147 Domaining Tips: Park, Develop, Buy, Sell (Advice For Beginners)

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Learning about the world of domaining is a fun game if you have a passion for learning, buying, selling, developing, and monetizing.  

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147 Domaining Tips: Incredibly Easy Tips That Works for All

If you are a newbie to the domaining world, then I hope that these domaining tips will steer you in the right direction of becoming a successful domainer

I want to share some tips and advice that you may not have known about domaining that I’ve learned in my short time as a domainer.  

I hope that you will learn something new and do understand that these are merely pieces of advice from my experience and what I’ve learned. 

I do understand that there are more seasoned vets in the game that may think otherwise in regards to my domaining information, but that’s ok to each his own. 

Nevertheless, choosing the proper domain name is often a daunting task when it comes to choosing a name that will yield you a top dollar amount.  

You have many components like domain extensions (i.e., .club, .com, .vegas, .org), domain age, brandables, keywords, memorable domain names, and other factors that will affect the value of your domain name(s).   

Yes, you can boost the quality of your domain name before you try and sell the name. Selling or buying your names will rely upon what stage you are at in regards to buying or selling your name(s). 

If you are still in the beginning stages of deciding on the types of domain names to buy, you are in an excellent position.  You have so many options that you can implement after you purchased the names and are ready to sell.  

Be that as it may, you may have existing domains that you aren’t currently using at this time, you still have some things that you can do to enhance the chances of receiving a nice profit for your domain name(s) when you are ready to sell the name(s). 

Although, this post can’t cover every element that makes up a good domain name.  The principles of domaining are akin to buying stocks, and that is to buy low and sell high.  I hope that at least one of these 147 domaining tips that I put together will help you out in your domaining business adventure.

Authority

1.  Register domain names that have good authority:   Focus on registering domains with good PageRank, Domain Authority, and Page Authority.  As a result, if you have information on the domain authority, this will help determine the quality of the domain or website that you are about to purchase.  

You are looking for something with some meat and substance. The older the domain, the more valuable the domain.  Generally, the older the domain, the higher the domain is ranked in Google.

Brandables

2.  Short brandable domain names have a remarkable destiny:  People want to build brands around their businesses.  The goal is to see their products or services anywhere that they can reach customers. Therefore, short brandable names can deliver that dream of success to many people worldwide.   A business with a short brandable should do better than a company with a three-word exact domain match that illustrates their business.

3.  Demonstrate what your brandable can be used for to the end user:  End users are picky, and your brandable might be a tough sell.  If an end user approaches you, then that brandable name has to have a decent description of how the end user can maximize their dollar with the purchase of the domain name.  

4.  Think about how people will perceive the name:  A lot of the websites that are present have weird names that wouldn’t mean anything to search engines.  Bing, Google, Duck Duck Go are examples that you can view of domains with funny names.

Regardless, you can’t knock those names because they have made the owners a ton of money for thinking outside of the box. Therefore, if you have a memorable domain name you can make a difference in the money that you will potentially receive from a good name.

Niche

Logo's of different new gtlds

5.  You now have access to different domain extensions for your domain name:  You have a choice of domain extensions for your online entity.  You probably are thinking which extension is the appropriate one for your niche or personal idea?  All of that depends, because every new gTLD has a different meaning and an end goal for that extension.

If you are in a region like Las Vegas and you know that tourist visits Las Vegas millions of times each year, then it is safe to guess that a DOT .Vegas extension is the best choice for your domain name. 

The gTLD is focused on the region of Las Vegas. Therefore, people will have a general idea that Las Vegas is known for the strip and a popular vacation spot.  For instance, if you are a plumber wouldn’t you rather own Plumber.vegas than plumberinVegas.com

6.  Yes focus on your website but build a brand around the website:  You have to create your product or service that is recognizable by consumers through the branding, your logo, and your image.  The brand that you create is an extension of you the owner and eventually becomes a living entity that you created.  

 7.  Your niche should be something that you know and love:  If you are aware of the subject that you are creating, then you will also be mindful of the unique names that are possible with the subject matter, which will help with the flipping of the domain name(s).  

8.  Develop a concept for your domain name:  People can fall for a convincing sales story if you can think outside of the box and demonstrate why they should own your domain. Typically, people are looking to create a blog, a website, an e-store, or other projects.  

Be that as it may, the keyword rich name that your domain is centralized around will tell the story in a nutshell.  You have to put the punch in the sell.  Create ten plus excellent ideas that will get people inspired to purchase your domain(s).  

9.  Do you know the market your domain is based around:  Figure out the newest trends in the market to help establish your domain.  If you know that buying cars never slows down, then a name like  UsedCars.Vegas could be a great domain name.

10.  Dot Vegas is a winner:  Dot Vegas has the potential for success. I believe that DOT .Vegas will have a great appeal.  Isn’t it better to own Dog Training.Vegas than theworldsbestdogtraininginlasvegas.com  Yes it may be the lesser of the Dot Com at the start.  Nevertheless, the domain is just a website for the consumer to find your product or services.  

11.  Make sure that you are known in your niche:  The domaining industry is not that big.  You will discover that people will learn who is who in this industry.  If you go to one of the conferences, you will begin to see the same people floating around, and you will be able to learn who are the industry leaders.

12.  Have you thought about the 3 Letter Niche:  Yes, these are different niches of domains that are not generics.  The 3L and 4L domains is a class of their own.  These domains have good liquidity on auction sites.  If you can snag one of these domains, test it out and see if you can flip it and earn a nice profit. 

Backorder

13.  If you want to backorder a domain name then you have to be quick:  You can use a domain backorder service like Snapnames or Pool to try and lock in those domains.  Also, note that other domainers are quick on the draw, so you have to figure out other ways to be faster with purchasing a domain on backorder.

Buying

14.  Automatic Domain Name Volume Buying:   Basically what you are doing is using an automated system to search for domains that meet your specifications and then buy the names that come from the results.   Find a system that will help you find domains with the hopes of selling them later for a profit. 

15.  Hey, don’t get too attached to buying that domain until you are sure you can snatch it:  Too many people become razored sharped focused and fall for that domain name that they may not ever be able to purchase.  You have to detach from expecting to get that specific domain it will save you the heartache in the long run if you don’t get it.  You always should have a plan B, plan C, and on and on so that you have time to find a proper domain name that you can purchase.

16.  Remember you have tons of opportunities to buy domains there are plenty of domains in the sea:  GoDaddy auctions, and other domain auction sites always have domains available for purchase, so don’t exhaust all of your energy when a better name pops up in the coming days, weeks, or months.

Domain Auction

Go Daddy Auction Help Page Image

17.  Don’t auction your domains over the weekend:   You should wait until the week to send the name to auction.  A good majority of people travel and go out during the weekend.  The best time to reach eyeballs is during the week.  You want to allow time for people to see your domains at auction.  People have different methods and will tell you that it probably doesn’t matter when you send the domain to auction, but I find most hits are during the week.   

