Domain investing analogies - How do we get end-users to understand the opportunity?

[Fork]

We've all been there. We pitch a domain to an end-user to only be disappointed by a low-ball offer or ignorance of domain values and aftermarkets.

My question to you is -

How do you put the idea of a domain purchase into a perspective that will turn on the light bulb in an end-user's head?

 

[smurge]

Virtual realestate!


.com = parkplace
.net = marvin gardens
.info = baltic ave


Would you prefer to be on Parkplace and look like a million bucks or be sitting on the corner of baltic begging?

 

[alien51]

I can't describe how incredibly frustrating it is to be blown off by people that run successful websites and businesses on some hyphenated dot net when I'm offering them the generic, exact-match dot com.

First of all, if people already know me by my "hyphenated dot net" (counting those who already bookmarked my URL), what's your compelling marketing reason why i should move out to your new address ???

Second, you must show proof that the domain your are peddling is already driving attractive amounts of traffic. Most sales pitches from domainers, are just hypothetical hype.

Third, if your asking price is ridiculously expensive, i probably can survive and remain successful without your domain.

Bottomline: you have to place yourself in the shoes of an "end-user", and try to forget the thought that you are a domainer.

 

[Fork]

First of all, if people already know me by my "hyphenated dot net" (counting those who already bookmarked my URL), what's your compelling marketing reason why i should move out to your new address ???

Second, you must show proof that the domain your are peddling is already driving attractive amounts of traffic. Most sales pitches from domainers, are just hypothetical hype.

Third, if your asking price is ridiculously expensive, i probably can survive and remain successful without your domain.

Bottomline: you have to place yourself in the shoes of an "end-user", and try to forget the thought that you are a domainer.

I'm talking purely from a branding standpoint and assuming the domain is fairly priced and has no traffic.

If I had an established site on a hyphenated dot net, I personally wouldn't hesitate to "upgrade" to the un-hyphenated dot com (assuming the lack of hyphen makes sense) for a couple months worth of the profit (profit, not revenue) generated by the existing site/business. That was the particular case which inspired this question. I was putting myself in his shoes and I would be all over it if it were offered to me. It's an instant authority boost for little cost in the long run.

 

[alien51]

It's an instant authority boost for little cost in the long run.

"Little cost" is subjective. How much would you be asking, if you are the domain seller of such "brandable" domain?

I'm talking purely from a branding standpoint and assuming the domain is fairly priced and has no traffic.

I would be having second thoughts, if you claimed ealier that this is an "exact-match dot com", and yet you have NO TRAFFIC.

 

[Fork]

"Little cost" is subjective. How much would you be asking, if you are the domain seller of such "brandable" domain?

I would be having second thoughts, if you claimed ealier that this is an "exact-match dot com", and yet you have NO TRAFFIC.

Let's stay on topic, please. There's no need to poke holes in every detail of my personal reasons for creating this thread. The question itself (a hypothetical, mind you) is simple and straightforward. smurge has the right idea, follow his/her lead.

 

[alien51]

I'm an operator of a dozen "end-user" websites myself, that is why i'm asking you these questions.

But if that's the answer you will give me, i'm going to pass your offer on your domains. So probably that's one reason why "end-users" are not biting your domainer approaches.

 

[Turrican]

You cant,there are 1 or 0 ,no othere things

 

[Fonzie]

Good domain names sell themselves and require very little narrative on the part of the 'domainer' who's trying to sell it.

If you asked people to post the domains they are trying to sell, it's usually very clear, very quickly, what the problem is, and it isn't the end user.

Sometimes, though, really good domains just engender very little interest from the people you'd expect to want them. I was brokering a pretty big one word .com recently, marketed the hell out of it to every relevant industry entity, no interest. Why? The players in that industry were mostly hicks, not very sophisticated with understanding how an industry defining domain name relates to marketing.

So, assuming you have a good domain (which is the hard part; essentially nobody who remains on Namepros has such names. They have garbage that they believe are good, but really is worthless to everyone else) the question is, how do make an end user 'get it'?

The answer is, you don't. "Domain name intelligence' is a pretty esoteric mode of knowledge. The ones destined to get it do so at once without need for any 'explanation'. The ones who don't, don't.