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
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:
There are many reasons for domain parking, including:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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”.
The parked domain could lead to a web page indicating your intent to sell it. This web page will also include information on how to contact the owner or place an offer with a third-party company managing the domain.
Advertisements are a creative way to monetize parked domains. You can insert advertisements on the web page of the domain and earn money each time someone views or clicks on it. In some cases, the advertising income could cover the cost of owning the domain and even bring profits.
Here, the parked domain will lead to a web page notifying the visitor that the domain has been registered by someone else. This page is usually automatically generated by the domain registrar whose name and logo will be displayed on it.
The simplest way to perform domain parking is to just register the domain with a registrar like Namecheap or Google Domains. Most registrars automatically park a domain once you buy it. Then, you’re free to insert advertisements on the parked web page or place a sales notice if that’s what you want.
Suppose you want to redirect the domain to another active domain. In that case, you can set up an automatic redirect by adjusting the domain name system (DNS) records via your registrar or hosting provider.
There are two major ways of buying a parked domain. You can either find the owner’s details directly and contact them or hire a professional domain broker to handle that for you.
If you find a parked domain that you’re interested in, the easiest way to find the owner’s details is to perform a lookup on the WHOIS database. This is a public database containing the ownership information of an assigned domain, such as their name, phone number, email address, etc.
Finding the details of a domain name’s owner is the easiest part. The hardest part is negotiating a ‘fair’ price to pay for the domain. If you’re not experienced in domain name acquisitions, you could end up overpaying for a domain or making such a small offer that the owner ignores you.
The good thing is that you can hire a professional domain broker to handle the negotiation for you. Professional brokers already have experience in negotiating domain name sales, so they can hammer out financial terms with the owner and get you the domain for a reasonable price. They can also handle the domain transfer to your registrar while you sit back and relax. The broker will collect a fee for their service, either a fixed fee, a commission, or a mix of both.
You can always create a parked domain or add-on domain for your primary website. A parked domain is a simple domain that you point to your primary domain name; whenever a user types in this second domain, they’ll be redirected to your primary domain. They are usually variations of your primary domain name that can confuse users. For example, amzn.com and amzon.com would both redirect to Amazon.com.
An add-on domain is a second or additional domain hosted in the same control panel as the first. You can choose which directory the add-on domain points to. For example, if you put the second domain in a directory called “domain2”, it can be accessed by typing domain2.com or domain2.domain1.com on your web browser.
Add-on domains enable you to control multiple domains from a single account.
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 $150 million and is renowned worldwide as a go-to expert in buying and selling premium domains. Contact us at: [email protected]
Securing the perfect domain is crucial for setting your business apart—and that’s where domain name brokers come in. In this expert review, domain industry specialist Joe Uddeme highlights 10 of the best domain name brokerage services and explains their pros and cons.
It’s impossible to overstate the power of a great domain name for a business. Get it right, and an endless flow of online traffic could be yours, as domain name expert Joe Uddeme explains. The Internet evolves and is shaped by countless businesses, people, non-profits and an array of other entities looking for eyeballs in an ever-changing world. Buying a premium domain name is crucial in today’s clutter. Brands work hard to engrain their product or service in the public psyche and establish market positioning and relevance. Your domain name is part of the deal. Savvy brands understand the importance of creating something catchy and memorable. They need to separate themselves from their competition in ways that remain top-of-mind for their targeted audience. In this post, we’ll look at some of the reasons why companies large and small spend so much time and money acquiring a valuable premium name. And why you should, too. Key takeaways Proof that top brands have instantly recognizable domain names How a great domain name helps leverage your position in any marketplace Questions to ask when searching for a valuable premium domain name What’s in a name? Let’s start by looking at the top ten brands, according to Wikipedia: Rnk Company Rev($B) FY Employees Mkt. Cap Location Founded 1 Amazon $232.9 2018 647,500 $802.3 Seattle 1994 [1][2] 2 Alphabet Inc. $136.8 2018 98,771 $791.01 Mountain View, CA 1998 [3][4] 3 JD.com $55.7 2017 137,975 $34.84 Beijing 1998 [5][6] 4 Facebook $55.01 2018 25,105 $486.39 Menlo Park, CA 2004 [7][8] 5 Alibaba $39.90 2018 66,421 $432.12 Hangzhou 1999 [9][10] 6 Tencent $36.39 2017 44,796 $434.66 Shenzhen 1998 [11][12] 7 Netflix $15.8 2018 5,400 $153.39 Los Gatos, CA 1997 [13][14] 8 Booking $12.7 2017 22,900 $92.94 Norwalk, CT 1996 [15] 9 Baidu $12.40 2016 45,887 $88.11 Beijing 2000 [16][17] 10 eBay $10.75 2018 14,000 $32.07 San Jose 1995 [18][19] Each of these companies went out and acquired their core premium domain name – no matter what the cost. They also understood the value of having .com as their global brand. Let’s dig a bit deeper into the strategy of one of the major power-houses listed above. Facebook.com also owns many other valuable pieces of digital, beach-front real estate. Take for example, FB.com which complements the existing digital strategy that was already in place. Facebook has parlayed their web presence by building another piece of digital real estate alongside their own majestic piece of real estate. Another example is Booking.com, with more than $12 billion in revenues. They do a phenomenal job of attracting users with constant ad-driven messaging. They have partnerships with more than 660,000 hotels and provide a valuable service to their clientele. Why Premium Domains? Let’s continue with the beach-front real estate analogy. For the past thirty years, brands have been swallowing up the short, brandable .com domains. These are the assets that provide the most upside, equity and long-term value to the brands. These assets can hold generic value, such as Booking.com, or be more brandable, such as ebay.com or Baidu – to name a few. Premium domain names have commercial appeal and are typically very memorable. Brands spend huge amounts of money attracting new users and creating brand credibility. Digital strategists – including speculators who buy and sell domains for profit – are competing for a smaller piece of the available premium domain name inventory. Having a great domain name is only half the battle. Success lies in how you develop the brand and create long-term equity for your company. For this reason, companies should always acquire the shortest variation for their brand (Tesla, for example, spent an undisclosed amount on tesla.com so they no longer had to be teslamotors.com). This doesn’t have to be the only strategy. Companies should outline a comprehensive domain name strategy that not only covers their brand but any additional reputation management/brand defense needed to protect their corporate brand positioning. Simply put, premium domain names come with the following instant upside: Brand-dominance and positioning Equity toward a long-term exit strategy Inability to build against – a defensive strategy against your competition Own the real estate before your competitors do! Most successful brands have identified the importance of the premium domain name. They have dedicated digital strategists or digital departments to handle the larger need for digital integration and social media components. Brands should spend wisely and methodically when securing a new brand or piece of beach-front digital real estate. Get it right the first time with help from a broker Domain name brokerage services like NameExperts help businesses with their domain strategy and are in high demand. Whether or not they work with us, we always advise companies to use the following checklist to make sure they are not leaving money on the table: Conduct Research—who owns the asset and for how long have they had it? Is it being used? Are there active trademarks? What’s the history of the link profile? Variations and Alternatives—brands need to nail it. To do this, sometimes, they need to think outside the box. Find viable alternative assets that define your image and brand. Negotiation is key—do you negotiate for a living? We do. We remove the emotional attachment and red tape to manage both buyers’ and sellers’ expectations. Be Flexible—sometimes you have to give a little to get a little. Don’t be afraid to be flexible and offer ways to benefit the other party in your transaction. Be Honest—honesty and integrity go a long way. Be true to your word and don’t go back on what you say. This is critical for deals to succeed. Ask Questions—hold your broker or expert accountable and ask appropriate questions. Some domain transactions move quickly. A clear line of communication is necessary to save valuable money and time. Due Diligence—dig for more information and market comparisons: it’s all firepower necessary to make the case. Timing—don’t hunt for a CBD-themed/Marijuana-type name when there is mass decriminalization and legalization occurring. The market is just too hot, and pricing will be inflated. Instead, names should be selected “ahead-of-the-curve”. Don’t fall at the first hurdle When buying a premium domain name, it’s important to ask the right questions – it can save the buyer tons of money in the long-run. A common issue relates to trademarks tied to a name/brand. Many companies secure a domain name for commercial use but never take the time to search the trademark database. This quick search can save clients thousands of dollars. Premium domain names make total sense for any emerging brand looking to scale their brand – and shortening the global domain name is still the foundation for successful growth. The top companies around the world continue to focus on the universally popular .com for brand growth. This validates the need for a superb, premium domain name for your company and brand. Get it right the first time and save money in the long run – while adding credibility and equity value while you’re doing it. 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]