18.  Get your feet wet and try a GoDaddy domain auction:  You can determine any reserve that you want for your domain.  If you get a few bids, you would be astonished at the amount of interest that your domain receives just from you taking a chance and jumping in the auction game.

19.  GoDaddy has a vast audience:  If you are looking for exposure for your premium domains and you are looking to boost your market sales, you should enroll your premium domains to GoDaddy’s Premium Listings.  You can list the premium domains that you want to sell on their website, but there is an approval process before any listings will occur.  GoDaddy’s Premium Listing is a powerful sales channel for your domains.  Yes, you do have to pay a commission fee for any sales.  

20.  GoDaddy is not the only auction house in town:  There are other registrars like Dynadot  which have their very own exclusive expired domain auctions.  Yes, not as big as GoDaddy, but you can find some decent domains on their domain auction platform. Let’s get real; we’ve been on Dynadot from time to time to buy up some domains.  Give them a try.

21.   If you have a domain that didn’t receive bids and you send it to another auction platform, please re-evaluate your strategy:  Yes, I know it is effortless for me to say this from my computer.  You should re-evaluate your auction game plan if your domain sits at the original price, and then you decide to send it off to another auction platform at the same price.

22.  Figure out the best time to end your auction: Different auction platforms are more active for bidding on a domain(s) than other auction sites.  Time zones can play a significant role as far as bidding on a domain(s).  If you are trying to get the most out of engaged bidders, then it is preeminent for you to get the best bid at the time of auction for your domain name(s).  Scope it out, do your research.

23.   You can find great names at auction platforms all the time:  People will complain that seasoned domainers have bought the best names.  Plug your ears because on a weekly occurrence you can buy some decent names from platforms like NAMEJET in which you have a wide selection of names to purchase that offer great potential for your business endeavors.

24.   Are people unloading their bad domains at auction:  Well it all depends on what you consider junk.  One person's junk domain is another person's fortune domain.  Hey if you win, it’s up to you to do something with the domain.  It depends on the use, marketing and other factors that make a domain successful.

 25.   Are auctions better than B.I.N: Truthfully it is all contingent on the name and the platform being used to sell the domain.  You can have a domain in your marketplace for months at a B.I.N (Buy It Now) with no kind of action.  Then, someone comes along and buys that domain and turns around and auctions it at a platform for a much higher price that they paid for the domain.

Yes, it does depend on the marketplace and how many people even saw your domain for sale.  People will bid on a domain if they see that other bidders are bidding.  Why is it that someone is hesitant on making a bid until they see other bidders? Hmmm???  

26.  eBay can still bring you some income:  If you discover what type of names sell on eBay, you can potentially earn a few hundred bucks if you do your research accurately.  

Bidding

27.  Don’t lowball your bids:  It is ok to start at a low point and work your way up to a decent price.  But, playing games and bidding on a domain at $100 knowing that the domain is worth $3000 is a waste of time and insulting to the owner of the domain.  Act and understand what you are doing and forget the games.  With this in mind, some domainers are well-informed and ready to play ball and snatch up that domain leaving you out in the cold.

28.  Get down to business and be an assertive bidder:  If your pockets run deep, then spend the money if you are determined to get that domain in an auction, then you should bid in large amounts to let the other bidders know that you want that domain and you came with your “A” game.  Now let me tell you that this tactic may work, and then again it may not work on higher quality domain names.  Although, using this tactic for less quality domains at auction should work if you have the stamina for it.

29.  Just let it go and don’t overbid out of orneriness:  Hey losing out on a bidding war is upsetting at times, but you will only hold yourself back by overpaying for a domain in the long run.  A new domainer sometimes will fall prey to being spiteful to get that name.  Instead, turn your attention and focus on another name.  

In her article, Lorna Edwards states that:

“Understanding the psychology at play in the auction process can help you land that winning bid.”

30.  Please triple check the spelling of the domain(s) before you place your bid:  Be smart and rely on your spelling capabilities.   One hundred bids on a domain at auction with a price of $1500 doesn’t mean that the domain is spelled correctly.  Domainers have a pack mindset when it comes to bidding, and a misspelled word can increase swiftly if the bidders aren’t paying attention to the spelling of the domain.  If you do catch this, then make sure you are not the last bidder for that domain.

 31.  Be a risk taker:  Risk is owning 300 plus domains and then sell them for a nice profit.  You gamble with your money by playing the stock market game; there is nothing different when you buy or sell your domain name(s).  Your goal is to earn a higher price than what you paid for your domain(s).

Sales Marketplaces

32.  Go hardcore and get your domains in front of as many eyes as possible:   You will come across different domain marketplaces that say that they are the best in getting your domains in front of buying eyes.  Before you choose a domain marketplace, make sure the marketplace is trusted and has good reviews and ratings.

33.   Have you heard of Efty:  Manage a custom domain portfolio powered by Efty Marketplace.   Efty helps you manage, organize, increase sales and leads for your domains. You can select your own sales page with their designs and customize your domain marketplace to your specifications.  You can construct your unique sales pitch and other great features to help you sell your domains.

Users who type in your domain name will land on one of these pages that indicates that the domain is for sale and provides an array of contact points for interested buyers to contact you to purchase the domains.  Therefore, this is an alternative solution for you with their turnkey pages, if you don’t have the time or cash on hand to create a domain portfolio from scratch.   

34.  Utilizing domain name selling marketplaces:  I mentioned a few throughout this tip based post.  These marketplaces sell a lot of domains every week, and it is crucial that your domains are exposed in these marketplaces. 

You should list your domains with a Buy It Now price to sell the names faster.  People typically want to cut to the chase and not have to go through the hassle of playing games like the “Make Offer” scenario.  Nevertheless, no matter how you list your domains just list them and see what happens?

35.  Added benefit through selling domain(s) via marketplaces:  Landing the domain sale is the final step of selling your domain.  Within these marketplaces, they offer a third party to handle the sale, such as Escrow.com.  Escrow will prepare the transaction so that both parties feel secure with exchanging the domain for the money or vice versa.

36.  More sales platform info:  Create a domain name sales page if you have a stand-out idea and a price point based off of other comparable sales.  You need to create or find a great sales page platform that will draw in a considerable amount of eyes to that page. You can’t expect or assume that people will come to you. You have to invest in or create an excellent sales platform. 

That means you have to do some work!  Your domain registrar might have a free tool where you can build a “For Sale” landing page.  You may have an existing website that you can include a link to your sales page that you have your domain(s) listed that you are selling.  You can park your domain and use the parking companies “For Sale” features, or you can use “Efty”  as mentioned in one of the other domaining tips.

