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?

 

[ThatNameGuy]

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.

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.

 

[bmugford]

No one Brad? You might want to ask my wife and equity partners🏌
Btw, ever seen the symbol "Rx" Brad? Do you know what it stands for? While I already owned about a dozen healthcare domains using the symbol Rx, when I realized the growing medical use for marijuana/cannabis/hemp etc., I was able to hand Reg several short domains using Rx for this fast budding industry. As an FYI, each of the domains I was able to hand Reg for $8 appraises for $1,100 to $1,700. I have other strategies that have proven to discover/uncover good domains, but they're not in your wheelhouse.

Sure I know what it stands for. I sold RxCentral.com in the past.
How many RX domains have you sold? Appraisals are worthless.

Brad

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Sure I know what it stands for. I sold RxCentral.com in the past.
How many RX domains have you sold? Appraisals are worthless.

Brad

None yet Brad, but stay tuned. Working in the medical industry for 20+ years and knowing hundreds of docs, many of who specializes in "pain", gives me a huge advantage. Stay tuned

 

[trelgor]

Sure I know what it stands for. I sold RxCentral.com in the past.
How many RX domains have you sold? Appraisals are worthless.

Brad

Appraisals are worthless as far as apprasails go. But as sales promotion vehicles they may be very good, Legitimizes viable enduser pricing.

 

[NickB]

Like I thought, you have no hand registering strategies, nor do you care about mine.

We both have our own opinion, but where we are different is that I do not try and force my opinion onto other people.

You probably could make good money with your own site/s promoting your self styled expertise- might not be ethical but I doubt this would bother you......

 

[ThatNameGuy]

We both have our own opinion, but where we are different is that I do not try and force my opinion onto other people.

You probably could make good money with your own site/s promoting your self styled expertise- might not be ethical but I doubt this would bother you......

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

 

[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]

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?

I'll throw in a word of caution

Whenever you run into a misspell domain like simplii or cannabiz you have to make sure to check trademarks. I recently trademarked a misspell and if anyone adds a second word to it I will go after them. The misspell is a made up word and nobody has a right to it once I own the trademark.

I know you will want to debat that but I'll give you an example...

realtor.com & realtor.ca is one of the most heavily defended trademarks in the world and I had them with another word added to them. I was served, I thought about it and let the names go, it was not worth my effort to defend when it was obvious who owned the mark.

So be careful, misspells can be great but when someone has a trademark it could spell trouble.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

I'll throw in a word of caution

Whenever you run into a misspell domain like simplii or cannabiz you have to make sure to check trademarks. I recently trademarked a misspell and if anyone adds a second word to it I will go after them. The misspell is a made up word and nobody has a right to it once I own the trademark.

I know you will want to debat that but I'll give you an example...

realtor.com & realtor.ca is one of the most heavily defended trademarks in the world and I had them with another word added to them. I was served, I thought about it and let the names go, it was not worth my effort to defend when it was obvious who owned the mark.

So be careful, misspells can be great but when someone has a trademark it could spell trouble.

Thanks for the word of caution, and please understand that I have no reason to debate your advise regarding trademarks. I did check with the USPTO's TESS system, and discovered there are three different trademarks for "cannabiz" all with a different purpose. The first two stated their purpose to be of a computer/technical nature, and the third stated their purpose to be for education as seen here;

IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Educational services, namely, providing seminars in the field of the health and medicinal benefits of medical marijuana and hemp to companies and individuals. FIRST USE: 20091015. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20091015

Thanks again, and I appreciate the hospitality shown me by domainers from all over Canada.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Appraisals are worthless as far as apprasails go. But as sales promotion vehicles they may be very good, Legitimizes viable enduser pricing.

trelgor...you're exactly right when you say, "Appraisals are worthless as far as apprasails go. But as sales promotion vehicles they may be very good, Legitimizes viable end user pricing."

It's part of my strategy to use appraisals by the likes of Go Daddy to "legitimize" my end user pricing. I own now a portfolio of domains that all include the Rx symbol in the name. Most of them are domain/names for the medical profession, and a few of them make sense when used in conjunction with certain foods like LasagnaRx.com. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the symbol Rx also stands for "recipe". LasagnaRx is available to register and it appraises for $971 at Go Daddy, however I do own HeavenRx that appraises for $1,607 where the Rx symbol can mean your ticket to heaven

Thanks for chiming in trelgor, and I wish you all the best.

