A Premium Domain Name Make All the Difference

written by

Joe Uddeme

Joe Uddeme

A Premium Domain Name Make All the Difference

Domain Buying Guides

The Internet evolves and is shaped by countless businesses, people, non-profits and an array of countless other entities looking for eyeballs in an ever-changing World.

A Premium Domain Name Make All the Difference

Your Premium domain name strategy is crucial in today’s clutter. Brand’s work hard to engrain their product or service, and establish market positioning, relevance—and ultimately dominance.

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.

Let’s review the top ten below according to Wikipedia.org:

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 one of these companies went out and acquired their core-premium domain name. They understood the value of the .com as their global brand. Let’s dig a bit deeper in the strategy of one of the major power-houses listed above.

Facebook.com, listed at number four 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 on their own majestic piece of real estate.

Another example is Booking.com, with more than $12B 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 swallow 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 are competing for a smaller piece of the available premium domain name inventory.

Sure; anyone can build a brand, using any extension, to the right of the dot. It’s how you develop the brand, and create long-term equity for your company. Companies should always acquire the shortest variation for their brand. 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, or brand defense needed to protect your corporate brand positioning.

Simply put, premium domain names add the following instant upside:

  • Brand-dominance and positioning
  • Equity toward the long-term exit strategy
  • Inability to build—defensive strategy against your competition

Own the real estate before your competitors do!

  • Direct Navigation Search—people search the keyword every day!

How many eyeballs are you missing?

  • IP and Trademark positioning
  • Credibility and Awareness

Most successful brands have identified the importance of the premium domain name. Most of them now 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

Companies should always use this checklist to make sure they are not leaving their money on the table

  • Hire an expert—when you get your maintenance on your car, do you do it yourself? Spend your time wisely, on what you do best and leave domain acquisitions to the experts!
  • Conduct Research—who owns the asset, and for how long? 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 mutually-benefit the other party in your transaction.
  • Be Honest—honesty and integrity go along 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, market comps, fire-power necessary to make the case. Goes back to the research tidbit above.
  • 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 way too inflated. Instead, names should be selected, “ahead-of-the-curve”.

Save money

When buying a premium domain name, it’s important to ask the right questions. This can save the buyer tons of money in the long-run. The most widely used example relates to trademarks tied to a name, or brand. Many companies have secured 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 accordingly. Shortening the global domain name is still the foundation for successful growth. The top companies around the World continue to focus on the sensible .com for their brand growth.

This validates the need for superb, premium domain name for your company and brand. Get it right the first time and save money in the long-run while adding that much needed credibility and equity value.

Drop us a line to discuss your domain name strategy and digital branding plan. Click here, to acquire your next premium domain name.

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Why You Should Buy a .ORG Domain and How to Get One

Why buy a .org domain? Why not? In case you’ve been contemplating registering a domain, then a .org domain name is an exceptional option. .org domains construct immediate confidence and credibility with your website visitors as they realize that you aren’t only interested in earning money but are dedicated to making this planet a better location. They’re identical to other domains in most other facets but with the extra price of perceived confidence with your customers. .org domain names are among the first top-level domain names. This usually means that they were among the initial choices in picking a domain name. This usually means that the .org domain extension is well known and websites with that expansion are often viewed as authority websites. Since they’re so well known they are often utilized as a choice option to the popular but exceptionally competitive.com domain name extension. If you’d like a community website for your college or alumni association, gym or the cultural establishment, then a .org domain name is going to be your very best choice and will place your organizational site apart from a class alone. Everyone can now enroll a .org domain name. You don’t need to submit any documentation or some other evidence that you’re a nonprofit or differently. The procedure for registering for a .org domain name is straightforward and hassle-free. Commercial companies may also enroll for.org domain names. Additionally, it may help ensure your trademark and brand related to your organization name is well shielded by enrolling this and other top-level domains. Therefore, in the event that you’ve been contemplating registering a domain, then a .org domain name is the way forward. It grants your site instant authenticity, is an extremely popular and identifiable domain extension. It’s ideal for conducting your charitable or community organization and can be a terrific alternative to the favorite. Com domains. There are no extra requirements or documentation needed to enroll a .org domain also it provides you with a chance to become a voice of change. Org domain for your own private use, your small business use or to your school, charity or organization. If you need help purchasing a .org domain name or would to inquiry about a name that is already taken. NameExperts can help guide you through the process and whether it is buying, appraisal or inquiry. Contact us today.
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Why You Should Use The .com For Your Domain

