Brandable marketplaces, Domainers what's your experience with them??

[kahymo]

Hi fellow Domainers,
there are 3 main Barnadable marketplaces: BrandRoot BrandBucket & Namerific

can People Who Sold Domains on these places, tell us about their Experiences.

there are others threads started on the subject,
but most of them turn to people tales of frustration

a good way to contribute in a concise way will be to submit a summary like:
Submitted 30 domains
12 Accepted
2 sold within 3 months

this will help people to decide which one of these market worth their salt

thanks for your knwoledge sharing

 

[biggie]

there are others threads started on the subject,
but most of them turn to people tales of frustration

if you don't understand the frustration, where it comes from, if it gets relieved, pacified, or pushed under the rug......then how much insight will you gain?

imo...

 

[kahymo]

@biggie answering directly your question can turn into wrestling with a ghost;
on the second degree the goal was to preselct answer from people who:
1.had success with these marketplace?
2. not newbie still learning what is a good brandable, " and why on earth their domain didn't sell" & "people who never sold a domain name"

thanks again for your advice

 

[gblasting]

BrandBucket - Member since July 2013
Submitted - 15
Accepted - 8
Sold - Nil

BrandRoot - Member since June 2014
Submitted - 8
Accepted - 3
Sold - Nil

Namerific - Member since July 2013
Submitted - 20 (including all that were accepted at BB)
Accepted - Nil
Sold - Nil

I have since stopped submitting names to Namerific. It appears there is no chemistry between us.

Nice thread. A good way of keeping scores!

 

[TotalWebsites]

The only one I've had a sale at so far is Namerific.

I was a huge fan of BrandBucket, but paid listing + exclusivity and not having a sale has turned me off.

Haven't used Brandroot much, but heard good things. If there was a free listing promotion I'd be more apt to consider it.

 

[gina ferrano]

Stats thus far (subject to change will update)
Member since August 18, 2015 (all three)

BB- 29 submitted, 10 accepted
BR- 20 names submitted, 9 accepted
NR- 22 names submitted, 12 accepted

No names are live yet, BB & BR neck and neck, NR is a distant third....

 

[wwwulff]

My stats:

BB - Member 1 year - 90 submitted - 36 accepted - 5 sold for a total of $16.207 (3 handreg, 1 closeout, 1 bought på DNF for $500)

Namerific - Member 1 year - 11 submitted - 2 accepted (1 sold by my self for $3.700 before it went live, so never listed)

BrandRoot - Member 2 month - 20 submitted - 11 accepted - O sold

 

[discobull]

BB :
Submitted 98, accepted 33, published 23 ( the other 10 were priced lower than what I wanted so I chose not to publish ), Sold 1.

By contrast, out of the 75 that were either rejected or that I chose not to list with them due to pricing, I've sold 10 ( average price = ~$2500).

NR:
Submitted 29, accepted 19, Published 8, 3 awaiting log design since Feb, 1 still pending verification ( I had my domain forwarded namerific for 1 month and sent an email about it before finally giving up for good ), 7 priced below my acceptable price, sales 0.

By contrast, I've sold 2 of the domains that were listed with them myself ( they don't require exclusivity or domain forwarding), plus another domain that they rejected ( average sale price of 3 domains = ~$2,850 ).

BR:
Submitted 22, accepted 9, published 3, sold 1. ( I haven't been with them very long )

Based on my results, I'm now thinking that I'm probably better off not using these companies and that most likely when I do get a sale through them, it's probably because my domain being forwarded to their site generated a lead that I would have closed on my own anyhow. I am phasing out my listings with all of them and will not likely be submitting any more domains to any of them. It was an interesting experiment, but to spend money for a listing, plus pay 30%, plus give them exclusivity only to end up with results that are inferior to what I get on my own makes no sense.

 

[NorthernLights]

kahymo,

My advise for anyone deciding between these marketplaces would be to focus first on registering or acquiring high quality names, as the quality of the name goes a long way in determining if it will sell regardless of what marketplace it is listed at or if you market it yourself. Quality > Quantity, especially once renewals start kicking in. The marketplaces all help to get names in front of end users. While the stats you are hoping people share are interesting to look at, they can be statistically meaningless when person 1 has top quality brandables and is selling at a fast rate and persons 2 and 3 went on a drunk reg fee bender and have a portfolio resembling a dumpster fire. This is why someone can have 600 great names selling fast at one of the marketplaces and there are people with 5 mediocre names at the same marketplace thinking they'll sell at the same rate which takes a lot of luck...many names listed will have a hard time ever selling.

I have used all three of the marketplaces you listed at various points in time, and I can't recommend Namerific as their wait times and logo process is slow. I have had success at BB, though mostly before some of the recent site changes. I have had success at BR and like their site and the logos the best of the 3.

If you have some great brandables, submit a couple each to BB and BR and see what your own experience may be. Who knows, you might even like Namerific, but as I mentioned, I haven't had a good experience with them.

 

[Rich]

I did signup with BB when they started out, submitted 6 or so and they were declined. They all make pretty listings, but I don't think buyers care about a pre-made logo/description. It's about the name, and I believe the serious start-ups will go to a branding agency before they visit BB,BR, or NR. I like sedo and afternic as they have many partnerships with registrars, or domain search engines that drive traffic to their listings. Maybe the brandable marketplaces will be better off if they partner with a few top naming/marketing agencies. Good luck with your sales.

 

[Robozy]

BB - 1 year 6 months, 3.0% rate of sale per year
BR - 1 year 0 months, 5.6% rate of sale per year
NR - 1 year 4 months, 0.9% rate of sale per year

I have more or less the same number of domains in each marketplace.

