Step 1: Pricing your domain name.
In order to start the process of selling your domain name fast, you must set a buy now price. This will be the absolute minimum amount of money you are ready to take to sell the domain name right now. Never come up with an asking price based on what others are asking for similar names, anyone can ask anything, only focus on what people are currently paying for domains like yours. In real estate people only look at recent home “sales” and not recent “asking prices“, in order to determine a reasonable price for their home.
Because every domain name is unique, pricing it correctly is a bit of a challenge, but if your goal is to sell a domain quick you cannot afford to wait around and ask for people to make offers.
A good place to start and quickly review, what domains that are in your category sold for, is namebio.com. Keep in mind they can only tell you how much money a domain sold for, but it’s only ones guess as to how long they needed to wait, in order for the buyer to show up and pay that amount. Make sure to write down any pointers you see on NameBio that can help your sale. For example, if you see a name or names that are similar to yours that wen’t for more money than you are asking for, write all that data down.
Next, head over to EstiBot.com and type in the domain name you are looking to sell. The goal here IS NOT to judge your name by what estibot’s automatic appraisal says your name is worth. But rather review the other information estibot offers, such as the search engine data, related sales, CPC and much more. Any data you see on Esti Bot that can help your sale, such as lot’s of “Exact Match” searches etc. write down as you will use that as part of your sales pitch.
The “Buy Now” price should be set as follows:
Your absolute lowest price you will take for your domain + 20% negotiation room + any and all fees that you will incur such as commission, billing / escrow, taxes etc. So if your rock bottom price is $2,000 adding 20% negotiation room = $2,400 then add all fees, so for example 15% = $2,760. Note: it might be hard to come up with an exact percent as to the cost of selling your domain given different methods have different costs, so always add the highest fee amount just in case the buyer chooses that method.
Some might argue, “let the buyer make his first offer”, and although this is a valid argument, unfortunately if your goal is to sell a domain quick, you must lead the way and set a “Buy Now” price.
Step 2: Make your case.
For every one premium domain that sells, there are a ton more that aren’t even getting any offers. What I find unique in the domain business is that so few market domains with any sales pitch at all.
In any other industry a product or service comes with a sales pitch, but with domains it seems many believe that a domain speaks for itself and requires no sales pitch. The reality is, nothing is further from the truth.
Sure, many domains sell without a sales pitch attached to it, but many more would sell if they had a sales pitch. Here are some of the things you can mention as part of your sales pitch.
1. Are the other extensions taken? For example, if you are trying to sell a .com domain, check to see if the name is available in the other extensions (.net .org etc). If it is, let potential buyer know that, especially if there is a live site on those extensions.
2. When was the first time your domain was registered? This is not necessarily when you registered it but rather when the first time was anyone registered it. You can find the domain creation date by searching your domain at DomainTools.com. A domain that was first created a long time ago might add some appeal to the name. If the name was created more than 10 years ago write the year it was created, but if it was created within 10 years write the number of years. So for example, if we are in year 2014 and your domain was first created in 1999, tell the buyer “The domain was first created in 1999.” But if the name was created in 2007, tell the buyer “The domain was first created 7 years ago.” There is no point in mentioning the creation date if it’s less than 5 years.
3. Was your domain ever used for something that might make the sale more exciting? Check to see if the domain ever had an active site that might motivate the buyer even more to buy your name. For example, if you have a domain related to Auto Repair, and you notice that in the past it was an active site related to Auto Repair, make sure to give all those details to the potential buyers. To learn how to check the history of a domain, please read our article titled: What was the domain used for in the past?
4. Does your domain have a PR ranking? Even if it’s a PR1, mention it to potential buyers. To check PR Ranking click here.
5. Does your domain have any backlinks to it? Mention if it has any backlinks and if so how many. Explain the potential buyers that backlinks can potentially be beneficial to them for traffic and search engine marketing. Click here to check for backlink info.
6. Is the domain currently listed in any directories? If the domain currently listed in any directories share that with the potential buyers. Click here to quickly see in what if any directories your domain is listed in. Explain the potential buyers that being listed in those directories can potentially be beneficial to them for traffic and search engine marketing purposes.
7. What have similar domains sold for? Share with them domain sales that are similar to your domain and the amounts they sold for. It is very important you mention where they can see this data themselves. Provide them with a link as to where you got the data from. If you cannot find similar domains that sold make sure to mention the sales of other recent premium domains, you can find that data updated often on DN Journal. Make sure to use recent data not sales that happened a decade ago.
Do not assume end users know the value of a good domain name. Most have been trained to associate the words “buy a domain name” with something that costs less than $10. Educate them quickly, it will only help you.
