Help me understand GoDaddy Auctions (like I was 5)

[eqz13489]

Here is the deal. I've sold domains in the past, never using Godaddy Auctions...although this year I did subscribe to Godaddy Auctions to try it out.

All year I have not sold even ONE domain with them.

I know they have different features like premium listings which I have never used. But I can't imagine them charging me for the basic auctions account if people don't actually have success using it EVER.

I look at the auctions lists and see domains with bids that are selling, some of them are really just weird or in other words, they don't seem (to me) to have ANY value or even selling potential.

Now I'm not saying I have great domains, but I don't know...I think some of mine are pretty good...but that's all personal opinion I guess - however, I tend to think my domains seem to be a little better then the ones I've seen with success in GD auctions.

So I ask, can someone break this down to me like I am five? What is the secrete of those who are getting the bids? What are they doing to get them? Am I looking at an illusion? Fake Bids? Did they just throw the extra money into their listing when I didn't?

I just don't understand it and if there is someone out there who knows something I don't please please share it with me. I don't know if I'm allowed to name drop my domains I have listed there now, or name drop the silly names i've seen listed with bids for examples so I'll just end my post here and hopefully someone can enlighten me on this topic.

Thanks everyone!

 

[cdboard]

it's worked ok for me. I sold two there last month. I plan on adding more domains to their auction system this weekend, all with a minimum offer.


two days ago I received an offer, and decided to try sending it to auction instead of counter-offering.
doing so turned it into a seven-day auction with the offer I received as the opening bid. I am hoping the bid will get the attention of other domain buyers.

 

[eqz13489]

it's worked ok for me. I sold two there last month. I plan on adding more domains to their auction system this weekend, all with a minimum offer.


two days ago I received an offer, and decided to try sending it to auction instead of counter-offering.
doing so turned it into a seven-day auction with the offer I received as the opening bid. I am hoping the bid will get the attention of other domain buyers.

I've used them all year not one bite.

If i could share a couple of the domains I've tried there I think most people would be surprised that I got no bites. I don't think its my domains really at all.

Perhaps I just have bad luck there or people are not seeing mine? I dont know. At least someone is having success lol

Did you do this with the basic godaddy auction account? Or did you add extra paid features to the listing?
I've never used the extra paid features but I've tried the offer counter offer and 7 day auctions. very frustrated only because I paid for the account. Sheesh. I've had x10 more luck merely throwing some onto ebay. hmmm

 

[Kate]

There is no secret really. There are millions of domains for sale, but few buyers.
The best way to sell domains, is to have domains that people would look for. Exposure isn't the problem. Yes it's about your domains. Doesn't mean they are bad or will never sell, it could be a matter of time. But remember, the market cannot absorb all the supply.
Again, you are not alone...

 

[Name Trader]

I sell about half a dozen domains a year on GoDaddy, never paying for any extras. All my domains are make offer with a $999 minimum (to get rid of the time-wasters). I get offers almost every day in the last 3 months. If I'd accepted the minimum offer for every offer I've received, I'd would have been smiling all the way to the bank. But would have depleted the quality of my portfolio substantially. There is no secret to selling on GoDaddy Auctions. If you have domains people want (one or two word .com domains), you will get offers. I don't think there are any rules about posting your domains here, but check the rules at the top of the page.

 

[eqz13489]

I've had one word .com's and really good dotcoms that never took on godaddy auctions, but I had better luck on ebay and through my own website actually when i finally made a wordpress site there were good offers. but it took too much time to maintain so I don't really mess with the wordpress anymore.

Like on ebay I think I sold 4 of my domains for the mid xxx's
But mostly i just put domains there and sell them for low xx's.
Surprisingly I sold a one word .net on ebay for 100 bucks lol.

two that were not .com's but in my head I thought would sell pretty easy were these two. I had them on Godaddy Auctions before:

poked . me
psychological . info

I still have these two domains and have since decided to hold on to them actually- so those are not listed in godaddy anymore...but they were. I had poked on ebay and someone bought it for a couple hundred but never paid up they just asked for a few extensions the unpaid item assistant opened on them and closed but they asked to buy it again after that and (stupidly?) I decided to keep it. But the point is that i had them on godaddy a few times with 0 views 0 bids.

