domain Am I Doing Something Wrong? - FlavWater.com

[MitchH]

Hello all!

So, long story short, I've tried seeking advice regarding my domains on this site several times, but I have not had much (if any) feedback. I've also tried selling my domains for quite some time on this website, Sedo and GoDaddy, but I haven't made any sales (I haven't received any interest at all actually). I'm doing a lot of market research and buying domains accordingly (I think), but I feel as though I must be doing something wrong because I have not received any interest at all. Before I continue buying domains, I was hoping someone could provide advice on a few domains I have registered to see if I'm completely wasting my time or if on the right track?

Just a couple of examples:
MedicareDrugPrices.com
OilBarrelPrices.com
WageInflation.com
ProductionTargets.com
ReformProgram.com
ConnectingPlatforms.com
PasswordAuthentication.com
IndustryMerger.com
WaterPails.com

I've also attempted brandables:
Fuzzlee.com
JayVox.com
VerifiLink.com
BankerWallet.com
FlavWater.com

What is your honest opinion? Are these domain examples on the right track or are they completely worthless? I'm really trying my best to learn and adapt to this market, but I really don't feel as though I'm doing well. All advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[MitchH]

There's something that's just not right about the look and sound of FlavWater as well. It's kind of harsh with the V and W squished together... not pleasing to the ear or eye. And while we often like to pronounce it as "flave", the spelling of this brand forces us to say "flav" (with a hard "Aaa" sound), which isn't very appealing.

BB does have several of their own "flav" names, but you'll notice that they are all short, invented words with a pleasing sound: flavato, flavago, flavva. The added benefit of these names is that they aren't pigeon-holed for one specific product; they could be used for any range of businesses in the food industry.

So those are the types of things to consider when registering a brand name. Does it sound nice? Does it look nice? Is it versatile? Is it easy to pronounce and spell? Is it easy to tell what industry the name speaks to?

The Brandpa name in your signature is a perfect example. Nappler is short, catchy, easy to pronounce, and could apply nicely to anything in the sleep products industry, or even to a game or app.

I completely agree with you. The flow (no pun intended) of FlavWater is not appealing. I really appreciate your insight and being so thorough with your response.

It's funny you mention Nappler because that was 2nd submission I ever did with BrandPa, and I've submitted 25 more since then with all being rejected. I don't expect it to move any time soon, but maybe one day. I'm just happy that I at least got one domain that is brandable.

Going off your advice, do you believe the domain name "BodCal" is appealing? Geared toward Health and Fitness, maybe a calorie counter app or other diet product. It appears to be easy to spell with known words/abbreviations, easy to say and sounds decently appealing. Short and catchy. What do you think? It looks like "bod" in NameBio has quite a few sales in the past few months as well.

Thanks in advance.

 

[slader23]

I completely agree with you. The flow (no pun intended) of FlavWater is not appealing. I really appreciate your insight and being so thorough with your response.

It's funny you mention Nappler because that was 2nd submission I ever did with BrandPa, and I've submitted 25 more since then with all being rejected. I don't expect it to move any time soon, but maybe one day. I'm just happy that I at least got one domain that is brandable.

Going off your advice, do you believe the domain name "BodCal" is appealing? Geared toward Health and Fitness, maybe a calorie counter app or other diet product. It appears to be easy to spell with known words/abbreviations, easy to say and sounds decently appealing. Short and catchy. What do you think? It looks like "bod" in NameBio has quite a few sales in the past few months as well.

Thanks in advance.

Start buying names that are aged, have a history of similar sales and are taken in multiple tlds. The number of tlds taken is a good but not perfect indicator of "want".

Use instantdomainsearch.com to gain a visual understanding of why certain domains are more valuable than others.


As per BodCal....don't think of registering it...being successful selling brandable domain names requires a nuanced understanding of certain word structures and common endings. It's actually kind of complicated so I'd recommend learning the basics first before going head first into the brandables niche.

 

[Joe N]

I completely agree with you. The flow (no pun intended) of FlavWater is not appealing. I really appreciate your insight and being so thorough with your response.

