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Online Domain store like BrandBucket?

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Is an online brandable domain store still profitable?

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  • This poll is still running and the standings may change.

BasedBeyond

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Hey guys, I'm thinking of opening a small online store similar to Brandbucket. I will be selling brandable domain names for a reasonable price. I hope to get this website built on Wordpress, with an ecommerce theme.

My question is: What is the easiest method for me to list my domains on my website for users to buy them? Would it be easier for me to list them all on GoDaddy auctions, then link them from my website to GoDaddy? OR is there an easier alternative for buyers to purchase my domains.

Please let me know what your thoughts are.

Thank you.
 
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If you are just going to link to godaddy, why bother wasting time and energy building a site from scratch?
Just use WP and the 2014 theme, and start linking.
 
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If you are just going to link to godaddy, why bother wasting time and energy building a site from scratch?
Just use WP and the 2014 theme, and start linking.

Yeah, I'm just going to use a Wordpress template for the website, maybe buy an eCommerce one from ThemeForest. I'm also just curious, do you personally think that the brandable domains listed on BrandBucket are overpriced or are in fair price range? Thanks again for your input
 
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I recommend Woocommerce if you use Wordpress, but you can make it really simple, lightweight with code, simple pagination and payment links with Escrow.com or similar ( you can add more payment methods but be careful with chargebacks etc), supposedly Paypal has some kind of protection for merchant accounts.

Have a look around at Envato, there are some nice plugins for Woocommerce. Also, check out this: http://www.designrazzi.net/2014/wordpress-woocommerce-plugins/.

Good luck
 
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BrandBucket has good investment in domains + man power. They create unique logo for every domain, it's a time consuming and investment issue.

Instead, you can use text only domain portfolio type. Simply, try DomainFolio theme and start adding domain names. You can take offer or set buy now price or both. Payment by PayPal only.

Hope this helps you :)
 
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Are there any templates out there for WP similar to those of namerific or brandbucket?
 
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sorry for bringing this up again, but did somebody find a good solution?
 
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My question is: What is the easiest method for me to list my domains on my website for users to buy them?

The easiest method is just use any theme and link to GoDaddy auctions.

The most profitable method is to take the time to build a brand correctly from the get-go. :)
 
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The easiest method is just use any theme and link to GoDaddy auctions.

The most profitable method is to take the time to build a brand correctly from the get-go. :)

maybe "one" of the easiest but definately also one of the worst.
when linking to the brokerhouses you send traffic for free to the brokerhouses, do they pay you for that?
when they sell the domain after you send them the lead you still have to pay them commission.
you send the visitor to godaddy, and then? the visitor maybe search in their catalog for another domain.

I am sending a few thousand domains to afternic and other marketplaces. but this is the worst option.

the most clever option is to build an own basic marketplace, so that the visitor searches in your catalog.
 
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If you will manage proper and relevant search and categories, I believe it would be profitable
 
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I would also recommend Woocommerce. There are many themes available which support integration with Woocommerce.
 
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hey again, it´s brandnew, let me know what you think about this: www.keyworddomain.com
sold already a mid 4 figure domain thru it.
 
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Instead, you can use text only domain portfolio type. Simply, try DomainFolio theme and start adding domain names.
I wish this theme existed three years ago when i started building my shop. I was looking around forever but ended with the fact that i need to forget WP and just to order a custom site from my progger. Costed me a few hundreds. But this theme seems to be doing everything i need.
 
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yes, looks really good. I was looking for something with a store function.
 
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If anyone's interested, I'd be happy to list my domains on a less saturated marketplace for now. Currently only listed some of mine on Sedo. There's a post about it that they feature folks that have insider ties (that a number of domains are owned by the same person - by the sounds of it, the listing is not paid? not sure) and I think it just kills it for me and for anyone else here looking to make a sale with them. So I'd welcome the idea listing names on other places.
 
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It's no small task. I developed a brandable marketplace at www.brand.direct and even have a background in PPC and SEM and it is still hard to generate sales. Takes time and dedication.

.....maybe if I halved my prices....
 
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it is the same with sedo and all other marketplaces.
Domains are only selling if you redirect them to the offer page.
since I removed my names from sedo, sales went down to almost zero.
Every passiv domain sale is a lucky shot.
 
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I wish this theme existed three years ago when i started building my shop. I was looking around forever but ended with the fact that i need to forget WP and just to order a custom site from my progger. Costed me a few hundreds. But this theme seems to be doing everything i need.

DomainFolio looks nice. Not a fancy WP theme, but it appears to get the job done which is most important.

@vegabond did you develop the theme? What year was it released and what other features do you have in the pipeline for the theme?

What about integrating with Escrow.com API?
 
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I mean... is domaining profitable? That is all you have to ask yourself.

I think that a random one might fail, but if you can "Modernize" i guess sell somthing unique and try to market on fb etc / then you could make a KILLING. people who buy might not know of the wonderful world of namepros / other outlets to bulk up the portfolio.

I have a dream domain marketplace I hope to start / very nichey (word?) However I have yet to just fire up a random site to slap a list of urls on, because its all a matter of sale in my oppinion. you can sell a site here for 4 bucks and get 50 for it elsewhere, but there are give and takes from each and understandings. I think it is all a matter of the site / deliverance / etc. Most domainers are keen to "tricks", so it needs to be a win win.
 
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I've tried a whole variet of CMS and other methods of listing names
pseudo-auctions
limited membership forums
image posting sites
top-lists
e-commerce sites
WordPress
Drupal
and a few others.

The one thing that most people seem to miss, is that most enquiries come from direct navigation followed by a who-is enquiry, so any sales listing needs to have a bi-directional link with a mini-site based on the domain name. It also needs to have a clear payment structure, and a variety of contact methods. My latest idea is to use a teamspeak channel as a way to discuss the name with a prospective client. This is probably of limited use at the moment, as he will need to install the teamspeak client to use it. I did try Google hangouts, but that didn't seem to create much enthusiasm.
 
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hmm, the idea of bi-directional link is a good idea. Well my for sale pages provide that.
but the realtime communication you are talking about with teamspeak is maybe to special, I need to be in your teamspeak channel to talk with you.
what about a lifechat solution in html like zopim
but it needs voice as well, let me dive into it, if I find something I will try it out and list it here.
 
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The idea with teamspeak or hangouts was to try to shorten the negotiating time. I've found that with email messages, it can take a week or more to get a reply with a revised offer. I thought that if one could talk, or have a video link, then one could develop a more convential negotiation, and the buyer/seller doesn't have to reveal a phone number ( or pay the connection charges). I suspect that only a few buyers would want this option, but if he wants a quick sale, then this could be an easy way to get it.

The other method I am considering is the use of a support ticket system. Of course, these aren;'t mutually exclusive, and giving the buyer a range of communication option may make him feel more comfortable. I've even considered offering a free coffee in McDonalds if he wants a face to face meeting. Not as silly as it sounds, as I have a couple of .coms for local villages.
 
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I have a ticketsystem connected, let me tell you that it is the same as email if you have your emails in an organized manner. except you get 20 offers a day.
a live chat is the best solution I believe.
until I can reply with the email or ticketsystem it is sometimes 12h because I am in the wrong timezone.
people are affraid sometimes to call.
so they fill out the form, but you have again the spam problem, if you reply with the wrong words or to high then you do not have a chance any more.
lifechat looks like a good solution right now. I will try it out....
 
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