Right now I have other domains up on godaddy, a handfull of various ones. The ones I have that are neurological based I thought would either be a hard sell or an easy sell...but nothing yet.

so I guess there is no secret. LOL. which brings me to, if those of you are having luck on Godaddy Auctions...is there somewhere else that you might have MORE luck? Like Flippa or anything?%%-

 

[Name Trader]

GoDaddy has been best for me since I started listing my domains on Sedo, Afternic, GoDaddy, MyOwnWebsite, at the beginning of last year.

 

[4better]

But the point is that i had them on godaddy a few times with 0 views 0 bids.

Well, with 0 views it's definitely a no-sale. You just can't expect your domain to be sold if nobody has seen it. One thing for sure, if someone sees your domain, become interested on it, and then make the first bid you have a better chance of greater exposure. You'll have a higher percentage of getting more bids as a result.

 

[eqz13489]

Well, with 0 views it's definitely a no-sale. You just can't expect your domain to be sold if nobody has seen it. One thing for sure, if someone sees your domain, become interested on it, and then make the first bid you have a better chance of greater exposure. You'll have a higher percentage of getting more bids as a result.

Agreed, makes complete sense. Just cant figure out why my domains are not being seen....

I posted above a a couple of the many domains I have listed...I see some weird weird weird domains being viewed and bid on in godaddy which is why i'm scratching my head about my own LOL.

Like eg.....these I'm looking at and think, wtf:
applicationsforfood . org 22 bids
casamariquitahotel . com over 30 bids

I could name at least 50 domains I see getting tons of action that i look at and think WTTTTF....those don't even compare to my psychological . info and poked . me among many others I have that are .com.

Am I just liking my own domains here too much or do you see my point about the comparison and why im so confused? honestly? lol i wont be offended.

 

[NameOmnia]

I honestly normally WTF too about GoDaddy Auctions as I see horrible domains with bids and better ones without.

I listed some of mine ( mainly LLLL ) so I always got bids butno bids at all for all the others that weren't LLLLs. Maybe someone here can share some tricks...

I agree that there are a tons of domains for sale but certainly there aren't a few buyers...

 

[AEProgram]

I honestly normally WTF too about GoDaddy Auctions as I see horrible domains with bids and better ones without.

I listed some of mine ( mainly LLLL ) so I always got bids butno bids at all for all the others that weren't LLLLs. Maybe someone here can share some tricks...

I agree that there are a tons of domains for sale but certainly there aren't a few buyers...

there are some other factors people who buy domains consider (some people).

For example, if a name is ujhbrbe8.com and has a pr6 and 150 linkbacks it can go for 10x more than a name that might look and sound better.

 

[pchip]

poked . me
psychological . info

Begin honest, these two names that you registered are terrible. Like sdsink said "The best way to sell domains, is to have domains that people would look for". If the names that you listed are any indication of the quality of your domain portfolio, nothing is going to help you sell your domains.

Any comparisons you're making with recent sales on any platform should be taken with a grain of salt. Some names sell because they're great names, while others leave us scratching our heads.

Since you have better luck selling your names on ebay, I would recommend going back there. Just my .02

 

[cdboard]

it might be worth saying here, that you can have the domains listed on godaddy (make offer), sedo (make offer), ebay (buy now), AND have a landing page with a note that the domain is for sale with a contact email.

all at the same time.

just close the ebay auction before accepting any other offer, so there won't be a conflict.

 

[equity78]

First off you are seeing a lot of domains that are expired auctions, these are not domains someone has for sale, they are expired and Go Daddy gets the money for a completed auction.

Like someone else said, a lot of names that look bad or ugly may have backlinks and be a pr6 and there are buyers out there for those types of names.

Remember Go Daddy Auctions is different from Premium Listings which show in the registrar path.

Most people are not going to auctions.godaddy.com and putting in the search bar for poked, so no one is going to see your name, so you cannot make sales of names no one is looking for.