 

[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.

 

[Nezam Uddin]

Reminder to all:
Wordplay is the game, @Bulloney is the name

 

[Coinking]

I have own Cannabiz.store

 

[ThatNameGuy]

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.

Ahhh....the variables...you said your strategy "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"

Kate, I'm building a portfolio of so called "decent domains" because as you said, "there is no shortage of decent domains"

Already today I handregged FinityRx.com as seen on the popular thread Your Reg of the Day. Reasons why I hand regged it;

1. It was available
2. It's Brandable
3. It's Developable by me, a partner or a buyer
4. The definition of "Finity" is; Noun. (plural finities) (rare, uncountable) The state or characteristic of being limited in number or scope. (rare, countable) Something which is limited in number or scope.
5.GD appraises it for $1,493 and Nokta Domains Values it at $4,423
6. Appears to be no trademark issue
7. Cost $8.47 to register at GD
8. I like it, and it sounds like a name for a rare sports car as seen here;

Finally, it seems I have a propensity to locate and register "decent domains" as a result of 50 years of experience of starting and naming businesses. Oh, and one more thing, its FUN

 

[Kpett]

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

 

[ThatNameGuy]

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

Thanks....actually I'm better at selling than I am at building Stay tuned

 

[Jay Ha]

Hey @Bulloney just wondering if you are willing to invest in some relatively cheap aftermarket domains since it seems you don't need to control your spending. Us poor fellow domainers go for handregs because we're broke and haven't had a single sale to use its funds to go for previously registered aftermarket domains.

Another question: how many "rx" domains do you have in your portfolio right now?

 

[NYJimbo]

BananaRX.com

Estimated Value: $1,366

Now where did I put my credit card ......

In all seriousness, if you you want to get into the "rx" .com thing, get a list of the top 100 American last names, try with and without plural "S" and add "rx" to see if available.
Buy ALL of them for $1 each, put them up for low to mid $xxx and let them run a year. You can replace "rx" with "drugs" or "pharmacy" too.

"There are approximately 67,000 pharmacies in the United States."

 

[Jay Ha]

and Nokta Domains Values it at $4,423

Also, in my native language, the word 'nokta' means 'a joke' (there is also another explicit meaning but let's just not use it here). So yeah, this is one nokta of an appraisal.

 

[Joe N]

Thanks....actually I'm better at selling than I am at building Stay tuned

Rich, you had a few business ideas on the go last year. I was curious to know how they're going! One was your First Car Memories (I believe you were raising money); I think the other was something to do with Napkin Models (you were working with friends in the restaurant industry); and then the other was your .golf portfolio - you were going to market it at some golf conferences. How are they progressing?

 

[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!

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Rich, you had a few business ideas on the go last year. I was curious to know how they're going! One was your First Car Memories (I believe you were raising money); I think the other was something to do with Napkin Models (you were working with friends in the restaurant industry); and then the other was your .golf portfolio - you were going to market it at some golf conferences. How are they progressing?

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

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Thanks for the update @Bulloney in your reply to @Joe Nichols. I totally support the idea of placing higher priority on a family wedding, especially of a godson, than plans for a domain event! I think finding balance in time and life is important for us all.

CarMemories idea is interesting and I hope it works out for you. It seems specialized, but I do see the potential. I think having someone outside domain names is key to getting interest in innovative domain ideas, and the fact you have a celebrity on board will be a big plus.

I hope that you or others will do a tradeshow along the golf plans line. I think we will all be able to learn from the experience. I have tried to think of ways to do it in a small way in some area that I hold domains in, but they all seem to have too high cost barrier for my current risk tolerance.

I think the best prospects in trade shows are for those who invest in geo domains, since many of your potential customers are all in the same area. Ever since I read about pop up promotion (by this I don't mean internet pop ups, but temporary physical promotion vans, tables, structures etc. along the lines of those in these images).

Having expertise on board for the diet related names sounds super smart to me! The zero seems strange, but maybe Coke can come online for a diet that has their Coke Zero as part of it? Just joking, I think. Good luck! No doubt diet continues to be hot area.

Best wishes, and thanks for the detailed response @Bulloney.

Bob

 

[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