6 months ago I would have recommended Brandbucket, but my rate of sale has dipped since the changes to their website and acceptance policies. Although they have almost doubled their stock size in a year, there does not seem to be an equivalent doubling in sales. Their strategic direction changes frequently without seller consultation, leaving the seller disorientated with little confidence that it will remain a quality marketplace. They have always been professional and courteous in our dealings, but their support is sub par, probably because they are overloaded.

Bandroot is currently my favourite marketplace, with the highest rate of sale and the best service. I find them more approachable and friendly than BB, with good support. I hope they can maintain the same level of service as their popularity increases.

NR - They started out positive, but the numbers speak for themselves.

The brandable space is in flux. As BB and NR has demonstrated, the current picture could be very different in 6 months. I agree with @NorthernLights that the focus should be on quality. Given the subjective nature of brandables, it is far too easy to saturate the these marketplaces with low quality names, and thereby devalue the good ones. If we (artificially) limit "supply" to these brandable marketplaces, it is obvious that supply is increasing much faster than demand. This is a recipe for price deflation, and sprawling, unmanageable marketplaces like Sedo. Quality is king.

I also need to start paying better attention to my own advice.

 

[Doron Vermaat]

Great thread, thanks everyone who chipped in with openly sharing stats. I have sold names at all 3 marketplaces and my stats, experience and most of the time my opinion is pretty much on par with @Robozy

Will update some details stats myself later.

 

[kahymo]

Thank you everybody for submitting your stats, and sharing your experience

i submitted a nice portfolio of brandable and around 40% were accepted in BR and Namerific,BrandBucket seem submerged and can't follow(didn't received any answers from them)
i will update with my progress on these marketplace asap, and add my sales experience outside these marketplace very soon

thanks again for all the great domainers input

 

[infojunkie]

I submitted four names to BrandBucket three days ago and they are still in review.

 

[Doron Vermaat]

I submitted four names to BrandBucket three days ago and they are still in review.

Be prepared to wait much longer than that. It takes anywhere from a couple of weeks to up to 2 months before you hear back on submissions.

 

[infojunkie]

Yikes!

 

[gina ferrano]

BB is @ the 2-6 week mark for feedback on submissions (yay/nay) Though on the plus side, there is the occasional name that goes from submission, acceptance, description, logo @ 3 weeks. BR is on par with, though much faster with acceptances.

 

[campout]

BB - Member 1 year - 90 submitted - 36 accepted - 5 sold for a total of $16.207 (3 handreg, 1 closeout, 1 bought på DNF for $500)

Have you sold more since? It seems like the expansion of domains for sale could have a negative effect on sell-through rate.

 

[wwwulff]

Have you sold more since? It seems like the expansion of domains for sale could have a negative effect on sell-through rate.

Yes, I have sold 2 more for a total of 7 - Sold SureWorth in december and MassVenture a week ago

 

[campout]

Did you add more domains than those 36?

 

[wwwulff]

Did you add more domains than those 36?

No, but have some in Q (I had 36 aproved but chose not to list 6 of them due to pricing, so only 30 live)

 

[JudgeMind]

BB :
Submitted 98, accepted 33, published 23 ( the other 10 were priced lower than what I wanted so I chose not to publish ), Sold 1.

By contrast, out of the 75 that were either rejected or that I chose not to list with them due to pricing, I've sold 10 ( average price = ~$2500).

NR:
Submitted 29, accepted 19, Published 8, 3 awaiting log design since Feb, 1 still pending verification ( I had my domain forwarded namerific for 1 month and sent an email about it before finally giving up for good ), 7 priced below my acceptable price, sales 0.

By contrast, I've sold 2 of the domains that were listed with them myself ( they don't require exclusivity or domain forwarding), plus another domain that they rejected ( average sale price of 3 domains = ~$2,850 ).

BR:
Submitted 22, accepted 9, published 3, sold 1. ( I haven't been with them very long )

Based on my results, I'm now thinking that I'm probably better off not using these companies and that most likely when I do get a sale through them, it's probably because my domain being forwarded to their site generated a lead that I would have closed on my own anyhow. I am phasing out my listings with all of them and will not likely be submitting any more domains to any of them. It was an interesting experiment, but to spend money for a listing, plus pay 30%, plus give them exclusivity only to end up with results that are inferior to what I get on my own makes no sense.

For the names you sold yourself were they at another marketplace such as sedo or did you contact potential buyers?

 

[arzidan]

I like sedo and afternic as they have many partnerships with registrars, or domain search engines that drive traffic to their listings

@Rich , I agree with you. I have my own pricing technique.
I listed them on sedo and afternic beside on my own web.
No sale until now but maybe I'll keep them for next 10+ years
it's only 60+ domains anyway..

 

[Domainace]

I did signup with BB when they started out, submitted 6 or so and they were declined. They all make pretty listings, but I don't think buyers care about a pre-made logo/description.

I had a similar experience with maybe a dozen or so names. All declined. I went on to sell a few of them via standard listings on Sedo, Afternic, Domain Name Sales, so they were a good return of my investment. Encouraged me to go heavier into brandables.

Like Rich, I don't see what these services bring to the table. I suspect most of the sales they make for domainers would have been made wherever they were listed. Maybe even more so, as these sites present the buyer with an array of similar alternatives that they otherwise wouldn't have seen.

 

[discobull]

For the names you sold yourself were they at another marketplace such as sedo or did you contact potential buyers?

I have my domains pointing at my own landing page and the bulk were sold through direct inquiries. From the list that I submitted to BB that were either rejected or that were approved but which I chose not to list, I had 8 sell through direct contact, 1 through GD premium, 2 through Sedo, and one I sold by responding to a posting on DNF ( when I originally posted 10 had sold, but 2 more have sold since. ).