debate Domain age is myth

[Isac]

I sold many Handreg and new domains to end users but till now i am not able to sell a single aged domain to enduser in my portfolio.
.
Enduser all about cares about name. What u say ?

 

[Chris Hydrick]

aged domains - its history.
in web.archive.org

Adding to that, for those who don't know, Archive.org is a free service, and independent non-profit website the entire world depends on. They rely on small donations (that are sometimes matched to X multitude by generous supporters).

 

[NameOmnia]

Sales value: Aged domains sell for more money than hand regs. You can argue exceptions against the rule such as great domains that dropped, and have a newer WHOIS date, but those exceptions are generally outliers against the norm. Not all endusers care about domain age, just like some may not trust, nor care about previous sales prices.

In my opinion this is because the majority of domain sales are domainer to domainer.

I don't think end users ( with some exceptions ) value age and marketplaces like BB and similar are a proof; it is also true that end users sometimes prefer to register a disgraceful extension over paying for what we, domainers, call a "premium" name...whatever that means.

I have never made a big fuss over age per se but it is true that in aged names there is a higher change of finding good names, on the contrary I see names that were registered 10 years ago dropping and they are better than some of those held tight but some domainers.

 

[Chris Hydrick]

In my opinion this is because the majority of domain sales are domainer to domainer.

I think that statement would be more accurate if you said reported sales. As I assume there are many unreported sales from domain owners who have sold a domain; domain owners that may not consider themselves domainers. ie original domain owners who often find themselves the recipient of both quality and quantity amount of domain offers and solicitations.

I don't think end users ( with some exceptions ) value age and marketplaces like BB and similar are a proof; it is also true that end users sometimes prefer to register a disgraceful extension over paying for what we, domainers, call a "premium" name...whatever that means.

The point of the statement that aged domains sell for more money than hand regs is based on the belief that the best domains that can be thought of are generally aged, and have been for some time. Even if an original domain owner doesn't renew, the odds of a great domain slipping through the cracks of an expired registrar auctions are slim.

When you consider the ideal domain for a company, odds are, that domain has been aged for quite some time. Using your, and my former username: Name.com [1995] Omnia.com [1997] Grilled.com [1998] Jesus.com [1994].

 

[NameOmnia]

I think that statement would be more accurate if you said reported sales. As I assume there are many unreported sales from domain owners who have sold a domain; domain owners that may not consider themselves domainers. ie original domain owners who often find themselves the recipient of both quality and quantity amount of domain offers and solicitations.



The point of the statement that aged domains sell for more money than hand regs is based on the belief that the best domains that can be thought of are generally aged, and have been for some time. Even if an original domain owner doesn't renew, the odds of a great domain slipping through the cracks of an expired registrar auctions are slim.

When you consider the ideal domain for a company, odds are, that domain has been aged for quite some time. Using your, and my former username: Name.com [1995] Omnia.com [1997] Grilled.com [1998] Jesus.com [1994].

You have a point as always.
It does not really matter if we agree, you always make intelligent and thoughtful comments and I appreciate it.

 

[Lox]

Should I take into consideration the age of the 6L with 0 drops [2002 reg] when deciding to purchase that domain over a 4L.com with 2 drops [2006 reg] even though there are more 4L.com pattern buyers at the moment?

Let's be realistic about measuring (ROI) impact. You are looking for 10k end user or xxx domain flip? Time is exact time, not any time.

What you need to keep on mind is target: niche, industry, multiple end users, future expansion, how many people are interested in the specific (range) product or service or idea etc. You have to study niche before you buy/invest.

word + single leter.com (good for start-up, repeat to remember, FlyingM.com upgrading to Flying.com for sale?. Take this a few steps further...)
4L CVVC (why is dropped?) - you can count on D2D, for B2B is probably unreliable)

How about low level dictionary word (right now available) paradoxure.com for $10?

 

[Haroon Basha]

They become aged only because no one used them or no one thought it is worth buying. So, naturally aged domain names are really junk. I have had such experience. More than 100 such aged domain names were gone to trash.

 

[Acroplex]

They become aged only because no one used them or no one thought it is worth buying. So, naturally aged domain names are really junk. I have had such experience. More than 100 such aged domain names were gone to trash.

