Most domainers, when sales slow down, instinctively lower their prices. Bills come in, renewals pile up, and slashing BINs feels like the only option. I’ve done it myself. But recently, I tried something different—and it worked.
I just had WatermelonAI.com listed for $1,999. Got an inbound offer for $1,300. I declined. The buyer came back with the classic “$1,500 final offer.” At this point, most people would say yes to avoid “losing the fish.”
But I paused.
If this person is negotiating, they see value. And the truth is, even at $2K, the name was underpriced. So I did the unthinkable: I increased the BIN price to $4,500 right then and there.
Two hours later… sale closed at $2K.
Why did it work? Because perception matters. Scarcity matters. Confidence matters.
Even Atom.com has a “scheduled price increase” that kicks in when buyer interest spikes—because price increases signal value. Reductions can signal desperation. If I remember correctly, Darpan has stated multiple times that decreasing prices did not lead to more sales. I think that was echoed by Margot (BrandBucket) at some point as well.
This brings me back to an older thread I wrote: Pricing too low can cost you a sale. Not just in profit—but the sale itself.
Now, here’s the kicker:
Lately, I’ve been selling off some of my domains to focus more on my high-end portfolio. I listed many names from a brandable portfolio that has consistently outperformed the industry averages. At wholesale prices. Really fair deals. Despite that, sales have been slow. Why? Because low prices don’t always make domains more attractive. Sometimes they make them feel cheap. Like you’re just trying to offload junk. That’s not a good look.
Let’s be honest, everything else has gone up in price. Renewals went up. Food costs more. Gas, rent, you name it. Yet here we are, marking our domain prices down.
Here’s another common scenario:
You get an offer on a name priced at $2,500. You say no, they ghost. So you drop to $1,800, then $1,499. Still nothing. Eventually you're at $399—just to move it. That $2,500 valuation? Gone. You've signaled you don’t even believe in your own pricing.
I’m not saying never lower your prices. But don’t default to it out of panic. Instead, re-evaluate. Could the problem be that you're underpricing what you're selling?
Raise your floor. Trust your pricing. Stop assuming cheaper equals easier. Sometimes, the best move you can make when you're desperate… is to raise the price.
And here’s some data to back that up:
GoDaddy’s NameFind team ran large-scale charm pricing experiments, adjusting domain BINs to end in “499” or “999” — and saw a clear jump in performance.
In the $2,500–$10,000 range:
The takeaway? A small pricing nudge upward, especially if framed as “premium,” often performs better than a discount. You’re not just selling a word. You’re selling confidence, scarcity, and intent.
And that brings me to bulk sales.
I’ve recently been offering names in small batches. It’s tempting to offer a discount just to get them moving faster. Then I re-read this post by Michael Sumner:
Should You Charge a Bulk Premium?
His argument is simple: If you’re selling high-quality, liquid domains in bulk — you should charge a premium, not a discount.
Why? Because the time, effort, and cost of assembling a strong portfolio is significant. You had to win auctions, monitor markets, outbid competitors, and avoid overpriced junk. The buyer benefits by skipping all that. And that convenience should come at a price.
In short: don’t undervalue the work that went into curation. If the domains are good, and the buyer is serious, you’re the one holding leverage.
So whether you're setting a BIN, fielding offers, or considering portfolio deals: stop assuming that lower prices = better sales.
Sometimes the answer isn’t to go lower… it’s to go higher. What do you think?
I just had WatermelonAI.com listed for $1,999. Got an inbound offer for $1,300. I declined. The buyer came back with the classic “$1,500 final offer.” At this point, most people would say yes to avoid “losing the fish.”
But I paused.
If this person is negotiating, they see value. And the truth is, even at $2K, the name was underpriced. So I did the unthinkable: I increased the BIN price to $4,500 right then and there.
Two hours later… sale closed at $2K.
Why did it work? Because perception matters. Scarcity matters. Confidence matters.
Even Atom.com has a “scheduled price increase” that kicks in when buyer interest spikes—because price increases signal value. Reductions can signal desperation. If I remember correctly, Darpan has stated multiple times that decreasing prices did not lead to more sales. I think that was echoed by Margot (BrandBucket) at some point as well.
This brings me back to an older thread I wrote: Pricing too low can cost you a sale. Not just in profit—but the sale itself.
Now, here’s the kicker:
Lately, I’ve been selling off some of my domains to focus more on my high-end portfolio. I listed many names from a brandable portfolio that has consistently outperformed the industry averages. At wholesale prices. Really fair deals. Despite that, sales have been slow. Why? Because low prices don’t always make domains more attractive. Sometimes they make them feel cheap. Like you’re just trying to offload junk. That’s not a good look.
Let’s be honest, everything else has gone up in price. Renewals went up. Food costs more. Gas, rent, you name it. Yet here we are, marking our domain prices down.
Here’s another common scenario:
You get an offer on a name priced at $2,500. You say no, they ghost. So you drop to $1,800, then $1,499. Still nothing. Eventually you're at $399—just to move it. That $2,500 valuation? Gone. You've signaled you don’t even believe in your own pricing.
I’m not saying never lower your prices. But don’t default to it out of panic. Instead, re-evaluate. Could the problem be that you're underpricing what you're selling?
Raise your floor. Trust your pricing. Stop assuming cheaper equals easier. Sometimes, the best move you can make when you're desperate… is to raise the price.
And here’s some data to back that up:
GoDaddy’s NameFind team ran large-scale charm pricing experiments, adjusting domain BINs to end in “499” or “999” — and saw a clear jump in performance.
In the $2,500–$10,000 range:
- Annual sales revenue increased by 22%
- Units sold increased by 8%
- Average sale price increased by 13%
The takeaway? A small pricing nudge upward, especially if framed as “premium,” often performs better than a discount. You’re not just selling a word. You’re selling confidence, scarcity, and intent.
And that brings me to bulk sales.
I’ve recently been offering names in small batches. It’s tempting to offer a discount just to get them moving faster. Then I re-read this post by Michael Sumner:
Should You Charge a Bulk Premium?
His argument is simple: If you’re selling high-quality, liquid domains in bulk — you should charge a premium, not a discount.
Why? Because the time, effort, and cost of assembling a strong portfolio is significant. You had to win auctions, monitor markets, outbid competitors, and avoid overpriced junk. The buyer benefits by skipping all that. And that convenience should come at a price.
In short: don’t undervalue the work that went into curation. If the domains are good, and the buyer is serious, you’re the one holding leverage.
So whether you're setting a BIN, fielding offers, or considering portfolio deals: stop assuming that lower prices = better sales.
Sometimes the answer isn’t to go lower… it’s to go higher. What do you think?
Last edited:
