discuss Should like names have their own marketplace?

[ThatNameGuy]

I own a pretty good domain/name Marketplace to showcase my domains. However I have domains that are specific to certain industries like financial services and healthcare. Then I have extension specific domains like .Golf and .Homes. Finally, I have "first name" specific domains like; "Savor/Savour" domains and "Incredible" domains. For example, a friend from Canada owns a marketplace site of his .homes domains; Premium.homes.

I guess my main point is if you were marketing/selling domains to home builders or realtors, and you owned 50 or more names, wouldn't it be smart to develop a site that gives the appearance that it caters just to builders and realtors? Otherwise I think you domains might get lost in the domain jungle?

I would appreciate your thoughts. Thanks

 

[bmugford]

I plan on using something like RealtorandBuilder.domains for my Marketplace.

I would pick a different domain. "Realtor" is a major trademark issue that is protected aggressively by NAR.

Brad

 

[biggie]

to me, at first sight of the url
I would think Premium.homes, was a realtor site, not a domain marketplace

and, I would go further and say, that the general public would think so too

only a domainer would possibly think it was a showcase site for selling domains, using the .homes extension.

because the average joe, doesn't know jack about .homes

imo...

 

[Dave]

With all due respect I think this is all a waste of time.

When someone is looking for a domain name for their brand, they're rarely if ever going to be browsing some random portfolio site on the web.

The typical thought process when a startup or company is coming up with brand names is they will hold meetings to discuss naming, they will likely research and put together a list and then they will do the following steps:

• Put together a list (let's say 15 names) they think are suitable
• Go to a popular well known registrar, usually GoDaddy, and check the status of each domain. (This is why so many names sell via Afternic).
• If one of the domains they like is available and they don't have a large budget they'd likely settle for that, which means they will register and their search ends.
• If their selections are not available they are then likely to go and type it in their browser and see what's on it. At this point you want to hope you have a nice clean and minimal way they can contact you .
• Failing that they will try a WHOIS and hope they get contact info.
• Failing all that they will keep looking for alternatives/find a broker or such depending on budget.

The main point I'm trying to make is that an end user usually knows what they're after before they go looking for it.

Yes the opposite is true on rare occasions with outbound but that's usually when you're outbounding a domain that is either an upgrade or complimentary to their existing offerings.

Thanks and good fortunes to you all.

 

[Ostrados]

IMO it is not worth it for small portfolio. You mentioned 50 or more domains for home category, that is small number, if you have 500 or more domains related to one niche then it might be worth it to create separate website for them.

Better is to create one website and showcase domains by category, you can create a good looking coverpage with grid images and overlay text to represent categories you have.

The problem of multiple websites instead of 1 website is that it is time consuming, more expensive and harder to manage.

Also biggest challenge is SEO, if you have one website it will be a much easier task. you will need SEO to drive traffic to your website otherwise nobody will know about it.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Your point is well expressed and sound @Dave and I agree about 80% with that view. Most people looking for domains never go to a domainer website and come in with their own list of potential names. Now as @Ostrados says, the brandable marketplaces are highly successful and in a way more specialized portfolios could be viewed as an even more specialized sort of brandable. I think that makes sense too, and in an ideal world that is where I hope to get - in a few small niches I will rank high enough, or get known through social media, that someone in that specialized niche will come looking. I agree that is a steep hill to climb though. As @ThatNameGuy says the idea of a specialized portfolio makes most sense with respect to some level of outbound.

So I agree with everyone. Which is what I usually do ! Seriously thank you everyone for some great points in the past series of posts.

Bob

 

[bmugford]

Brad....i understand you're speaking from "personal experience", but while my "personal experience" comes from different industries like financial and healthcare, each of these industries were receptive to both proactive and reactive marketing. I've never said your reactive style doesn't work, but I have more confidence now that I've partnered with an experienced website developer and internet tech savvy pro, that my proactive style will work. This isn't to say I won't be employing both proactive and reactive strategies...I'd be a fool not too, and I think you know by now, I'm no fool

My experience though is actually in the domain field. It involves actual buying and selling many domains over many years. It is reality based, not theory based.

Just because you have some experience in another field doesn't mean it will translate well to domains. It is an entirely different field.

Brad

 

[BrandPlease]

Buloney, we discussed this before - pull up old threads. You have never sold a domain name, you have never sold a domain name as an asset to business, maybe you ran a successful biz in the 70ies, Great for you. But stop offering terrible advice and calling yourself an expert.

The only thing you are going to do is bankrupt, some people, who think you have any understanding of what you post.

Have your opinion, promote it, but dont lie and say you have branded and sold countless biz deals, that never involved a domain as a consideration, as someone who sold domains.

Please stop willfully promoting ideas (as an actual expert) when you are so far from it.

 

[Eric Lyon]

I guess my main point is if you were marketing/selling domains to home builders or realtors, and you owned 50 or more names, wouldn't it be smart to develop a site that gives the appearance that it caters just to builders and realtors? Otherwise I think you domains might get lost in the domain jungle?