Development

Hubspot article about creating a landing page

37.  Gain some experience and develop one of your domains:  You can gain some valuable experience by either hiring a professional to develop one of your high traffic domains or do it yourself.  The best thing is to gain some experience and knowledge of the whole process of creating a website yourself.  Your goal is to generate revenue, and by developing a domain, you will understand the end users goals, the process, and value of owning a website.

38.  If you are a WordPress user, make sure to update your site(s) to the latest release if they haven’t already done that for you: Keep yourself safe and secure by keeping your website up-to-date.   

39.  Stay in control and build your landing pages:  Reason being is that you stay in control of the message that you want to share with your visitors.  It is up to you to market your page anyway that you wish.  You  need to give a precise picture of your outlook for the name. 

You will want to include stats about the search volume and any other essential elements that will persuade the person to click on the link in Google’s SERPs.  If you do get a hit to the page, be sure to have a huge “FOR SALE” sign listed at the top of the page.

Also, you can add social media to your page to help share your names on different platforms.  You do not have to go through a third party,  which means no commission fee out of your pocket.  You want to make sure that your page is user-friendly because most end users know nothing of buying aftermarket domains.

40.  Does your site have a purpose:  Ask yourself if you would go to that e-commerce site to purchase anything?  You have to understand your user's persona and discover the reasons they are searching for products, service or information?  For example, If your site is Tax Service.vegas then let them know that you have the best Tax Prep Service in the city of Vegas.  Give them reasons for choosing your services over other tax service providers.

41.  Develop a lead generation source:  Niche focused expired domains is a great way to create a private lead generation strategy.  You can redirect the expired domains to your designated landing pages for your higher converting website, which is a skillful way of leveraging your domains into a monetized campaign.  

Parking

42.  Monitor your traffic by parking your domains:  If you are short on time and don’t have the expertise to set up a landing page for your domains, then a good solution is to park your domains and also monitor your traffic.   

Parking companies will optimize your parked page template.  The parking company will add pay-per-click ads on your page, and both of you will take a cut of the revenue that you earned from parking your domains on their platform.  

No matter what you do make sure that you have a “For Sale” sign displayed on the page. Note that there will be a waiting period before  interested buyers see your domain(s). 

So while you are waiting, park your domains and earn something as opposed to letting them sit at your registrar and letting the registrars make money off of your name(s). Earn it yourself at a domain parking company.

43.  Don’t set your valuable domains to a parking page: (To park or not to park your most valuable domains? That is the question!)  Ok, so parking companies optimize domains, but at times they optimize domains towards trademarks using ads similar to your domains. It is better to use a landing page for your valuable domains and not lose your domain to a URDP case.

44.  Why not optimize your domains that are parked:  Don’t fall into the trap of using the default settings and configuration that your parking company has set for your domain(s). The parking companies will give different choices for the settings and information that is on your parked domain.  

Read the parking companies instructions, check How-To Guides to find the most optimal settings for your domains.  If you changed the images that appear on the landing pages you could increase your CTR (Click Through Rate).

Portfolio

Versign Domains information about domain registration in 2017

45.  Domaining is about business.  Please don’t fall in love with your domain names: What is your goal?  It is to make MONEY.  Mistakes that new domainers and even seasoned vets make is that they will hold on to the domain merely because they like the name or think that it is worth more than what the market is telling them.  

If you are not able to sell your domain, you can’t monetize it even on a parked page or cover it’s renewal cost, just let it go!  Your domain might sound unique to your ears, but you will have to come to terms that the domain will not have a market value past the price that you paid for the domain.  If you get the chance to make a decent or even a swift profit, take it and move on to the next domain.

46.  Is your domain(s) short or long:  You want your potential visitors and returning visitors to visualize what your site is about through your domain name.  If you are assuming that your visitors will recall your long-drawn-out domain name like mybestlifeofsuccessclothes.vegas -  Then, you are expecting the world with that domain name! 

The lengthier the name, the higher chance you have that your visitors will not type in that URL correctly. The goal is to gain visitors through your short, catchy name and not lose them through your extended domain name.

47.  Do you know that someone will eventually own your domains:  If you expect to make a profit in domaining or any niche for that matter, you will have to sell your domains or monetize your domains.  If your domains are not bearing fruit, then drop them.  Your domains are not priceless.

48.  Keep all of your domains in one place:  You will make your life so much easier when it comes to renewing your domains.  It also makes it easier to keep your contact information current, especially your email.  It may take some effort but keeping your names in one place makes it easier to manage your domains.

Let’s say that you have 60 domains split between 5 different registrars and you forget to update your contact information, and they send an email notice to a nonworking email, and you forget about updating your info, you run the risk of that domain expiring and losing those names.  

49.  Try and keep your domain portfolio midsize:  Quality domains are better than quantity. I think that an optimal number is 300 or fewer domains in your portfolio.  If you can sell the lower bearing fruit and buy better quality domains, you should be in good shape.  Annual renewal fees will add up if you are sitting on thousands of domains and not selling the domains.

50.  Start investing in new domain extensions:  The new domain extensions offer great potential if you missed out on the  Dot Coms.  Yes, I am using  DOT .Vegas but this extension is particular to Las Vegas, so it makes sense to use this extension. DOT .Club is a good one too.

51.  Register domains a few at a time, not hundreds:  You will come across a lot of domains that you think will be “the one”  Slow your roll and register a few at a time. You will have plenty of opportunities to register good domains.

If you are trying to register a bunch at a time, chances are a good chunk of them aren’t so good, and you won’t be able to push them off to someone else.  So just do a few at a time and see if you can promote those select few and try and sell them and see what happens?!?

52.  Partner up:  Partner up with different domain investors to diversify your portfolio, lower your risks and increase your earnings.  Please make sure that everyone’s obligation in the partnership is distinguished and a contract is drawn up to protect your investments.  

Nevertheless,  It is a lot easier if you have some help, whether it is with content, designing or any other aspect that will help you become a success in this business.  You will have to pick people that you trust, someone who is easy to get along with, someone who will go the distance with you, and someone who will listen and complete different tasks.

For the most part, you want to collaborate with people who will help build your business and also share the same vision as yourself.  The revenue that you make will be determined by the individuals you partner with for your business.  Eventually, everything will become second nature, and you will discover which things are best to hire someone else to do for you.

53.  Reinvest back into your domaining business:  If you can manage to do without using your earnings for other things, contemplate keeping a good chunk of your revenues in the business to leverage additional domain investments.  What you are doing is growing your business by putting back a good chunk of money that you earned, if this is a good measure for your business.

