A couple of Q's

[rproctor]

I’m brand new to this whole domain thing, actually I haven’t even really started it yet, I have only been following it for a while now. Most of you probably seen the invention.com domain name sell on eBay yesterday, like myself, and now I’m more inspired to get into the business.

My first and most important question is: How much value does a domain loose based on its extension. For example, how much is domainname.com worth compared to domainname.net? I have found a few good domains but am skeptical to purchase them because they are .net. Ive found even better .cc, .ws, ect but I assume that names with those extensions are pretty much junk. Like the name chain.ws was open a while ago but i didnt even bother with it and now its taken.. Should that of been something I should of grabbed up?

Second: What is the current ladder for extensions? .com > .net > .org > .biz > etc.... Does anyone know this?

Third: How much value, if any, does a domain name loose based on its word count? For example, the domain games.com would be better to own than let’s say, onlinegames.com. However, I would expect there to be some cases where 2 word domains could be better, for example onlinedating.com could possibly be better than just dating.com? Any ideas?

Finally: Where could I find tools to estimate the amount of traffic a domain name could bring in? Free is best, Cheap is ok, expensive I’m not worried about!

Thanks for your time, this place is much better than afternic.com lol!

 

[gazzip]

Hi, I to am new - this place is great, lots of replies / help / advice

the .com is most valuable in most cases, .net I have been advised is anywhere from 10% to 30% of the same name, this would also depend on what the name was. Dating.com better than onlinedating.

The new european extension - .eu is coming soon - loads of people trying to get into that market as soon as it begins. (you need to be based in europe to reg them)

Shorter words are prefered but I agree sometimes they need to be longer.

Names like games, game, motorcycles, cruise, wine, creditcards - get loads of traffic and are worth a MINT ! very, very difficult to get a hold of and many people trying to.

more traffic - more money and you can earn money by parking the name with a pay per click company.

to check how much traffic a term get use to following link

http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/

Hope this helps but stick around as there is a wealth of expireienced domainers at namepros - loads to learn

 

[rproctor]

Thanks for the nice reply, the link you sent reminds me of the tools at seochat.com!

Ill keep in mind the % differences! Thanks again!

 

[gazzip]

Thanks for the nice reply, the link you sent reminds me of the tools at seochat.com!

Ill keep in mind the % differences! Thanks again!

I would wait to here other peoples opinions on the % .net - I am still new to domains

 

[dgaussin]

Thanks for your time, this place is much better than afternic.com lol!

Well, I'm sure namepros member billinchina will be happy to read that :D

Anyway, Gazzip gives you the good answers. And keep to reading and learning at NamePros, it's the best way to learn...

 

[RJ]

My first and most important question is: How much value does a domain loose based on its extension.
..
Third: How much value, if any, does a domain name loose based on its word count?

This seems like you're looking for a precise formula to determine a domain's true value, and I don't believe one really exists. Many appraisers have come up with their own method for valuating names, and you'll find they vary a lot. Appraisals are estimates of a domain's potential to sell, while true value is determined by what a willing buyer will pay for any given name. Some domains have more potential buyers than others.

As time goes on, the public perception about what constitutes a "good domain" loosens up. In 1997-1998, anything that wasn't a one word "generic" .com (pets.com, autos.com, etc) wasn't esteemed very highly. Today we see two word domains fetching nice sales prices on a regular basis.

.COM is still the dominant TLD for resale purposes. .WS and .CC domains may occasionally have a good sale, but I don't see a lot of potential in these extensions for resale. .INFO and .US are gaining in popularity.

There isn't a set formula that dictates that a .NET or .ORG is worth XX% of a .COM. Every domain is unique, and you may find more demand for domains in one industry versus another industry. Some extensions are a better fit with some terms than others. In general, non .COM's are only worth a small fraction of the .COM value for commercial purposes.

The age old question is "Should I chose an 'average' .com or an excellent non-.com domain?"

Second: What is the current ladder for extensions? .com > .net > .org > .biz > etc.... Does anyone know this?

There are many threads debating such an order. Again, it depends on the names themselves. I tend to go .COM > .ORG > .NET > .INFO > .US and I'm sure others would disagree.

Finally: Where could I find tools to estimate the amount of traffic a domain name could bring in? Free is best, Cheap is ok, expensive I’m not worried about!

There are several types of traffic names - natural type-in, former site/residual links, and typos are the most common. There's no substitute for seeing actual traffic stats for a name, but usually you can guess if a name will have traffic or not by researching it.

I wrote a small FAQ about using Overture numbers to estimate type-in traffic.
http://www.namefaqs.com/question/qstId/28.html

So, not all of domaining is an exact science, but as you stick around and get more involved in buying and selling domains you'll be sure to find the answers you're seeking.

Best of luck, and welcome to NamePros. :tu:

RJ

 

[gazzip]

Another good place to get an idea of what domain names go for in different extensions is below - keep in mind that these are the best, and not the average but if you follow it for a while it will give you a better insight of "potential Value". At the end of the day a domain name is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it, but well chosen names can make you money while you are waiting to sell it.

There are many many names that sell weekly that are under $10,000 range but do not get listed.


http://www.dnjournal.com/domainsales.htm

 

[rproctor]

Thanks for the excellent reply RJ, those were some of the answers I was really hoping to get. *clap clap*

Namepros rocks my friggen socks so far! And the discussion is free!

Im actually a web designer for a company and I handle lots of database management, seo design, and even the better part of web design, the graphics! Hopefully I can utilize my skills and create a variety of parked domains while I try to find buyers, if i even bother with trying to sell.

I truly believe there is a LOT of money in domain names, and a small competition, compared to most hot money spots.

Thanks again for the info guys!