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?

 

[Coopey]

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?

If you're considering registering ccTLDs, as a general rule you should only register local language keywords in mature extensions.

 

[Premiere]

Figure out your exact budget and goals. If you want to have 100 cool domains for $7.50 each, then your budget is $750. If you want 5 excellent domains for $500 each, then your budget is $2,500.

Now you have your stuff, go reach your goal. Were you looking for traffic profits? Make it happen. Were you going to develop each name? Do it. Are you out to flip domains like hotcakes? Start flipping.

No more spending until your goal is reached. This is more important for domains than most other professions. Buying without any purpose is a death trap. Once you've learned what it takes to reach your intended target the first time, you can do it better and more profitably the second time.

There is no golden rule about how or where to learn, but experience is always the best teacher, regardless of success or failure.

 

[FreshAvails.com]

Confirm the spelling of your domain before you hit "Buy" and there is a world of difference between a name you can buy at $50 vs $7.50. It is worth it to spend a little more.

 

[gilescoley]

Read, Learn, Listen.....then spend!!!!

 

[NameClerk]

Ask yourself if the domain can bring buyers to sellers. In other words, are people searching for the exact term in the domain and are advertisers bidding on those same terms.

If you can answer yes to both questions, then it's worth looking into it more.

 

[Jaco]

Others pegged the important stuff.
To it, I'd add- know your goals before clicking "buy". If you want domains to dev for PPC stuff, focus on them. If you want domains to resell, focus on them. If you want to speculate on the future value of certain domains or TLDs, focus on that.
For every domain you add to your portfolio, it should have a clear-cut purpose, not just "WOW! THAT SEEMS LIKE A GOOD DEAL AND ESTIBOT SAYS IT'S WORTH $5000!!" In time, as your knowledge base expands, you can expand your focuses, but don't let your portfolio get too schizophrenic.

Given the relatively abstract nature of domaining, I think too many domaniers develop these over-bloated, incoherent portfolios that serve no purpose other than to keep them paying reg fees on names that they won't ever see a dimes worth of return out of.

I realize that there is still 'keyword action' in the less significant extensions, but I think you are much, much better off sticking to .com. Look for .com value in geo and longtail. In most circumstances, I'd rather own StLouisPizza.com or BestPlumberInChicago.com than pizza.cc or plumber.vu.

One other thing. I think the most neglected yet most important metric of all domaining is simply, does the domain in question bear any relevance to real life commerce where real money actually changes hands? While "brandables" do have some potential future use in theory, most all of them very much strike me as being the domainers equivalent of trading sardines

Lastly, see my sig line.

 

[banners]

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

I strongly agree, this type of thinking has suckered me into being a webmaster instead of a domainer.

So I buy only with development in mind, potential future domain value is an after thought.


but for those who are only into domaining, you should definitely look at domains for their development potential.

 

[jdenwar]

DONOT USE ESTIBOT!! :lala:

 

[kaposzta]

Use Estibot, but do not believe the estimation

 

[zoogo]

Don't use K or C unless spelling commonly known words! Usually X is not good either.

 

[MissyBC]

Don't rush to buy domains before learning what is really valuable. I did this and bought some crap =) hehe

 

[HuntingMoon]

buy expired domains