It's funny you mention Nappler because that was 2nd submission I ever did with BrandPa, and I've submitted 25 more since then with all being rejected. I don't expect it to move any time soon, but maybe one day. I'm just happy that I at least got one domain that is brandable.

Going off your advice, do you believe the domain name "BodCal" is appealing? Geared toward Health and Fitness, maybe a calorie counter app or other diet product. It appears to be easy to spell with known words/abbreviations, easy to say and sounds decently appealing. Short and catchy. What do you think? It looks like "bod" in NameBio has quite a few sales in the past few months as well.

Thanks in advance.

I'm not a big fan of BodCal... It's short, but doesn't sound great, and pairing pieces of two words together is hard to do well. It has to be really fluid, and should often be the first part of a word with the last part of another word (often an adjective), where both parts are recognizable. So something like Bodelicious or Bodtastic. I tried a lot of these early on when I was trying to get names on BrandBucket, but most of them bombed.

Those "bod" sales you're referring to are actually sales of "body" names, I believe. BodyStudio, BodyHero, etc. Short, two word names like these are often the more recommended type of brandable to target. They usually evoke a clearer and more potent meaning, and result in more consistent and higher priced sales (on average).

 

[MKA]

Who are these domains intended for? Fortune 500 companies looking for 15+ letter domains?

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I think @Astner asks a good question that we often overlook, and that is relevant here and to most of the cases where we are discussing names on NPs. A name that might well be good or great for a small organization or local company might get no zero consideration for a Fortune 500 company or even an aggressive startup with grand plans. In evaluating names we should really ask ourselves what audience is intended, and the price asked should be appropriate to the intended market. If asking high $$ to mid $$$ some names that a Fortune 500 would never consider might be appealing to that small NGO with a low budget or a local 3 person trade or a consultant or blogger. Potential audience matters!

For example, in the OP list WageInflation.com is a perfect example. An economic blogger, writer, union research group, etc. might find it a really good name (it is descriptive, memorable, great extension), if it is offered at a suitable price point. About half of the names in the first list are similar to me.

 

[Rich]

Hello all!

So, long story short, I've tried seeking advice regarding my domains on this site several times, but I have not had much (if any) feedback. I've also tried selling my domains for quite some time on this website, Sedo and GoDaddy, but I haven't made any sales (I haven't received any interest at all actually). I'm doing a lot of market research and buying domains accordingly (I think), but I feel as though I must be doing something wrong because I have not received any interest at all. Before I continue buying domains, I was hoping someone could provide advice on a few domains I have registered to see if I'm completely wasting my time or if on the right track?

Just a couple of examples:
MedicareDrugPrices.com
OilBarrelPrices.com
WageInflation.com
ProductionTargets.com
ReformProgram.com
ConnectingPlatforms.com
PasswordAuthentication.com
IndustryMerger.com
WaterPails.com

I've also attempted brandables:
Fuzzlee.com
JayVox.com
VerifiLink.com
BankerWallet.com
FlavWater.com

What is your honest opinion? Are these domain examples on the right track or are they completely worthless? I'm really trying my best to learn and adapt to this market, but I really don't feel as though I'm doing well. All advice is appreciated.

Thank you!

All good advice above, at least you got the .com right. Read about domaining 6.0, I believe this to still be in effect. More power brands lean toward one-two word .coms over brandable .me/.io though. I do believe it's always been about the brand, if not, it should be. Most of the category killers and keyword domains have been used for the bigger picture (pushing targeted traffic, potential customers, affiliates to their brand). I think you are on the right track but your keyword domains should be dropped or auctioned. The brandables should be shorter- Fuzzee, Javox, Verilink, Flava or better yet Fuzzy, Javo, Verify, Link, Flavor
Many newcomers read outdated ebooks/articles and think it's easy money if they find the right search volume..it takes time, and today more money, to pass the learning curve. I think unless you have a strong budget and competitive nature you may as well throw in the towel. I see the liquid market is coming back down to earth, might be worth looking into. City/State+Service.com will always have their place as geo based businesses want the local name of authority. You may want to have a look at @Dave's Domain score list. I think he may be on to something here if he can streamline and get the weighting down. I don't think the search volume matter as much as search results, but that's me. I look for .coms with many extensions registered, among the oldest drops on the list. I run a lot of similar scenarios through my head and you will find a formula that works for you eventually.

