strategy Hand Reg Stratagies

[ThatNameGuy]

I've been hand registering domains for about a year now, and like anything else in life, practice makes for improvement. Recently I've been accumulating domains for the pot industry to include names that represent marijuana, cannabis, hemp, weed, etc. While most of the real good names are gone, one of my strategies is to add high value word to a domain you might like to own. For example, the names Cannabiz.com and HempOil.com were sold, but I was able to add the high value word "express" to each of these names in order to purchase them. So I'm the new prowd owner of CannabizExpress.com and HempOilExpress.com.

This is an example of just one of my strategies, and I'm willing to share more if there's interest. Anyone else have a strategy?

 

[bmugford]

To start with just because something is registered doesn't mean it is worth adding more terms just to register a worse version.

The more words you add to a domain the more diluted the value becomes, especially when it is more than one concept. You can have multi word domains are still one concept for instance LasVegasRealEstate.com. That is a 4 word domain but it is as short as that concept can be.

When you take a domain like HempOil.com. It clearly has good value, but as soon as you add an extra word the value loss is exponential.

These type of domains might be fine to use as an end user, but there are so many beginning and ending words you can use with it that it is hard to see many buyers paying a premium. There are far too many alternatives.

Brad

 

[Kate]

I have a strategy, that is not to handreg.
Unless I intend to use the domain name for some project.
Okay, from time to time, there are good names to be found, but that's the fallacy: there is no shortage of decent domains.
I prefer to allocate my budget toward domain auctions.

Here are some tests:

• has the domain name been registered in the past (if not - it's a bad sign)
• if it has, check the history on hosterstats.com, you might see a checkered history of multiple drops, which is another bad sign usually, it could mean several people speculated on the name but did not make a sale
  
• if the name has dropped, how long as it been sitting unregistered ? The logic is that a domain name that has remained untouched for two years will be hard to sell, since nobody though it was at least worth regfee.
• of course, it's often about timing so even if you get a nice domain you'll have to be patient - domaining is a trade for the patient investors

TL;DR version: invest your money very carefully. Quality > quantity.

 

[Joe N]

Not to be a buzz-kill here, but it would be great to hear about some actual sales of hand registered names from people. How were the names chosen? How were they sold? What research was done? That's what comes to mind for me when I hear "strategy".

I can start us off.

Name: ParkingLotDesign (in king)

Registered: December 2016
Sold: September 2017

Sale price: $1,100

Unless I'm registering future tech type names, my general hand reg process is to scan the deleted list on ExpiredNames.net. Typically I set the filters to 16 characters, 3 words max, .com only, and I often ask for a CPC value (1 cent minimum).

I almost always look for exact match product and service names.

I like this process a lot better than doing targeted research on keywords and industries. The primary reason is that I know I'm looking at names that have been registered previously, and within those are names that businesses may have used for websites. Of course this doesn't do a lot for quality, but it does mean the diamonds in the rough exist if you have the patience to scan a lot of names.

ParkingLotDesign jumped out at me right away for two reasons:

• It struck me as a niche that companies would either specialize in, or would be a primary focus.
• The structure of the name is perfect. I would have passed on ParkingLotsDesign, ParkingLotDesigns, ParkingLotDesigning, etc.

When a name catches my eye, I type it into Google, first with quotes and then without. My search uncovered that there were several potential end users for the name; maybe three of which are what I would consider good. When I say "good", I mean the company is substantially engaged in the product/service my name speaks to, and they rely on the internet for a good chunk of their sales/promotion. A mid-sized company is ideal... in large companies it can be hard to pin down decision-makers, and small companies often don't prioritize domain names.

Since I always rely on outbound with these types of names, that's pretty much where my research ends. I rarely care about history, CPC, or search volume. The end users never ask (okay, almost never).

There's one main question I need to answer yes to before buying the name:

Do my potential buyers care about being an online authority in this product/service?

Once I buy the name, I hold for two months before doing outbound, to ensure there are no issues if a buyer wants to transfer the name to another registrar.

I started doing outbound of ParkingLotDesign in the Spring of 2017. I sent targeted emails to about 10 potential end users. You must email people, not generic mailboxes or contact forms. Marketing directors and CEOs are best.

My emails are very straight-forward: "This name is for sale. I think you might be interested." Obviously I fancy up the language a bit, but that's all. I only provide more detail if they ask, and if they write back, usually all they want to know is the price.

