written by
Joe Uddeme
How to Buy a Domain Name
How to Buy a Domain Name Owned by Someone Else
Negotiating a Domain Price
What is a Premium Domain Name & Why You Should Buy One
How to Choose a Domain Name
How to Value a Domain Name
Domain Names for Startups
How to Buy a .com Domain Name
Things to Watch Out for When Buying a Domain
Domain Name Investing
Buy & Selling Domains
Best Domains to Buy
Looking for some quick tips about securing and buying a domain name for your business? Here’s our expert guide to domain buying, covering everything from hidden fees to privacy protection.
Purchasing a domain name is an exciting thing for a new business, but there’s much more to it than simply finding the ideal name. Before you begin, there are a few things you ought to know.
It’s always worth remembering that not all businesses selling domains (known as domain registrars) are the same. Some use tactics like hiding fees or promoting your data to earn more cash, which may have an enduring influence on your enterprise.
In this post, Name Experts Director Joe Uddeme – a seasoned domain name broker – flags up some common things you should watch out for.
As with any purchase choice, cost can be a big element. It is easy to be tempted into buying a domain at a really low cost. But don’t be fooled: a few domain registrars provide promotional pricing at an extremely low price but then hide a lot of fees in the contract, lock you in, and charge high renewal prices.
Generally, be aware that registrars offering rock-bottom domains may have additional, less-than-ethical techniques to make money. These strategies include:
Unprotected data is vulnerable to being mined by spammers and scammers. Start looking for domain registrars that offer privacy protection for free. Be cautious about dealing with registrars that charge a premium for “privacy solutions,” particularly any who offer to place their details on these registries instead of yours, which covertly gives them possession of the domain.
Beyond failing to protect your personal data from public records, some registrars actively sell your information to third parties like marketing associations. Some registrars even mine the WHOIS database and then send false renewal invoices, getting visitors to unknowingly transfer their domains. Be certain to find a registrar that promises never to sell or misuse your client information for marketing purposes.
Look for registrars that offer transparency in their pricing. You should, for example, be able to readily find your renewal prices, as well as the processes for transferring or canceling your domain name registration.
Some registrars offer cheap registration during the initial purchase, but then charge flat-rate costs to renew your domain the following calendar year. They also might make it very difficult to cancel your order. Start looking for a registrar with upfront pricing info and terms of service to avoid surprises later on.
Some registrars don’t have support staff but instead have salespeople who are trained to sell you add-on services you may not need – all in the guise of friendly customer support. Look for a registrar that offers courteous and professional support and help, not one that sees you as a cash register they keep trying to ring.
With careful study before you opt for a domain, you can side-step some unfortunate traps and make sure your domain name — and your business – are in good hands for many years to come.
Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s top domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]
From Amazon to Coca-Cola, strong brand names have helped propel businesses to stratospheric heights for centuries. Here’s how to find one that will take yours to the next level and ensure you have a domain name that supports it.
Most web users aren’t familiar with domain parking, yet it’s something pretty much all of us have encountered. Here’s domain name expert Joe Uddeme with the full details of why parked names exist – and why you might want to buy one. A parked domain is a domain name that has been registered but not connected to an active website. It is not currently being used but instead is set aside for future use. Most domains, like nameexperts.com, point to an active web page. But in the case of a parked domain, that address points to a “this domain is reserved” web page, a “buy this domain” page, an advertisement page, or a plain web page with no content. In some cases, it’ll point to no web page at all, and you’ll see an error in your web browser saying, “This site can’t be reached.” It doesn’t mean it isn’t there – as you’ll find out if you try to buy it. If you’re intrigued by parked domains and wonder if there’s any chance of getting your hands on one (with or without assistance from a domain name consultant), this article is for you. Key takeaways: Understand why someone would want to park a domain Turning a parked domain you own into something more useful Top tips for buying a parked domain Why Would You Have a Parked Domain? There are many reasons for domain parking, including: Reserving a Domain Name You might have a domain name that you plan to use for a website in the future. So, you buy it from a registrar and park it to prevent another person from snapping it up and disrupting your plans. A good domain name is worth its weight in gold, so absorbing the cost of holding the domain when it’s not in active use is advisable. Redirecting visitors to another domain You can use your parked domain to redirect visitors to another active domain that you own. For instance, you might have owned a website and changed the domain name for marketing purposes. You wouldn’t want people typing in the former domain name to get confused, so you redirect it to the new one. Save it for reselling Some domain names can appreciate in value, and many people hold them as investments. You can buy a domain name and park it with the intention of selling it for a higher price in the future. Site is in Development The website you want to connect to the domain name may be under development and launching soon. In the meantime, you can park the domain and only connect it to the website when it’s ready. How to Configure a Parked Domain Error Page Some parked domains return an error message when you type them into your web browser. The error message varies depending on your web browser, but it usually takes the form of “this site can’t be reached”.
