poll How do you think a potential buyer first checks if a domain is for sale?

[Eric Lyon]

Selling a domain often comes down to visibility. Some sellers list on major marketplaces, while others rely on a parked landing page to do the talking.

Setting aside all the loud noise of different landing pages, parking pages, marketplace options, features, themes, conventional marketing, outbound, SEM/SEO, etc., etc... How are potential buyers really finding out whether or not a "specific domain name" is even available for sale?

Your experience matters. Cast your vote and help us all uncover which channel is used the most as a buyers 1st choice to identify if a "specific domain name" is even available for sale or not.

The poll results can be fine-tuned to your sales strategy so you can focus on the channels that truly move the needle.

 

[Eric Lyon]

I chose the first option: "Visit domain directly".

Which one have you found to be the reason for your domains?

 

[katerleonid]

When I sold my first domain name in 2011 - an expired domain I had bought at auction for $27 - the previous owner told me he visited the new website, realized I had bought it, and remembered that he had forgotten to renew it.
I usually check the WHOIS information after visiting a domain name.

 

[biggie]

Hi

it all depends on who the buyer is and how knowledgeable they are about the subject.

I’d say the first three options are all applicable from my perspective

imo…

 

[katerleonid]

I just remembered the Capy.ai story, the one about asking their broker.

 

[Vertibox]

This is not possible for sellers to answer, since we cannot know exactly what a potential buyer does first, second, third, etc.
We can know from the method by which they contact us that they used a particular avenue, but we won't ever know when they reached for that method and what they did prior.

I don't think sellers are grilling buyers to discover the information about this particular aspect.
Its a question to ask buyers really.

 

[Wesley S]

my biggest one was bought by a broker anyway, but most of mine are directly entered into address bar and they find the price.

 

[Neurastic]

I think visiting the domain to check availability is the first thing buyers do. But it is clear that many buyers also go to a registrar to check availability. Your question reminds me that the domain industry needs more research and data on buyer behavior and related metrics.

 

[love4ever]

Experienced/knowledgeable buyer will visit the domain directly by typing it into their address bar .

Beginner/Unexperienced buyer will use a convenient "domain search" service e.g. registrar/marketplace .

.

 

[bmugford]

When I am the buyer, it depends.

When I search lists of domains, or generate terms, I will often just see what is listed on major marketplaces.

If it's a higher value domain or I am skeptical it is actually for sale, I will see what the domain is being used for.

I have bought many domains just searching lists, seeing the domain is listed, and checking out via GoDaddy or wherever it is listed.

On the other hand, sometimes I will just manually come up with some domains to target and see what each is being used for and then go from there.

Brad

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Thanks for the interesting poll. I voted visit the URL if restricted to one, but I think all of these, and other ways, are the case for some names.

When someone knows they want a specific name, I think. enter URL or enter at a registrar (or marketplace) are most important,

But if someone is a bit less sure on precisely what they want, like they want a domain name for .... but are not thinking of one domain name, that is where services with effective search make a real difference. In other cases they are set on a term, but would consider a variety of well known extensions. That is where the old Afternic search was good (still there at GD Auctions but many outside domain world won't find it there). DNX is great now for this, but will take time to get traffic.

I saw years ago the statement that a surprising number of people will not simply enter the domain name in a URL to look for a lander, so obvious for us, but will instead type something like this in Google: "Is the domain name example.com available" It is interesting to try for some names and see if they appear high.

Thanks again for the poll. Hope it will get lots of replies.

Bob

 

[katerleonid]

I also think the new generation searches a bit differently.

Your post reminded me of a story about my 8-year-old daughter. She’s been using ChatGPT to search for answers, and it always gives her direct responses.

One time, by mistake, she used Google instea, and asked me, “Where’s the answer? I can’t see it.”
All she saw were blue links. That was before AI mode.

 

[CashproofAi]

Selling a domain often comes down to visibility. Some sellers list on major marketplaces, while others rely on a parked landing page to do the talking.

Setting aside all the loud noise of different landing pages, parking pages, marketplace options, features, themes, conventional marketing, outbound, SEM/SEO, etc., etc... How are potential buyers really finding out whether or not a "specific domain name" is even available for sale?

Your experience matters. Cast your vote and help us all uncover which channel is used the most as a buyers 1st choice to identify if a "specific domain name" is even available for sale or not.

The poll results can be fine-tuned to your sales strategy so you can focus on the channels that truly move the needle.

First option is my obvious choice as most buyers just type the domain directly in their browser to see if it’s for sale and within the specified budget. It’s the quickest and easiest way to check.

 

[DomainBFF]

Having been a part of several startups over the years and having a best friend/ex roomate that's a serial entrepreneur, I have watched him and several others from our friend groups I have partnered with on ideas and every single one of them goes to GD to check for a domain. Then if it's listed for sale they may go see what's on the page, but the amount of times I've seen this first hand is the reason I will always leave GD regpath even if it's at a higher price. Way way way too many people think if it's not for sale at GoDaddy, it's not for sale..

Whenever I personally do the shopping or am buying a domain name for my own project I typically use a registrar as a starting point, then I see where all the domain is listed/check the lander, then check whois and any other possible avenue where I can contact the owner and buy it from them minus the commission off market somewhere. I've only paid for about 10 domains through a reg path that were premium and they were strictly because it was an investment domain I found way underpriced.

IMO

 

[nicenic]

That’s an interesting point, some buyers might even check broker channels or DNS data before heading to marketplaces.

 

[Blueleaf66]

Reg path. Compared to lander visits, I'm pretty sure the vast majority of potential buyers first search for a name on reg path. That's from my own data.

 

[Altetra]

I think like this.

1. direct in address bar
2. google/search engines
3. marketplaces
4. whois

 

[phaethon]

When I knew nothing about domain investing and wanted to start a website, I went on GD and performed a domain search. I didn't even think to type the name on the browser and I didn't even think that the name might not be available or for sale in the aftermarket. I didn't know that there is a domain aftermarket.

 

[xbank]

hit the url .. that is all and if it's 404 then run a whois, simply.

 

[Altetra]

When I knew nothing about domain investing and wanted to start a website, I went on GD and performed a domain search. I didn't even think to type the name on the browser and I didn't even think that the name might not be available or for sale in the aftermarket. I didn't know that there is a domain aftermarket.

Yes, we have to agree, that even when I wanted to create my first website I searched the domain at my hosting company, it is very possible newbies does like this.
Oh yeah it was Godaddy my first hosting company.