Domain Valuation Tools

[evenflow]

Obviously many subjective factors go into the purchase of a domain name for investment but I am trying to better understand the quantifiable tools available. I expect answers will vary, but what kind of numbers, for the following, justify a good profitable name:

1. Overture Search Results, when do you strike?
2. Impressions, how many impressions to be considered good?
3. Uniques, how many uniques are needed to at least break even?

Other than earnings, are there any other concrete ways to determine a domain's potential? Thank you...

 

[.edu]

Impressions = Useless
Uniques the more the better. Everybody has their own preferences on traffic. For me 300+ a day is just dandy.

 

[lind]

10 uniques/day would at least give you back your reg fee.

 

[Redleg]

10 uniques/day would at least give you back your reg fee.

10 uniques pr day could easily give you back the regfee each day, it all depends on the domain and keyword(s)...

This tool is also quite usefull to determine the value of a domain:
http://uv.bidtool.overture.com/d/USm/search/tools/bidtool/

 

[evenflow]

Thanks for the estimates. I am finding this forum very insightful.

Based on your experiences in general, how much Overture traffic is required to generate 10 unique visitors? Again, I ask this understanding there is no exact formula. Rather, I am just trying to have a feel for the ballpark.

Also, any thoughts on how many impressions are needed for a unique?

 

[jstep]

impressions are how many page loads, so one person could site there all day and just reload

Uniques are based on different visits

 

[AdoptableDomains]

Since every name is unique, it's really hard to find a quantifiable way to value domains. I have people offer hundreds for names I almost let drop and get no offers on very good names. These are not easily quantifiable, but I find them useful in deciding whether a name is worthwhile, but not necissarily in this order.

1. How many potential users are there? - rocketrepair.com would have fewer potential buyers than carrepair.net since every town has many car repair shops. You may get more for the former name, but are less likely to find a buyer at all.

2. Availability of alternatives - Are other TLD's or variations already taken? are they developed or just parked by other speculators? Whois.sc is a great source to see if a domain is available in other TLD's and if it's in use or just parked. Also, what are the other options for names (plural, variations, synonyms, natural dashed words, etc)

3. Shortness - the shorter the better as long as it's descriptive. Flowers.com is super, flowershop.com is very good, theflowershop.com is just okay, and thelocalflowershop.com is a hard sell.

4. Alternate domains - does the TLD fit the domain? I think domains that fit the TLD are more valuable, ones that don't have less appeal.

5. Is it developable -Is there a good developed purpose for the domain? If not, it's just some words put together. Even a 1-word domain has little value if there is no good developed use for it.

I use a mixture of quantitative tools, qualitative decision, intuition, and experience to decide whether a name is worth registering or buying. My best advise is: if in doubt of the value, it probably has very little.

 

[evenflow]

Thanks again for the feedback.

Some of my domains are getting 200+ impressions but no uniques, any ideas on why that is?

Also, can someone tell me what is an impression?

 

[lind]

10 uniques pr day could easily give you back the regfee each day, it all depends on the domain and keyword(s)...
QUOTE]

Absolutely agree, 10 uniques a day should be enough to brake even with any name. Of course there are keywords, where a name with 10uniques/day will perform much-much better than that.

 

[TLDnetworks]

10 uniques/day would at least give you back your reg fee.

Is that via parking?

 

[Badger]

The amount of uniques a day is still hard to quantify Vs value e.g. any domain (with no development and no high listing) receiving in excess of 50 uniques a day, especially if its a longish name, is highly suspicious [with exceptions].

And its possible for two domains to have vastly different amounts of traffic only for the lesser one to be more valuable [many examples, depends on industry / type of site]. The key to it all (and which a lot of domainers are confused about) is in the marketing and branding of a name. You could have a domain called fh4892fh42.com e.g. and so long as it is either a brand or is marketed elsewhere (other than the net) then the domain will have an intrensic valuable.

If you have a developed / active domain for business purposes, the only real way to truely value your name is in through the old adage of 7-10 X earnings.

And, incidentally, if anyone has a domain with uniques in excess of 50 a day, PM me and i will seriously consider buying it! :blink: