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MapleDots

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Quite a while back I mentioned that I've put my domains to work and I have over 1000 domains forwarded to one of my online stores. So instead of parking income I'm harvesting the traffic and hopefully selling some items from my online store.

A few interesting things have happened during this time and it's not what you would expect. I'm selling more items than ever on the online store and I cannot say for sure if that is because of covid, or the increase in traffic, but that is another issue altogether.

What I really wanted to talk about with this post is kind of surprising...

Since I stopped forwarding my domains to a mapledots lander, and forward them masked (address remains in address bar) to my online store, the inquiries have shot up substantially. The clients basically email or call my business and ask for the person in charge.

The number one thing the email inquiry, or caller, says is "I notice you're not using the domain".

I say....
Ohhh, I forgot about that domain, I use it to drive traffic to my online store.

Client says...
Would you consider selling?

I say...
If the right offer came along but I'm really in no panic to sell.

Client says...
How much are you asking?

I say...
Never thought about it but it would have to be a genuine offer worth my while for me to consider selling.

Here is where it gets really interesting...

The dialogue is so civilized, there is nobody calling me a domain squatter, there is no name calling, nothing! It all seems sooo polite with me basically always repeating that it would have to be a significant offer worth my while for me to consider selling the domain.

Since I operate all of my businesses as a sole proprietorship I bill right through my online store and the end user has no idea that they ever did business with mapledots or a domainer.

I don't think I'll be going back to my previous way of selling domains anytime soon. I still use mapledots for my auction and marketplace activities, but for most inquiries I now use one of my regular business names.

Selling incognito is truly a refreshing way to sell domains. When the end user does not know they are dealing with a domainer the transaction is so much more pleasant.


============================================================================

PLEASE DO NOT POST, OR DISCUSS, MY PERSONAL BUSINESS OR NAME IN THIS TOPIC.

Discuss the topic at hand without getting into the personal details of my business. - Thank You!
 
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The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of NamePros.
HeHe, Just for your information...

As of the time of this post the term IncognitoDomainer.com is still available to register.

:xf.laugh::ROFL::xf.laugh::ROFL::xf.laugh::ROFL:
 
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The dialogue is so civilized, there is nobody calling me a domain squatter, there is no name calling, nothing! It all seems sooo polite with me basically always repeating that it would have to be a significant offer worth my while for me to consider selling the domain.
Would it be possible that there are domainers on another end, trying to acquire something from an enduser?
 
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The dialogue is so civilized, there is nobody calling me a domain squatter, there is no name calling, nothing! It all seems sooo polite with me basically always repeating that it would have to be a significant offer worth my while for me to consider selling the domain.
Have you sold 5-figure domains using this tactic?

I mean, it’s not difficult to pretend you’re an end user when asking, say, 2-3K for an average quality two-word domain name (because “you like it”), but how do you reasonably justify a 10K+ price tag for a similar quality domain name that was “once used to drive traffic to your website” without looking suspiciously greedy? :-D
 
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Yeah, I think you'll sell less high sales this way.

"I notice you're not using the domain" is something a desperate domainer would say, someone who is itching to get good domains for cheap. The kind that would email CVCV owners and offer $50 since the domain is not in use.

I might not be right, but keep this in mind. Report back after a while.
 
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The beauty is it comes across as no pressure to sell from his end, no need to quote a price, just keep saying not enough and would rather use as a forward......

I suppose you could always say after a few offers for the domain you have done some research and it seems this domain is worth xyz because of xyz take it or leave it

Interested to see how @MapleDots handles the enquiries and closes them if he is willing to share.....

Edit: which he has done below :xf.smile:
 
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I mean, it’s not difficult to pretend you’re an end user when asking, say, 2-3K for an average quality two-word domain name (because “you like it”), but how do you reasonably justify a 10K+ price tag for a similar quality domain name that was “once used to drive traffic to your website” without looking suspiciously greedy? :-D

Some of the highest domain sales have been by people saying the domains are not for sale.
As long as you leave the door open and let the end user know you are willing to talk then anything is possible.

