advice Is it worth it to develop domains into websites?

[Ostrados]

It is often advised to develop your domains into websites to increase their value, AKA domain flipping.. but I am not sure if is worth it. What made me feel like that is that I see a lot of websites sell at low prices on Flippa auctions or do not sell at all, I myself bought a website from Flippa auction in the past, the website was about video games and it had large content and was auto updated with new games and reviews (but the content was not unique) .. and I bought it only for $160 which is low price for the time it takes to develop a full website like that.

Also I see often on Flippa some websites that were sold for values less than the raw domain value! for example you can find a high value one word (.com) website that sell for less than 100k while the domain itself can be sold for 200k alone.

The problem is that selling a website requires proven website stats like traffic and revenue, while selling a domain doesn't (other than checking if it is blacklisted or had spam history). So if the domain was very good by itself and then you develop it and offer it for sale as website, if it has no good traffic stats (which is the case in most flipped domains) then nobody will care about it even if the domain name has high value by itself.. so in theory you are decreasing the domain value not increasing it!

I am a web developer myself but I develop websites for my own use, I started thinking about developing a couple of my domain names that I like, to sell them at higher price (in theory).. but as I said I am not sure if is worth the time and commitment needed.

What do you think?

 

[Ostrados]

Oh really? Haven't heard of FBA then, have we? Again, out of scope of this thread, but do take the time to google FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon)

I know about FBA, I was considering it as an option but I felt it is risky because you need need upfront investment for buying stocks without knowing if the product will sell or not.

 

[MapleDots]

Why “Developing” a Domain Name is a Fools Game!
http://www.ricksblog.com/2018/08/why-developing-a-domain-name-is-a-fools-game/#.XAl_0mjYqUk

He has some good points

 

[.X.]

Why “Developing” a Domain Name is a Fools Game!
http://www.ricksblog.com/2018/08/why-developing-a-domain-name-is-a-fools-game/#.XAl_0mjYqUk

He has some good points

There are some good valid points in Ricks observation. But it isn’t easy to get a website established, and to accomplish that feat, you first have to have a sustainable, profitable niche, and build from there.

When I had my first site built, I went with the clickbank, shareasale affiliate route, you can make a dollar, but long term, it will be hit and miss IMO.

My second website, I was more informed on what I needed to do to have an ongoing monthly income in actually selling a product, not relying on Adsense or any other form of income.

The lady that I hooked up with, had been selling her picante sauces locally, but not online, so I actually flew to Maryland and met her and her sister, we discussed all aspects of her business and what my role would be, then I launched the site, it took around six months to really get the site off the ground, I was her sole seller of her product online, she now has 8 different picante sauce recipes, all delicious, Queso recipes, that I sell as well, these products are 100% homemade, put into Mason jars and sealed with a simple label. I have over 300 repeat customers that love the stuff. When I told my wife, Honey, I am going to sell picante sausce from a website, she was like, ok, whatever. Today, she loves picante sauce and Queso.

My 3rd website sells CPAP / sleep apnea supplies, to even begin this venture, I had to locate and convince a supplier to allow me to move their products, oddly enough, my supplier is in Frisco Tx , very close to me, it took me around 10 months to get this site off the ground, my supplier is totally awesome, and I am able to sell my supplies cheaper than 80% of the online retail competition in the niche,

My 4th website solely sells dehydrated fruits, although not as lucrative , I was able to add “prepping” supplies to the site, thanks Alex Jones LOL, and the mre’s sell pretty decent.

@Ostrados , my advice is to not just go Amazon, and the other affiliate offers. Find your niche, locate some business in your own state if possible, and get a deal going with them. You would be surprised at what you might find, and be open to selling brand new products, “bandaids with built in antibiotic therapy “ shit like that, be patient with the launch and your income generation, once you begin getting traffic, you will make sales, getting traffic just has to run it’s course.

None of my sites will ever make me ALOT of money, but I feel sure they will keep a steady supplemental income.

There are ways to make multiple income with a website besides the base contextual advertisers, Google Adsense and ect, I sell advertising space on my site without the middle man, and once my sites began getting steady significant traffic, I didn’t have to solicit to sell ad space, webmasters started contacting me directly to purchase ad space. So there are ways to make multiple income streams with out using the Google and the likes of.

I agree with Eric Lyon on flipping domain names, don’t count it until you have given it a shot, I think with domain name flipping, you either have it, or you don’t , in my case, I tried it, gave it everything I had, and it just wasn’t for me.

I used Yelp , angieslist and craigslist for my intial leads as to find the product sellers

 

[Eric Lyon]

Pro Tip - For those of you looking to scale current business developments more rapidly : Search for terms like "White Label Partner" or using your target product category word like "White Label Software Partner" and other various phrases using white label, like "White Label App Affiliate Programs", etc..

For those not familiar with white label, you are in for an eye opening experience peeking behind the elusive and top secret curtains, just to realizing that some of the bigger brands you've frequented over the years, may have been and still are white labelers too.

Let's keep it a secret... Shhh.....

Good luck

 

[Domains - Wanted]

Pro Tip - For those of you looking to scale current business developments more rapidly : Search for terms like "White Label Partner" or using your target product category word like "White Label Software Partner" and other various phrases using white label, like "White Label App Affiliate Programs", etc..

You can do that, or you can simply get in touch with any manufacturers, whose products you fancy!

In China, we simply source amongst manufacturers directly and finding a reliable, promising manufacturer (there are many things to look out for), and then we propose terms, that is an OEM arrangement, which amounts to their making their product, but for sale under our brand. In China, this is the default option. Not so in the States or Europe, but I expect many US or European manufacturers would also go for such an arrangement. That's assuming that they themselves don't have "their" product made in China under such OEM arrangement. You'd be surprised how many do exactly that!

 

[Domains - Wanted]

...then I launched the site, it took around six months to really get the site off the ground...

...my supplier is in Frisco Tx , very close to me, it took me around 10 months to get this site off the ground...

If not infringing on any trade secrets, could you elaborate on what exactly too you so long? Are you referring to SEO, promotion, finding first customers, or making the deal with your supplier and building and organizing the site itself?

@Ostrados , my advice is to not just go Amazon, and the other affiliate offers. Find your niche, locate some business in your own state if possible, and get a deal going with them...

Exactly right. From a business, making money perspective, Amazon's worth its considerable weight in gold as your fulfillment (FBA) partner only