Go Daddy is not magic, there are a lot of names and without visibilty or anything else it will be hard to make a sale.

You should always use your own site, and direct your domains there, so you can deal with the customer on your terms, you list your names at Sedo,Afternic and Go Daddy for extra exposure.

 

[robdocherty]

Understand that all any of the aftermarket platforms are - are just that - platforms. You have to market them yourself, or have solid enough names - as well as somebody proactively marketing them to get a sale. I've had success with AfterNic, AKA GoDaddy now - and sell domains weekly myself... and I hand register names, they sell for over $500+.

It takes fire in your belly, and a sales mentality.

To answer: GoDaddy is just a platform - they have visibility - but most people are just cruising.

 

[alien51]

You are also not considering that many humans do buy domain names from auction or counteroffers, only to end-up scratching their heads and asking themselves Why-TF did i spend 800 bucks on this crap?

I have spent time researching in the past about completed domain sales, and many of them just end up as dead/crappy sites. In fact, there have been threads here at Namepros about humans who posted they were in a bidding war with a domain that just doesn't make any sense.

You know, just because someone paid good money on a domain, it doesn't necessary conclude he is a very bright person. But if you are the SELLER, it doesn't matter if the buyer was an idiot. As long as you get the cash, you will then post here and say you made a sale.

 

[robdocherty]

Alien51 has a point... I feel that as a responsible member of the domaining community you should try to provide a value in your domain purchases when intending to sell them to another person. Will it really help them? If not, why waste money on the name? Many of us buy names that we know can help others, or we have our own thought out intentions for the name in question.

 

[forge]

Like you were 5? OK.

The internet is a series of tubes. One day, Mr. Farmer sat in his barn scratching his head in puzzlement because he knew he needed to sell more moo milk to keep his dairy afloat. "Moo!" said Mr. Cow, sensing Mr. Farmer's foul mood.

"Why, that's it EXACTLY Mr. Cow, thank you!" I shall use this series of tubes to sell my moo milk and buy myself a PREMIUM .com domain name! Mr. Cow, do a Google search for "cybersquatter," on the double!"

 

[robdocherty]

lmfao.

 

[alien51]

you should try to provide a value in your domain purchases when intending to sell them to another person. Will it really help them?

Well, there is really nothing much to add in value in domain names. They are "as is" goods.

Some domainers showcase their names by plastering them in various exotic fonts, adding logos, or putting up mock websites. It's like trying to sell clothes by putting those clothes in a mannequin or ramp model. Maybe doing that can convince a sale.

Some other "added value" i've seen in the past, is doing some kind of pre-sale chit-chats or pep talks on a potential buyer trying to find a connection between the customer's business and any one of the domains in your portfolio you want to sell.

However, on most occasions, Domainers do not have that kind of time doing "added value service". And when you list your domains at Godaddy Auctions (which is what this thread is about), there is no such thing as "added value" (except for inherent traffic/PR score). What you see, is what you get.

 

[eqz13489]

Begin honest, these two names that you registered are terrible.

Well I wouldn't call them terrible. Both of them have had potential buyers. Poked, I backed out after the guy on ebay wanted an extension due to some problem with his paypal. He had great feedback and scores so I know he would have paid eventually....like I said mid xxx's. I eventually decided to keep that domain and didn't give him the extension for my own personal reasons after the fact. mid xxx's is pretty damn good to me considering the price I actually paid for it. lol

Psychological put on godaddy auctions when I first acquired it with no bites. But I don't want to sell that one either right now...but "outside" of godaddy I've had offers in the xxxx's.

I used those two as examples because I've had great offers on them, just never understood why when I did actually have them on godaddy no one could even see them or bid on them. (although it confuses me, I'm glad I didn't sell them because I'm holding those for my own reasons right now and don't plan on letting them go right now)

I own a lot of domains, majority of them usually are for a reason and not just random purchases. But that is an entirely different conversation lol.

it might be worth saying here, that you can have the domains listed on godaddy (make offer), sedo (make offer), ebay (buy now), AND have a landing page with a note that the domain is for sale with a contact email.
.