If I don't hear back, I follow up a week later. This helps to let people know I'm a real person, not a scammer, and it takes care of any people who didn't see the first email or let it fall down their inboxes and forgot.

My first outbound attempts came up short, so I let the name sit over the summer. In August I reached out to a different contact at a company I had already contacted (my best potential buyer, I thought). This gentleman wrote me back on the same day with a price request. I said $1250, he countered $800, I came back with $1100 final offer. Sale done.

The site is now being used to promote the company's AutoCAD-style parking lot design software. It looks pretty good!

If I could boil it all down to a few tips, they would be:

• Patience and restraint are key when registering. 99.9% of names will not be good.
• Focus on names that existing companies will see real value in owning.
• Outbound is a great way to move these types of names. Keep emails short and professional. Use a professional email address (no Gmail, Hotmail, etc.)
• Follow up, and don't be afraid to try multiple people at the same company (especially if it's a bigger one).
• Keep prices reasonable, especially if your list of end users is on the lower end. Remember these are hand reg names... Yes, maybe you'll miss the odd golden opportunity, but making a $500 sale on a $10 name is pretty solid.

 

[Vito]

Anyone else have a strategy?

Yes, Stop.
Just Don't do it.

These peers of ours here are here to help you out. Please listen to them all. They have better things to do with their time, then to help someone who refuses to listen.

Adding more words to multiple word hand reg domains is throwing money away. It's just ridiculous..
Adding a 3rd word to a 2-worder already...Express, World, Kingdom, Network, Online. May as well throw an e on the front of your keywords, throw an i in front. Add an e with a hyphen, an i with a hyphen. It is just never ending. Save your $$$.

Seriously, Try real hard to sell any of the hand reg's you have regged already.
This will be your BEST lesson!

Until you finally prove to yourself that they are worthless, thats when you will finally save yourself some money.

Until then, listen to these fine peers of ours who have proven they know what they are doing in domaining already. If you're too hard headed to listen to anyone here then please stop asking for help you refuse to listen to.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Since the title of this thread does include the word strategy, although much of our discussion has been elsewhere , I would briefly say this is my hand-reg strategy (still evolving).

1. I start with the niches that are of interest to me (e.g. in my case science, space, education, biotechnology, materials science, positive psychology, medicine/health, some travel).
2. Within one of those, I list some words that to me are descriptive, positive, memorable, and catchy in some sense (mainly single words, sometimes two).
3. I check which extensions are available in the word. I evaluate if that word + extension makes sense. I think in future I will actually set a scale and do this semi-quantitatively.
4. I look at registration cost, renewal cost, and the history of both using TLD-list, if I don't already know the extension (I mainly consider about 10 extensions which I follow closely).
5. At this point I do GoValue just to see what it says, and note the comparator sales.
6. I look in NameBio at both direct and closely similar sales, usually only in com and net, and apply some sort of 1 to 10% factor of com price to what possibly end user ngTLD sale might be.
7. By this stage if my interest in domain name is still there I add it to the spreadsheet which I keep of potential ideas, including notes, valuations, etc.
8. I use up one of my free Estibot to get an evvaluation, and note the ad search stats and the CPC for it, and also note if it has made a mistake in the word (e.g. I had ClimateChange and it thought it was broken climat echange!). Add Estibot and date obtained on my spreadsheet.
9. At some point I do a Google search on the word, both with and without extension. For example, if the word was elephant in the science extension I would do a search on just elephant and one on 'elephant science'. I would look over the first page or two.
10. I would ask a few friends (non domain) what they think of word. If they seem positive I keep going, and maybe even if negative, but I do take that into account.
11. If I am almost ready to register, I don't let myself do it until I wait at least 4 or 5 days, being sure I still feel that positively (yes I miss some, and yes I sometimes don't follow this rule). During that time I make a list of who might want the domain name (in a general sense) and think about how I could get them to notice it.
12. I also during this time think about other unique aspects. Does it make a great domain name phrase? Is it a word that has nice symmetry or repetition - like silence.science or a twist of a common phrase like prospects.top. In Canada, words that are common to French and English appeal to me - like debut. I also like a lot domains I can get for multiple years at a good price.
13. If I am still positive a few days later, and if I have not exceeded my self imposed diet on new domain registrations for the month, I become a new domain name owner! If I have any lingering doubts though, I hold off. Sometimes I do in end register it, but often my lingering doubts become more serious, or someone takes it, or I find things that interest me more.
14. Once I have registered it I determine my exit plan. i.e. what is the minimum I would take for it, and if I get no offers will I probably renew it. In the vast majority of cases if I have no interest, or have done nothing effective to promote it, I do not renew it.