If you bought junk, its age made no difference. Learn from your experience and buy junk no more.

 

[Isac]

They become aged only because no one used them or no one thought it is worth buying. So, naturally aged domain names are really junk. I have had such experience. More than 100 such aged domain names were gone to trash.

Actually i am not talking about junk. I am talking about resetting an age of a good domain

coin .com ( Age : 0 year - Hand Reg in year 2000 and dropped in 2017 ) V/s coin .com ( reg in year 2000 but not dropped )

Same history, back link and traffic. Are they same or if a later one which retained age will get double or triple amount more

 

[Kate]

They become aged only because no one used them or no one thought it is worth buying. So, naturally aged domain names are really junk. I have had such experience. More than 100 such aged domain names were gone to trash.

This is incorrect. For example, many aged names didn't sell for one very simple reason: they were actively used for corporate sites so they were not for sale (unless you are willing to purchase the whole business to grab its assets).

Age is a factor, it is not decisive but it something that end users will often pay attention to.
Even newly-incorporated businesses prefer to look established, that's why some entrepreneurs will even buy an off the shelf corporation (and rename it), just to gain a few years of history in the company register.
By the way, older companies may also be easier to resell and more likely to obtain bank loans. Just like search engines will look more favorably at aged names at first glance. First impressions count

Also:

Because the age of the domain establishes other parameters related to valuation. It also establishes a legal grip on the domain.
...

Imagine the domain name is a keyword subject to multiple trademarks. A name registered in 2017 can be expected to have a weaker legal standing than a name registered in 1997 for example.

My best sales have always been aged domains, and very often if not most of the time, the domain name was older than the purchasing entity itself. Even prospective buyers with a sense of entitlement then understand they were not the first on the Internet.

 

[VRdommy]

It probably makes more sense to say domain history 'can' add value.
But the beauty is in the end-users hands as to what is important to them.
More often than not it is a name that represents what they do.
But there are those looking for traffic advantages.
I remember over 10 years ago when the issue that started traffic advantages with history, somehow became more about age and as domainers work each other, all the original intent was lost.
Each new domainer inherits a poor understanding from those before them.
And there is this thing called 'perceived value'.

Search engines have rendered the weight of search value much less than it was and nobody really knows true exact search words anymore. Many are translated into something else like typeo's.
Not that it did not have a positive effect against TM Squatters.
But the early days, select individuals had secret eye's on the consumers URI line and the search engines did not. A lot of money was made in domains from that info. Everyone still wants to know what you type there.

But the skinny is that if you can plug any positive to the name, you better have that info ready for the buyer at point of inquiry. You may only have one opportunity to state your case as to why your name may be better than others they may be looking at. A large corporate buyer will have done their homework with the legal and marketing dept's so you really need to have your homework prepared for the lessor.

A needed name is always more valuable than a old one. Unless you can prove otherwise.

 

[Isac]

Thank you @Kate for your valuable comment !

 

[NameOmnia]

I believe that when businesses buy an aged name in most cases they are going with the one word dictionary name that represents them or they simply buy a better name than what they had
F.E. sumome >> sumo
delicio.us >> delicious .com
etc

That has nothing to do with age but with the "quality" of a domain ( which can simply be relative to the company itself even just for traffic / redirecting purposes ).
AGE is a ranking factor for websites but has never meant anything for domains...

 

[Lox]

The age of DN is one of many factors that can determine the value of DN absorption and is called a consistence value. The Science of Naming Brands, Branding is a process that include sociology, psychology, methodology, epistemology, data analysis, market trends, etc ... science.

1. precision
2. presence
3. popularity
4. pattern
5. pay-per-click
6. level (tld)
   
7. determination (predetermined)
   
8. multiplier (if exist eg. Room, Rooms, TheRoom, TheRooms ...)
   
9. consistence
   
10. comprise
    
11. scarcity
    
12. communicative
    
13. parsing
    
14. dictionary
    
15. length
    
16. reflection
    
17. determined
    
18. attachment
19. traditional
20. extreme
21. generational
22. universal
23. pronunciation
24. spelling
25. typing

140. frequency

Good Luck in 2018!

