- Impact
- 18,081
In this series, I analyze and evaluate a random Top Domain name publicly, after getting permission from the domain asset owner at the time of the evaluation first.
Permission can be confirmed by a NamePros moderator or staff member here: Permission to evaluate publicly
The following domain name asset belonged to member @tobiasr at the time of this evaluation.
LQT.com
Asset Type:
3-Letters / Short / Brandable / Potential-Acronym / .com / Classic Legacy gTLD (Generic Top-Level Domain)
Defining (.com):
Source
Source
Note: That's pretty straight forward. Your asset is primarily the commercial meaning of .com, but could be spun into comedy or comic.
Defining (LQT):
Source
Source
Source
Source
Note: This is pretty straight forward as well. When dealing with random letters it can sometimes be difficult to identify a potential acronym use, so it's handy to break your letters up and run acronym checks for shorter versions, that you may be able to slide together to get a better idea for potential uses. In the case of your 3-Letter .com, I found some 3-letter acronyms, which were a little helpful, but a bit limited, so I then broke the asset down into a LQ and QT acronym analysis to expand on the assets potential niche areas of interest. Some examples might be: 1. LQT.com = LQT = An existing brand already using the acronym (Be sure to consult with an IP/TM attorney prior to pitching, developing or monetizing in these directions) - or - 2. LQT.com = LQT (Letter Quality Tester) = An automated Grammar and error checker that will automatically correct your article for you - or - 3. LQT.com = LQT (Liquor Time) = A new Liquor store brand - or - 4. LQT.com = LQT (Lovers Quarrel Treatment) = A freelance marriage and relationship consultant brand - or - 5. LQT.com = LQT (Little Cutie) = A new child modeling agency brand, fashion show, or pageant - or - 6. LQT.com = LQT (Lasting Quality Time) = A new consultant for personal development - or - 7. LQT.com = LQT (Lightning Quick Translations) = A new app translator brand that can quickly convert one language into another using voice to text or text to voice technologies - or - 8. LQT.com = LQT (Little Quiet Torpedo) = A Military grade micro-torpedo that can avoid sonar detection...
Exact Match Sales data:
| lqt.de | 176 USD | 2021-08-26 | Sedo |
| lqt.net | 903 USD | 2015-05-14 | Sedo |
Note: There's a couple sales reports that are exact matched with LQT that are older.
Sales data for LQ + 1-Letter .com:
| lqz.com | 30000 USD | 2014-10-22 | Private |
Note: There's only 1 sales report in this combination and it older. Not much help. Let's check a couple more combinations.
Sales data for 1-Letter + QT .com:
| kqt.com | 40000 USD | 2015-10-04 | Private |
| gqt.com | 11800 USD | 2015-02-05 | NameJet |
| aqt.com | 7200 USD | 2014-03-14 | NameJet |
| pqt.com | 4000 USD | 2009-06-02 | Sedo |
Note: There's a few sales reports in this combination, but again, they are older, so not much help. Let's check one more combination to cross-reference.
Sales data for 1-Letter + Q + 1-Letter .com
| | | |
Note: Again, older sale. Had to look. We'll take a closer look at all the sales reports further down to see how they are doing about a decade later, today. This will help determine if most the sales were generally hyped or real-word use cases. There is clearly some powerful liquidity in 3-letter .com's, but not all of them are created equally.
Ranking Data:
DA = 3
PA = 15
TB = 13
QB = 8
PQ = 62%
MT = 2
DR = 10
TF = 4
CF = 7
Spam Score (Dapa) = 26%
Spam Score (WSC) = 28%
OS = 34%
Age = 24 Years and 327 Days
Backlinks = 5/23
Referring Domains = 2/3
DoFollow Ratio = 100%/67%
Incoming Language: 80%Eng / 20%Ch
Referring domain Language: 4Eng / 1Ch
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Source 5
Source 6
Source 7
Note: At first glance, it looks like some of your ranking data was going to help your asset with a little added value, but a closer look at the backlink profile did not jive with the data. A good acquisitions team may question if BlackHat techniques were used to manipulate the data. The 28% spam score will also be leveraged to devalue your asset, since a new start up would need to clean it in order to launch a trusted and authoritative brand on it. You'll want to clean it up before you pitch it. The good news is that your assets age may help with an added $375 to stack on the value. Let's see if your assets history can help explain the data better.
