Ebay Domain Sales

[loscocco]

Has any had any luck recently with selling domains on Ebay? I sold a few a year or two on there and was not impressed wiht th eprices i got for them. Is it worth it list them there. Either premium names ($xxxx+) or cheapo names ($xx)?
Even for the exposure?

 

[NameClerk]

Ebay is tough but there are a few sellers that do well on there. The key is to develop a customer base who faithfully bid on your auctions. This takes time and you'll have to sacrifice a lot of decent domain names to build that customer base up to a decent level.

By sacrifice, I mean listing a good domain name and only getting $11.25 for it, minus the Ebay fees. Other times you might only get $1.25. That's happened to me many times. I also get $30, $50 and $100 sales. It all averages out.

Essentially, you break even, but, since you've gained a new customer, you're actually ahead. Repeat this enough times and your customer base will grow enough to become profitable.

That's how I use it. It's kinda like a "loss leader." If you've ever worked in retail you probably know what I'm talking about.

 

[floatingworld]

good contribution nameclerk.
the concept of averaging out and managing risk comes with business experience.

 

[edwinfelix]

eBay domain sales are horrible.
IMO don't rely on eBay domains sales for profit. Use it only for publicity and getting rid of your domains.

 

[primavera]

Not good for selling but you can find some deals there.

 

[Damion]

Maybe i don't see the whole picture here but i can't understand and have to disagree with Nameclerk on the business model he described.

Customer base for domains? Selling electronics online...the grocery store on the corner...record shop down the street is suitable for developing a customer base.

I'm planning to sell domains to end users for the most part and that is 99% a one time deal since the domain would apply to their business or intentions online.

The relation customer base and domains just don't apply in my vision. Only when it comes to selling domains to resellers.

So come to think of it it just depends what your goal is for selling your domains.

 

[edwinfelix]

Customer Base = The # of people added you as favorite seller.

 

[Volholic]

I know you can get great deals on there
I just bought a very good .com for 4.34 a few days ago.
If the person does not try and back out
She is saying she will try and transfer it to my account.
It is a hosting company so it does not look like I can sign up for an account without hosting.

 

[mcaricofe]

I do the same thing that NameClerk.com described. It's working well.

 

[2Cunning]

i sold a really pants name for £120 but apart from that not much luck

 

[Devil_Dog]

Bought tikestore.com from Nameclerk a few days back for a good price so he's added another customer to his base.

 

[Damion]

Customer Base = The # of people added you as favorite seller.

I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[swimjenni]

I enjoy picking up some great deals there. I have even sold a domain I bought on there a month later for 50 times what I bought it for. I have few sellers I have look for since I know they are good, honest and fast. I don't normally sell domains on there.

 

[accuname]

Ebay is tough but there are a few sellers that do well on there. The key is to develop a customer base who faithfully bid on your auctions. This takes time and you'll have to sacrifice a lot of decent domain names to build that customer base up to a decent level.

By sacrifice, I mean listing a good domain name and only getting $11.25 for it, minus the Ebay fees. Other times you might only get $1.25. That's happened to me many times. I also get $30, $50 and $100 sales. It all averages out.

Essentially, you break even, but, since you've gained a new customer, you're actually ahead. Repeat this enough times and your customer base will grow enough to become profitable.

That's how I use it. It's kinda like a "loss leader." If you've ever worked in retail you probably know what I'm talking about.

That "Synthetic Rhyme" seller is doing well. Looks like he has a customer base since almost all his domains have at least one bid.

 

[MsSpider]

Ebay....

I just bought a domain (WebsitePlay.com) from SyntheticRhyme for $2.36! And of course I'm going to try to get more from it than what I paid...shouldn't be hard!

And I will be watching his future auctions...

I have been wondering about selling on Ebay, too...

 

[NameClerk]

Bought tikestore.com from Nameclerk a few days back for a good price so he's added another customer to his base.

Thanks Devil Dog. That is a very good domain. I was surprised you didn't have more competition for that one.

I can only speculate, but I've got a feeling if one of the other sellers who have a larger "customer base" on Ebay put that same domain up for auction, it would have sold for much more.

6 months from now, I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to prove you can make good money on Ebay selling domain names. Some are already doing it with lesser quality domains than I offer IMHO. It just takes time to make a name for yourself and build up a following.

I'm planning to sell domains to end users for the most part and that is 99% a one time deal since the domain would apply to their business or intentions online.

You can disagree but you and I are talking about two different things. My customer base is primarily domain resellers who buy domains from me and then try to sell to end users. Almost all of my customers are repeat, or will end up being repeat customers.

 

[HiPurple]

Essentially, you break even, but, since you've gained a new customer, you're actually ahead. Repeat this enough times and your customer base will grow enough to become profitable.

That's how I use it. It's kinda like a "loss leader." If you've ever worked in retail you probably know what I'm talking about.

EXCELLENT post, NameClerk! Your advice is always right on the money and appreciated. I've used the same model to sell various items on eBay, and customer loyalty is prime.

In your example, however, I am curious. What is your backend profit? I am assuming that you have an active mailing list / newsletter that you send to your customer base, but do you promote only your ebay auctions or is there something else? From what I have seen, your "available domain lists" are free (and very appreciated), so I was just wondering where you backend money comes from... especially if you are taking bites on some of your ebay names.

Thanks... and keep up the good work!

 

[Don]

Another great ebay seller to watch and learn from is Domain-Catcher.

Try to brand your auctions as much as possible... whether it's a snazzy name, a specific image for your listings or simply using the same template for all your auctions... if you sell decent names - eventually people will remember you and seek you out.

Pay attention to your listing days/times too. I've found that listing between 8/9pm EST is usually best because more people across the US are out of work and able to attend those last second bidding wars.

Another thing I used to do with names that I thought had a good chance to break low $xxx.. is setup a small 5-10 dollar adwords advertising campain to drive targetted traffic to the ebay listing... just getting one more bidder that's interested in the name can drive the sale price up a ton.

Advertise your ebay auctions as much as possible. Don't spam, but wherever is appropriate... let people know what you have for sale. Exposure, exposure, exposure!

Good Luck!

 

[NameClerk]

From what I have seen, your "available domain lists" are free (and very appreciated), so I was just wondering where you backend money comes from... especially if you are taking bites on some of your ebay names.COLOR]

Actually, stay tuned and you'll see what the master plan is.

The list is a lot of work. Way to much work just to promote my Ebay auctions. I haven't even been listing auctions until recently. I took a break about a month ago and didn't start listing again until last week. I've had a plan that I've been working towards for months. Another two weeks or so and it should be done.