54.   Do the names in your portfolio make sense:  Dog Training.Vegas sounds logical. Training Dog.Vegas does not make sense.  Ask yourself are these names logical, will I be able to sell them to an end user?   Will the names make sense to the end user?  The same thing goes hand in hand if you want to sell domains under any of the new gTLDs.  The Strip.Vegas is logical, but CranberryJuice.Vegas doesn’t make sense.

55.  Quantity is not always best as a domainer, instead go for quality domains:  Buyers will find you through the process of seeking and searching.  The way to make sure you have quality names when that email arrives from that interested buyer is not to spend all of your money on one domain name.

For example, your budget is $5,000 for buying domains.  It is not wise to pay $4,000 for one domain and leaving $1,000 remaining for your budget.  Instead, buy 30 good domains to boost the probability of receiving an offer for that one domain that will help pay for your other domains in the long run.

Emails/Contact

56.  Stop! Don’t delete that spam folder just yet!:  Between all of the spam that you will receive from people via email trying to sell domain names from your niche, you will begin to notice that these people are trying to help you. 

I’ve had strangers email me about domains that were available in my niche that I wouldn’t have known if it wasn’t for that persons help.  The point is that not all of the spam emails are from people trying to pull a fast one.

Tips on how to get past a Gatekeeper

57.   Are you contacting the right person:  You will have to get past the gatekeeper of the company, whether on the phone or via email.  You have to make sure that you are contacting the owner or the right person who has the most information about domaining in the company?  If you reach the wrong department, you run the risk of your email landing in the delete pile.

58.  The end users “contact form”:  Don’t use it!  Go to WHOIS and find an email address via this route.  If you do use the “contact form” please be prepared to receive an email back saying, “THIS CONTACT FORM IS NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF SOLICITATION!” 

 59.  Before you email random people, make sure you know their niche:  People in our industry share their email for interested parties who want to ask general questions, contact information or receive good partnering or domaining ideas.  You shouldn’t become one of those domainers who will email their entire portfolio of random not so good names and then give a low price of $25 or state that you can make an all-in-one deal.

60.  Don’t write long emails:  Be short and to the point with your email.  Individuals attention spans are short and probably won’t give thought to reading your 10 paragraph email.  The best option is one to two paragraphs.  

According to Neil Patel:  

“But in order to truly harness the power of email marketing, it’s important to understand the psychology behind it and to know how to write emails that get results.”

61.  Hey, reply pronto to purchase inquiries that you receive:  People do make an effort to reach out to you in regards to purchasing one of your names.  Be respectful and answer them asap.  If not, you run the risk of them contacting another buyer and then you will have lost out on the deal. 

62.  The stolen domain(s):  This is done through your email account.  If you get an unknown email be very wary of opening any encrypted link in the email unless it is from a verified account that you signed up to use their services. Nevertheless, what happens is if you click on the link, the link will release an unnoticeable malware on your computer and will track every website and password you enter.

63.  Use your email signature to promote your domains:  Do you have a different email account for domaining?  If so, your email signature should have a couple of your leading domain names that you want to sell.  Hey, what is the harm?  You communicate via email you might as well do some soft selling. 

64.  Are you sales pitch perfect:  If you so happen to find a possible buyer or a buyer emails you, then it is imperative that you discover why the person wants the domain before you respond back to any inquiries.  The reason being is that you need to send them a sales pitch that is specific to that potential buyer. 

If you do your research correctly, you need to discover how important your domain(s) are to the curious buyer.  For example, let’s say that the buyer has done their research and discovered the stats on your domain and they would like to use the traffic from the domain as a redirect to their existing company name. 

Typically,  you will not have to negotiate a lot because of the demand that they have for the domain.  Hopefully, they will want it bad enough to buy it from you at your specified price.  Therefore when you respond back with your customized sales pitch, you can give them even more convincing scenarios about why the domain is perfect for their project.

65.  Account Maintenance Check:  Different services like Sedo.com  and Above.com will send you an email informing you if your domain information has changed like whether your domains are currently still registered.  Therefore, if you have any expired domains be sure that your parking company lets you know that they are expired.  If you get an email as such, then you better check your registrar.  Did you intend for that domain to expire?

End Users

Wikipedia article about Due Diligence

66.  Enlighten your end user with good reasons to buy your domain:  You can’t assume that an end user will know what you are talking about when you contact them in regards to buying your domains.  You have to educate them and give them substantial benefits and give them comparable cases of why they should purchase your domains.  Go all out and excite the end user with your domaining stats, like your traffic rank, etc.

67.    Don’t become dismayed if you don’t hear back from the end user:  Hey, I don’t answer my emails right away, either.  It is a part of life.  I know that I said that I don’t respond that quickly.  Don’t be like me! Respond, quickly!   Emails end up in the spam folder, junk folder or they may not have reached me.

So, I have to use that same logic with the end users that I contact too.  Patience, patience, and more patience is what you will become accustomed to in this domain flipping business.   Perseverance is going to be your friend.  

68.  Do your due diligence in regards to the buyer:   Make sure you check the background of the potential buyer.  The more you educate yourself in regards to the buyer, the better you can assess the likely business deal.  Use sites like YELP to find information on local businesses.  

69.  Use Google to discover potential buyers:  Other search engines unmatch Google.  You’ll notice that new and old businesses don’t have indexes in other search engines. I’m not saying to stay away from other search engines.  But, Google is your best option to maximize the selling potential for your domain(s).

70.  Does the domain reflect the service or product for an end user:  To illustrate, if you offer Dog Training services, then a name like Dog Training.vegas is an appropriate name from a business perspective.  Or you might start a plumbing business then Plumber.vegas is also a great name to sell or lease.

71.  Are your names of real value to your end users part 2:  You have to get in the mindset of how valuable will the name be to an end user?  Imagine buyers of the domain name benefiting from purchasing the domain name in a space that is familiar to you.

If someone contacted you about a domain would it help you in any way?  You have to use those answers that you come up with when you are searching or thinking of names to buy and flip.  

72.  Help your end user:  End users who are not domainers might not have a clue about how to find you, the process of buying, and receiving that domain after the sell.  You have to make the process as smooth as possible.  At times, you will have to S-P-E-L-L out the whole buy/transfer process for the end user.  

You have to build a bridge for the users who have the bucks to buy and receive the domain.   As you may know, the transfer process is effortless for some and troublesome for others, such as transfer fees involved, difficult transfer process, emails back and forth, etc.

73.  Are there alternatives to the domain(s) in question:  Buy domains that end users need because they can’t find an alternative name.  For example, icepopcycles.vegas might be a tough sell because a buyer can discover a different name like coldpopcycles.vegas, frozenpopcycles.vegas.  So just keep digging and brainstorming to find that diamond domain that you can sell. 

Domaining Community

DNJournal post about the domaining industry

74.  Meet others in the domaining community:  Get out there and go to conventions.  Namescon in Las Vegas was fun and meeting some of the top leaders in this field was very beneficial.  Educate yourself by going to the forums like Namespros but don’t spam the comment sections.  

