I was so amped and now, the silence...

[Futurewizard]

So, I own about 300 or so domains. I've made a thorough Google Sheet which pulls in data using APIs and other sources. (If anybody wants the list, I can provide a basic CSV/TXT file)

Some of them are great and are appraised quite higher than my BIN/floor prices. I made the mistake of grabbing 75 or so .net addresses.



Either way, they are all just sitting on Sedo/Flippa/Dan/TPP with plenty of offer views and hits, and no offers. I've lowered my prices. my .net addresses are pretty much a blanket 25-35$ floor with a 75-150$ BIN.

I know this takes a while, but I feel like I'm missing something. I've paid for Flippa auctions but I haven't paid for any other services yet. I've considered a broker, but I would likely need a XX,XXX - XXX,XXX domain to make it worth their time.

My questions (feel free to answer just 1 or 2)

• Leave them parked on Sedo's Full Landing? (rather than Ads, Sales Crush, etc)
  
  
• Sedo is my favorite backend, but is Dan/Voodoo/Etc better for visibility? I'm counting mostly on 'walk in' or 'type in' traffic
  
  
• I've started creating landing pages for a few of these. This is a lot of effort (even with Google Domains' free sites). Is the effort worth it? Would 'MowCheap.com' be more likely to sell on a page with relevant ads, a landing, or is Sedo Parking enough? (ok that was like 2 questions, sorry)
  
  
• If I have a 300 budget to spend with... 3-5 domains... Where would that money best be spent? I'm considering DNAcademy as I really love his style of business.
  
  
• Am I stuck walking up hill until I make some outbound/cold call/emails? Are there templates/scripts?

I want to keep my expectations realistic and I realize this is not a quick process - it requires patience. I'm ready to spend extra money, but I budget to buy about 300 domains (which I did). I'd say 60% of them are below appraisal and just need to be noticed.

Thanks so much, and I'm reading several guides (and I bought a Udemy course). So, apologies if my questions overlap other threads.

Thanks for your time and happy hump day! Here's a peaceful otter if you took the time to read all of this! If not, enjoy it anyways!

P.S. here's a random sampling of 5 urls, nothing special - just 5

1. Immersives.co.uk (Immersive art/parks/museums are getting big - see MeowWolf.com)
2. FurZap.com
3. 2me4.com (decent backlinks, lots of parking traffic)
4. FitATX.com (Austin Texas - common abbrev)
5. 4tel.net (lots of backlinks)

 

[Futurewizard]

I'll check that book out. Sounds like it covers a lot of diverse ground.

@biggie I haven't purchased anything yet lol.

 

[Samer]

You paid for Flippa auctions!!!

I wouldnt use Flippa, if they paid me.

 

[noneisnone]

@Samer i used to think the same then this happend to me last month listed a name there and forgot about it sold it on namepros a week after the sale i get a buyer for 3.5k lol made me realize to never underestimate a marketplace missed out on 3.1k

 

[Samer]

@Samer i used to think the same then this happend to me last month listed a name there and forgot about it sold it on namepros a week after the sale i get a buyer for 3.5k lol made me realize to never underestimate a marketplace missed out on 3.1k

ahh must be why their customer support team feels so rude and entitled. NOT a FLIPPA fan!

 

[noneisnone]

@Samer never dealt with the customer support ^^

 

[Futurewizard]

You paid for Flippa auctions!!!

I wouldnt use Flippa, if they paid me.

You're right. I did! Shoot

edit: and I regret it. (good work btw)

 

[DomainRecap]

If you are buying domains to sell at $75-$150, at an industry standard 2% sell-though rate, then the renewal numbers are going to bury you.

 

[noneisnone]

@DomainRecap are you referring to resellers ? if so that 2% Sell through rate might not apply if you are selling to other domainers

 

[DomainRecap]

I am referring to the OP, who is listing on established venues like Sedo and DAN, and has yet to get an offer. And unless you're referring to blowing sellable domains out at $10-$50, or listing them on soon-to-expire sites expecting similar prices, then I really don't see much difference in rates between domainers vs. end users.

I think the 2% sell-through rates takes into consideration all buyer types and that you are pricing them at industry-standard levels.

 

[zomainhacks]

If you are buying domains to sell at $75-$150, at an industry standard 2% sell-though rate, then the renewal numbers are going to bury you.

If you list at $75-$150 you will have more than 2% STR. I've seen that with decent quality domains you can get up to 10%-20% STR.