My WishList is probably about 15x (I could check exactly if not so lazy) the size of my registered list, meaning even those I look at carefully I usually don't register. My wish list is organized by extension, so if I see a great new promotion I am all set with research already largely done.

I hope this is helpful to someone. It was to me to write up , so one person at least.

Bob

 

[trelgor]

In the fantastic world of domaining, you find sellable (this is the key) names at a fraction of the possible asking price and you spend loads of time doing that. Then you sell a fraction of them at a crazy multiple of what you acquired them for, and purchase more of the same potential, then repeat the very same cycle.

It takes loads of (mostly expensively acquired) skill and loads of time.

Adding a premium modifier keyword to 2 keyword names in dotcom existance is not a strategy for me.

 

[Josh R]

Anyone that wants domains that are "valued" by GD for $1,100 to $1,500 then send me a DM. They'll cost you about $5 to $11 each and I'll send you a new list of 200 domains every single day for just a $100 flat fee.

That's right folks! What a deal.

 

[bmugford]

I'm already making money and intend to make whole lot more. I've offered to you and your peers to reach out to me personally to learn how, but none have. It speaks volumes!

No one believes you.

Brad

 

[lambo.com]

Joe....two of the three business ideas are still a work in progress. Having started 25 plus businesses in my lifetime, few of them really took off immediately, mostly due to lack of capital. In the case of First Car Memories for which I own the domain FirstCarMemories(.)com, I have several individuals including a local TV celebrity who is helping me with it. I've built out the business model/plan, and I'm meeting again with a local university where I'm to guest lecture this fall about helping me. Bottom line, it's still a go. The second business idea I had is part of my overall plan/strategy for selling domains to "end users" in general. The idea for displaying my domains via a trade show booth at the largest amateur golf tournament in the world held in Myrtle Beach, SC was put on hold due to a family wedding commitment in Annapolis, Md. A real character here on NamePros doesn't believe that is what happened, but if it didn't invade my nephews privacy I'd gladly show him the invitation for the wedding, and btw, this nephew is mine and my wife's Godson. In my business past I've done plenty of trade shows for businesses I've owned in both the financial services and the healthcare fields. If anyone wants to doubt me, I'd recommend they take a look at my Linkedin bio, and see the businesses I use to own and ask me anything about my trade show background and experience. Finally, nothing has transpired with regards to the Napkin Business model, and maybe never will. However, I've started work on a business plan/model for the NoCalDiet(.)com and ZeroCalDiet(.)com domains that I own to the extent I'm working with a Ph.d in nutrition and her employer.

Thanks for asking Joe

A zero calorie diet is the most stupid thing I'll hear today, maybe this month.

Doesn't seem very sustainable, is it targeted at people contemplating suicide? Not a very ethical demographic to target IMO

 

[Joe N]

Hey Rich!

How are you identifying/researching your high value keywords?

I think the strategy is sound if you're able to get solid evidence that the keywords selected are both:

• Popular among domain buyers
• Popular in business names within the industry

I like "Express" very much as a brand-worthy keyword in general, but I worry that using it as a third word in a domain name dilutes the value quite a bit. Definitely solid if it can be paired with another strong keyword to form a good two-word brand, though.

 

[bmugford]

It's no different to hoarding something of no value to anyone else, for example Pringle cans.

I am still banking on Beanie Babies to fund my retirement

Brad

 

[Vito]

Maybe peers of yours, but not peers of mine. This was just one of my strategies. Want to hear more?

No.

I want to hear how people make money in domaining. Thats all domainers want to hear.
I hope you can make money in domaining and share that story with us one day.

At this point, I am a firm believer you just need lots of attention and don't care about domaining at all.

Prove me wrong.

 

[Kpett]

Anybody can build a portfolio. Only those that know what they are doing can sell a portfolio.

 

[bmugford]

Here is a hand reg strategy...

Reg a bunch of bad domains, then create endless threads to spam them on NamePros.
Sure it has not resulted in any sales yet, but stay tuned

Brad

 

[bmugford]

Thanks Rich.