Choosing a brand name for your startup? Need a great domain name to match? NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme shares his top tips. Having the right domain name for your startup sounds like common sense. However, it can be a challenging endeavor. Your organization’s name might not translate into a good domain name. Or maybe everything suitable appears to have been taken. Regardless of the challenges, it is absolutely essential that you have a fantastic domain name so customers can find you. It can also help increase brand awareness and the long-term success of your business. So how can you actually buy a good domain for your startup? Let’s investigate. Key Takeaways The power of brainstorming The golden rules of a great startup domain name Do your research Consider alternate endings (TLDs) Brainstorm Your Startup Domain Name When acquiring a domain, you need to start by doing some brainstorming. Consider: What’s the name of your business? What services or products are you selling? What industry are you involved in? Develop five terms or phrases which can best answer those questions and can describe the domain name that you’d wish to acquire. For instance, if you wanted a domain name that involved “advertising,” you could use related terms like “online marketing,” “digital marketing,” “advertising,” or “sales marketing” as a starting point. While this may sound obvious, you also need to remember that your domain name ought to be related to your organization. For example, if your company name is Joe’s Electronics then you would want a domain name to reflect that name. If the website was called joesawesomewebsite.com, clients would not know that it was really an electronics site, which means you’re losing out on business because customers can’t find you. Keep Your Domain Name Brief, Unique and Easy to Remember While brainstorming domains, you also wish to bear in mind that the shorter the better. Shorter domain names aren’t just easy to type, but also easier to remember. If you heard the domain from a friend or on the radio, would you be able to spell it correctly? Try and settle on a domain that’s unique. The last thing that you need is for your domain to get confused with another site. This will also ensure you won’t encounter any ownership issues. Research your Startup Domain Name Now that you’ve found a domain that fits your brand, you need to be 100 percent sure it is available. One option would be to explore checkdomain.com, Domjax or copyright.gov. The best-known names are usually .com domain names – these are widely accepted. It also means that they are likely to have a premium cost to them if you are looking to purchase them. Check the whois information on the domain you are trying to buy, or reach out to a seasoned domain name broker who will have years of experience in sourcing owners and negotiating deals. Add Modest Words Before or After Your Domain While you should keep away from pluralizing or hyphenating words, as that will create confusion (“best” or “top” are also a little overused, too), there could be some minor alterations to make your domain stand out. Let’s say you have a car rental business located in Phoenix. You could search for a domain name that was on the line of phoenixrentals.com. Use Other Domain Extensions/Endings Ideally, you would like to secure a .com domain. It’s the best option for branding and type-in-traffic, which is essential for any site. However, there are other endings or extensions (TLDs) that could benefit your brand as well. Take the .info extension for example. It could be an alternative if you are running an informational site. Another choice is to localize your own domain. If your site is based out of the United Kingdom, you would want to utilize the .uk or co.uk extension. Not only does this open the door to additional possibilities, it differentiates you from an international website. A website like name.com is an excellent resource for searching for domains and extensions. View Auctions for Domain Names You can also hit auctions to purchase a domain name which was/is previously owned. There are numerous sites that have been acquired by investors as a means to monetize a site. They will purchase a domain and fill the website with lists and links to other sites simply for lead generation. Contact A Domain Broker There are instances when somebody had a domain and did not do anything with it – or the business didn’t work out and the domain name has expired. In cases like this, the domain name is now available for purchase. If your preferred domain is not up for auction, you could work with a domain name expert or broker to contact the current owner. If you decide to go it alone, make sure you gather any information that can assist you in ultimately determining if this is the right asset for your brand. If the owner is considering selling the domain, you’ll want to do a little investigating to learn how much it’s worth. Our domain broker services can complete a professional domain name appraisal to determine how much traffic is visiting the website. It may not be the only element in determining the site’s value, but it’s a powerful indicator. Another thing we’ll look at is sale prices of comparable doman names. Some great names, such as Cars.com, have gone for astronomical sums. 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.
Some of our most
successful stealth acquisition and sales