There have been many ‘young pretenders’ such as .ai and .io, but .com reigns supreme in the world of domain names. NameExperts.com Director Joe Uddeme explains why a .com URL is still the one to aim for in most cases.   Using a .com domain offers several significant advantages that can positively impact your brand’s identity, visibility, and long-term growth. To this day, a .com domain registration transfer is often the best choice for a new domain and purchase in your desired price range. Buying a domain name can be daunting and less secure without the proper knowledge of the transfer process, which is where a top domain brokerage service can help. Price range is a major factor when it comes down to buying your URL – or selling it – and a broker can streamline the whole process. Global Recognition A .com website has the most-recognized Top Level Domain: The .com domain extension is known worldwide and widely respected. When users see a .com domain, they immediately associate it with a legitimate organization. It’s the default extension most people think of when typing a domain name or securing one for ownership and transfer. It’s a key consideration when you want to acquire a premium domain name. Trust Factor Buyers tend to trust websites that have a .com domain over other top level domains. Most International registrars support the transfer of .com and offer additional features. Since it’s the most established and widely used domain extension, it adds an element of professionalism, security and reliability to your marketing plan. This helps visitors with peace-of-mind and more likely to engage with your entity and feel more secure. If you’re involved in domain name portfolio management, it’s a good bet you’ll have one or more .com names in your collection. Memorability and Ease of Use A short, catchy .com domain is easier for people to recall. People are conditioned to associate websites with .com, making it more likely that they’ll remember your complete domain name when searching for your business or product suite. This improves free direct visit traffic, where users type your domain into their browsers, leading to higher engagement and conversions on your site to protect your brand and keep you covered. Because .com is the default TLD, potential individuals are more likely to accidentally type yourbusiness.com even if your actual website is on a different extension (e.g., .net or .org). Owning the .com prevents you from losing traffic to other sites and allows your client to complete the navigation. It’s all part and parcel of a great brand name strategy. Customer Expectations .COM: Customers often expect businesses to use .com for both websites and email addresses. If a site uses yourbusiness.com for its website but an alternative domain like .net or .biz for its email, it could create confusion or even raise questions about the their legitimacy even if its catchy. A professional email address ending in .com adds security, simplicity and attracts more visitors to the domain to achieve success. Using the same .com domain for both your website and professional email helps create a cohesive brand identity for your new domain and keeps you protected and ready to continue to build your organization. Other TLDs: If your website is hosted on a .com domain but your email use different domain extensions (e.g., [email protected]), it can lead to confusion and undermine the consistency of your brand. Clients may accidentally send emails to [email protected] because they assume your email matches your website domain. Credibility with Investors and Partners Perception of Success: Having a .com domain is often seen as a sign that a brand is more established, successful, and serious about its online presence. Investors, acquisition partners, and other account stakeholders may view your brand more favorably if it has secured a .com domain, especially if you’re targeting a global audience, or providing services or support. Domain as a Digital Asset: A .com domain purchase that you intend to hold onto can also become a valuable long-term equity play. Premium .com domains tend to appreciate over time, adding value to your organization if you decide to sell or expand services to maximize the best price for transfer. Register top keywords that identify with your services or