You should find niches with a thread of over fifty replies and absorb all of the opinions in the comments.  Do ask appropriate questions; people are more than willing to give you their ideas.

75.  Do you have a healthy circulation network:  The goal is to sell your domains, but you have to get the domains in front of the right buyer.  Listing your domains in a reliable distribution system like Afternic, Namejet, Snapnames, NamePros, Flippa, DNforum, Sedo, and GoDaddy will help you get your names to thousands of possible buyers.  

Pradeep Kumar notes this about Namepros:

“You can post your domains for sale or for free appraisals. You can join over 156,998 domain name owners from around the world. They also provide you live chat rooms to discuss with potential buyers and sellers. You have to become a member of NamePros, which is free, and then list your blog or domain for sale.”

76.  Be sure to read DNJournal like you would read The Wall Street Journal:  Absorb the domain sales to get acquainted with prices of sold domains and what type of domains that sold the best.  Be cautious that a domain that sold for “x” amount doesn’t mean that your two-word domain in the same niche will sell for that price too.

77.  If you have issues with a registrar ask questions before you write them off:  Your issue can probably be resolved quickly by contacting customer support.  Often people have issues due to lack of information.

 78.  Spam is a no-no:  Don’t spam people in the comment sections of domain forums. View the comment section as a place to ask questions and get to know people.  People can sniff out spammers in a matter of seconds, and you may get banned from the forum.  

79.  There are plenty of seasoned domainers with an abundance of information:  domainsherpa.com, DSAD.comDomain Investing,  and Domain Gang  All of these domainers share their unique viewpoints about the domaining industry.  If you want to go down the rabbit hole of more domaining information, then view those sites.   All of them offer interviews from the domain industry from dealers, brokers, to investors and they give their viewpoint on the domaining industry.  

80.  Domainers intuition: You will notice as you read blogs and go to forums that you should take some of the advice with a grain of salt.  You will gain some great outbound domain sales experience from asking questions and learning to make sound judgments when it comes to buying or selling domains.  

The intuition that you develop will come from buying and selling domains whether good or bad.  It takes time.  Don’t rush the process or else you will miss valuable insights that come from the process of being a successful domainer.

81.  Make sure that you are staying updated with the latest blogs, tech magazines, and other platforms that pertain to the niches you’ve chosen to trend watch.  You want to keep up with today’s market by scoping out the latest technologies, up and coming products and jump on the names associated with those categories.  

Please note that the trends that you are watching may stall and not work out for you, so you have to expect some losses that you will encounter before the right niche works out to your benefit.  

However, there will be times where you can get in front of the game and hand register a few of these solid domains, but there will be times when you are chasing the game. Nevertheless, it is crucial that the domains that you buy are not tied up in one niche.  

82.  Compare, relax and relate:  After you’ve created a dynamic idea that will be the center focus of your sales pitch, the next item up for business is appraising the standard price that you can predict for your domain name.  

Once again, you have to jump on the forums, view different domain auction sites and research the comparables for your domain.  If you are looking at auctions, then pay attention to the “asking price” that others want for their names.  You will notice the average prices that are related to your hoped-for domain price.  

Keep those prices in mind when you decide where your price point should be at for your domain(s).  If you are looking at Namebio, check the comps of domains that are similar to yours and view the average price from the comps that Namebio lists.  The main thing that you are doing is basing your price point that you expect off of the comps.

Keywords

83.  Think about how the search engines will perceive the name:  How will the search engines consider the domain name?  As you may know, there is some stiff competition when it comes to ranking for various keywords.  So with that in mind, I believe that it is better to rank with a keyword and your domain name. 

No, your goal is not to be boring but think strategically.  If you want people looking for “plumber” to find your domain in Google, it would be to your advantage to put the word “plumber” in your domain name.  Google is more likely to notice your website.  

84.  Try and include keywords in your domain name:  SEO (Search Engine Optimization) plays an essential part of online success.  Keyword research is one of those aspects that you do have to take into consideration when selecting your domain name.  Consider the end user when they buy and create a website with one of your domains.  

One of your selling points is to inform them that they can quickly get indexed in the search result with the SEO friendly domain name.   As an example, pretend you reach an end user that would like to start a carpet cleaning business, and you own the domain Carpet Cleaning Service.vegas.  

If users search for carpet cleaning, then the domain will be listed for the most relevant search, and they will receive direct traffic, which in turn will help them improve in Google’s search rankings.

85.  Preferably, put your keyword at the beginning of the domain:  Now a domain with a keyword is advantageous for an online business, blog or whatever!  If you can get one keyword in your name, this can help with your organic search results.  But, if that favored keyword is unattainable, then try to add words preferably before instead of after.  Just my thoughts! 

Domain Names

Estibot appraisal tool search engine

86.  Is your domain name catchy and memorable?   If you search online, you will find a vast amount of websites that are for sale.  If you have a domain name that is memorable, then that name is more likely than not to aid in the success of your business when you rename the website. 

I believe that it is easy for visitors to keep in mind the name “Plumber.vegas” and it is more likely if someone has a plumbing issue, they will recommend “Plumber.Vegas” it is a short name and easy to remember.  The name could be thought of as a proper domain for the plumbing industry.  It is your goal to let your traffic know about your business through your domain name. 

87.  “To be” Plural or “Not to be” Plural in your domain name:  Working out the favored use for these types of domains depends on the keyword traffic in my opinion.   Go to Estibot and type in the name and see which one returns the most traffic?  How would someone say the name in a conversation or how could you promote it on a billboard advertisement?  “If you build it, they will come.”    

88.  Are there enough words in the English language to make money:  Hmm, pick up a dictionary, pick out all the one-word names and see if they are still available?  Let's compare notes!  

Leasing

89.   Lease your domain and make some monthly income:  If you have a great domain name how about leasing it for some recurring revenue?  You can add a leasing option to all of your landing pages so that you give future buyers different alternatives to obtain your domains.  

It’s possible for you to work out a deal with an end user if they can’t afford the domain or they have their reservation for shelling out a lot of cash for a domain.  Although this may be so, if they can lease the domain for a while, this might be an incentive for them to purchase the domain later on down the road.

Nolo’s online LLC form

90.  Is there a trademark on the potential domain(s) that you want:  Make sure that you research your domain(s) and conclude that there aren’t any infringements on any registered trademark or copyrights for the domain(s) in question.  You can visit USPTO for more information. 

91.  Keep all documentation for the tax man:  So you want to domain full time, then do the proper paperwork with your tax guy to ensure that you form your business into a legitimate entity.  The reason being is that you don’t want to miss out any business deductions  that you can use when filing your taxes.