Yes, it makes perfect sense: https://www.namepros.com/threads/creating-a-domain-portfolio-that-converts.1011469/

 

[Eric Lyon]

Further plans are being made to target those industries via email, trade shows, and personal contacts. Thanks again.

the good thing about niche tradeshows are most are free to attend. You can find a plethora of ways to engage niche audiences in person at those free shows, Which are found in places like eventbrite.com meetup.com, etc.

The wife and I have attended assorted free events for similar reasons over the years.

 

[offthehandle]

the good thing about niche tradeshows are most are free to attend. You can find a plethora of ways to engage niche audiences in person at those free shows, Which are found in places like eventbrite.com meetup.com, etc.

The wife and I have attended assorted free events for similar reasons over the years.

And to add, all you need is a Generic company name, sometimes a business license to sign up and fill out a few forms, there are many in Las Vegas so if you search the Vegas Convention center schedule, you can plan ahead.
https://www.vegasmeansbusiness.com/planning-tools/convention-calendar/

 

[bmugford]

I think it is a waste of time as it is unlikely to really yield more sales.

Portfolio sites in general are vanity plays. They don't really drive sales.
If you want a portfolio site, just add sections. You don't need a bunch of separate websites.

The vast majority of sales come via direct traffic on landers and via popular venues.

If you want more sales you need solid landers and to list your domains on popular venues.
That is where most buyers find them.

Brad

 

[bmugford]

We all know that NameBio reports only a portion of sales (maybe 10 to 20% of sales over $100 I would guess). Many sales do occur privately. Does anyone know of research on the stats of how those private sales resulted? Like what fraction from lander (maybe ultimately via a marketplace but the lander was the key step), marketplace search, promotion on social media, various forms of outbound, etc.? Would be interesting intelligence to have. I tend to think most come from landers, but don't know of research to show that. Thanks for any links to evidence, people. Have a nice day!
-Bob

ps I have also wondered if there are regional differences.

I can only speak from my personal experience, but the bulk of my sales start with a contact form being filled out on the lander. I only have a portion of my portfolio priced and listed on popular venues like GoDaddy, so if I had more domains listed there the balance might change a bit.

Even with fewer domains listed, GD/Afternic listings do yield quite a few sales.

Inquiries via my portfolio site happen, but are far less than via direct traffic.

I also get some inquires via direct email, but those have gone down a lot since GDRP took effect and many registrars redact WHOIS information.

Brad

 

[Eric Lyon]

Eric...generally industry specific trade shows aren't free. For instance, to have a booth at a mortgage banker trade show, or a healthcare trade show it would run thousands of dollars for a 10x10 both. I realize the kind of trade show you're referring to is more generic, it would be great for a popup trade show display that I mentioned on a previous thread.

If I were to franchise parts of my domain business I would probably provide a popup display for franchisee's to use at tradeshows. I've priced it out, and I can provide a professional looking display for around $500.

I never said to sponsor or pay for a booth.

The wife and I found that attendees at free events are there for a reason and if your model/asset is a solution to their reasoning to be there, then you have a potential buyer.

The free 100 to 1000 attendee events all over the country are crawling with niche specific investors/startups hungry for solutions to every day scaling and branding problems.

If one is shy and can't strike up 20 conversations about a niche asset in the same industry as 500 people interested in that industry, they probably shouldn't be trying to sell anything and might want to hire someone less shy and more outgoing.

A booth is cool for bigger brand exposure, but free engagement with hundreds of niche targeted people works too, free.

To each their own though.

Everyone does things different.

What works for one may not work for another.

For perspective, think about how many domains are sold between attendees at namescon that didn't get a booth. Obviously namescon isn't free admission, but the point is the same.

If you have a steel mill asset and in a room of 500 steel mill prospects at a steel mill event. Don't you think 1 or 2 of that 500 might be interested in an asset related to the niche they came to the event for in the first place?

Like a website. An ad about baseball won't convert well on a swimming website. But it will on a baseball website.

1 + 1 = 2

 

[JayT]

Don't get overwhelmed making websites. Start with a domaining one, and list your whole portfolio. Next make a site about something unrelated, but you like writing about. Now you have a domaining website and life besides domaining!

 

[biggie]

Finally Brad, I know you and your "old time" domain allies think I have a lot to learn about the domain industry, but I think I know just enough about business in general to teach you a thing or two...or three or four

if you feel that way, then why even ask for advice?

imo...

 

[xynames]

This is a rehashing of Bulloney’s (OP’s) idea of business plans on landing pages specifying what the domain might be used for.

As I said then and say now it’s usually best to for the most part leave it up to the potential buyer what the name means and what it should be used for. Otherwise you’re hemming the domain in to a specific use or niche and might actually turn off a potential buyer who had a completely different idea in mind.

Approaching an end user and suggesting that this domain might be good for you is one thing (and is nothing new anyway @Eric Lyon it’s just - outbound) - but putting your domain or domains into specific niche marketing packages as OP describes is something else.

For some domains it might not be a bad idea to decorate your landing page for it with some ideas for its use. You know, saying ____.com is the perfect name for any _____ , _____ or _____ business. But you gotta be careful to be broad minded with your pitch because otherwise your promotions might backfire and actually dissuade a buyer.