Helpful information about spam scores:
- This guide from MOZ can help walk you through some stuff regarding spam scores: https://moz.com/help/link-explorer/link-building/spam-score
- This one provides a checklist to reduce high spam scores: https://www.copernica.com/en/documentation/some-tips-to-lower-your-email-spam-score
- This one will help with email blacklists: https://uptime.com/blog/domain-blac...:text=If your site is on,to ask to be removed.
WayBackMachine:
- Your asset resolved for the first time in 2001 as a redirect to AdSearches.com (Ad Server)
- In 2003 your asset resolved as a blank page, which is most times indicative of an ad server with a slow loading time.
- In 2004 your asset resolved as a directory style parked page
- In 2006 your asset resolved as a different directory style parked page
- In 2012 your asset redirected to chowcow.com (A free classifieds/Directory site)
- In 2014 your asset redirected to a SEDO Parked Page
- In 2016 your asset kicked a 403 error
- In 2022 your asset resolved as an inhouse sales lander
- In 2023 today your asset resolves as a Dan sales lander
Similar Brands:
LQT.de = Lander
LQT.net = Does Not Resolve
LQT.org = Sales Lander
LQZ.com = Does Not Resolve
PQT.com = Sales Lander
AQT.com = Does Not Resolve
GQT.com = Does Not Resolve
KQT.com = Sales Lander
HQB.com = Does Not Resolve
Opinion:
At first glance, it looks like some of your ranking data was going to help your asset with a little added value, but a closer look at the backlink profile did not jive with the data. A good acquisitions team may question if BlackHat techniques were used to manipulate the data. The 28% spam score will also be leveraged to devalue your asset, since a new start up would need to clean it in order to launch a trusted and authoritative brand on it. You'll want to clean it up before you pitch it. The good news is that your assets age may help with an added $375 to stack on the value.
All the sales reports we looked at, even the ones from a decade ago, are still landed or do not resolve. That's generally bad news, indicating resellers are having a hard time finding end users with Letter + Q + Letter sequence .com that want to build their brand on their assets. It's possible they paid too much too soon and got stuck holding the proverbial hot potato bag.
The good news for your asset is that we did identify multiple acronym possibilities (See definitions above) and found some real world use cases for your letter sequence (See logos above).
The hobbyist and end user values below will more than likely be an affiliate or freelancer looking to monetize with ppc, ppl, pps, etc. type campaigns. An end user may even seek a white-label partnership for a commission.
Your unicorn, in my opinion, is what I mentioned earlier:
1. LQT.com = LQT = An existing brand already using the acronym (Be sure to consult with an IP/TM attorney prior to pitching, developing or monetizing in these directions)
2. LQT.com = LQT (Letter Quality Tester) = An automated Grammar and error checker that will automatically correct your article for you
3. LQT.com = LQT (Liquor Time) = A new Liquor store brand
4. LQT.com = LQT (Lovers Quarrel Treatment) = A freelance marriage and relationship consultant brand
5. LQT.com = LQT (Little Cutie) = A new child modeling agency brand, fashion show, or pageant
6. LQT.com = LQT (Lasting Quality Time) = A new consultant for personal development
7. LQT.com = LQT (Lightning Quick Translations) = A new app translator brand that can quickly convert one language into another using voice to text or text to voice technologies
8. LQT.com = LQT (Little Quiet Torpedo) = A Military grade micro-torpedo that can avoid sonar detection...
The hard part is identifying the potential end-user, gathering more research on their specific niche, formulating a presentation, negotiating, and closing.
Your asset does have a little reseller liquidity, but you will still have to do a lot of leg-work to find the right buyer and apply the hard parts I also mentioned above, which in most cases, investors fail at.
