advice A slow start and no sales isn't a reason to give up - Here's why...

[Eric Lyon]

Domain investing can feel like a roller coaster ride, especially when the sales aren’t coming in as fast as you'd hoped. But don’t let a slow start make you abandon ship!

Here’s why persistence pays off and how you can shift your mindset to start seeing those sales roll in:

Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Too Quick​

1. Market Fluctuations – Just because you haven’t made a sale yet doesn’t mean there isn’t demand. The domain market ebbs and flows, and sometimes it takes time for buyers to recognize the value of your domains or for a new trend to take off.
2. Learning Curve – Success in domain investing often comes with experience. The more you learn about research, identifying hot niches, pricing, marketing, and negotiation, the better your chances of landing sales.
3. Value Appreciation – Domains can increase in value over time. Some investors hold onto domains for years before selling them for massive profits.
4. Portfolio Optimization – If you're not making sales, it may be an issue with your domain selections rather than the business itself. Refining your portfolio and choosing high-demand names can make a difference.

How to Shift Your Mindset & Start Selling​

• Adopt a Long-Term Strategy – Instead of thinking of quick flips, focus on the broader market trends. Some domains take time to find the right buyer.
• Improve Your Marketing – List your domains on multiple platforms like NamePros, Afternic, Sedo, and DAN. Share them on social media, create NamePros landing pages, and explore outbound sales.
• Price Competitively – Research sales data and set reasonable prices. Overpricing could deter potential buyers.
• Think Like a Buyer – Why would someone want your domain? Understanding buyer psychology helps tailor your sales pitch.
• Network & Learn – Engage with other NamePros members and follow successful investors to stay ahead of market trends.

Your first sale will come - it’s just a matter of patience, strategy, and refining your approach!

Optimizing your domain portfolio is key to increasing your chances of making profitable sales. A well-curated selection of domains will attract more buyers and ensure you're not holding onto names that have little demand.

Steps to Optimize Your Domain Portfolio​

1. Audit Your Existing Domains​

• Analyze your portfolio and categorize domains based on quality, relevance, and potential demand.
• Identify under-performing domains - Ones that have been sitting with little interest and consider whether they should be dropped or sold at a discount.

2. Focus on High-Value Keywords​

• Domains with popular, evergreen keywords tend to hold more value.
• Short, brandable domains with strong commercial intent (e.g., finance, tech, health, e-commerce) can attract higher bids.

3. Prioritize Premium & Exact Match Domains​

• One-word, brandable domains and exact-match keywords (e.g., “CoffeeBeans.com”) often generate more interest and higher offers.
• Avoid long and complex domains - Keep them easy to spell, say, and remember.

4. Diversify Across Different Niches​

• If you're overly focused on one niche, you might be missing opportunities in emerging niche markets.
• Diversify with domains relevant to trending industries.

5. Renew & Drop Wisely​

• Keep renewing high-potential domains but don’t waste money on names that have no real demand.
• If certain domains aren't getting traction, sell them at a discount or let them expire.

By refining your selection and improving your strategy, you can turn your domain portfolio into a more profitable asset.

Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

What works for one may not work for another and vice versa.

Happy domaining.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Your post arrived just as I was looking at a list of my names and deciding on which ones to drop.

I'll admit there are a few losers...too bad to even offer for a dollar!

Thanks for the info/insight...may we all have a really good sale soon.

 

[DmytroK.]

i think domain bosses simply made domaining(in the last years) like carousel for dumbs.

they come from nowhere > "smart experienced people"(hired trolls) teach them to buy Trash > they cannot sell it even for reg fee after few months > they give up > come other dumbs > same things

perfect domain world advertising model, lol. rotshild invented.

 

[Nodws]

Domaining is a labor of love and passion, returns are slow and far between. If you expect this to be your main incode then you will need to treat it like a full time job! develop the sites, drive traffic and start cold calling to sell the names!!

 

[biggie]

A slow start and no sales isn't a reason to give up​

Hi

it's not a reason to keep going either

however, it's about how much time is involved

a few months in, yeah, keep going.
a few years under your belt and still, no sales > time to cash out.

but that too, depends on how much money you can afford to burn -
before you start to earn a return.

imo...

 

[pb]

The difference between now and 20 years ago is this:
- back then, big domainers didn't have time to dabble in mid- and low-tier domains, so everyone could join the fun and do just that;
- nowadays, big domainers don't have time to dabble in mid- and low-tier domains, so... they're running bots.

So you should look where bots aren't told to look.

 

[DediRock]

Thanks for the thoughtful post, Eric — needed this reminder today. Staying consistent and refining my strategy now.

 

[DomainNature]

It will always be quality vs quantity, too bad I did not learned this when I first joined NP's!

 

[Eric Lyon]

For those following this thread, I just rolled out another (related) article a moment ago with some of the best domain negotiation strategies and closing techniques that might help re-motivate some of us to break the ice and get that sales momentum going again in 2025: https://www.namepros.com/threads/be...sing-techniques-to-sell-domain-names.1352670/

 

[bmugford]

A slow start and no sales isn't a reason to give up​

Hi

it's not a reason to keep going either

however, it's about how much time is involved

a few months in, yeah, keep going.
a few years under your belt and still, no sales > time to cash out.

but that too, depends on how much money you can afford to burn -
before you start to earn a return.

imo...

Yeah, sometimes it can be a reason to give up.

The problem, especially if you are new, is there is really no proof of concept. It can be hard to tell if you are even on the right track.

Outside some fluky situation, it takes a lot of time and effort to really make good progress.