For EXample if you go all out and claim that a certain domain is the perfect name for an ice cream business and the potential buyer was thinking of using the name for a hedge fund, your promotion might give him great pause. “Hmm, so ICE CREAM is what comes to mind when you think of this domain? Maybe it’s not such a good name for a serious finance venture.”

By the same token even a one page business plan implies a focus on a specific direction - a specific use - for the domain. It goes even beyond saying that this domain is great for the ice cream business it gets into an analysis of exactly why it’s good for that and how best to put that ice cream business into action.

In short, I’d be against any marketing or promotion for a content-less domain that ends up hemming it in towards any single direction or focus. In the end the name stands on its own.

 

[BrandPlease]

P.S. Buloney, you may want to look into your Trade Mark filling for "that name guy" - not showing up in basick TM searches.

 

[Ostrados]

With all due respect I think this is all a waste of time.

When someone is looking for a domain name for their brand, they're rarely if ever going to be browsing some random portfolio site on the web.

The typical thought process when a startup or company is coming up with brand names is they will hold meetings to discuss naming, they will likely research and put together a list and then they will do the following steps:

• Put together a list (let's say 15 names) they think are suitable
• Go to a popular well known registrar, usually GoDaddy, and check the status of each domain. (This is why so many names sell via Afternic).
• If one of the domains they like is available and they don't have a large budget they'd likely settle for that, which means they will register and their search ends.
• If their selections are not available they are then likely to go and type it in their browser and see what's on it. At this point you want to hope you have a nice clean and minimal way they can contact you .
• Failing that they will try a WHOIS and hope they get contact info.
• Failing all that they will keep looking for alternatives/find a broker or such depending on budget.

The main point I'm trying to make is that an end user usually knows what they're after before they go looking for it.

Yes the opposite is true on rare occasions with outbound but that's usually when you're outbounding a domain that is either an upgrade or complimentary to their existing offerings.

Thanks and good fortunes to you all.

However some startups who are looking for a name will go to brandable domains marketplaces like SquadHelp, BrandBucket..etc to search for a good name for their business or to get inspiration.

So if some domainer create a large portfolio website with categories, then he might be able to drive some traffic from startups looking for a brand name, but it is difficult because the domainer will need to compete with the established marketplaces.

In general a portfolio website is good but not very beneficial, it will only increase selling probability by small percentage, unless you can make your website popular which is very hard thing to achieve.

 

[ThatNameGuy]

Yes, it makes perfect sense:

Thanks Eric...I've finally hooked up with a technical "equity partner" who shares my vision for doing DomainsMyWay™ vs. the old timer way. This has taken a littler longer than I expected, but it's coming together. Plans for our "niche" marketplace under the umbrella of DomainGourmet™ are to have a half dozen "cookie cutter" sites marketing domain names to specific industries. Further plans are being made to target those industries via email, trade shows, and personal contacts. Thanks again.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

Another issue of running a very specialized marketplace is getting traffic. Even the big players who have been in it for years are actually not super high on web visit stats. Some of your other ideas @ThatNameGuy like trade show promotion might work well hand in hand with the specialized marketplace to get over that, however, and give out personalized items with the domain on them. BTW I tend to agree with @biggie re likely first impressions of those hearing the name you propose using.


Bob

 

[lambo.com]

While I admire your brevity (something I struggle with ) could you explain your answer a bit. Not sure if it is to the post just above, one of the aspects of the OP, or .....
Thanks,
Bob

yes.

Alternatives exist that make this redundant.

Having 'your own marketplace' is a nice vanity move and perhaps a quick feel good buzz.. sure it can give rise to lots of temporary emotions of pleasure but no matter how much time is burned on choosing the best logos or wordpress themes, a cow with lipstick is still a cow and even if you put lipstick on all the cows... you are no more likely to have someone want to kiss your cow.

Instead, take your cows to the fair (godaddy, sedo).

I like parking my names at Uniregistry so I can close deals myself or in some cases, have the Uniregistry ranchers promote my bulls (and their semen), to prospective buyers.

 

[ultradog]

I think you mean, no more likely to have someone want to kiss your cow.

 

[Bob Hawkes]

can't wait till .cow extension comes out

with .dog and .cat and .horse, why no .cow TLD? Surely a legal class action by cow owners is in order?

 

[BrandPlease]

Found this infographic, I believe it was published around 2013. Dated, but interesting info...it would be interesting to
1. see if the original author is still here on NP somewhere - I'd give you credit, but dont know who you are. I know the graphic is from Dropmining (com) but it not an active site (haven't checked DomIQ yet).
2. update the info, if possible, with current sales & see if it is worth digging deeper?

It looks like the sample size was only 1.4K ish sales, still interesting.

Here was the analysis take away or finding the author came to:

"It turned out that only 3 metrics were consistent statistically significant influencers of how much an expert domainer was willing to pay for a domain; exact match search volume, the number of other extensions registered for a domain and whether was the domain a .com."

SORRY, edited so a giant infographic wanst taking up screens. see attachment.