Fun fact, with (hand regged) domains priced @ $75-$150 I've noticed an higher STR on Afternic than on wholesale marketplaces.

Renwals still risk to bury you though. It's a fragile equilibrium and unless you have a small portfolio of handregged domains and the need to have cashflow, I don't advise to follow this route.

 

[DomainRecap]

If you list at $75-$150 you will have more than 2% STR. I've seen that with decent quality domains you can get up to 10%-20% STR.

I realize this if you're talking about "decent quality domains", but did you read his post and see the domains? These appear to be end user-level prices.

Either way, they are all just sitting on Sedo/Flippa/Dan/TPP with plenty of offer views and hits, and no offers.

 

[zomainhacks]

I realize this if you're talking about "decent quality domains", but did you read his post and see the domains? These appear to be end user-level prices.

Yes, my reasoning apply only with "decent quality" domains. My humble opinion is that OP should focus on what type of domains have market demand (at least from what I can infer just looking at that sample).

 

[Futurewizard]

Yes, my reasoning apply only with "decent quality" domains. My humble opinion is that OP should focus on what type of domains have market demand (at least from what I can infer just looking at that sample).

That's the plan. The problem is that I don't have a grasp on pricing as I haven't received any offers. I removed a lot of Buy Now's on DAN, and I'm starting most of these at 100-500$ bids. I've added to Afternic, as well. My cheap .net's (50-300$) are all on Sedo. Still learning, but trying to be patient. 2% sounds about right.

Edit: Sedo because DAN requires at 100$ min offer, and that's a lot for some of these stinker NFT .nets

 

[Mike Goodman]

@Futurewizard I suggest you ignore all of the above for the time being and start your learning process at the beginning. Looking at the five names you listed and the other one you mentioned within the descriptive text, what business case can you make for any one of them?

The only case I can see is for a local lawn care attendant who earns not very much. How much could that individual afford to pay for a domain name? Hand reg only, I'd assume. Is it worth buying a hand reg only to resell it at hand reg prices? Where is your profit to come from?

All of the theoretical ideas above are very fine if you have something to sell. If you have to explain why a name should sell it is not a name anybody will buy. The reason to buy a name is to name a business. If it is unattractive as a business name, why the hell would anybody want to buy it?

Get tough on yourself. In any speculative business, that is the only way to make decisions. Flaccid or flatulent decisions lead inevitably to losses. Domaining is speculative. Never forget that.

 

[Futurewizard]

@Futurewizard I suggest you ignore all of the above for the time being and start your learning process at the beginning. Looking at the five names you listed and the other one you mentioned within the descriptive text, what business case can you make for any one of them?

The only case I can see is for a local lawn care attendant who earns not very much. How much could that individual afford to pay for a domain name? Hand reg only, I'd assume. Is it worth buying a hand reg only to resell it at hand reg prices? Where is your profit to come from?

All of the theoretical ideas above are very fine if you have something to sell. If you have to explain why a name should sell it is not a name anybody will buy. The reason to buy a name is to name a business. If it is unattractive as a business name, why the hell would anybody want to buy it?

Get tough on yourself. In any speculative business, that is the only way to make decisions. Flaccid or flatulent decisions lead inevitably to losses. Domaining is speculative. Never forget that.

Thanks Mike. You're spot on about MowCheap. I can't expect a lot of money from a domain like that. It actually made me laugh. Now, if I built an aggregation service for local mowing, maybe.

I am trying to be tough on myself, and it's easier as I learn more. I'm already looking back 2 weeks ago and cringing at my decisions. This forum has been crucial. Flaccid and flatulent doesnt sound like a winning combo! I've made my bed and now I get to sleep in it (with a bunch of flatulent domains)... It's a lesson learned and a loss, and I hope to at least make back the registration costs. This is great advice and I appreciate you taking the time. I hadn't thought about this as speculative, but that's exactly what it is. My frame of mind is shifting as I learn more.

Y'all are a grizzled bunch, and I understand why, now. It takes grit to succeed in this business.

 

[Deven Patel]

Here are some ideas on how to brainstorm good names:

1. Think about all the brand names of the products and services that you use every day. Are the names you want to buy comparable to those?

2. Put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur. Would you use the names you're about to buy for your own company? Keep in mind, all businessmen are super ambitious so niche names will be tough to sell.

3. Check out the brandable listings on sites like Alter, BrandBucket, and SquadHelp for ideas. Even though quality is subjective, these places have already put in the effort to surface good names. Why not leverage all that free knowledge?