product offerings or answer questions. Purchase a .org for your non-profit, or a .net for your network platform. Alternative TLDs such as .net and .org may each hold value to the domain name owner and may be attractive to the buyer as an cheaper alternative based on availability of domains. SEO and Search Engine Benefits Higher Click-Through Rates (CTR): A .com domain will ensure greater click-value in search engine results. Since users trust .com websites more, search engines like Google may favor them in search rankings, especially for advanced searches. Even if a domain extension doesn’t directly impact SEO, user buy behavior (like click-through rates) does, and .com domains tend to perform better in this area. Backlink Value: When other sites link to you, they may be more willing to link to a .com site due to its perceived authority and security. High-quality backlinks are essential for SEO performance, and .com domains tend to naturally attract more of those links according to search tools. International Appeal Global Acceptance: If your organization operates globally or plans to expand internationally, a .com domain is universally recognized and accepted across borders and everyday life. Country-specific domains (like .co.uk or .de) can limit your reach or cause confusion in markets outside that specific country. They can also cause transfer issues. Consistency in Branding: As your organization grows, maintaining a consistent identity across different regions is essential. A .com domain helps establish a unified web presence, making it easier for customers worldwide to find and recognize your branding and url. Competitive Advantage Competitor Safeguard: Owning the .com version of your entity name prevents competitors from using it. Even if you currently use a different extension for your account, a competitor could purchase the .com and use it to divert traffic, confuse clients, or dilute your message or image and hurt security. Always be sure to check out a .com’s history before buying, though – there could be some nasty surprises if it has been used before. Professionalism: Many well-established businesses, particularly in competitive industries, prefer .com domains. If a competitor has the .com version of a similar name, they may be seen as more professional or legitimate than a business name using a less common extension. Having a .com gives you an edge in appearing professional and trustworthy. Versatility to Ensure Growth Future-Proof: As your network grows, the .com extension is flexible enough to accommodate expansions into new products, services, or geographic markets. Unlike some niche TLDs, which may be associated with specific industries (like .tech or .store), a .com can grow with your entity and remain relevant in any market. Resale Value: Premium .com domains can become valuable assets if your organization is ever sold or merged. The high demand for .com domains, especially short, brandable ones, means they often increase in value over time and make them an easier sale for the seller in a reasonable range. Some names exceed all expectations, however, and command seven figure price tags or higher.   What other TLDs Are Good Options? Clients ask regularly if there are decent top level domain alternatives to the .com for transfer. There are many, including, .org, .net,.co, .io, .ai, .xyz and .club domains that hold lots of power and authority. Top Extensions: These extensions are popular for use in the crypto and web 3 space.There are many organizations that capitalize on the generic value such as the banking industry with the .bank top level domain. With more than 2,500 new GTLD domain extensions, you can now register and transfer anything from .legal to .car for your business, which is worth knowing if you’re securing a unique domain name for a startup in particular. Here are a list of some top extensions and how they’re often used: .ai: artificial intelligence, machine learning support, reasonable renewal cost .net: internet infrastructure sites, more technical, fairly reasonable renewal cost .co: abbreviation for commerce, corporation and community .org: non-commercial org and non-profits .io: tech sites, business or commercial use support You definitely don’t need to use a website builder for every domain name you purchase. Make sure