If you form a LLC, this will limit the personal monetary risks that might occur if any issue ever happens with your domaining endeavors.  Therefore, make sure like with any business deals you keep all receipts, appropriate documentation and use the proper tax forms in regards to your domaining business.

Domain Transactions

92.  Do all of your transactions through a third party like Escrow:  If you are selling or buying a domain make sure to use a third party like Escrow to handle the transaction.  Escrow will take possession of the domain and control the payment to the buyer. 

93.  Secure transactions through Paypal:  Always stay up-to-date on the latest security measures that PayPal offers if you decide to use their format for your domaining transactions.

94.  Flippa:  Flippa is an excellent platform for buying and selling websites and domains.  Include a detailed description of your domains that you are selling.

95.  Keep Bido in mind:  Yes it is true periodically Bido has ok domains.  Check out their platform.     

96.  Note that you will incur fees for selling your domain(s):  You have an Escrow fee, Paypal fee or even the cost of using a broker to sell your domains. 

97.   Are you aware of Psychological Pricing:  Psychological Pricing is psychology jargon that means products that are priced at say $3,999 instead of $4,000 is perceived to be lower in the buyer's mind.  The buyer who is benefitting from this $1 difference will feel like they are getting a better deal when purchasing the domain.  Buyers tend to consider that the price is considerably lower and thereby saving them money in the long run.

98.  Have you put some thought behind your pricing system:   Don’t you think that it would be cool to sell your domains for millions of dollars like some investors have done?  It is a beautiful thought, but chances are this won’t happen to a good chunk of domainers. 

DomainNameSales.com proclaim that most domain re-sales happen between $5,000 and $80,000.  Yes, it’s cool to think that you can retire from your 9 to 5 or make millions of money from domaining and buy that Maserati that you’ve been eyeing.  Oh, wait! That’s my dream!

Anyway, point being is to look for similar domains that have sold in your niche and compare prices to get a clue on how much to price your domain(s).  Hey, you never know you could pick a high amount out of a hat, and someone will say,  “Yes”  to the price.

Registrar/Registering

Retail Me Not Go Daddy Codes

99.  What does the registrar offer regarding customer support:  When searching for a domain registrar select one that has 24/7 email/phone support.   Also, check their FAQ section and go online and look at reviews. 

Are the reviews favorable?  Have questions on hand when selecting your registrar like what is the transfer policy/fees of domains?  Do they have additional charges when registering the domains?  Do they offer a good user experience?  

Test and Taste! If you want you can have accounts with all of the top registrars and keep a few domains in each account to see which registrars offer the best support? 

100.  Registration Companies:  If you are buying in volume, then cheap registration is essential for beginners.  GoDaddy, Namecheap, and Enom are good domain registrars to start with for newbie domainers.  If you do your research, you will see favorable and unfavorable reviews about all of the registrars take them with a grain of salt and use your good senses.

101.  Hand registering your domains is still a good option:  You’ll read in the forums all the time telling newbies not to hand register your domains.  Use your good senses.  Anyway,  buying domains privately, backorder or auctions are good options, but you still can find good domains through a hand registration process.   

102.  Did you know that you can use registration codes for domains:  Why pay full price for your domain(s) when you can save money with registration codes.  GoDaddy is offering renewal codes as of this writing.  Retailmenot.com,  Groupon.com, and Coupon Code Hoster have GoDaddy Codes.  You can search other registrars that have registration/renewal codes. *Note these are subject to change.

Renew

103.  Is your account set to auto-renew:  Organization is your friend!  If you have domains that you know that you want to hold for longer than let’s say a year, then it is in your best option to set those domains to auto-renew.  Now that we have that out of the way, please make sure that your contact information is up-to-date, especially your email address. 

Usually, this is the form of communication between registrar and domain holders.  They send out a renewal notice to inform you that your domain is set to expire if you don’t renew on the given date.  Please make sure that whatever payment method you use has enough funds to cover the transactions.  You don’t want to lose that domain, so stay on top and update your information.

104.  Organization is the best policy:   If you want to score brownie points then at the beginning of the year renew all the domains that you would like to hold for the year.   If you have the funds, try to renew the domains through the middle of the year even if you think that you can sell them that year.  

All the domains that you are planning on selling that expire after that you can figure out a way to sell them in the first part of the year and possibly save yourself renewal fees.   Now, what if you have an extensive domain portfolio?  

If you have names that you believe you will keep the current year, unless you get a nice offer from a potential buyer, then you should renew those names now so that you can have a peace of mind that those names are paid through “X” year.

 Here is what you are looking to do and that is to begin the year aware of what your costs will be for the current year and try to carry your profits for the current year and add them to the next year renewals so that you don’t have any concerns in regards to renewals.

Research

Domaining tips about finding comparable for domain niches

105.  Research and Research:  What you want to do is think of researching like a puzzle where you are gathering different pieces to make the whole picture.  You want to take what you read lightly until you test and serve for your own purposes.  Research Google and use keyword research tools that are related to keywords like SEMRUSH, use comparable tools from Namebio, and other search tools to help in your research.

Before you take any action research the net and after you feel solid on your knowledge, then take action!  A lot of us love to offer advice to help steer domainers away from mistakes, but hey, you don’t grow unless you make some mistakes.  

106.  Test the domain stats yourself:  People want to make money, and they can make up stats and earnings, it is up to you to examine the data that you collect to make an educated decision and don’t be astonished if their stats are exaggerated.

107.  Get on board with all of the latest technology news:  Discover all the upcoming companies, services, software, games, products, domain name news, etc.  You will begin to notice the crave of creating names based on trends in the market through some of the above discoveries.

108.  A great domain name will cost less than marketing:  Yes, you can invest in promoting your developed domain name(s) through different venues like print ads, billboards, etc., which will probably cost you your pension fund.  On the other hand, an exceptional domain name will promote your endeavor for the length that you own the name and only costs you a few bucks to keep per year.

109.  Are your domains social media handles in use:  If you have the social media handle that coincides with your domain, this will help increase the confidence that people will have with your venture. 

110.  STOP! Before you purchase that domain name has it been blacklisted: Ultratools.com has a free domain backlist check that searches to see if the domain that you entered is blacklisted.

111.  Keep searching through your daily list of potential domains to buy:  If you have searched through an expired domain list then you know that this a long process and exhausting at times if you don’t see any names that knock your socks off.  

Nevertheless, keep on searching because a good name might pop up just when you were about to give up searching for the day.  Always complete your task of searching expired domains regularly.  

112.   Keep up with the latest trends:  One domaining practice that you should keep up with is to watch out for different patterns. It might take awhile to find the next trend that is profitable.  

All you are doing with this strategy is predicting domains that are going to be in demand before they become popular.   If you want to be successful with this technique, you should become familiar with five niches that you believe will be reasonably profitable. 