Whether you want to buy names to sell straight away or hold them in your portfolio, there’s a lot to learn if you want to be a big-hitter in the domain buying and selling world. Domain name expert Joe Uddeme shares his top tips for domain buying success. Both buying and selling domains can be an exciting adventure – and it can even be a profitable endeavor. If you’re trying to get into the domain-buying game, or are simply looking for someone to buy a domain you want to sell, you need a little more information about how it all works. The actual odds of you cashing in big amounts of money from your domain aren’t high (unless you’re sitting on a desirable two- or three-letter domain name that isn’t currently in use). But if you have no idea what you’re doing, you might also be wasting time and money. If you want to make it big, you need a tried and true process to help guide you. This post covers our top tips to help you find a domain buyer or to be a domain buyer – and insert yourself into the domain buying and selling game the right way. Key Takeaways The importance of research when buying and selling domains Understand your audience Promote your domains to attract the right buyer How a domain broker can help Domain Buyer Tips Though the internet isn’t very old in real terms, there are already millions of domains already registered. And yet there’s still an endless amount of combinations available to register. That’s not even including the hundreds of new domain name extensions available (think .net, .club, .ai and so on). Do A Little Research – Get Focused The first thing we recommend is to do a little research before you get started. If you’re looking to buy a domain, start with what you already know. What are you already an expert in? Buying the right domain is much easier when you have a knowledge of the industry so that you choose something that will 1) actually sell, or 2) be a great domain for your business. If you know fishing, for example, you’ll know just the things your fellow marlin hunters will be searching for. Is there a domain name available that fits? Start your domain name search based on keywords related to the things you’re familiar with. If you KNOW it’s going to be valuable, it will be much easier to sell. Check the strength of a keyword with tools like Google Trends or Keyword Planner or similar SEO tools. We highly recommend working with a domain broker who knows the marketplace. They’ll be able to give helpful suggestions and help you avoid costly mistakes. We do NOT recommend targeting a prospective domain buyer based on their potential economic status. Targeting a certain demographic that you don’t know anything about could be an expensive error. You might also be missing specific rules associated with the industry you’re going after. The bottom line is, you won’t make any money if your buyers can’t use the domain you bought. Know Your Audience If you understand your audience, you’ll be able to really generate sales of domains you buy. If you’ve got a great domain, you can hold onto it for years and probably make a decent profit. Maybe you’ve already monetized the domain with an active website and put in some great SEO efforts – things that can help make your domain worth a lot more to a potential domain buyer. These types of well researched domains can end up paying for themselves. Talk to a domain broker. The industry’s big-hitters will have the knowledge you’re looking for and be able to steer you in the right direction for domains that will actually benefit the buyer. Domain Seller Tips Evaluate Your Domain It is so important that you actually have access to domains that would be a valuable asset to domain buyers. Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Would the domain name you’re selling actually be beneficial to a business or organization? Similarly, if you’re the one buying, have a domain broker assess the value of the potential domain. Would having this domain make it easier for clients to find you? Will having that particular domain make it easier to rank higher on search engines? Would your profits increase based off of this particular domain name? Don’t buy anything without knowing its true value. Get Your Domains Out There There are many different avenues for getting your domains out to potential domain buyers. Again, we suggest doing a little research. If you’re using a respected source, you’ll have a much better chance of getting your domains sold. The best suggestion we have is to work with a sell-side domain name broker who knows the market. You can also use a distribution network to make sure you’re getting the right domain in front of the right buyer. Maybe you already know who might benefit from the domain name? Start a conversation and convey that you already understand what the domain is capable of achieving. However, if you don’t already have a place to show off your domain, partnering with a domain buying and selling brokerage business will take the pain out of everything and increase your chances of a profitable sale. Choosing the right broker If you’ve purchased one or more premium domain names and want to sell them, why leave anything to chance? Working with a broker who spends every day in the market is the way to go. Not only do they buy and sell millions of dollars worth of domains every year, they also have a network already established. They might have a long list of buyers and sellers lined up before you even set up a meeting. Domain brokers are able to accurately assess the value of potential domains, and also help negotiate on your behalf. They also know all the paperwork and legal processes that come with buying and selling domains, which means that you don’t have to worry about any of it. Look for one with a strong track record, ideally one that can demonstrate experience in high-level transactions. Global experience can be helpful, too, especially if you want to secure the international TLDs for a specific name. About the author Joe Uddeme is Director and Principal of Name Experts, one of the world’s leading domain name brokerage services. He has overseen domain name sales and acquisitions totaling more than $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]
Name Experts offers personalized domain brokerage services, assisting clients in buying or selling premium domain names with expert appraisal, negotiation, and complete transaction management while ensuring confidentiality.
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