Tips on How to Sell a Domain Name

It’s hard to sell names that no one even recognizes, hence why brandable names are one of the best-selling ones and are sold for higher prices. General keywords that are relatable or have a certain degree of interest in the market are considered to be the best and sell fast. The newer generic top-level domains (GTLDs) that are words or even phrases don’t sell that well. But there are always exceptions to the rule.

Premium domain names are dictionary names, whether one-word or more, the shorter the better of course. They are highly sought after and can be sold for a hefty sum. Worth keeping in mind that unhyphenated domain names are worth more.

Many would recommend against establishing a fixed price, saying that potentially you might lose out on some money. However, while that might be the case, at least you’ll close your deal. Many buyers are not knowledgeable enough about domain prices and tend to just buy what they like and are able to afford. But the decision is yours to make.

Also read: VPS HOSTING: An incredibly easy method to manage your multiple websites.

When estimating a price point for your domain, it’s always useful to compare the prices for similar domain names. Domain selling platforms such as Sedo or Flippa, as well as a domain name sales databases like NameBio, allow you to look up the prices owners of similar domains expect. The range can differ quite a bit, in that case try to calculate the average price and take note of it. There’s also a fun little tool to estimate the value of a domain name called Estibot, you can find similar tools as well. But don’t rely heavily on the value they give you, as the appraisal is done by an algorithm and is not necessarily accurate.

Keep your expectations realistic, people would often hear about those rare million-dollar domain sales like fb.com, fund.com, we.com and others, but what they don’t realize is that those deals are extremely rare and constitute no more than 1% of the domain market sales. While it would be great if you could sell a domain name for hundreds of thousands dollars, the chances that it’s going to happen are relatively slim. So be reasonable about what kind of offers to expect.

Display a Sales Page – Sell a Domain Name

Creating a “For Sale” landing page where your domain would redirect can help boost your sales dramatically. How many times you yourself just typed in a domain in the address bar to see if it was available? A lot of buyers do the same. Put up a “this domain is for sale” sign on the web page and provide options on how to contact the owner and how to purchase the domain. This will save both yours and a buyer’s time. Everybody loves convenience, especially so when it comes to online purchases.

There are plenty of ways you can actually go about creating the sales page. Typically, domain registrars provide their customers with a tool which can be used to create a landing page. If you already own a website, you can create a hidden “for sale” page and make the domain name you want to sell redirect to it. Another way, is using the services of a domain parking company, they have an option to display a message that indicates that a domain is for sale and shows contact details.

You might be tempted to generate some revenue from traffic by displaying ads on the sales page, but if you’re determined to make a sale, it’s best to pass on the ads. A simple “this domain is for sale” message, general information about the domain and contact details will be just enough, selling your domain is what’s important.

Edit Domain’s WhoIs Records

Add a message indicating that the domain is for sale to your WhoIs record. You’re trying to make it as clear as possible that the domain can be purchased. Instead of just listing your name or company, you can include “This Domain is for Sale” text next to them. See example down below.

You also could hint in the custom email address, for example [email protected].

Don’t forget to make your records public, while it’s understandable that you might want to protect your privacy, they can impede your sales. As buyers simply won’t know how to contact the domain owner.

List your Domain for sale

There are plenty of places where you can sell a domain name on the Internet. Top domain marketplaces would be your best bet, as they have a wider audience and are well established companies that value their reputation. GoDaddy Auctions is one of the most popular ones, being a well-known domain company they have a large pool of potential buyers. Other excellent options would be Sedo, Flippa and Afternic. Sedo safeguards your transactions with the escrow service, which means that prior to making a purchase a buyer has to deposit the money at the trusted source and all transactions are secured. Keep in mind however that all those domain selling platforms collect fees.

If you’d like to try selling your domain without the middle-man and paying fees, forum communities like NamePros are great. You can list your domain for sale in a number of subforums. But be prepared to put in a little bit more effort and be consistent with how often you make a sales posts.