It's really is not about looking greedy, for me it's all about not looking needy. :xf.smile:
 
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Yeah, I think you'll sell less high sales this way.

Actually, one of my best domains took the largest offer to date using this method.
The thing is it still was only about half of what I wanted for the domain but it was a substantial offer nonetheless.
 
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Some of the highest domain sales have been by people saying the domains are not for sale.
I know, I know. And those are usually not two-word (average) domains. My question was specifically about NOT a one-word-dictionary domain type.
As long as you leave the door open and let the end user know you are willing to talk then anything is possible.

It's really is not about looking greedy, for me it's all about not looking needy. :xf.smile:
So speaking about your personal experience, have you sold any 5-figure names this way?
 
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I’ve been thinking about selling domains anonymously for quite some time.

I run my marketplace for more than two years, but I started noticing the trend that I don’t like — people keep offering 30-50% of the asking price and they just don’t increase.

I’m considering parking some domain at DAN and hide behind the Private Seller name, ie without showing my name, website, etc. I also observe some of the prominent domain investors do it this way (e.g. Booth brothers) although they have their websites.
 
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I know, I know. And those are usually not two-word (average) domains. My question was specifically about NOT a one-word-dictionary domain type.

So speaking about your personal experience, have you sold any 5-figure names this way?

Yes, I sold a 5 letter .ca this way just recently - end user $13,800
That was one of the reasons I made this post, negotiations went remarkably smooth.

Edit: Had to reread your post...
I sell most of my two word domains for 5-10k so this method is ideal.
However my one word domains are also using this method now so I will keep you posted if they sell.
 
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Yes, I sold a 5 letter .ca this way just recently - end user $13,800
That was one of the reasons I made this post, negotiations went remarkably smooth.
Thanks!

Yet another reason for switching to anonymous mode that I described above :xf.wink:
 
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Interesting tactic. Do you remove the domains from all the marketplaces? If a potential buyer looks around and finds a domain listed for sale in one or more places, it ruins the perception of you being a business owner who just uses his domains as forwards.
 
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Thanks!

Yet another reason for switching to anonymous mode that I described above :xf.wink:

Seriously, I don't think I'm going back.

The best advice I have for domainers is not to be a domainer, people feel alienated when they feel they are dealing with a professional domainer. Everyone likes to believe they found a domain and snapped it up before it hit the open market. In fact in one of my negotiations that is exactly what happened. I said to the person inquiring maybe I should offer it for sale for a while to see what happens. Right away they seemed more eager to negotiate wanting me not to test the market.

Sooooo many advantages to NOT officially being a domainer.
 
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Interesting tactic. Do you remove the domains from all the marketplaces? If a potential buyer looks around and finds a domain listed for sale in one or more places, it ruins the perception of you being a business owner who just uses his domains as forwards.

Again, that happened where on person said they also saw the domain on Godaddy.

I just said really? They are my registrar, is it parked or listed?
I pretended it was a surprise to me but something that could have happened back in the day before I forwarded the domain.

Since the majority of my domains are at make an offer it really did not come into play.
 
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The best advice I have for domainers is not to be a domainer, people feel alienated when they feel they are dealing with a professional domainer. Everyone likes to believe they found a domain and snapped it up before it hit the open market. In fact in one of my negotiations that is exactly what I happened, I said to the person inquiring maybe I should offer it for sale for a while to see what happens. Right away they seemed more eager to close a deal wanting me not to test the market.

Great point!
 
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The chances of anyone landing on some random domain name and then being redirected to some unrelated site and then buying your product that has nothing to do or any connection whatsoever to that “name” are not worth considering.

However it does make some sense that someone who has been eyeing a particular domain and now noticing that it no longer redirects to a business might think that this means that the domain is no longer needed and now available for sale. But the best way to show someone that a domain is for sale is - obviously - by having it redirect to or land directly on a For Sale landing page.
 
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Quite a while back I mentioned that I've put my domains to work and I have over 1000 domains forwarded to one of my online stores. So instead of parking income I'm harvesting the traffic and hopefully selling some items from my online store.

