Atom / Atom.com - Marketplace (formerly Squadhelp)

[JudgeMind]

Hey Folks,

I've just started using squadhelp.com to list some of my brandable. So far I have 76 domains listed, there is no fee to list. I've had some decent action so far in the way of interested buyers but no sales as of yet. I've only been with them for 1 week now.

A bit of a summary review of SquadHelp:

PROS

• No Listing fee
• No Logo design fee
• Ability to submit your names to end users holding naming contests
• Ability to chat directly or send a message directly to end users.
• Stats of your marketplace domains are shown in the marketplace dashboard.
• Their customer service and support has been great, 24hr a day chat.
• Ability to increase or decrease the list price of your domains or to show a discount. You can decrease or increase the price yourself by $200. If you want to lower more, you can contact support.
• End users can shortlist your domains before they make a decision on which they want to purchase. The number of shortlists is shown in you marketplace dashboard.
• When you submit your names you get to set the price you wish to get. Because their commissions are high I recommend listing at a higher price to offset the commission costs.
• Their landing pages are fairly basic but they work. Because the marketplace is fairly new, I'm sure we will see style improvements in the future.
• One thing I really like is they accept multiple extensions. I have listed .co and .io along with .com
• Each seller gets a direct link to their marketplace portfolio, HERES MY PORTFOLIO. It is handy if your trying to p[promote your portfolio through social media.
• I like that their marketplace doesn't have tens of thousands domain listings like BB. They are fairly strict on the domains they accept to list and so this helps keep the number of domains in the marketplace down and gets your listings more exposure.

CONS

• Their commissions are very high, depending on the domain name they are usually between 30% and 35%. However, there are no listing fees, no logo design fees, so in the end their commission is very similar to brand buckets.
• Their logos are not top quality, in fact I requested to have some of my logos remade.
• I think they have a big backlog of logos to design, the wait time for logo design has been around 1 week, but your names are still listed while the logos are being designed.
• After your names are accepted you need to agree to their commission rate, at this point you also need to apply your own keywords, descriptions etc. I found this was very time consuming.

 

[DomainRecap]

This happened with some of my domains recently and the problem seems to be when we update the DNS records bulk.
Try updating the same dns record again manually to just few domains and check once if its getting verified fast.
If then the problem is with the bulk dns record update.
Just a check

No, I've run this multiple times, the exact same way and when I first put in the domains I had thousands and it ran in maybe 20 minutes. I added in several smaller sets later last week and they processed almost immediately.

I did a set on Friday and I noticed it was a lot slower, and my most recent update on Sunday is virtually dead in the water, with nothing moving. Several others in this thread have experienced the same slow behavior recently.

yes, definitely something going on at the backend, one of domains took almost 2 days to get verified and that too with atom NS added.
5 pending verification for almost a day now

Same here. I think @Atom.com is aware. this notice is appearing for all - and has been for some time

Show attachment 271562

One recommended we process these manually, one at a time, rather than using the automated "Verify Now" button.

I always verify my names one by one as I would run into the same issue. Doing it individually doesn't seem to have any delays apart from clicking on a few extra buttons.

I have changed absolutely nothing about how I do things (all the DNS codes show up on https://dnslookup.online/txt.html and have for days), so it's almost certainly an issue with Atom.

P.S. I have tried to delete the offending names and add them back, then manually verify them, and I got 2 verified, but then the rest went to auto-verify mode and locked up again in "Verification In Progress".

 

[Leo2k]

P.S. I have tried to delete the offending names and add them back, then manually verify them, and I got 2 verified, but then the rest went to auto-verify and locked up again in "Verification In Progress".

It's really a pain when you have to add huge number of domains. Updating records on domain one by one is also a huge task. When I had the issue, both sedo & atom were showing as pending verification until i updated the records to the domains one by one again.

Better the technical team suggests some best practise to get the domains verified soon.

 

[DomainRecap]

It's really a pain when you have to add huge number of domains.

I never have had a problem anywhere, Sedo, Dan, Saw, DomainEasy, etc., and I even loaded 3K domains onto Atom last Tuesday and it took 20 minutes to verify. Same registrar, same DNS, same everything.

Something is definitely up as now people are loading 5 domains on Atom and it's taking TWO DAYS to process them. It just took Atom over a day to process ONE of my recent adds. That's insane.

 

[NameGroove]

Show attachment 271621

I am looking for stats, not marketing fluff. If I want fluff, I'll wait for Afternic to tell me how great Boost is doing

 

[carob]

Just a comment about how Atom identifies syllables in domains: they seem to disregard acronyms and numbers, so p2phouse.com for example would be classified as 1 syllable, probably causing their AI to rate it higher.