113.  X (formerly known as Twitter)  is popular:  Use X to trend watch.  You can view new popular made up words via X.  It may not be a real word, but people use them anyway, and those words could be the latest trend for domains.  

Type the word in X’s search with the hashtag and again without the hashtag.  If the word has been mentioned numerous times throughout the day, then you will get a general feel for how popular the word is and how best to utilize the word as far as domaining is concerned.  Definitely, take advantage of this popular social media to sell or buy trendy names. 

114.  Find everyone using similar domains:  If you are seeking end users who are using a variation of your name and you would like to sell them your domain, then use Google to search them out.  If your domain is “Las Vegas Strip.vegas” all you have to do is type “Las Vegas Strip” in a Google search, and they will show websites and businesses that are using comparable domains and different domain extensions.

Testing

Snippet from Vegas Domainer talking about The Radio Test

115.  Buying mediocre domains will train you to purchase better domains:  Experimenting is the perfect approach to understand what will sell and what will remain idle in your portfolio.  For this reason, learning by experimenting is the best way to learn the domaining industry.  Hey if you don’t learn the basics, you won’t grow, and if you don’t grow you won’t earn any dough!

116.  Can you do something different:   People always think that if the wheel is broken, then they can fix it.  Yes, that may be true in some cases, but the real change is just doing something different from the previous person.  

If someone isn’t doing something spectacular, then figure out a way to bring that spectacularism to the forefront and be the person to bring about the change!  In business, the hardest thing is to be creative and original, and if you are that breakout person, then you may have found something great.

117.   Are you having difficulty getting businesses to change from Dot Com to Dot New Extension:  If that is your case, keep on keeping on! It is your job to showcase the benefits to that end user to why they should leave Dot Com to Dot New Extension.

You have to love our businesses. You have to love the creativity to sell items to people. You have to enjoy doing research and figuring out your unique selling points.  Yes, you are an entrepreneur! 

118.  The Radio Test:  If you were listening to your favorite radio station and an announcer mentions your website would visitors be able to type it in the name correctly?  For example, cymbalcrew.com would fail the radio test because it can be interpreted as symbolcrew.com. In other words, would the person be able to use the correct homophone?

119.  The Radio Test Part 2:  Can you spell the name easily?  Is the person able to spell the name correctly after hearing it on the radio?   For instance, what if you listened to an announcement on the radio about some cool biking shorts and you wanted to go to the website, and the announcer said to go to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” could you spell that word?  

120.  Before buying the domain make sure it is the correct spelling:  I purchased a domain where the name was misspelled by one letter.   A total blank moment. UGH!!! It happens! Avoid my mistake! 🙂

121.   No need for hyphens:  People browsing the web might not remember to add a hyphen when they are searching for your website via your domain name or if they are returning to your site.  

Google can differentiate hyphenated domains, but your future traffic may not remember the hyphen and more than likely will put the hyphen in the wrong place. Also, if the selected domain that you want is gone, please don’t buy one with a hyphen move on to a new domain.

Google’s algorithms changes, and you don’t know if hyphens are weighed as lacking the authority of domains that don’t have hyphens?  Keep your SEO strategy in mind when considering buying domains for your endeavors.

122.  First-time websites, stay away from abbreviated domains:  Do yourself a favor, if you are starting out and trying to build a brand don’t use abbreviations or acronyms for your name.  Small online business do not have the authority like big brand names, such as JBL (The Speaker Company James Bullough Lansing).

123.  Don't include numbers in your domain name:  If the domain name is taken don’t get fancy and add numbers before or after the domain.  For example, if “DomainAdvice” is gone don’t go and register “4DomainAdvice” you might create some issues because potential visitors may inaccurately type the address as “fourdomainadvice” “fordomainadvice” I believe you get the point.

124. Try the domain out for a few days:  Domain tasting this is where some registrars allow a grace period where you can return the domain and get a refund.  During the period you should park the domain and see what kind of type-in traffic the domain gets?  Taste the domain and see what happens? 

Time Management

125.   Make sure that you have a backup hard copy of your domaining business information:  Document everything that is important in regards to your domains, this is your investment, and you want to protect your portfolio. 

You should make sure that you have a Will made out and specify what should be done with your domains.  Give a designated family member all of your portfolio information, such as registrar, expiration information, the amount paid for the domains, and other valuable information.  

You want to protect your portfolio if you are unable to update your portfolio due to circumstances out of your control.

According to Megan Leonardt,

“About two-thirds of Americans don’t have a written will, according to a 2015 survey by Rocket Lawyer. For most people, it’s something they put off or haven’t gotten around to yet. Age, unsurprisingly, is also a factor. The 2015 survey found only 30% of Americans aged 45-54 had a will, while 46% of those aged 55 to 64 had one.”

126.  You are one person, learn to delegate:  Help is the best way to success.  If there is something that you don’t know how to do, then seek out help.  If you are not a designer, search forums for the best web designers.  Search forums for great content writers. Search, review, ask for help, then hire.   As business owners, we have to learn how to ask for help.  

127.  Pump your brakes:  Finish one task first, then move to the next task.  Don’t block your path by having 100 items you want to start and then not complete even one of those tasks.  I know you want to scale, but hold off and finish one thing first.  Life will be much easier for you. 

128.  Do you have your business receipts organized:  You will incur business expenses, and you should file those receipts for tax purposes.  If you use your phone, the web, and your computer and any conferences that you attend for domaining, they are considered business expenses.  Hopefully, you have an accountant to help advise you on what you can deduct from your taxes. 

129.  Are your domains organized:  You should have a plan for all of your domains.   Keep a spreadsheet and organize the domain(s) that you want to develop, park, sell, wait for an offer, drop, etc.  If you have your domains organized, you can look at the big picture and determine the best system to put in place as far as monetizing your domains and setting a path for the success of your domaining business.

130.  Ask yourself valuable questions before buying:   At times it is necessary for you to have a quick finger to buy a domain.  Nevertheless, you need to think before you spend. Ask questions like is the domain that good?  Does it have traffic potential?  Is it resell-able?  Can you earn a profit?  How many years do you want to lease the name?  Will you renew the domain?  Think, think, think!!  

Image of Wikipedia’s Search Engine Optimization logo

131.  Is content still king:  When building out a website, yes creating great content and a good brand name is what will help you stand out from the herd.  Drive traffic to your domain by writing excellent posts.   If you are not a writer, hire a writer with the expertise in your field.  If you want to gain knowledge, then do your research in the niche that you are pursuing.  

Also, you can stand out and get ahead of the herd by developing your content differently by adding pictures, and other original ideas.  Search engines are looking for different material, so be one of those leaders.  

According to Moz

“Content is the heart of what we do as marketers; we talk to our customers, our clients, and our readers, and what we say to them—regardless of what form it takes—is our content.”

