LL.com - How to reach end-users? $X,XXX,XXX

[NickSE]

I have a premium LL.com with huge potential due to the letter combination. I have tried a few brokers over the years but they have only received mid 6 figure offers. It seems like it's very hard to reach beyond the Chinese 'investors' and local domain resellers. Each time when entering a brokering agreement the broker seems very hungry and ready to move this name, it just seems to be harder than they first imagine.
How would you market a name like this where the end result is so important?
I have thought about creating some professional marketing material and snail mail it to potential end-users, maybe to invite selected few to participate in a closed auction. But it seems like this method can be legally problematic as to much reaching out for the end-users could end up in a legal mayhem.

So i'm currently searching for some feedback from you guys - How would you do it beside sit and wait....

 

[gotasale]

develop, make revenue and do not sell

 

[NickSE]

Hello gotasale,

Thank you,
I'm not sure what you mean. From my point of view, the real value in the LL.com's is that a very large end-user might have a desire for the name. The domain is valuable in it self for an online business, i agree, but not in the same level of potential upside. (I understand that there is an unlimited upside for the right startup company but it could happen with almost any domain as long as it's brandable)?

 

[The New Guy]

Heritage auctions has a domain auction coming up soon - they seem to put some effort into publicity when they have good domains. You might want to see if they can put it up with a reserve amount you're comfortable with.

 

[venturefile.com]

Don't develop it.. That could just scare of a potential buyer thinking that they can't get it.. Does it get traffic? If yes how much traffic? Where from?

Making a 7 figure sale sure isn't a walk in the park and has much work involved and even then you aren't guaranteed to get it, because you need a big company that specifically wants your domain.. Contacting potential end users is the only other option besides sitting on the domain and waiting for an offer to come. And when you are contacting end users your need to realize that you start out from an inferior negotiating position and they have the upper hand..

 

[The New Guy]

Of all the recorded LL.com sales, only 7 have been for $1 million or more. It's not an automatic million dollar sale. You don't give the domain so it may be that mid to upper 6 figures is the best that you can get until the right company comes along. It may not even exist yet.

Don't develop it, of course. It's going to waste your time and money and will only shrink the potential pool of buyers because some will think that since there's an established site they can't buy it.

And don't worry too much about the legal / UDRP issues as long as you do your research. Check the domain blogs - there have been cases where the panel has found that LLL domains are not necessarily infringing since the scarcity of LLL gives them an inherent value of their own. LL would be even more of a commodity. Even if someone threatens you, a good domain lawyer should be able to protect you.

 

[Sheogorath]

LL.com domains are desired by everyone in the Domaining industry and by many companies who seek exposure and fitting 2 letters to their company's acronym and TM.
Basically everyone wants an LL.com so waiting for 7 figures will be worth it.
FB.com was sold for $8.5 million.
If the combination and letters are good, it may take months or even a few years, but eventually someone will want to pay the 7 figures.
I suggest to apply for Sedo top domain if you have not already and expose it to major companies without contacting them directly.
Also, I suggest to list at several marketplaces for more exposure.
You can buy advertisements on different websites to better expose your domain.
Developing the domain will have no positive impact on the sale price, in fact it will scare possible end users.

LL.com value varies by the letters it is composed.
If you wish you can PM me the exact domain.
Some LL.com are only worth low 6 figures at max because of bad letters.
Some LL.com are worth at least low 7 figures.
It depends on the quality of the letters.
Presenting your LL.com will ease the task to tell you if your domain is worth that much.
Since this is not an appraisal thread and you don't ask for appraisal, it will be better if you will send a PM.

Best of luck

 

[NickSE]

The new you:
Thank you for the input - I am thinking about the HA auction, but it can be a bit dangerous if the name doesn't reach reserve as it's a public auction. Then everyone will think the base price is below the reserve?

VF: thank you the insight, yes it seems to be huge work! My experience is that many of the mid cap companies we have been in contact with are very uneducated regarding the value of a domain like this. I'm sure that we'll find the right end-user at some point, and it will be peanuts to a company with the right size. The strategy is just a bit unclear as a domain like this can't be force-fed to these select companies.

 

[Constantin S]

Heritage Auction is a great way to try sell your domain for x.xxx.xxx however NL dot com got sold in last auction for only 575k.
If you can't sell it there probably no other platform will and you'll have to try get a private sell finding end-user by your own of hire a broker.

 

[NickSE]

Constantin: I'm aware of the NL.com sale, imho it's an example of a domain sold too cheap. I viewed the HA auction live stream and I wasn't very impressed by the overall interest in the domains, so maybe they weren't able to attract enough bidders.

 

[Nazz]

This maybe irrelevant to your problem, though I'm just curious to know how long you have held this domain for..?