Would cbdp2p be classified as 0 syllables?

What about NNN... names or LLL... names with no vowels?

 

[NameGroove]

I never have had a problem anywhere, Sedo, Dan, Saw, DomainEasy, etc., and I even loaded 3K domains onto Atom last Tuesday and it took 20 minutes to verify. Same registrar, same DNS, same everything.

Something is definitely up as now people are loading 5 domains on Atom and it's taking TWO DAYS to process them. It just took Atom over a day to process ONE of my recent adds. That's insane.

I asked Atom CS to help getting DNS verified. This is their response

 

[NameGroove]

Just a comment about how Atom identifies syllables in domains: they seem to disregard acronyms and numbers, so p2phouse.com for example would be classified as 1 syllable, probably causing their AI to rate it higher.

Would cbdp2p be classified as 0 syllables?

What about NNN... names or LLL... names with no vowels?

Yup, Ai can't properly count syllables. I reported this to them a year ago. It doesn't, for example, undertand silent "e"s at the end of a word aren't a syllable. So sometimes it does the reverse of what you're showing, identifying a word with 2 syllables as 3. And as such, these names are over or under appraised. Do not rely on Ai's system for appraisals for these sorts of words (in both our examples). it really doesn't matter - since the reviewers can read and understand

 

[DomainRecap]

2+ days later and I'm still sitting here with only 1 domain verification processed.

No idea what to do here, and it's getting me stressed out, as I have new purchases and recently renewed domains building up in my "need to verify" queue. My record-keeping for DNS, nameservers and renewals is a nightmare right now due to these delays and I worry I'm going to miss something and lose a domain.

Domain Verification at Atom is obviously not working correctly and I have already talked to support who confirmed the problem and are "looking into it". Hopefully it gets fixed soon, as I'm starting to believe in the "Dan Curse".

@Atom.com

 

[DomainRecap]

I asked Atom CS to help getting DNS verified. This is their response

Show attachment 271635

Same thing with me when I contacted support and they clearly know about the problem. I hope they get it fixed soon, as my domain records right now are pretty much trash because I can't get new purchases or recent renewals verified and processed on Atom.

It's like a buildup on an assembly line.

 

[DomainRecap]

It looks like everything is humming again at Atom - in a period of a few minutes all my domains got verified and both payments were cleared!

Halleluiah!

 

[Atom.com]

That didn't quite answer my question.

I found the article I am referring to: https://helpdesk.atom.com/en/articl...he-discovery-of-your-names-in-the-marketplace





So is this still in effect? Is it based off their first visited atom.com domain?

Apologies for the incomplete response. Yes, this is still in effect. However, our goal is to integrate these offerings with our recently relaunched affiliate program.

 

[Atom.com]

Rarely used doesn't always equate to unliked, it could've been unknown (depending on how it was presented).

Regardless, @Atom.com I went to do a simple search using your new 2.0 include/exclude method (within the Wholesale marketplace).

I added "and" to the Must Include field and hit Enter. The results show 1 name. One. This is obv incorrect, since there are dozens of names with the word "and" in them. I don't to post the photo of the results since this is a Wholesale marketplace. But this search should be easy to replicate.

To test outside wholesale, I went to the regular marketplace and searched like this as well. I solely typed "and" into the must include box (To find This&That names). I was shown 9 results (See below). Yet, if you search not using this new "tech" of include/exclude - you will see many more This&That results, obv many of which include "and". That is, just type "and" into the main search box, with no other filters.

Worth sending to your tech team to fix?

Show attachment 271345

Our search is optimized to prioritize terms that end users typically use when searching for domains. Based on our data, buyers generally start with broad industry keywords or specific terms that reflect the core idea of their business. Words like "and" are rarely the focus of an end-user search, so our search model excludes some of the generic terms to reduce noise and improve relevance.

That said, our AI continuously monitors search behavior and refines relevance over time.

 

[Atom.com]

@Atom.com you guys must have done some deep dive research/surveys etc. Do you have any information on how much impact the logos have (by which I mean tangible stats)? Do you know what percentage are utilised in built out companies after purchase? Would be interesting to know.

We’ve conducted extensive A/B testing using a controlled dataset of Atom-registered domains, comparing those with and without logos. The results consistently show that logos improve STR by making domains feel more tangible and brand-ready to buyers.

Beyond the data, many buyers also request logo downloads and other visual assets to use in internal pitch presentations—helping them convince other stakeholders for the purchase. While the logos aren’t necessarily meant for final use, they play an important role in helping buyers visualize the potential of a domain as a brand, which ultimately drives conversions.

 

[Atom.com]

Talking about metrics. My Portfolio Popularity has now increased to 70.24%.