 

[MitchH]

All good advice above, at least you got the .com right. Read about domaining 6.0, I believe this to still be in effect. More power brands lean toward one-two word .coms over brandable .me/.io though. I do believe it's always been about the brand, if not, it should be. Most of the category killers and keyword domains have been used for the bigger picture (pushing targeted traffic, potential customers, affiliates to their brand). I think you are on the right track but your keyword domains should be dropped or auctioned. The brandables should be shorter- Fuzzee, Javox, Verilink, Flava or better yet Fuzzy, Javo, Verify, Link, Flavor
Many newcomers read outdated ebooks/articles and think it's easy money if they find the right search volume..it takes time, and today more money, to pass the learning curve. I think unless you have a strong budget and competitive nature you may as well throw in the towel. I see the liquid market is coming back down to earth, might be worth looking into. City/State+Service.com will always have their place as geo based businesses want the local name of authority. You may want to have a look at @Dave's Domain score list. I think he may be on to something here if he can streamline and get the weighting down. I don't think the search volume matter as much as search results, but that's me. I look for .coms with many extensions registered, among the oldest drops on the list. I run a lot of similar scenarios through my head and you will find a formula that works for you eventually.

Thanks for your feedback, Rich! Really great information and advice!

I was hoping to register shorter brandable names, but they were already taken. I found out today that "Fuzzlee" was accepted by BrandPa. I was honestly surprised by that, but I'll take it!

I will take a look at your links right now. Thanks again for helping!

 

[MitchH]

I think @Astner asks a good question that we often overlook, and that is relevant here and to most of the cases where we are discussing names on NPs. A name that might well be good or great for a small organization or local company might get no zero consideration for a Fortune 500 company or even an aggressive startup with grand plans. In evaluating names we should really ask ourselves what audience is intended, and the price asked should be appropriate to the intended market. If asking high $$ to mid $$$ some names that a Fortune 500 would never consider might be appealing to that small NGO with a low budget or a local 3 person trade or a consultant or blogger. Potential audience matters!

For example, in the OP list WageInflation.com is a perfect example. An economic blogger, writer, union research group, etc. might find it a really good name (it is descriptive, memorable, great extension), if it is offered at a suitable price point. About half of the names in the first list are similar to me.

Very true, I think we sort of get lost in finding a clever names without thinking about the broader picture; who would actually want it? Just because it sounds good does not equate to a sale. Another question is how do we properly market these names to smaller start-ups or bloggers, etc? Domain names themselves are niche, but the market overall is niche. It's all very interesting.

 

[MitchH]

I really thought that VerifiLink . com was a great brandable name, but BrandPa just rejected it. Really confusing because they accepted "Fuzzlee," but I don't think that's as good as VerifiLink. Very interesting. Also, I'm still researching and learning new techniques based on all of your advice. Thanks again for the help!

 

[MapleDots]

A few very basic rules to a successful domainer...

- time
- a good portfolio
- large inventory

In most cases you need all three and it was not until I had almost 1000 domains that I started to get a decent sales rate. 10-20 domains in inventory will usually sit for a long long time unless they are specifically needed by someone.

The larger the inventory base the more sales you get. Huge domains is a prime example, with all the junk they buy they still make money because they have numbers on their side.

 

[MitchH]

A few very basic rules to a successful domainer...

- time
- a good portfolio
- large inventory

In most cases you need all three and it was not until I had almost 1000 domains that I started to get a decent sales rate. 10-20 domains in inventory will usually sit for a long long time unless they are specifically needed by someone.

The larger the inventory base the more sales you get. Huge domains is a prime example, with all the junk they buy they still make money because they have numbers on their side.

Wow, that is a lot of inventory. The yearly renewals must really add up though. Do you end up making a profit at all?

 

[Bob Hawkes]

A few very basic rules to a successful domainer...

The larger the inventory base the more sales you get. Huge domains is a prime example, with all the junk they buy they still make money because they have numbers on their side.

A well thought out answer @MapleDots !

