Value of premium names in secondary domains

[comicbookguy]

Does a domain name that is a premium in .com have a value in some of the second and third tiers such as me.uk , .pro , .name or .ws

say you have Travel.Me.Uk or Flowers.name.

Do they still have a high value or do they lose most of it because its not the .com

Just curious

 

[lzy]

It really depends. But mostly, unless they're really premium keywords, their value isn't that high.

 

[comicbookguy]

Thank you. just what I thought . even though all the big names are taken even in the most obscure domain. guess that really just enforces the .com value even more.

 

[Spade]

Honestly, if a super premium is available in a TLD, its probably not worth picking up. As many solid domainers have passed on those extensions for lack of sales.

Keyword domain names are prized by domainers for there type in traffic, the general public does not know .name or .ws and thus, would not type it in. If the domain gets no traffic, it also has no appeal for end-users.

Stay with the major TLD's, you'll save quite a bit of money.


Justin

 

[akcampbell]

The people who registered premium .coms in the early and mid 90s made money because they didn't follow Spade's super premium availability rule. Solid domainers take a here and now view and focus on .coms and PPC because they have the old .coms to make money out of that strategy. Domainers without old .coms have to look around and second guess where different extensions are going. Opportunity always exists, the trick is spotting where it is on any particular day. Only 1 in 6 internet users use direct navigation. The importance of that 1 in 6 has been blown out of proportion because it's making people with big .com portfolios rich and Google $6bn in ad revenue per year. The other 5 out of 6 Internet users are up for grabs and even the 1 in 6 who type in will scale it back as search engines improve and they work out that direct navigation isn't necessarily the quickest way of finding the best quality information.

 

[sashas]

you have to admit that most ccTLDs are pretty expensive.

I was looking at the .bs domains today (to check for the hack of boo.bs ), and their registration fee is $500. Premium names like Buy.bs are still available, but that $500 reg fee kills off any chance of a good profit.

 

[camille7_7]

I bought 2 .sc keyword domains at 35 dollars registration fee.... Computer and Flower..
also bought a .ws with two good words but not really type in quality PokerCasino..

After about 6 months of parking i realized that all 3 were not going to get any traffic..
That is when i realized that those three domains are great but i have to work for them to be great by development....

I figure i could sell them(not for much)......but the thing is.... com is what people want to see when they are searching the internet.....and will settle for net, org, info

People will also always type in .com first and if they can't find the right site they will search and it is hard to compete with established sites in a popular tld.

(oh yeah my statement makes sense to me...i hope it does to others..damn drinking and typing...ha )

-Thank you for your time.
-Aaron

 

[akcampbell]

I regged 19 .pro domains in the last 2-3 days. I was surprised by how many premium commercial keywords were still available. The equivalent .coms were mainly registered between 1994-1995.

I think the question to ask yourself with an alternative extension is why are good keywords still available, how can that situation change, and does the extension have any inherent value if current negatives were removed.

Premium .pro domains are still available because they cost $100 to reg, you can only reg through one registrar if you're not a professionally qualified medic, lawyer or accountant, and the rules about who can reg them and how you can use them are muddled. .coms originally cost $100 to register and you could only register them through Network Solutions so these issues aren't insurmountable.

The catalysts for change are the renegotiation of the registry's contract with ICANN, lower reg fees and clarification and liberalisation of the registration rules.

I like the .pro extension because it adds credibility to the keyword and credibility is something that alternative extensions lack. Also, like .info, .pro means something and that meaning is widely understood, it's not just a random combo or 2-3 letters.

Extension meaning is critical. .tv and .mobi have got somewhere as alternative extensions because they meaning something to a wide audience. .biz means something but credibility is undermined by the text style abbreviation. If think it would have been more successful as .business or .bus (but pronounced biz to underline the meaning).

 

[lzy]

I won't be expecting any traffic on .pro names anytime soon. (I only have one .pro)

Hope you make a sale or develop and earn enough revenue within this year or you'll be faced with a hefty renewal...unless you're planning to hold on for several years...wow.

I regged 19 .pro domains in the last 2-3 days. I was surprised by how many premium commercial keywords were still available. The equivalent .coms were mainly registered between 1994-1995.

I think the question to ask yourself with an alternative extension is why are good keywords still available, how can that situation change, and does the extension have any inherent value if current negatives were removed.

Premium .pro domains are still available because they cost $100 to reg, you can only reg through one registrar if you're not a professionally qualified medic, lawyer or accountant, and the rules about who can reg them and how you can use them are muddled. .coms originally cost $100 to register and you could only register them through Network Solutions so these issues aren't insurmountable.

The catalysts for change are the renegotiation of the registry's contract with ICANN, lower reg fees and clarification and liberalisation of the registration rules.

I like the .pro extension because it adds credibility to the keyword and credibility is something that alternative extensions lack. Also, like .info, .pro means something and that meaning is widely understood, it's not just a random combo or 2-3 letters.

Extension meaning is critical. .tv and .mobi have got somewhere as alternative extensions because they meaning something to a wide audience. .biz means something but credibility is undermined by the text style abbreviation. If think it would have been more successful as .business or .bus (but pronounced biz to underline the meaning).

 

[Kate]

To put it bluntly I think that registering exotic domains such a .vc, .vg, .ws, .ac, .cc etc is a waste of time and money.
With a few exceptions.

The local market for these TLD is virtually non-existent.
As a result these TLDs are only being used as vanity extensions. There is not a lot type-in traffic to be expected in the exotic extensions, and development along with good promotion efforts is the only way out.