I'm starting to get a sense of your general strategy, but I suppose I'm interested in the specifics of what it would look like to actually sell one of the names to an existing business.

Let's take IncredibleMilk. Say I have a business in the dairy industry, with an active website.

I learn from you that Home.Loans sold for six figures, and that Cars.com sold for seven figures. I learn about the businesses you personally named. I learn about the value that GoDaddy has assigned to the domain name you're selling.

Now, where is the link that makes me want to buy IncredibleMilk? What problem is it solving for my business?

Yep. That is the difference between business theory and business reality.
Some people just talk about selling domains, some people actually sell domains.

Brad

 

[Capo Status]

I think registering domains successfully has a lot to do with taste, which is often overlooked and less subjective than people think.

@Bulloney It depends. Sometimes the plural version is better and sometimes the singular wins. It depends on which makes more sense in terms of the possible application(s). From the little time I've been doing this, singular seems to be better in most cases. Try to not rely on that GD tool too much (if at all).

I can see why hand-registering can be addicting. We're literally creating something that didn't exist before. We're turning our personal thoughts or an idea into something real that's potentially valuable and can be shared with others. On top of that it's a 1 of 1. The idea of registering domains is kind of romantic in a weird way.

 

[lambo.com]

The fact you"re insinuating I'm unethical speaks volumes about you. You don't know me, and it's obvious.
No stategy....are you kidding me? Again, you don't know me, lol

domain paupers who act like domain ballers deserve all the flack they get.

 

[MapleDots]

And just one more question MapleDots, I noticed you didn't comment on my mini niche portfolio of just six "melon" domains; CannaMelon, CBDMelon, MelonFusion, MelonHigh, MelonSpirits and RxMelon. Since you were the one who brought it up, I would appreciate your comments. Again, thanks in advance for your commentary.

The reason I don't comment on it is because I actually started domaining in 2002 and did it to about 2008 before I stopped. So many other domainers were trying to talk me out of my Maple niche that I gave up most of my domains. I had a couple of good deals on the stuff I had left and was back in full force by 2010. I ran under MapleOne, then MapleDomains and finally MapleDots.

Today I laugh at everyone who says a niche does not work because I have a good steady income from mine but I guess it has taken about 16 years to get to where it is.

The thing about niche domains is..... you've got to know your art. I know mine and I can talk all about it but I don't know yours. Could I apply your niche to my business.... probably not because it has taken me 16 years to build mine and quite honestly in another 16 years I intend to be sitting on an island somewhere.

My motto is to learn from all the experience on namepros but I have a GOLDEN rule and that is I NEVER NEVER make fun of anyone's portfolio because for some people it is their livelihood or a last kick at the can. I think there is enough room in the industry for .com and then a few other TLDs to pick up the scraps. Now that may sound bad but imagine apple and then some of the other phone companies. What Apple would consider scraps makes a pretty decent living for someone else.

So yes I did not comment on your portfolio directly because I am not qualified to do so. I admit that, I have mostly .ca with a number of .com's and the odd .org & .net. If you had a .ca I would probably be one of the most qualified people on the board to help you. A .com yup I have done well with them but because I have not dealt with other TLD'd I had better be quiet.

As far as your .com's go? If you have enough of them you will eventually make a few sales. Again there is no right and wrong, I see top domainers registering junk and I see newbies coming up with interesting ideas. Most old school domainers picked up their portfolio a long time ago and they were NEVER as creative as some of today's newer domainers. I admit that I see some new registrations where I say "why did I not think of that?"

Lastly.... there is some animosity on the board because people have hundreds of thousands of dollars invested and the new TLD's are making a bit of headwind and no matter how much bitching and complaining the Rick Schwartzes of the world do the new TLDs are not going away, a number of them will survive and thrive. They will never be .coms but by now you know my opinion of table scraps.

 

[lambo.com]

Generally, my strategy is to not hand reg because they are drawn from a cesspool.

I think some here on NP have Compulsive Hand Reg Disorder (CHRD). They could use support and help to break the habit.

It's no different to hoarding something of no value to anyone else, for example Pringle cans.

I probably register 1-5 a year. My last was, BuyABetter.com

I reckon slogans and expressions might be a decent area in the cesspool with slightly cleaner water.

 

[JB Lions]

I'm already making money and intend to make whole lot more. I've offered to you and your peers to reach out to me personally to learn how, but none have. It speaks volumes!