132.  Learn to hand over the keys to an SEO expert:  You can only do so much with trying to figure it out all on your own.  If you get your landing page to page one can you maintain that status?

Do you know anything about link building?  Do you know anything about link silos, meta description, title tags, panda, and a host of other SEO things?  As I keep harping search in the domaining community through the forums for good SEOs, individuals or firms to help you out and take your domaining business to the next level.

Traffic

133.  In the long run, creating traffic to the domain will help you:  You should consider increasing the value of your domains that aren’t receiving any traffic by getting them indexed in Google.  The most proficient way to do this is to place an appropriate anchor text to the domain on one of your websites with content.  What you are doing is advertising the domain to curious buyers who are reading your material.

134.  Limit your visits to the website linked to your targeted domain:  Most domain speculators use increased traffic as a metric to assist them in deciding which of their domains are more prominent.  Thus, they will ask for a higher sales price.  The thing that you are doing is acknowledging yourself as the buyer.  

For example, if an intelligent domain speculator begins to notice that one of his domain names is all of a sudden receiving increased traffic through the IP address of a popular flower company, then he is going to conclude that the next inquiry coming in is from someone representing that flower company.

135.  Expect Domain Type-In Traffic: Your domain(s) existing type-in traffic is helpful.  Although this may be true, don’t believe the hype from a seller.  If you are purchasing a domain, do your due diligence and determine fact from fiction.  If you can view the domains Google Analytics information, expect the numbers that are given to you are skewed one way or the other.

136.  More Type-In Traffic Info:  Yes, Google is the big shot in town, but they don’t have a monopoly of the whole web.  A domain that this keyword rich is capable of getting a ton of type-in traffic.  If you have an awesome pay-per-click landing page, the income that you can receive from this domain is endless.  

Hey, this is a good way to make something while you are anticipating on an end user to come and buy your domain.  Therefore, type-in traffic doesn’t depend on Google or any search engine for that matter to deliver traffic to your landing page.

137.  Even more Type-In Traffic info:  Now what if you have a website that is doing good as far as visitors and the income that you make off of the site?  If you have domain(s) in the same niche of your popular website why don’t you redirect your domain(s) to the popular website? 

The critical point that you should take into consideration is can you make more money redirecting your parked niche domains or optimizing the landing pages?  If you decide to redirect your domain(s), you can basically offset your domaining overhead cost, which can help you to wait longer for the right end user to come and buy your domain(s)

Valuation

Domain age checker tool

138.  Make it your priority to increase the value of your domain(s):  Do you know how much your domains are worth?   You can estimate the value of your domains with a few domain name appraisal tools.  Yes, guessing at the price of your domains can be tiresome. 

As stated in the above tips, develop a few domains so that you can generate traffic to the websites, and eventually increase the value so that you can sell the domain for a decent profit later on down the road to potential buyers.  

139.   Consider the age of your domains:  Basically, this is the length of time of the domain since its registration.  The age of the domain might be a factor when trying to sell your domain.  

The credibility of the domain is correlated with the age of the domain.  If the domain was a previously developed website, you need to find all of the information that you can find that was associated to that website.  Create your cheat sheet so that you have all of this information in front of you when buying or selling your domain(s).

140.  Price your domains accurately:  Use Namebio to check comparables for domains similar with your domains.

141.  Figure out the value of your keyword:  Prior to you even thinking about advertising your domain, you have to know the domains value to the end user.  You can gauge the value of the domain by how many people are searching that keyword in Google.  

With the changing algorithms that Google keeps imposing, keywords are not that critical from their viewpoint as they once were just a few short years ago.  If an end user seeks to create a blog about Chinatown in Las Vegas, and they can buy or lease the domain Chinatown.vegas, then that would be of great value to that end user, don’t you think?

142.  So how do you evaluate a fair value:  How do you know the price is reasonable that you want to offer to potential buyers?  You can compare similar domains that have sold through namebio.com.  

The best part is that you can research the keyword and use their advanced features to dig further to see a  compilation of domains that are comparable to your domain(s).  You can see domains that sold for a price, or when the domain sold.   

143.  Your domain is your storefront:  As your domain authority grows, your domains perceived value will increase over time.  If you have an exceptional domain, then you can rest assured that word of mouth referrals are going to come your way and expect your conversion rate to increase.  

WHOIS

Domain Tools Logo

144.  The history of the domain:  Track the history of the domain by doing a whois lookup through Domain Tools.  You want to check the previous life of the domain to make sure no penalties or weird stuff has happened to the domain.

145.  Utilize all your resources and add a “For Sale” in Who Is:  The extra line in your whois contact details add  “This Domain is for Sale” or anything that will entice buyers who have stumbled upon your domain to contact you in regards to purchasing your domain(s).

146.  Don’t go private:  If you make your whois information private, you are ensuring that you reduce your chances of selling your domain(s).  Buyers like to surf the whois database to find email addresses or phone number to contact the domain owner to purchase the domain or ask for additional information. 

Yes, keeping your information private on whois may protect you from receiving spam emails.  Although this may be true, don’t put up that roadblock if you are trying to sell your domains, especially if you are starting out as a domainer.   The question is, do you want to make money?  

Image of Matt Cutts at a conference

Matt Cutts, states that: 

“…When I checked the whois on them, they all had “whois privacy protection service” on them. That’s relatively unusual.  …Having whois privacy turned on isn’t automatically bad, but once you get several of these factors all together, you’re often talking about a very different type of webmaster than the fellow who just has a single site or so.” 

147.  Utilize GoDaddy’s WhoIs domain name search:  You can view how many interested individuals have done a whois check on your names.  The information that GoDaddy provides is essential so that you can gauge the number of interested possible buyers for your domain names.  Check out this step by step guide from Domain Name Wire.

Have Fun with Your Domaining Business

Maneuvering through the world of domaining might seem intimidating at first if you are not familiar with domain names.  You have a few items to weigh through like which registrar or hosting company you would like to use?  What type of niche are you familiar with?  How much time can you devote to your business? 

In reality, with careful planning, you will have many options that can help you become successful in this business.  If you think that domaining is a difficult and speculative task, you are correct if you go about it the wrong way.

Moreover, you will make mistakes along the way but that is how you learn, and that is through your mistakes.

You have a lot to soak up, especially if you want to make a profit online with your domain(s). You need to come up with some ideas that will identify you from all of the other people looking to make money in this business.

If you are developing your names into a site, then the more valuable your name, the more traffic you will receive from visitors to your site and the increased probability of you making some sales from your visitors.  

Please understand there is a learning curve and there is a ton of work and commitment that you will go through before you make a profit in this business.  I have a ton of things to learn too, but I hope what I’ve learned so far will help someone out in the long run.   Hopefully, with the domaining tips above you can bypass some of my mistakes.