@Atom.com We would appreciate it if you could elucidate the interpretation of this.

The Popularity Score represents a percentile ranking of your portfolio compared to the overall site average. It is primarily determined by how well your domains rank within the marketplace. A higher score indicates that your listings hold a stronger ranking position relative to other domains on the platform.

Domains typically achieve a higher ranking based on various signals, including buyer engagement and other key factors that contribute to visibility and demand.

 

[Atom.com]

@Atom.com ...

I just noticed something about the landing pages. If a potential buyer has a question about buying the domain, they hopefully see where it says "Need help? Contact us now" and click on the "Ready to Chat" button. But the help topics that pop up are completely skewed towards a SELLER's concerns, not the buyer's. Wouldn't it make more sense if those topics were tailored towards a BUYER'S questions instead?

Show attachment 271472

Thanks for your feedback! We’ve made updates to the Chat widget by removing the preset help topics. Now, buyers will see a search option instead, allowing them to find the most relevant information more easily. We appreciate your input as we continue to improve the experience!

 

[Atom.com]

Yep, I put 8 through verification on Saturday and it easily took a day to complete. And no unverified counter.

When I first loaded ALL my domains on Atom for verification last Tuesday, I could watch the unverified counter and refresh to see how much longer it was. The unverified number would constantly update, and the whole lot took maybe 25-30 minutes to process.

Sorry for the temporary delay in verifications. We experienced an unusually high number of domain additions, which slowed down the verification queue. However, we’ve upgraded our infrastructure to increase capacity and improve processing times moving forward.

Additionally, we’ll soon be announcing a Trusted Seller Program, allowing select sellers in Good Standing to bypass the verification step and automatically verify their domains. Stay tuned for more details!

 

[D Haynes]

We’ve conducted extensive A/B testing using a controlled dataset of Atom-registered domains, comparing those with and without logos. The results consistently show that logos improve STR by making domains feel more tangible and brand-ready to buyers.

Beyond the data, many buyers also request logo downloads and other visual assets to use in internal pitch presentations—helping them convince other stakeholders for the purchase. While the logos aren’t necessarily meant for final use, they play an important role in helping buyers visualize the potential of a domain as a brand, which ultimately drives conversions.

Thank you for the detailed response. Very useful to know. I continue to learn

 

[NameGroove]

Our search is optimized to prioritize terms that end users typically use when searching for domains. Based on our data, buyers generally start with broad industry keywords or specific terms that reflect the core idea of their business. Words like "and" are rarely the focus of an end-user search, so our search model excludes some of the generic terms to reduce noise and improve relevance.

That said, our AI continuously monitors search behavior and refines relevance over time.

@Atom.com Optimized is one thing - providing incorrect info is another. Search shouldn't mandate that buyers can't search for "and". After all, you offer for sale many This&That names. If you don't allow searching for "and" buyers who do choose to search this way - now assume there are none for sale. It lowers STR for this category, possibly dramatically.

Why would you exclude search terms? It may be lightly used, but if a buyer wants to buy a This&That name - they can't find it if you've shut down search for it.
The same applies for many popular suffix endings, such as "ify" - search is not working properly for them, even when we add these terms "Must include". Adding must include "ify" shows 0 results. Obviously incorrect.

Why block searches this way? These are very popular sold suffixes and/or terms. While buyers may not specifically search this way, removing it from search stops any who may. I see no upside to their removal, and have already explained the downside (buyers now think these names do not exist on Atoms platform). They may now head to the competitor website to find them.

I strongly think search should be just that, search. Blocking & excluding names does a huge disservice to buyers and sellers, and ultimately Atom itself.

 

[DN_Hunter]

Sorry for the temporary delay in verifications. We experienced an unusually high number of domain additions, which slowed down the verification queue. However, we’ve upgraded our infrastructure to increase capacity and improve processing times moving forward.

It's still very slow for me. I uploaded a bulk file today of about 1,400 names with BIN Prices. Whenever it does a large bulk file, my browser locks up, and I cannot do anything in Atom (like view dashboard, etc...). I found a way around this by opening an Incognito page, and then I can move around in my Atom account. I suspect my regular window (non-incognito) is still processing the large bulk file, and it won't get back to normal until it finishes processing...

 

[DomainRecap]

We experienced an unusually high number of domain additions, which slowed down the verification queue. However, we’ve upgraded our infrastructure to increase capacity and improve processing times moving forward.

Yeah, I've been talking you guys up in other forums and I know at least one major domain investor who took my advice and moved over to Atom this weekend. I'm sure others have been just as pleased as I am, and are highly recommending Atom, especially as an alternative to Afternic.

Keep up the good work!