you forward any additional domain names you register to your primary site and add a secure server to protect your organization. The Dot-Com Domain Should Be Your First Choice When we talk about long term investing and ROI, we think about the stock market, commercial or residential real estate investing, gold bullion and Forex – but domain investing is a legitimate business pursuit, too. Domain names hold value and add instant equity to the branding strategy and ownership in the purchase and sale of domains names. There are hundreds of thousands of prime opportunities to invest in the domain space – and as the last 30 years have shown, the .com is the most credible TLD on the market, both domestically and abroad. This holds true if you are buying your domain for your business or to hold and transfer at a later date. Whether this is your first domain, or you own many domains, the .com creates easy accessibility for consumers and brands alike. Brand Protection: Companies work hard to protect their domain brands, account and marketing tactics. They invest millions of dollars and countless resources at building that beach front real estate and maintaining their Internet presence in the world. As leaders in the domain space, the NameExperts.com team continues to recommend the .com as the superior domain with considerable upside and long term equity potential. Case Study: Tesla.com domain acquisition Here’s a case study of a .com domain acquisition transfer that highlights the importance and benefits of acquiring a premium .com domain for a business. The study involves Tesla’s acquisition of Tesla.com. Background: For many years after its founding, Tesla, the electric vehicle manufacturer, operated under the registered domain TeslaMotors.com. Despite its growing success, the entity didn’t own the highly sought-after Tesla.com domain. TeslaMotors.com was functional, but having Tesla.com would better align with the company’s image as it expanded beyond cars to include energy products like solar panels and batteries. The domain Tesla.com was originally owned by a man named Stuart Grossman, who had registered it long before the organization existed. Grossman wasn’t actively using the domain, but he also wasn’t interested in selling it easily, making the acquisition a challenging and lengthy process. The Acquisition Process: Need for Rebranding: As Tesla grew and became a household name, the organization realized that TeslaMotors.com was limiting its branding. The “Motors” in the domain name suggested a narrow focus on cars, whereas Tesla’s long-term vision encompassed energy solutions, solar products, and batteries. The organization needed a simpler, cleaner domain—Tesla.com—that reflected its image as a leader in the broader tech and energy sectors. Complex Negotiation: Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, revealed that acquiring Tesla.com was a difficult process, taking over 10 years of negotiations. The domain owner, Grossman, was reluctant to sell the name for many years, leading Tesla to offer a significant amount to finally secure it. Musk later hinted that they had paid $11 million to acquire the domain, though exact figures weren’t officially disclosed. Hands-on Approach: Tesla’s approach to acquiring the domain involved: Patience: Tesla waited until the domain owner was ready to sell, all while continuing to build their company. Persistence: Tesla remained in contact with the owner over a long period, signaling ongoing interest and ensuring the owner knew they were serious buyers. Strategic Timing: Tesla finally closed the deal when they were ready to reposition their entity from just a car line to a broader energy and technology company. Outcome: In 2016, Tesla successfully acquired and completed the transfer of the Tesla.com domain and immediately rebranded their website and digital assets. This acquisition allowed Tesla to secure its concept and image across all its product lines and simplify its online presence and customer support tools.     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. Joe’s specialty is helping clients secure .com domain names that appear unreachable – and at the right price, too. Contact Joe at: [email protected]
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Make Money on Your Domain With Domain Leasing