Is what you are arguing is that its only when you have a large enough base of decent names that firms will begin to see you as someone suitable to do business with, and with enough inventory that they will go to you when looking for a new domain name? Therefore not only the number of domains sold goes up, but also the proportional rate.

 

[Kate]

Going by the numbers game is dangerous, in fact many domainers have built bloated portfolio of low quality domains. Thinking that they will increase their sales rate. They might increase the number of sales a bit (not guaranteed though), but the registration and renewal fees will eat up the profits.
The majority of domain portfolios are not sustainable. If you have say 100 domains you need to make at least $1000 in sales per year before you turn out a profit.
And domainers do not value their time. The amount of time devoted to research is considerable. If you had to charge the same amount of time in consultancy fees, we would be talking thousands. You would make more money flipping burgers.

As to Huge domains, I have not seen their books. I would not assume they are even profitable at this point. They may be well funded that is another story. You see, even Godaddy has been a non-profitable entity for many years. But with very few exceptions, domainers are not structured as real business ventures. They usually don't have detailed business plans, access to funding, accountants and the like.

My advice would be to maintain a small portfolio of quality domains, that you buy on the aftermarket or direct from owners. Do not dilute your disposable income across a big bunch of low quality names.
Scale up only when you have a proven business model.
Trying to grow too big too fast will usually result in a crash and depletion of limited resources.

 

[JMI]

I'm sad to say these domains your registering are just based on hopeless speculation that someone somewhere will have the same "eureka moment" as you and suddenly want to buy them from you. I can't see any possible real world business need for these domains now or in the future. Sure, you might be lucky and flip one to a domainer, but your going to to end up wasting a lot of money buying domains like this in the hope of making any worthwhile end user sales.

 

[MitchH]

I'm sad to say these domains your registering are just based on hopeless speculation that someone somewhere will have the same "eureka moment" as you and suddenly want to buy them from you. I can't see any possible real world business need for these domains now or in the future. Sure, you might be lucky and flip one to a domainer, but your going to to end up wasting a lot of money buying domains like this in the hope of making any worthwhile end user sales.

I understand what you're saying, but it could be argued that all domains are purely speculative until the right buyer comes along. Isn't that what brandables are at the end of the day? Developing a creative name that could be one day turned into a business platform of some kind is wishful thinking and speculation. It's a very niche market overall. What is your advice on creating brandables?

 

[MapleDots]

Going by the numbers game is dangerous

Remember my point #2

- time
- a good portfolio
- large inventory

It takes all 3 to work to the point where you can actually make a living

 

[Kate]

I understand what you're saying, but it could be argued that all domains are purely speculative until the right buyer comes along. Isn't that what brandables are at the end of the day?

The thing is, some domains are better than others. Even among brandables. Some names are short and snappy and desirable, some are clumsy and of debatable value.
In general, people detest buying a domain at a premium, they will do so only if they must have it, or it aligns with their business plans. If they can find another domain of equivalent or better quality available for regfee, then they don't need yours.

So you need above average domains, not just average domains. The odds of a sale are correlated to domain quality.

 

[MitchH]

The thing is, some domains are better than others. Even among brandables. Some names are short and snappy and desirable, some are clumsy and of debatable value.
In general, people detest buying a domain at a premium, they will do so only if they must have it, or it aligns with their business plans. If they can find another domain of equivalent or better quality available for regfee, then they don't need yours.

So you need above average domains, not just average domains. The odds of a sale are correlated to domain quality.

That makes sense, but "quality" with domain names is very subjective. How does one define "quality" with regard to domains? What makes a domain above average or just average? I see many names that look and sound terrible, but have sold for thousands. There are many factors to consider though, and I know it's all about finding end users and doing a lot more research. Thanks for your input!

 

[MitchH]

Just had another name accepted at BrandPa. 2 in a row! BodCal and Fuzzlee

 

[MitchH]

So my confusion with BrandPa continues... they accept BodCal and Fuzzlee, but they decline Investney... I thought Investney was better than both of them because the keyword "invest" sells pretty well. My confusion only deepens with situations like this lol. Anyone have any feedback on this? Thanks in advance!