A few interesting things have happened during this time and it's not what you would expect. I'm selling more items than ever on the online store and I cannot say for sure if that is because of covid, or the increase in traffic, but that is another issue altogether.

What I really wanted to talk about with this post is kind of surprising...

Since I stopped forwarding my domains to a mapledots lander, and forward them masked (address remains in address bar) to my online store, the inquiries have shot up substantially. The clients basically email or call my business and ask for the person in charge.

The number one thing the email inquiry, or caller, says is "I notice you're not using the domain".

I say....
Ohhh, I forgot about that domain, I use it to drive traffic to my online store.

Client says...
Would you consider selling?

I say...
If the right offer came along but I'm really in no panic to sell.

Client says...
How much are you asking?

I say...
Never thought about it but it would have to be a genuine offer worth my while for me to consider selling.

Here is where it gets really interesting...

The dialogue is so civilized, there is nobody calling me a domain squatter, there is no name calling, nothing! It all seems sooo polite with me basically always repeating that it would have to be a significant offer worth my while for me to consider selling the domain.

Since I operate all of my businesses as a sole proprietorship I bill right through my online store and the end user has no idea that they ever did business with mapledots or a domainer.

I don't think I'll be going back to my previous way of selling domains anytime soon. I still use mapledots for my auction and marketplace activities, but for most inquiries I now use one of my regular business names.

Selling incognito is truly a refreshing way to sell domains. When the end user does not know they are dealing with a domainer the transaction is so much more pleasant.


============================================================================

PLEASE DO NOT POST, OR DISCUSS, MY PERSONAL BUSINESS OR NAME IN THIS TOPIC.

Discuss the topic at hand without getting into the personal details of my business. - Thank You!

Nice post, gives me something to think about.
 
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The chances of anyone landing on some random domain name and then being redirected to some unrelated site and then buying your product that has nothing to do or any connection whatsoever to that “name” are almost nonexistent.

However it does make sense that someone who has been eyeing a particular domain and now noticing that it no longer redirects to a business might think that this means that the domain is no longer needed and now available for sale. But the best way to show someone that a domain is for sale is - obviously - by having it redirect to a For Sale landing page.
I think that is the point - the non existent sale from the website, is just that -no one is going to buy from his store from a random forward (or maybe they do occasionally?) so it makes it seem the domain is being under utilised which prompts the reach out and the non salesy conversations that he's having...?

Not saying it is right or wrong just a very interesting way to look at it......
 
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The chances of anyone landing on some random domain name and then being redirected to some unrelated site and then buying your product that has nothing to do or any connection whatsoever to that “name” are almost nonexistent.

However it does make sense that someone who has been eyeing a particular domain and now noticing that it no longer redirects to a business might think that this means that the domain is no longer needed and now available for sale. But the best way to show someone that a domain is for sale is - obviously - by having it redirect to a For Sale landing page.

The domain doesn't have to be random. I use the same method as @MapleDots does with domains related to my business.

For me it works. I want to add that it highly depends on the quality of your domains. Like you said, random domains would probably do better on landers but if you're selling an exact match for a niche you're operating in you know for sure the inquiry is serious, or another domainer operating in the same niche.
 
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The chances of anyone landing on some random domain name and then being redirected to some unrelated site and then buying your product that has nothing to do or any connection whatsoever to that “name” are almost nonexistent.

However it does make sense that someone who has been eyeing a particular domain and now noticing that it no longer redirects to a business might think that this means that the domain is no longer needed and now available for sale. But the best way to show someone that a domain is for sale is - obviously - by having it redirect to a For Sale landing page.

Yes a For Sale page is pretty clear, I will not dispute that.
However I find my way is working for me, and I am getting more inquiries than with my for sale lander.
 
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The domain doesn't have to be random. I use the same method as @MapleDots does with domains related to my business.

For me it works. I want to add that it highly depends on the quality of your domains. Like you said, random domains would probably do better on landers but if you're selling an exact match for a niche you're operating in you know for sure the inquiry is serious, or another domainer operating in the same niche.
He doesn’t want us to discuss his business even though to respond intelligently to these threads he keeps creating on this topic you really have to - but as far as I know his names have nothing to do with what he’s selling.

