Each year, more than 600,000 small businesses open in the United States, and a large portion of those have an online presence with a unique domain name.
A good domain name can command a price between $5,000 and $20,000 — or even more. Carinsurance.com sold for nearly $50 million in 2010. In the same year, Facebook paid $8.5 million for fb.com, only to have it redirect to Facebook.com.
In short, if you own a premium domain, there’s a good chance you can earn some serious coin for its rights. But that doesn’t mean a profit is guaranteed — as with any business venture, there are still best practices to follow and pitfalls to avoid.
Over the 600-plus transactions I’ve completed as a broker, here are the most effective tips I’ve learned to make a domain name as attractive to buyers as possible:
The Top Factors Affecting A Domain Name’s Value
A number of factors come into play when determining the value of a domain name — the extension (.com, .net, .us, etc.), the keyword popularity and even the length of the name can drastically affect market value. Even if you already own a desirable domain, you can increase its value considerably before you sell with comparatively little time and effort.
1. A Successful Website
Owning a good domain name is nice, but the name itself really just signals a potential for success. It’s the website associated with the name that drives business, entertains visitors and creates a brand following. If a website ranks well with Google and other search engines for industry keywords, its value increases substantially.
2. Associated Social Media Pages
Active social media pages accompanying a domain name and website can make for a desirable package. When all of these components are in place, you’re selling a turn-key online presence.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn are all great platforms to build a following on. The closer the account names are to the domain, the better.
The more people the social media accounts associated with a domain reach, the higher the domain’s value.
3. Similar Domain Variations
Securing variations of a domain isn’t possible without a decent budget, but it’s an effective way to remove competition from the market and drive up demand. For example, variations of the domain “mystore.com” might be “my-store.com” or “mystore.net.” By acquiring close variations of a domain and selling them all as a package, you ensure the buyer is getting all of the available traffic from the name.
Stay Prepared To Profit Off Your Domain When The Time’s Right
Preparing to sell a premium domain name doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, and my tips are certainly not the only recipe for success. Domain names are one of the most exciting digital assets for a reason — every website needs one, and there’s no telling when a business is going to be searching for a domain you own. When it comes time to sell, make sure you’re prepared to attract the best offer possible.
Source: (https://www.forbes.com/)