Agreed. Godaddy is not usually how I list or sell domain names. I used to use sedo but I hate that site so now I just use voodoo. Ebay I've had luck selling domains, but I've had more luck other places.

First off you are seeing a lot of domains that are expired auctions, these are not domains someone has for sale, they are expired and Go Daddy gets the money for a completed auction.
.

That's helpful to know. THank you! =) Are you also kind of saying many of these auctions are listed from the people at godaddy and I'm seeing those listings?

------------------------------------
I really just wanted to understand the godaddy auctions site better, if I'm looking at fake bids and manipulation or not, and the context of the domains I'm looking at. I get confused because I can sell other places, but godaddy was different in a strange way I could not put my finger on. I only cared because I spent money on their auctions accounts - not really because it's the only way to sell domains and I've had way better luck other places and ways.

These questions came up for me when someone mentioned to me that on godaddy the bids never mean anything because it's being manipulated - and by my own experience of not even getting views I was unsure how the whole auction site worked.

Someone above is talking about "people don't typically search for xxxxx so therefore it won't be seen" ---- and this made the most sense to me. Unlike places like, for example, ebay where someone just types in "domain" and they get a long list of everything and choose from them.

I was also curious if the successful sellers on godaddy were using the extra listing upgrades to attain that success. I'm most likely not renewing my go daddy auctions account because it's been useless to me...but I just wanted to ask around first about it.
Thanks for the feedback. =):tu:

---------- Post added at 11:06 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:02 AM ----------

Like you were 5? OK.

The internet is a series of tubes. One day, Mr. Farmer sat in his barn scratching his head in puzzlement because he knew he needed to sell more moo milk to keep his dairy afloat. "Moo!" said Mr. Cow, sensing Mr. Farmer's foul mood.

"Why, that's it EXACTLY Mr. Cow, thank you!" I shall use this series of tubes to sell my moo milk and buy myself a PREMIUM .com domain name! Mr. Cow, do a Google search for "cybersquatter," on the double!"

LOL WHAT?

I know what a cybersquatter is, just not sure what your talking about here.

Are you saying that godaddy auctions is just a bunch of listings by cybersquatters?

I said, explain godaddy auctions in context of how people are using it....not confuse the crap out of me by writing some cryptic story about a cow. no offence. lol

 

[Icenevermelts]

I have sold a good amount of domains on godaddy auctions for low to high xx. I got few bids on those domains that I thought would get more bids, and got more bids on the domains that I wanted to let expire. Your domains are visible to those who is using keyword searching. If I need a logo related domain I look only at domains which has logo word in it and search engine shows all those domains.

 

[AEProgram]

Here is the deal. I've sold domains in the past, never using Godaddy Auctions...although this year I did subscribe to Godaddy Auctions to try it out.

All year I have not sold even ONE domain with them.

I know they have different features like premium listings which I have never used. But I can't imagine them charging me for the basic auctions account if people don't actually have success using it EVER.

I look at the auctions lists and see domains with bids that are selling, some of them are really just weird or in other words, they don't seem (to me) to have ANY value or even selling potential.

Now I'm not saying I have great domains, but I don't know...I think some of mine are pretty good...but that's all personal opinion I guess - however, I tend to think my domains seem to be a little better then the ones I've seen with success in GD auctions.

So I ask, can someone break this down to me like I am five? What is the secrete of those who are getting the bids? What are they doing to get them? Am I looking at an illusion? Fake Bids? Did they just throw the extra money into their listing when I didn't?

I just don't understand it and if there is someone out there who knows something I don't please please share it with me. I don't know if I'm allowed to name drop my domains I have listed there now, or name drop the silly names i've seen listed with bids for examples so I'll just end my post here and hopefully someone can enlighten me on this topic.

Thanks everyone!

upload pics

 

[eqz13489]

LOL! This makes sense now!

 

[verbster]

Psychological put on godaddy auctions when I first acquired it with no bites. But I don't want to sell that one either right now...but "outside" of godaddy I've had offers in the xxxx's.

You've had multiple $XXXX offers for psychological.info and you didn't accept one?