Without being free to discuss his names and his exact business this thread is pointless as far as the “benefit” of directing names.

But as mentioned it does make some sense that anyone who has been eyeing a particular domain and then suddenly notices that it no longer redirects might now be roused to make an inquiry assuming the WhoIs is not private.
 
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Quite a while back I mentioned that I've put my domains to work and I have over 1000 domains forwarded to one of my online stores. So instead of parking income I'm harvesting the traffic and hopefully selling some items from my online store.

A few interesting things have happened during this time and it's not what you would expect. I'm selling more items than ever on the online store and I cannot say for sure if that is because of covid, or the increase in traffic, but that is another issue altogether.

What I really wanted to talk about with this post is kind of surprising...

Since I stopped forwarding my domains to a mapledots lander, and forward them masked (address remains in address bar) to my online store, the inquiries have shot up substantially. The clients basically email or call my business and ask for the person in charge.

The number one thing the email inquiry, or caller, says is "I notice you're not using the domain".

I say....
Ohhh, I forgot about that domain, I use it to drive traffic to my online store.

Client says...
Would you consider selling?

I say...
If the right offer came along but I'm really in no panic to sell.

Client says...
How much are you asking?

I say...
Never thought about it but it would have to be a genuine offer worth my while for me to consider selling.

Here is where it gets really interesting...

The dialogue is so civilized, there is nobody calling me a domain squatter, there is no name calling, nothing! It all seems sooo polite with me basically always repeating that it would have to be a significant offer worth my while for me to consider selling the domain.

Since I operate all of my businesses as a sole proprietorship I bill right through my online store and the end user has no idea that they ever did business with mapledots or a domainer.

I don't think I'll be going back to my previous way of selling domains anytime soon. I still use mapledots for my auction and marketplace activities, but for most inquiries I now use one of my regular business names.

Selling incognito is truly a refreshing way to sell domains. When the end user does not know they are dealing with a domainer the transaction is so much more pleasant.


============================================================================

PLEASE DO NOT POST, OR DISCUSS, MY PERSONAL BUSINESS OR NAME IN THIS TOPIC.

Discuss the topic at hand without getting into the personal details of my business. - Thank You!

This looks very interesting.

Just want to be clear,
1 - [Domain A] has keywords totally unrelated to [Online Store Domain B]
2 - [Online Store Domain B] is a fully functional marketplace that acts as a real biz selling physical/digital goods
3 - Whois privacy can be enabled on all [Domain A] as long as there's contact details mentioned at the online store's contact page
4 - [Domain A] redirects to [Online Store Domain B] while remaining under [Domain A] in all URLs related to the online shop (in other words, zero traces of [Online Store Domain B] in the URLs when customer types in [Domain A])

Is this correct?
 
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Seriously, I don't think I'm going back.

The best advice I have for domainers is not to be a domainer, people feel alienated when they feel they are dealing with a professional domainer. Everyone likes to believe they found a domain and snapped it up before it hit the open market. In fact in one of my negotiations that is exactly what happened. I said to the person inquiring maybe I should offer it for sale for a while to see what happens. Right away they seemed more eager to negotiate wanting me not to test the market.

Sooooo many advantages to NOT officially being a domainer.

You've inspired me in more ways than one @MapleDots (y).

This was actually my plan B from the beginning. The niche domains I currently hold just needed a focused lander as they already have organic traffic. I've noticed others doing similar, particularly in the real-estate industry. Correct me if I'm wrong, it will increase SEO on the home page if you use A-record redirect vs domain forwarding.
 
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The best advice I have for domainers is not to be a domainer, people feel alienated when they feel they are dealing with a professional domainer.
Hi

i disagree, with quote above...
and agree, with quote below.

Without being free to discuss his names and his exact business this thread is pointless as far as the “benefit” of directing names.

To me, be who you are, when the opportunity arises.
when someone contacts you, they expect you to be responsive to their inquiry.

i'm certainly not going to act like a carpenter, when asked if wellcare.us is for sale.
nor am i going to try and presume their emotional state of being.

just saying.....

imo...
 
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