 

[biggie]

I would not put a LL.com in auction, unless the offer was within acceptable amount that I would sell it for.

best bet is to put it in secure vault and wait. if parked, make sure no ads appear for related letter tm's

if you're frantic to sell, then you'll never get expected roi.

imo...

Good Luck!

 

[NickSE]

I'm not frantic to sell at all, but I have owned this name from several years, so it can be boring to sit and wait without doing anything active.

 

[Nazz]

Well, not like its losing any value..

 

[The New Guy]

LL.com domains are desired by everyone in the Domaining industry and by many companies who seek exposure and fitting 2 letters to their company's acronym and TM.
Basically everyone wants an LL.com so waiting for 7 figures will be worth it.
FB.com was sold for $8.5 million.

7 figure sales are the exception, not the rule. Of over 100 reported LL.com sales, only 7 have been in the seven figures. The rest are mid to low 6 figures. FB, YP, MI, IG all had companies that had both the budget and the desire to grab the LL.com for vanity reasons.

Based on reported sales, a 7 figure amount is less than a one in ten chance. You could end up waiting another ten years for a couple hundred thousand more, meanwhile you won't have the money to invest or otherwise use in your life. Then there's no guarantee that even if you wait the perfect buyer will ever come along.

 

[GravityEleven]

@NickSE

having just found out which LL com you are owning i guess you will just have to give it time until there is a big enough company (merger, etc.) appearing with exactly these LL as the best abbreviation.. quite attractive combo but Google doesn't throw too many obvious end user results for it..

ps: LL (like LLL and LLLL) will only rise in value anyway while you keep sitting on it, so why change anything and take more action.. first to contact is in weaker negotiation position always anyway, then bye bye maximum profit..

 

[NickSE]

TNG:
I agree that 7 figure sales aren't happening often, but from what i'm hearing there's quite a few sales under NDA that we do not hear about.

 

[GravityEleven]

Ps: better move it away from Moniker.. have you noticed the security issues they have had from mid 2014 on?
i wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing i still had a LL com with them in 2015..

 

[brandnow]

I believe the longer you wait.. the more value your LL.com will lose. I especially feel this way because I do believe the NGTLDs will take hold next year.

 

[The New Guy]

The new you:
Thank you for the input - I am thinking about the HA auction, but it can be a bit dangerous if the name doesn't reach reserve as it's a public auction. Then everyone will think the base price is below the reserve?.

Even if it fails it gives your domain publicity.

I don't know if they have a lock in clause for a period of time with unsold domains like sedo does with their great domains auction, but if it doesn't sell it lets buyers know you're looking to sell - plus both you and the buyer can avoid commission which lets you sell for less but make more.

For example, say your reserve price is $1.25 million and the domain sells for that. You pay $187,500 for seller's commission and the buyer also pays that as the buyer's premium. You net $1,062,500 and the buyer has to pay $1,437,500 to get the name. It's a big amount but you're paying for the publicity.

But if it doesn't sell - say it only hits $1.1 million. Depending on the lockin period, you get approached by a buyer or buyers willing to pay that $1.1 million directly to you - no brokers, no auctions. They pay $1.1 million and you get $1.1 million - nearly $40,000 more than if your reserve had been met.

The problem with auctions is that unless it's a super premium generic like sex.com that has multiple potential buyers and end users, you're putting yourself at a disadvantage. Just like if you contacted an end user instead of waiting for them to contact you - just with auctions you have to pay commissions.

 

[yesonline]

I think there are not so-called “bad letters" if your target markets including the Chinese buyers. Do not always thinking in a Western way IMHO. Good luck.

 

[venturefile.com]

I believe the longer you wait.. the more value your LL.com will lose. I especially feel this way because I do believe the NGTLDs will take hold next year.

This in my opinion is just wrong.. Even if the new gtlds take hold, which I think they won't, this won't have an effect on LL.com domains.. It might have it in 10 years if the gtlds take a big hold, which they won't, but in a year it won't mean a flying whisker for an LL.com.. They are just gaining value as more and more are snatched up and developed by end users..

@NickSE If you want 7 figures for it, then waiting on an offer is the only game in town for you.. If you want to sell it fast then I doubt that you will get even high $xxx,xxx for it.. Also, for the love of god, if the above statement is true and you have the domain with Moniker, run to your account and transfer it out NOW!

I would however try a big auction like HA to test the waters.. What do you have to lose?

 

[NickSE]

VF:
It would be interesting to test the waters at an event like HA, but they'll require a low reserve and that's why we can't use that channel. We do not want to have to part with the name at reseller pricing as it happened to NL.com at the latest HA auction.

 

[biggie]

pm sent

 

[Maxwell]

I wish I had this problem...

but anyway I think you're going to to have to hold out for some powerhouse end user to contact you; if you want 7 figures.