Let's hear YOUR best domain-buying tip

[Gene]

If you had just one tip to offer a beginner when it comes to buying or registering a domain name, what would it be? This could be buying a domain for a flip, or for development, or for general business. It could be about buying something already established or a brand new reg. What is YOUR best tip for someone interested in profiting from domain names?

 

[dmi]

.com is god

 

[dezinerite]

I would probably tell them to understand the market before spending a single penny.

 

[-REECE-]

I would tell them that any deviation from what the above 2 posters have said will most likely be met with disappointment and failure.

I would probably tell them to understand the market before spending a single penny.

.com is god

 

[deleted984054565403]

Never, ever buy a name because it's "rare" or you're working toward a "buyout" of a specific type of name.

In other words, registering five-letter .coms or buying LLLL .coms with no development or flawless reselling plan is a waste of your time and money.

The best domain is a memorable one, not necessarily a short one.

If an idea pops into your head for a great domain, triple check the spelling. Read it out loud to yourself to ensure it makes sense.

Developing a domain always earns more in the long run than reselling.

 

[bmugford]

Buy keyword domains with a clear descriptive use. If you are buying "brandables" stick to formats that have liquidity.

Brad

 

[Work In Progress]

Spend at least one month of this forum and soak up info like a sponge.

Unless you have deep pockets and can secure generic .coms, learn to develop in some sense...mini sites, blogs, whatever

Better to have few high quality names than a boatload of crappy ones

 

[rkbdomain]

Read the sales threads here and notice the difference between what people think their domains are worth and what people will actually pay for them, if anything.

 

[louddrums]

DO NOT rely SOLELY on automated appraisals to determine the value of a domain name but use them as one part of your research arsenal.

Learn to understand the metrics when doing keyword search counts. Just because Google or Yahoo tools show that the set of keyword domains you're looking at gets thousands of searches, does not always mean they actually do.

You cannot always use metrics for "call to action" or "popular sayings" type of domains. It's an art. It helps to have some marketing and advertising experience to understand them better.

Have a concrete and WORKABLE plan for each domain name (development or sales). FOLLOW THROUGH on those plans!

 

[Fork]

Stay away from trademarks (usually).

 

[tristanperry]

It's hard to make a profit from day one. (I was lucky since I started when there were about 75k LLLL.coms available, and literally I was able to hand-reg them and flip them for double profit very quickly.) Instead consider developing some of your domains.

 

[03kentb70]

Use as many tools / online resources as possible - not only will it save you a hell of a lot of time but it can really help you find the best bargains and make a lot more money in the long run.

 

[samuelhr]

Hype is your enemy. If you're a sucker for following the crowd, domaining isn't for you.

 

[elias75]

.com is god

The Father of all Gods!

 

[Tenk]

register typos of high traffic websites

 

[samuelhr]

I would tell them that any deviation from what the above 2 posters have said will most likely be met with disappointment and failure.

The first point is pretty much spot on, I disagree with the second though. It depends entirely on who you're going after as your client base; if you're going for end users most extensions will be okay as long as you're able to justify the purchase of them, if you're just selling to other domainers then .com is where you should stay. I don't agree with the "anything but .com is worthless" mentality though, maybe because I focus more on development than buying to flip.

 

[deleted984054565403]

Hype is your enemy. If you're a sucker for following the crowd, domaining isn't for you.

:bingo:

 

[labrocca]

Have a development plan or idea for every domain you own.

 

[-Adam-]

Buy low, Sell high and don't exhaust all your funding into one project.

 

[Nattydomain]

Found out how you would develop the name. if you cant think of any reason move on.