Since you brought that up.

You've posted you've sold 0 domains. 0.

Then posted you sold 4 and posted the names. Based on your posts, that was 4 domains at the beginning for $2,500 each to investors/friends. I'm guessing they gave you 10K to invest in new gtlds/other stuff in exchange. So you've been doing this for about a year, with no sales to your name. You posted about some booth/golf tournament, what happened with that? This was going to be you showing everybody some of your strategy, I was interested in it to see how it would work. But as the date got closer, all of a sudden you had a wedding to go to. The booth was for 4 days. So how many golf domains did you sell?

I'm further guessing your investors actually want to see a return, that's why you push it with this spamming and other things that have resulted in 3 temp bans so far.

 

[Kate]

Anybody can build a portfolio. Only those that know what they are doing can sell a portfolio.

There is a big difference between a domain collection and a domain portfolio. Anybody can build the former

 

[Bob Hawkes]

I think that we can all debate endlessly whether hand reg is viable or not.

• I am absolutely convinced that many have had success with hand registrations. I think this will continue to be true.
• If you want to take a relatively hands off approach to domain investing, invest in some quality names, list them on marketplaces, and sit back and wait for offers to trickle in, your best bets are picking up expired/expiring com domain names when you can get them at great prices. I am not saying the only way, and that is why i don't follow that route.
• I am also convinced that quality sells, and lack thereof does not, and that in com (and to some degree net and org) it is really hard to find quality in hand reg. Not impossible, but challenging.
• That argument is not true (in general) in new extensions. With 130 million plus com registered you have to be really skilled and adept at finding trends before others to find quality gems, whereas in new extensions often100,000 or less names have been registered. Even some of the new extensions are getting pretty depleted, but in some at least creativity and insight cam find good names to hand register. In many other cases you can pick them up for reg fees if you watch after others let them drop (the first year to renewal fee in some extensions lead to more dropping). Probably 20% of my acquisitions have been done this way, I saw a name I liked that was expiring in a few months, did not want to pay the price asked, waited through it expiring and passing grace, then picked it up for a discounted one year registration fee.
• I think that in general creative domain names in new extensions need to be promoted as opposed to waiting for end users or other domainers to come pick them up. I think how to effectively promote new domain trends is the key question. I thank the OP for his contributions, over many threads, to get us to think outside the box. I am sure most of the new ways we try will not be successful, but that is true of all innovation.
• As others have said, I have never heard anyone who is not expert in domain investing ask about the registration date of a domain name (except in the context of when will I need to pay to add years). I think age is honestly believed to be more important among brokers and traditional domain investors than it really is for end users. I am sure this comment will bring a flood of comments, and we have been around this debate on many threads, but I absolutely outside the domain community can't seem to find any personal, scholarly or even significant anecdotal evidence that it matters to the end user.

Have a good day everyone!

 

[Kate]

In light of the zero cal debate I should also add that if you are going the handreg route, I would advise that you pick names in niches you are familiar with. Otherwise the risk is very high that you will end up with domain names that nobody wants and you can't even use them since it's not an industry you are familiar with. Again, ask yourself why the names are still unregistered in the first place and how you could personally put them to good use. If you don't know, it's unlikely that somebody else will.

 

[lambo.com]

"I'm hoping you'll prove us wrong." First off Joe, who is US? I just finished telling someone here at NamePros that my lawyer has advised to never share sales information with anyone other than with someone that has a need to know like my accountant or the IRS.I can assure you that in all the businesses I've started, named and operated in the last 50, no one and I mean no one has ever expected me to share this kind of information. So are you busting my balls?....hell yeah you are, and I don't appreciate it in the least.

I haven't sold IncredibleMilk or IncredibleFlorida yet, and exactly how I sell them assuming I will, is 100% up to me. I've shared with you some of my strategy, and if it's not good enough for you, too bad.

Who is "us" again Joe...inquiring minds would like to know. This thread is titled "Hand Reg Strategies", and it was intended to "discuss" strategies not to bust my balls Joe. You might want to take a lesson from MetBob, a Canadian friend who is contributing, not debating.

The 'incredible' keyword is bad imo.

It's a super hyped up adjective that reeks of being disingenuous.

If you talk to real people about 'incredible milk', I reckon many will look at you with scepticism.

Misses the mark on a marketing level, at least that's how I see it.