If you are looking for an investment alternative to .com I would strongly suggest that you explore the established European ccTLDs like .co.uk, .nl, .de, .fr, .es, .ch etc.
Most are unrestricted and very popular in their respective countries. Type-in is not restricted to .com... the European TLDs are also prone to type-in.
These extensions can be very rewarding if you are not afraid to develop in foreign languages... The aftermarket exists for these extensions, it is more limited but there is less competition. And they are viable for development.

The Latin American extensions such as .com.br, .com.ar, .cl are also worth a look if you are eligible.
Explore the world and don't stick to your knitting :gl:

 

[akcampbell]

.co.uk is overpriced on the secondary market in the UK. I wouldn't develop a .co.uk because if it was successful and I wanted to expand the market I sold into I'd get hammered on price by whoever owned the .com. I've reluctantly bought a couple of .co.uk's to protect .coms and .co.uk owners invariably want a multiple of what I paid for the .com. I once bought a .com, .net, and .org for $4,000 in total from BuyDomains and the owner of the .co.uk wanted the equivalent of $22,000 for it. The cheapest and safest strategy is to buy the .com and then register a European Community or national trademark. I tried registering a .com.ar before through Maracaria and the registry wouldn't accept my registration. sdsin who do you register .com.ar with?

 

[Kate]

sdsin who do you register .com.ar with?

I don't register any as I am not eligible. Just a suggestion for those who live there

 

[Smoky Fighter]

ccTLDs have a market

hotel.pk was sold at 25,000/- EUR on SEDO, just check the link

http://www.sedo.se/auction/auction_history.php?language=sv&auction_id=14469&tracked=&partnerid=

 

[Smoky Fighter]

just look at hotel.pk it was sold at EUR 25,000/- on sedo, check the below link:

http://www.sedo.se/auction/auction_history.php?language=sv&auction_id=14469&tracked=&partnerid=

 

[Kate]

..
Also get and develop a domain like creditrepair.be drive traffic and you can make money. ...

This one is probably not a good example.
Credit reporting as we know it in the US does not exist in Belgium :gl:

The point I am trying to make is that too many are wasting their money on hopeless TLDs.

Those quoted by the OP: .me.uk, .name are horrible, however 'premium' the keyword is.

If you want to invest in alternate extensions look at the proven ones. European extensions are a good example.
Consider investing in .us too. I think .us will be big one day.
No certainty this will happen but the potential for growth is there, not in the exotic TLDs like .vg or .ms.

 

[randomo]

[...]
No certainty this will happen but the potential for growth is there, not in the exotic TLDs like .vg or .ms.

Maybe so, but picking up a strong keyword cheap in those minor extensions can still be a good play. I bought Slots(.)vg on eBay for $15 last December, sold it for $350 last month at Sedo - though the sales fee of $150 for this TLD left me with "only" $200.

 

[lzy]

Maybe so, but picking up a strong keyword cheap in those minor extensions can still be a good play. I bought Slots(.)vg on eBay for $15 last December, sold it for $350 last month at Sedo - though the sales fee of $150 for this TLD left me with "only" $200.

Before the renewal comes around? Good job. :tu:

 

[floatingworld]

There are some well thought-out contributions in this thread. I have to admit that I have some 'vanity' names in .ws and .cc and have to make a decision soon as to whether to renew some of them. I am leaning towards only renewing the 'best' ones but it is worth noting that my strongest traffic .ws and .cc are two LLLL names, so it is maybe 4L meaningful names in these extensions that are worth a further look......

 

[Smoky Fighter]

But whatever the sell value ccTLDs have still a potential for earn money via PPC if you propagate them wisely in forums etc.

 

[AdoptableDomains]

I agree that keyword ccTLD names don't get much traffic, and you shouldn't expect them to. If you are registering for type in traffic, then pass. However, good premium keywords do have value in a couple other ways if you have patience.

1. Some small businesses will prefer a short keyword domain rather than a longer .com or gTLD domain, if for nothing else but a shorter domain for email and ads. You have to remember that these people aren't going to pay six figures, but might pay high 3 or low 4.

2. Buyers for development instead of traffic will find value in the short generic. However, end user buyers are often harder to find than those just flipping domains for quick profit. The value isn't in the traffic, it's in the memorability of the name.

3. Speculation for the future - If any of us knew a one word generic was going to be worth what they are today, we would all have mortgaged our homes to buy them in the mid 90's. To make a profit, the saying is buy low, sell high. Sometimes you need to add hold investment for a while to that equation. In about 2002-2004 I purchased about 250 LLL.info domains speculating that they would grow in value after several years. I paid $10 ot $40 each for them, and have sold most for anywhere from $80 to $300 only a few years later. If I'd held another year or two I could have probably doubled that. On the 2 year anniversary of the .info launch, I purchased about 800 keyword info domains for anywhere from $9 to $60. I typically sell them now for mid 3 to low 4 figures. Time made them more valuable. If a bunch of new TLD's are introduced it may take from the current TLD's available. If not, they will probably grow in value as scarcity sets in for keywords. You can't guess right all the time, however, I think good strong usable keywords will grow in value.

4. Consider the source of the TLD - The same keyword will be more valuable the less restriction it has. gTLD's are probably the least risky if the word fits the TLD (very little works well with .name). The ccTLD's .us, .eu, .uk, etc. are from respected countries that probably won't take advantage of their users. Those in less stable countries or those that may censor are probably more risky. The .ws, .cc, and .tv names have some history, so are probably less questionable as to what will happen going forward, and have some promotion behind them that you won't see with .sc, .im, and .bz. However, all have their limitations (.ws can't be registrar transferred, .tv is pretty much TV specific, .cc has no clear meaning as a TLD).

5. Understand the value and price accordingly - If you buy secondary domains and expect to get millions, you will be disappointed. However, if you pick well, you can still get them for reg fee or a drop fee of $20-$60 and turn them for a hundred or two, and maybe up to a thousand or more with patience.