poll How do buyers first discover your domain name?

[Eric Lyon]

I’m curious to see how some domain investors think buyers initially come across the domains they’re selling. Whether it’s through tools, platforms, or just random chance, I’d love to hear your take.

Please vote in the poll and share any thoughts or experiences that you've had.

Most of the options are self-explanatory, but in case it's not clear, here's what a few of them mean:

• Domain Name Generators: Buyers discover available domains by generating suggestions based on keywords or ideas
• Social Media and Forums: Buyers stumble across domains for sale through niche communities like NamePros, or X. A buyer learning about domains or skimming listings might spot a domain and realize it’s perfect for their project.
• Real-World Inspiration: Buyers organically, overhearing a phrase in casual conversation, spotting a catchy term in an article, seeing something on TV, or playing off a competitor’s branding.
• Random Keyword Exploration: Buyers play around, typing or pasting quirky combos together to see what fits their niche and theme.
• Industry SEO Research: Buyers dive into search engine optimization trends, keyword analysis, search volumes, or competitor strategies to find domain names that align with high-ranking or profitable niches.
• Other: E.g. Brand Managers, Domain Consultants, Brand design contests, etc...

The above list may not be all-inclusive, but it covers the majority of sources potential buyers may have found a domain name. This poll should help everyone narrow down some the sweet spots in domain buyer exploration, so they can potentially pivot and put more efforts into the areas that are getting the most eyeballs and attention.

I look forward to seeing where everyone's buyers are coming from and hope that the combined data in the poll helps you narrow down a better targeted campaign strategy to get optimal exposure for your domains in the future.

 

[Eric Lyon]

Bumping to the top in case the weekend buried the poll.

Looking forward to your poll votes

 

[HotKey]

Ticked off a few, including Other (via personal portfolio site, if the domains are redirected there).

 

[biggie]

Hi Eric

in the beginning, all buyers/sales came from forum posts
during those times, had a few repeat buyers who sometimes, when available, would buy "packages" of names.
ahh, the good old days

after a while, they/buyers came via incoming email
then some came via phone calls
and some came via direct navigation
then majority started coming via marketplaces
and now, if i get a sale, it's prolly from one of the above, except not answering unknown phone callers
(too many seo and design clowns calling)


imo.....

 

[a.Dot]

I’m curious to see how some domain investors think buyers initially come across the domains they’re selling. Whether it’s through tools, platforms, or just random chance, I’d love to hear your take.

Please vote in the poll and share any thoughts or experiences that you've had.

Most of the options are self-explanatory, but in case it's not clear, here's what a few of them mean:

• Domain Name Generators: Buyers discover available domains by generating suggestions based on keywords or ideas
• Social Media and Forums: Buyers stumble across domains for sale through niche communities like NamePros, or X. A buyer learning about domains or skimming listings might spot a domain and realize it’s perfect for their project.
• Real-World Inspiration: Buyers organically, overhearing a phrase in casual conversation, spotting a catchy term in an article, seeing something on TV, or playing off a competitor’s branding.
• Random Keyword Exploration: Buyers play around, typing or pasting quirky combos together to see what fits their niche and theme.
• Industry SEO Research: Buyers dive into search engine optimization trends, keyword analysis, search volumes, or competitor strategies to find domain names that align with high-ranking or profitable niches.
• Other: E.g. Brand Managers, Domain Consultants, Brand design contests, etc...

The above list may not be all-inclusive, but it covers the majority of sources potential buyers may have found a domain name. This poll should help everyone narrow down some the sweet spots in domain buyer exploration, so they can potentially pivot and put more efforts into the areas that are getting the most eyeballs and attention.

I look forward to seeing where everyone's buyers are coming from and hope that the combined data in the poll helps you narrow down a better targeted campaign strategy to get optimal exposure for your domains in the future.

Entrepreneurs may search for domain availability on the website platforms as a first go. They may be willing to pay if they want the domain to match the business concept or business theme. Not sure there's any awareness of forums at that stage.

 

[GAnd]

Hi Eric

in the beginning, all buyers/sales came from forum posts
during those times, had a few repeat buyers who sometimes, when available, would buy "packages" of names.
ahh, the good old days

after a while, they/buyers came via incoming email
then some came via phone calls
and some came via direct navigation
then majority started coming via marketplaces
and now, if i get a sale, it's prolly from one of the above, except not answering unknown phone callers
(too many seo and design clowns calling)


imo.....

Are you selling SEO domains or brandable domains?

 

[Wesley S]

i chked marketplace but couldve been registrar and marketplace. ty.

 

[Alayna10]

Great question! From what I’ve seen, domain buyers discover names through a mix of all these channels, but a few tend to stand out more often:

• Domain Name Generators
• Social Media and Forums
• Real-World Inspiration
• Industry SEO Research

Random keyword exploration and other sources fill in the rest but usually support these main discovery paths.
It's interesting to see the poll results to compare with real-world experience!

Thanks for putting this together.

 

[Steelwolf67]

Are you selling SEO domains or brandable domains?

I have 4 or 5 .crypto domains for sale as well as a .zil

 

[trelgor]

I’m curious to see how some domain investors think buyers initially come across the domains they’re selling. Whether it’s through tools, platforms, or just random chance, I’d love to hear your take.

Please vote in the poll and share any thoughts or experiences that you've had.

Most of the options are self-explanatory, but in case it's not clear, here's what a few of them mean:

• Domain Name Generators: Buyers discover available domains by generating suggestions based on keywords or ideas
• Social Media and Forums: Buyers stumble across domains for sale through niche communities like NamePros, or X. A buyer learning about domains or skimming listings might spot a domain and realize it’s perfect for their project.
• Real-World Inspiration: Buyers organically, overhearing a phrase in casual conversation, spotting a catchy term in an article, seeing something on TV, or playing off a competitor’s branding.
• Random Keyword Exploration: Buyers play around, typing or pasting quirky combos together to see what fits their niche and theme.
• Industry SEO Research: Buyers dive into search engine optimization trends, keyword analysis, search volumes, or competitor strategies to find domain names that align with high-ranking or profitable niches.
• Other: E.g. Brand Managers, Domain Consultants, Brand design contests, etc...

The above list may not be all-inclusive, but it covers the majority of sources potential buyers may have found a domain name. This poll should help everyone narrow down some the sweet spots in domain buyer exploration, so they can potentially pivot and put more efforts into the areas that are getting the most eyeballs and attention.

I look forward to seeing where everyone's buyers are coming from and hope that the combined data in the poll helps you narrow down a better targeted campaign strategy to get optimal exposure for your domains in the future.

I think the question is a bit weird. There are different stages of name selection. The earlier the stage, the more interesting, from my perspective.

When you ask where buyers *come across* some *domain*, it's not really the same as asking how they happened to *find themselves* with some name identity, or more intentionally *decide* on some name identity. The way businesses find, weigh and conjure naming options is related to two things. Convention (the way others have named themselves) and the mechanics of our generic mental capacity for naming, which in turn is governed by our generic mental capacity for language. I think the technical options you mention are mostly utilized by domainers TBH. (Another factor but more in terms of what gets shot down, is TM viability.)

I think users tend to either "end up" with a name organically, or use their ability to name stuff more intentionally. In both cases it's governed by their generative language capacity, but also, as noted, convention.

When they get stuck, browsing domains on a brandable marketplace may be one option. Others end up tasking a naming agency to come up with something viable. I think very few end users consider SEO in any domainer-type sense. Or cut and paste.

They use their head and the use case intended. In doing so, they may stumble on an option they didn't originally consider. But this option is most likely along the same lines as the original idea.