What Is Domain Leasing? Domain name leasing refers to renting a domain name for an extended period, usually a year or more. An individual or business pays to rent a domain name owned by another individual or corporation. This arrangement allows the lessee to use a domain name for a long time without paying a substantial sum outright. Domain leasing is usually done for valuable domain names that are too expensive for the lessee to acquire completely. How Does This Compare To Renting? Renting and leasing are the same thing, except for the latter being for longer periods. Domain leasing agreements usually cover at least one year compared to typical renting, which covers a few months. What Are the Ways You Can Lease Your Domain? You can lease your domain through the following ways: Periodic payments: The lessee can pay for their lease at specific intervals. For example, they could pay monthly or quarterly for the period the lease lasts. This method gives the domain owner stable income they can count on during the leasing period. Percentage of profit: You can agree to take a percentage of profits the lessee makes from the website using your domain name. This method is riskier, as there’s no guarantee the website will be profitable. However, there’s a higher upside if the website becomes a profit-making enterprise. Royalties: You can collect a fixed percentage of the lessee’s net revenue for as long as the lease runs. Ownership percentage: You can request a percentage of shares in the domain lessee’s company. This method is risky but can earn you significant income if the website becomes a viable business that another corporation eventually acquires. Benefits Of Leasing For Domain Owners Provides Another Way To Monetize A Domain Monetizing a domain is better than having it sit idle. If you have a valuable premium domain you’re not using, leasing it out can earn you passive income. You can always reclaim your domain once the lease expires. Opportunity For Investors With Domains In Their Portfolio Many investors specialize in acquiring domain names for profit. Investors with a portfolio of valuable domain names can lease them for a long time and get stable income. Consistent Revenue Stream Renting out a domain for periodical payments generates consistent income for the owner. The owner is sure of getting a specific return on the capital they spent acquiring the domain as long as the lease lasts. The Domain Value Increases Due To Usage Active domains are more valuable than inactive ones because of online traffic. The higher the traffic to a domain, the more valuable it is. Leasing out a domain increases its value in the long term, which the owner can realize by selling it later. Long Term Financial Advantage Receiving periodic lease payments can generate more revenue in the long term compared to selling your domain for a lump sum. It’s why many owners lease domain names out despite getting lucrative purchase offers. Benefits Of Domain Leasing For End Users Spend Less Money Upfront Valuable domain names can run into tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, which is risky to spend upfront. Leasing allows you to build a business with the domain and make periodic payments from the revenue you generate, which is cost-effective. Lesser Burden If the website you use the leased domain for fails, you can terminate the lease and return the domain to the owner. If you owned the domain outright, that means having another asset you must keep renewing or find a potential buyer for. Opportunity To Buy the Domain In the Future Some lease terms include an option to acquire the domain outright later. This way, you can start the website to see if it succeeds. If it does, you can acquire full domain ownership and gain more control over your website’s fate. Access To Premium Domain Names At A Lower Cost Domain leasing lets you use very valuable domain names for lower costs. These valuable domain names can draw more organic traffic to your website. Avoid Legal Liability Issues Leasing a domain name means avoiding any legal liabilities concerning the domain’s ownership. Any legal dispute is the concern of the owner and not the lessee. Downsides Of Leasing A Domain No ownership Not having full ownership of your domain is a risk. The owner can terminate the lease anytime and pay any agreed monetary penalties for early termination. It could be at a crucial time when your website is booming, and losing the domain would affect it negatively. Less Control You have less control over your website than the domain owner. Let’s say your website grows big and becomes valuable, its fate lies more in the hands of the domain owner than yours. They could use that leverage to extract concessions from you. The Domain Value You Build Is Never Yours Drawing traffic to your website increases the value of its domain name. Yet, the owner will capture that value instead of you working hard to maintain the website. Where Can You Lease A Domain Domain Marketplaces Many domain name marketplaces allow owners to list and lease their domain names. This method is beneficial because owners can easily find customers to lease domain names to. The domain leasing services generate a lot of traffic, giving you higher chances of finding an interested lessee. Domain Brokers You can approach a domain broker to lease your domain for you. Domain brokers are experts in negotiating domain deals and can fetch you the best possible price. They’ll collect a fee for their service, either a flat rate or a percentage of the lease value. Word Of Mouth You can spread the word to your social and business circles about a domain name you want to lease out. You may find a trusted lessee this way and negotiate a good deal to earn a stable income. Forums You can join webmaster forums and post about the domain name you want to lease. You may find a buyer this way, but ensure you use a transaction escrow service because you’re dealing with a stranger. Leasing versus Buying a Domain While leasing a domain might be a good option for some businesses, buying your domain outright continues to be the safest and most secure option for guaranteed success. If you’re interested in acquiring your perfect domain, we make the entire domain buying process easy. Contact us for more information about our domain buying service.

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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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Some of our most
successful stealth acquisition and sales

Aid.com

Fit.com

Mine.com

GLD.com

Jeff.com

Fora.com

Nori.com

Secure.com

Guitar.com

F*ck.com

Radian.com

MetaData.com

Prize.com

Link.com

Loop.com

Programs.com

Claim.com

Quince.com

Hook.com

QXO.com

NQ.com

Rest.com

Humani.com

Max.com

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