P.S. My marketplace Alter already syndicates your domains to Sedo/DAN/other marketplaces so if you prefer the all-in-one approach, simply list them on Alter and Afternic for the widest coverage.

 

[DomainVP]

Great thread for future investors.

Pick good names - takes 3 months to educate yourself.

Sit and hold those great names.

Educate yourself on how to handle inbound inquiries, maybe do a bit of outbound sales.

Pretty pages and marketplaces don't sell names; the buyers have already sold themselves when they approach you.

Agree to a price, or don't.

That's domaining.

 

[Jason Baudendistel]

One other observation I can say from experience. A good or great domain name will get type in traffic and random marketplace hits without you doing a thing.

 

[Futurewizard]

Great thread for future investors.

Pick good names - takes 3 months to educate yourself.

Sit and hold those great names.

Educate yourself on how to handle inbound inquiries, maybe do a bit of outbound sales.

Pretty pages and marketplaces don't sell names; the buyers have already sold themselves when they approach you.

Agree to a price, or don't.

That's domaining.

Thanks, I got swept up in trying to make it more complicated than it is. I'll focus on getting rid of what I have and hold off on buying unless I see stellar 750+ names. I've got way too many for being less than 2 months in. I appreciate the advice

One other observation I can say from experience. A good or great domain name will get type in traffic and random marketplace hits without you doing a thing.

Thanks Jason! I've been watching the Dan Analytics and sorting by views to make sure everything is all set on the landing pages. Pricing is tough as I don't have experience. But I'm doing research on similar names and their sales

 

[jiy k]

@Deven Patel
Hello, Thanks for these valuable tips.
One thing i Want to know why Niche names are tough to sell. I see many veteran domainers stressing on buying Niche Names.
Thank You.

 

[Deven Patel]

One thing i Want to know why Niche names are tough to sell.

It's just a numbers game. Niche names are tough to sell because they have a very limited pool of potential buyers.

For example, the only buyers interested in your name FitATX would be those looking to start a fitness business in the Austin, TX area. Taking the population of Austin into account, that already reduces your chances by 7,800 times compared to a name like QuickFit that would appeal to the whole world.

Also, take a look at the historical sales data on Namebio for the keyword "ATX". Only around 20 similar names sold over the past two decades out of the 1 million total sales reported on the site.

Additionally, the keyword "ATX" is already trademarked in the fitness category which makes it even harder for a new business to use that name.

I think what may help you is to create your own checklist of criteria you should meet before buying a name (e.g. short, catchy, pronounceable, X extension, X length, X price, trademarked?, similar sales?, etc). It'll be a nice tool to have in your arsenal as you grow as a domainer.

Like any other business, it's not easy to make money domaining. But if you put enough hard work into it, you can certainly be successful. Good luck!

 

[jiy k]

@Deven Patel
Thanks a lot for this helpful piece of info.

One more thing. As you have given an example of QuickFit. Fit in QuickFit is also a trademarked word. Wouldn't that pose a problem while selling Quickfit domain.
Thanks.

 

[Jason Baudendistel]

One other thing brandables are the exception as far as type in traffic. If it could work as a brand name but isn't a real word.

 

[Futurewizard]

Well, I just sold one! That's a milestone for me, regardless of price. It was via a Flippa.com auction I started last week. Going to read over some FAQ stuff to make sure I do the escrow.com DD right

 

[Futurewizard]

Wow. I had no clue Alter could do this. I moved a group of domains over to Alter last week because I really like the idea. Awesome business model! Apologies, but I hadn't put 2 and 2 together that you founded it. Also, great DD on 'ATX', I'll definitely be using this tool moving forward.

It's just a numbers game. Niche names are tough to sell because they have a very limited pool of potential buyers.

For example, the only buyers interested in your name FitATX would be those looking to start a fitness business in the Austin, TX area. Taking the population of Austin into account, that already reduces your chances by 7,800 times compared to a name like QuickFit that would appeal to the whole world.

Also, take a look at the historical sales data on Namebio for the keyword "ATX". Only around 20 similar names sold over the past two decades out of the 1 million total sales reported on the site.

Additionally, the keyword "ATX" is already trademarked in the fitness category which makes it even harder for a new business to use that name.

I think what may help you is to create your own checklist of criteria you should meet before buying a name (e.g. short, catchy, pronounceable, X extension, X length, X price, trademarked?, similar sales?, etc). It'll be a nice tool to have in your arsenal as you grow as a domainer.

Like any other business, it's not easy to make money domaining. But if you put enough hard work into it, you can certainly be successful. Good luck!