Brad

 

[Mister Funsky]

@Eric Lyon, just thought I'd share that your post motivated me to go thru old leads and that led me to do some creative pricing on a few.

Well, one sold...that is good. However the LTO payment term is insane...that is bad.

However, a sale is a sale is a sale. The sale was mid x,xxx but the length of the term (do NOT ask ) is quite long because I fell asleep after I'd manipulated it for a while, leaving a lengthy term in place. My intention was for the time period to be one third of what it ending up being. So, assuming the buyer keeps making payments, I'll have dining out money monthly for a while to come!

 

[biggie]

However the LTO payment term is insane

Hi

for tax purposes, there is an upside.
LTO payments longer than 12 months, means less reportable income for that year -
as opposed to lump sum amount that could increase income.

imo...

 

[alcy]

its much harder now to make profit in domains

for starters

than 10 or 20 yr back

sadly imo it will get worse

 

[Mister Funsky]

Hi

for tax purposes, there is an upside.
LTO payments longer than 12 months, means less reportable income for that year -
as opposed to lump sum amount that could increase income.

imo...

Yes! That is a bright spot I had not considered.

 

[Eric Lyon]

@Eric Lyon, just thought I'd share that your post motivated me to go thru old leads and that led me to do some creative pricing on a few.

Well, one sold...that is good. However the LTO payment term is insane...that is bad.

However, a sale is a sale is a sale. The sale was mid x,xxx but the length of the term (do NOT ask ) is quite long because I fell asleep after I'd manipulated it for a while, leaving a lengthy term in place. My intention was for the time period to be one third of what it ending up being. So, assuming the buyer keeps making payments, I'll have dining out money monthly for a while to come!

Congrats!

Upside: now that dining is covered for a year+, the next LTO can be the electric bill, then domain renewals, then water bill, Then phone/data bill, then internet and streaming bill, etc...

Eventually, all your bills will be covered by LTOs and you can focus on getting set-up for the future.

 

[Mister Funsky]

Congrats!

Upside: now that dining is covered for a year+, the next LTO can be the electric bill, then domain renewals, then water bill, Then phone/data bill, then internet and streaming bill, etc...

Eventually, all your bills will be covered by LTOs and you can focus on getting set-up for the future.

Thank you!

LOL, a buddy was saying to me on the phone what you said...he's like, just LTO a hundred more like that and you are set! Of course he is not a domainer and does not realize what a tall order that is.

Although it does not help with renewals like a lump sum would, it has stoked my fire (it was getting down to embers).

 

[SUPER FIVE]

Domain investing can feel like a roller coaster ride, especially when the sales aren’t coming in as fast as you'd hoped. But don’t let a slow start make you abandon ship!

Here’s why persistence pays off and how you can shift your mindset to start seeing those sales roll in:

Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Too Quick​

1. Market Fluctuations – Just because you haven’t made a sale yet doesn’t mean there isn’t demand. The domain market ebbs and flows, and sometimes it takes time for buyers to recognize the value of your domains or for a new trend to take off.
2. Learning Curve – Success in domain investing often comes with experience. The more you learn about research, identifying hot niches, pricing, marketing, and negotiation, the better your chances of landing sales.
3. Value Appreciation – Domains can increase in value over time. Some investors hold onto domains for years before selling them for massive profits.
4. Portfolio Optimization – If you're not making sales, it may be an issue with your domain selections rather than the business itself. Refining your portfolio and choosing high-demand names can make a difference.

How to Shift Your Mindset & Start Selling​

• Adopt a Long-Term Strategy – Instead of thinking of quick flips, focus on the broader market trends. Some domains take time to find the right buyer.
• Improve Your Marketing – List your domains on multiple platforms like NamePros, Afternic, Sedo, and DAN. Share them on social media, create NamePros landing pages, and explore outbound sales.
• Price Competitively – Research sales data and set reasonable prices. Overpricing could deter potential buyers.
• Think Like a Buyer – Why would someone want your domain? Understanding buyer psychology helps tailor your sales pitch.
• Network & Learn – Engage with other NamePros members and follow successful investors to stay ahead of market trends.

Your first sale will come - it’s just a matter of patience, strategy, and refining your approach!

Optimizing your domain portfolio is key to increasing your chances of making profitable sales. A well-curated selection of domains will attract more buyers and ensure you're not holding onto names that have little demand.

Steps to Optimize Your Domain Portfolio​

1. Audit Your Existing Domains​

• Analyze your portfolio and categorize domains based on quality, relevance, and potential demand.
• Identify under-performing domains - Ones that have been sitting with little interest and consider whether they should be dropped or sold at a discount.

2. Focus on High-Value Keywords​

• Domains with popular, evergreen keywords tend to hold more value.
• Short, brandable domains with strong commercial intent (e.g., finance, tech, health, e-commerce) can attract higher bids.

3. Prioritize Premium & Exact Match Domains​

• One-word, brandable domains and exact-match keywords (e.g., “CoffeeBeans.com”) often generate more interest and higher offers.
• Avoid long and complex domains - Keep them easy to spell, say, and remember.

4. Diversify Across Different Niches​

• If you're overly focused on one niche, you might be missing opportunities in emerging niche markets.
• Diversify with domains relevant to trending industries.

5. Renew & Drop Wisely​

• Keep renewing high-potential domains but don’t waste money on names that have no real demand.
• If certain domains aren't getting traction, sell them at a discount or let them expire.

By refining your selection and improving your strategy, you can turn your domain portfolio into a more profitable asset.

Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.

What works for one may not work for another and vice versa.

Happy domaining.

really I trying hard to complete my first sale . Thanks for your information.