 

[Isac]

How does Google determine domain age, and is it important for ranking? by Matt cutt

​

 

[NameOmnia]

How does Google determine domain age, and is it important for ranking? by Matt cutt

​

EXACTLY what I was saying. Google ALWAYS talks about WEBSITES, NEVER about DOMAINS.
AKA age starts from when the site was first crawled ( the site..not the parked domain ).

So maybe from now on we should be more concerned about what the previous owners have done with a domain ( archive.og, clean backlink profile, was it use to spam?, DA, PA, TF, CF....parameters that 95% of domainers don't even know what they are ) VS how old a domain is.

A domain that has been registered 20 years ago and parked for 20 years has ZERO value in terms of ranking, seo etc.

On top of this let's not forget that the domain name is one of over 200 ranking factors that Google uses so really there is no reason to consider it as an added value anymore. Often, a brand new domain is far better than an aged one for ranking purposes ( see parameters above ).

As a side note, we have buyers in the WTB who want to pay $10 to $50 for 10-15yo domains with 10+ extensions taken, so really...is age so valuable when even those who preach in its favour are willing to pay just over reg fee for it?

 

[Chris Hydrick]

nothing to do with age but with the "quality" of a domain

THIS ^ +1

Lately, I've been questioning the way I view / value domains. With so much focus on metrics, patterns, and trends, sometimes the real value of quality is lost when domainer based hype, clouds self-intuition.

Let's be realistic about measuring (ROI) impact. You are looking for 10k end user or xxx domain flip?

I am looking for both, or sometimes, something in between. If I spend $XXX on a domain, I do not want to sell it for $XX, thus it obviously can't be junk.

Define junk? Were random 4L.com once considered junk? If they were junk before, what makes them quality now? Supply and demand driving the value? Is it buy short domains and #HODL?

If it is to be understood that there is a low likelihood of 4L.com baseline reseller value ever dropping below $XXX again, then I shouldn't have to worry about buying a domain for $XXX, and selling for $XX.

The question with random pattern 4L.com, is if it doesn't resemble a particular word, or a common acronym, what are the odds of that domain being found by an enduser, and acquired for $X,XXX+? The pattern might be desirable among D2D, so it might not be hard to resell for $XXX.

Speaking in regards to NP sales, it is much more common for a 4L.com to sell for $XXX quickly, than a 6L.com to sell quickly for $XXX. NP members are quick to offer $XXX for 4L.com in make offer threads, but how often do 6L.com make offer's get $XXX NP offers? My point being, if I'm going to buy a 6L.com on NP for $XXX, then it can't be junk, if my goal is to avoid having to sell it for $XX on NP.

Bringing this rant back on topic to the age metric, how much value should you put into a domains age in comparison to other metrics? How do you determine a metrics hierarchy when considering how much you are willing to spend on a domain? Can the hierarchy of metrics differ depending on the domain?

1. Quality
2. Length
3. Age
4. TM risk
5. Keywords
6. History
7. Amount of TLDs regged.
8. Amount of identifiable endusers
9. Fits a niche a previous client, friend, or family member might be interested in.
10. Drops
11. Intuition
12. Trends
13. Comparable reported sales
14. Search volume
15. CPC
16. Other

If somebody were to build the greatest domain bot of all time, could a world class domainbot be built solely on metrics? Should a bot consider domain age in their valuation algorithm? Is there a different valuation for 20 year old Locomotion.com than a one month old Locomotion.com?

 

[Lox]

Google patent US7346839 (If necessary read the patent twice)

 

[Lox]

@Grilled
4L PIMF.com vs SERT.com (latest panic attack drop catch auction) Who is going to buy PIMF = D2D in a hope a highway or person will be there; it will be called Pim Fuzz. For SERT.com at least you can easily "corner" SERT.US or SERT.FR or SpecialEventResponseTeam.com (longer, better, jez) or in US any Security / Bodyguard Agency etc , many end users.

NP is not your end user. NP is mostly D2D market place. You need 10k, not xxx to lift your tiger spirit. You have to be hungry enough for 10k. If you are satisfied with a slice of bread per day, it is likely waking up one day with no teeth in your mouth. You need vitamin 10K to keep your teeth.

