Are you a down-to-earth domainer?

[infosec3]

A large number of domainers operate with a lottery mentality, thinking they will become millionaires overnight just by registering or buying the right domains for a few bucks and selling it for hundreds of thousands. They do not realize that if you can buy domains for $9 and sell them for $20, that is a higher percentage profit than what people on other types of businesses make. Are you a down-to-earth domainer?

 

[Vito]

You must have just read my last post in the 3D thread...

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I guess what it all comes down to is:

"What is your definition of success"?

Mine is to make money, and build a more solid portfolio that is well-rounded.
I have done that so far on all sorts of different domains.
I got a $45.00 offer on one of my silly 3D domains today. Is that a successful?
Yes, in my eyes it is. Would I love more, of course, but I am realistic.
This has been my 5th offer since I grabbed my dozen or so 3D domains
Will these 3D domains be a $xxx,xxx pay-day for me? LOL - No, I seriously doubt it.
But I am very happy with a lot of smaller scale sales, and a couple of big ones here and there.
Over time w/a well rounded portfolio and persistence you can still do well w/smart moves.

I would hope what the naysayers are trying to say is this, which I firmly agree with...
"Don't throw all of your eggs into one basket", especially this,
an unproven new niche that we have no idea how it will fair until a year or 2 from now.
Agreed 100%.

But to say, You can't make money off of new reg's at all, I firmly disagree.

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To answer your O.P question - Yes, I am.

 

[GreenGambler]

I do look for new trends, technologies but I only reg what I truely think has development potential or is very brandable. For the most part I believe my feet are planted firmly in the ground.. with a long neck and head that tends to bob around in the clouds from time to time. hahahh

 

[Spade]

No, I am not.

I invest time in research
Money in renewal costs

My typical ROI is around 15,000 %

 

[Domainate.com]

There are people that do very well looking at upcoming technologies, "playing the lottery" and possibly getting a little lucky, if you'd call it that. I know a few of them - people who've sold names for 5-figures that they regged in the last couple years. It can happen and those people are successful...I wouldn't say they're not "down-to-earth" - they're just taking a different angle than some of us do.

*I* myself am not quite like that, and not because I haven't tried. The few times I've tried going that route, it's just not resulted in much. I've had a 4-figure sale from the sale of what was basically a brandable domain gotten around the time the Microsoft Surface...surfaced. It was only loosely related though and I'd consider it a lucky sale for sure. I'm much better at getting domains that for the most part appeal to domainers/investors more than end-users. What I do is no better or worse than those tech hunters - just different. There's never a reason to be bitter of anyone's success in this industry - any success anyone has in this industry helps us all.

Regarding regging domains and selling them for $20, I'm too busy selling them for $100 - $3,000 to bother with selling them for $20. My time is worth more than fiddling with tiny sales. Some people are fine with doing that though and might make a lot of money doing it, but IMO they're selling themselves short.

 

[DomainTalker]

I've got a two-track policy re names I don't develop:


(i) Regular domains (regged, or bought cheaply) - brandables, descriptives etc etc, which I sell for a profit - anywhere from $xxx to $xx,xxx....On these, 100% - 15,000% is good. Dollars may be small, but a profit is a profit.


(ii) Premium domains (genuine premiums)....If I don't develop one, and, if I sell any of these, I want a serious profit....Prepared to hold these for years, if necessary, and sell only to the ultimate end user that really wants them.

.

 

[SpareDomains]

no right or wrong just different business models, I know guys that flip hundreds a year for $20-$50 and make good money, nothing wrong with flipping just be careful you don't flip a premium for chump change as it is harder to replace those these days as more competition has entered the market, for me I have bought at $7 and hit the 1-10k mark more than a few times so I'm not looking for hundreds of thousands but a few k per name is very doable depending on your inventory and if you focus only on end users and not forum sales, My best domains I'm more interested in holding for the long term until this economy shakes out as now isn't really the best time to let your gems go so I develop those until the the time is right and I align the perfect end user for those.

 

[kev]

If you aim high, you will aim higher than those who aim low.

Ive just closed a deal with a >1000% ROI in just six months

 

[infosec3]

Regarding regging domains and selling them for $20, I'm too busy selling them for $100 - $3,000 to bother with selling them for $20. My time is worth more than fiddling with tiny sales. Some people are fine with doing that though and might make a lot of money doing it, but IMO they're selling themselves short.

The $10/$20 number is only an example... I did not mean it literally. You are right that in domaining there is more opportunity than a $20. My point is tha some treat domaining "ONLY" as the lottery, without a business plan counting on profit margins. But, hey, great comments from all of you. Thanks

 

[shane mac]

I'm more of a future trends speculator. I've hit lucky with this policy.

Some of my recent portfolio's include a superb collection of eco car domains. I also have some 3d/product domains that have been well recieved. I also nipped in early and purchased domains like algerian solar power ( Nice future dev in mind for this). I'm by no means an expert, and I fully expect my domains to have to be renewed many times before I sell them for xxxx. But i'm prepared for this and am like a horder/collector.

My web dev skills need alot of work, but over the next year I hope to be in a possition to build great sites at will, so in the meantime this is a learning curve for me. I am fully under the belief that good domains were snapped up long ago and looking backwards is not the best option.

When I started I regged a bunch of tm'd domains, I didn't know any better. I then wasted alot on adwords keyword tool because I didnt know how to use it! I now feel i'm proficient enough to avoid the same mistakes. I learned most of my lessons reading these forums and though private mails to some of the guys on here. Ty for your help.

 

[mrjohn]

I'm more inclined to shoot for $50.

The problem with $20 is that it doesn't leave you a lot of room for misfires. Also, frankly, I learned from many years of doing websites and software for clients that the race to the very bottom is a bad business.

There's down-to-earth and then there's dirt farming.

 

[labrocca]

If you're spending your time on $20 domain sales you're wasting your time.