Thoughts on yours (Domain Only) – (Nov 2023 Market):
- Reseller = $3.2k to $9.5k
- Hobbyist = $9.6k to $14.9k
- End user = $15k to $27.8k
- Unicorn = $27.9k to $103.5k+ (With the right presentation you could exceed this.)
- Reseller: This is a domain investor with no intention of developing. They generally park or use a landing page of their own to resell a blank canvased domain for a profit, either to other resellers, hobbyists, or end-users. These investors hand register, pay wholesale, or aftermarket pricing to lower the risk and increase profit potential. (Smallest budget)
- Hobbyist: This is a domain investor with intent to develop an asset themselves to increase value and provide a means for a domain to pay it's own renewals each year, eliminating renewal overhead expenses. This type of investor tests different markets with developments until they find a sweet spot, in which they expand development, optimize monetization efforts in a few different verticals, resell domains or domains + websites with verifiable traffic/revenue/etc., monitors the aftermarket, and pushes forward into entrepreneurship. (Mid-Budget)
- End-user: Contrary to popular belief, this is also a domain investor (They can be independents, partners, entrepreneurs, small businesses, large corporations, non-profits, or even government agencies). They invest in a domain name asset to develop for the purpose of generating revenue or delivering an important message to an online audience/customer base. Every hour and penny they put into that domain names development is still an investment into their digital asset (property), increasing the value, and potential. Most end-users have no intention of reselling a domain asset, however, it does still happen as part of company takeovers and acquisitions. (Biggest Budget)
- Unicorn: This is when all the planets align in your favor to discover the perfect end-user ready to take action with little to no negotiating to build their empire, not only with your domain asset, but also for the specific end-user direction I mentioned in the evaluation above. Unicorns are not part of normal evaluations and will only appear in this breakdown when a potential unicorn category is identified.
P.S. If you like my evaluation, let me know by commenting below or using the like/thanks feature. This helps encourage me to do more appraisals in the future when I have the time.
Thanks and good luck with your investments.
DISCLAIMER: For those reading this evaluation, please keep in mind that it's only for this domain name and not any variants or different combinations. It is not advised to register a bunch of variant domains based on a single domain evaluation. Each variant change may or may not decrease or eliminate value.
Value can never be determined from a single point of research or variable. It's also important to understand the potential use of a domain asset in terms of monetization and revenue structure. This gives an inside look at what such an asset may be worth in a particular niche industry.
These are quick evaluations based on my personal experience/knowledge in multiple direct and related online industries dating back to 2005, offline industries since 1996 and 40 to 90 minutes of current market research for the specific domain being evaluated. It should be noted that the most accurate evaluation can sometimes take several hours or even days of research, data compiling, comparisons, etc.
The views expressed in this evaluation are of my own, not those of namePros™.
This evaluation is not certified, nor does it constitute or reflect what a fully termed evaluation may reveal.
DO NOT use this evaluation alone as a reason to register or acquire a domain asset. Do your own due diligence and research before ever investing into anything in life.
Legal Notice: If you are dealing with a Brand asset of companies that may have been established prior to asset acquisition, you may want to consult with an IP/TM attorney in the country you reside. Most have 1 free consultation. Just to be sure, if you haven't yet.
Remember, at the end of the day, a domain name is truly only worth what a buyer and seller agree on.
Looking for more helpful articles about domain investing and reselling that I wrote over the years?
(Insight) Domain Evaluation/Appraisal Methodologies
Domain Selling Psychology - An Inside Look
Domain Investment Capital - Options
Marketing Ideas and Techniques
Thinking about branding and/or developing one of your domain assets?
Check out the namePros design contest section and design contest rules.
(Insight) Domain Evaluation/Appraisal Methodologies
Domain Selling Psychology - An Inside Look
Domain Investment Capital - Options
Marketing Ideas and Techniques
Thinking about branding and/or developing one of your domain assets?
Check out the namePros design contest section and design contest rules.
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