Have to read your post 2x more, can't right now, I will be back.

Regards

 

[Chris Hydrick]

They become aged only because no one used them or no one thought it is worth buying. So, naturally aged domain names are really junk. I have had such experience. More than 100 such aged domain names were gone to trash.

Can you be more specific with your example. How old are we talking? Do you recall any of the domains specifically? How long did you hold for? I assume you let some expire? If you did, I'm curious to how many of them expired vs how many of them were registered by others.

Sometimes rather than sending offers, people will wait for the domain to expire depending on expiration date, and grab them at auction, or on the drop. If you don't receive an offer for the domain, that doesn't inherently mean the domain is junk. Does factors such WHOIS privacy, lack of landing page, type of marketplace listing: BIN, make offer, not listed, and/or amount of exposure contribute to the amount or types of offers? Does the quality or quantity of offers receive dictate the perception of junk?

 

[Isac]

Domainers need to lot focus on trend and not age

 

[Haroon Basha]

THIS ^ +1

Lately, I've been questioning the way I view / value domains. With so much focus on metrics, patterns, and trends, sometimes the real value of quality is lost when domainer based hype, clouds self-intuition.



I am looking for both, or sometimes, something in between. If I spend $XXX on a domain, I do not want to sell it for $XX, thus it obviously can't be junk.

Define junk? Were random 4L.com once considered junk? If they were junk before, what makes them quality now? Supply and demand driving the value? Is it buy short domains and #HODL?

If it is to be understood that there is a low likelihood of 4L.com baseline reseller value ever dropping below $XXX again, then I shouldn't have to worry about buying a domain for $XXX, and selling for $XX.

The question with random pattern 4L.com, is if it doesn't resemble a particular word, or a common acronym, what are the odds of that domain being found by an enduser, and acquired for $X,XXX+? The pattern might be desirable among D2D, so it might not be hard to resell for $XXX.

Speaking in regards to NP sales, it is much more common for a 4L.com to sell for $XXX quickly, than a 6L.com to sell quickly for $XXX. NP members are quick to offer $XXX for 4L.com in make offer threads, but how often do 6L.com make offer's get $XXX NP offers? My point being, if I'm going to buy a 6L.com on NP for $XXX, then it can't be junk, if my goal is to avoid having to sell it for $XX on NP.

Bringing this rant back on topic to the age metric, how much value should you put into a domains age in comparison to other metrics? How do you determine a metrics hierarchy when considering how much you are willing to spend on a domain? Can the hierarchy of metrics differ depending on the domain?

1. Quality
2. Length
3. Age
4. TM risk
5. Keywords
6. History
7. Amount of TLDs regged.
8. Amount of identifiable endusers
9. Fits a niche a previous client, friend, or family member might be interested in.
10. Drops
11. Intuition
12. Trends
13. Comparable reported sales
14. Search volume
15. CPC
16. Other

If somebody were to build the greatest domain bot of all time, could a world class domainbot be built solely on metrics? Should a bot consider domain age in their valuation algorithm? Is there a different valuation for 20 year old Locomotion.com than a one month old Locomotion.com?

Old or new, if one adopts your Recipe for a profitable domain name, there is ZERO chance of failure. Thank you. I repeat your recipe here, it is worth reading it again and again:
1. Quality
2. Length
3. Age
4. TM risk
5. Keywords
6. History
7. Amount of TLDs regged.
8. Amount of identifiable endusers
9. Fits a niche a previous client, friend, or family member might be interested in.
10. Drops
11. Intuition
12. Trends
13. Comparable reported sales
14. Search volume
15. CPC
16. Other

 

[MasterOfMyDomains]

Age matters to videos, the one you posted is 7 years old.Love #16 Haroon

How does Google determine domain age, and is it important for ranking? by Matt cutt

​

 

[Isac]

Age matters to videos, the one you posted is 7 years old.Love #16 Haroon

It's still valid

 

[Lox]

It's still valid

You'll come to this point. Age is just a number. Quite a large $ number.

 

[Isac]

You'll come to this point. Age is just a number. Quite a large $ number.