monster name! It's always insightful to read the thoughts of those who put their money where their mouth is instead of talking out of the other end. That's why I love this series!
 
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How they utilize the domain is going to determine its real value. The domain and business as a whole could be worth a hundred times what was paid for the domain. If they develop the domain correctly the amount they paid for this domain will look like a real bargain.
 
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