Last but not least, did you pay a higher amount for the domain than the current asking price? (do not mention this unless you have proof). Was it ever sold for more than you are currently asking? Share any and all price information with potential buyers.
8. What is the “Exact Match” search volume? Share that data with the potential buyers and include any and all other search volume data possible.
9. Is your domain easy to spell, memorable, brandable etc? Mention any and all of those benefits to the potential buyers.
10. Do you have a logo for the domain? If you don’t, you can get a nice logo designed on fiverr.com for $5. A logo can take a bland sales pitch and really brighten it up.
11. Does the name generate any income right name? Include any revenue information and explain what if anything you do day to do to generate this revenue.
12. Traffic information: Include any traffic information and the source if possible.
13. Why are you selling? You have to decide on a case by case basis if this information is something you need to include, I am against saying anything as it will either be a lie or cause the buyer to low ball you big time. There are those who simply make up stuff such as, “i’m going through a divorce”, or “need to raise immediate funds, my loss your gain”. I would highly advise against this practice. But at the same time, there is no benefit of saying the reason you are selling is because, “you are moving on to buy bigger and better domains”. Do not take people for complete fools, saying things like, “I hope you buy this domain as I know you will take good care of it”, is also a real stupid thing to say.
Step 3: Make it easy to buy your domain.
There are two parts when it comes to making it easy to buy something:
1. Make the buying / checkout process easy: If you are emailing potential buyers and telling them that “in order to buy the name they should respond to your email,” you can be confident that you will see very poor results if any at all. Your first contact should include a way for them to instantly buy the name.
2. Make it psychologically easy for them to buy your name: The chances of your email reaching someone who just so happens to have been looking to buy a premium domain, is pretty much near zero. So by default the receiver is looking for a reason not to buy something. The first thing that will come to mind is that the entire email is a scam and how do they know you will give them the domain if they pay etc. There are only a few things you can do to combat this situation.
- List your name with GoDaddy or another well known marketplace: The reason I mentioned GoDaddy is simply because to end users that is the most popular domain company. List your domain for sale on Godaddy and make mark it as a “Offer / Counter Offer w/ Buy Now” listing. Doing this will allow the buyer to take action right away and he will be working with a company he recognizes. In addition, they also have a 24/7 phone number people can call with any questions. For domains under $350 I would suggest to mark the domain as a “Buy Now” only.
- List your phone number in the email: List a phone number within the email that you can be reached at should they have any questions. Most will communicate by email, but the fact that there is a phone number listed in the email, already set’s their mind at ease.
- Put your complete name in the email: Instead of calling yourself, “Joe” or “Jane”, type out your first and last name.
Step 4: Finding End Users Quickly.
Before you continue reading on about emailing potential customers, click here to read a very important article about email marketing. We all hate spam emails, and quiet frankly you will be wasting your time and risk legal issues.
Because this article is about selling a domain name fast, simply listing it on the popular marketplaces will rarely lead to a quick sale. Therefore, you must do some work in order to sell your domain fast.
1. List your domain in as many places as possible, you never know what domain will sell where. Start off by listing the domain on GoDaddy and Sedo, make sure to include your sales pitch with each listing. Next, pause to email end users as outlined below, followed by listing your domain in even more places.
2. Using a search engine of your choice search for businesses (using relevant keywords) that you feel would be interested in your domain name. Take special note of those businesses who use sub-domains or other webpages that are not theirs, these people can truly use their own domain.
When trying to contact website owners always try finding an email on their website versus using whois and sending an email to the address listed there.
After each email make sure to write down the URL you already emailed in order to avoid emailing the same person twice.
The goal here isn’t quantity but rather quality, 10 good emails is better than 25,000 random emails.
3. Create an email template, this will be 100% plain text, with a link to where they can buy the domain right now.
Some tips on the email format:
Subject Line: The subject line of the email is the most difficult thing to figure out. The subject will be the deciding factor if your email is read or deleted right away. One thing is certain, using subject lines like, “Great Opportunity”, “Must Read” etc. will simply not work. You certainly do not want to use any misleading subject lines, or leaving the subject line empty. The key is to write something creative that’s relevant but not misleading.
Body: This must be custom and not cookie cutter. Meaning, you must specify clearly to each person how it can benefit them. Could they use this domain to get more traffic? Would the name be a nice upgrade to what they have now?
Dear John
My name is [full name] and I am contacting people within the [keyword+industry OR Business etc.] as I have a domain for sale that I feel can be very beneficial to a business owner within the [keyword+industry OR Business etc.]
The domain I have for sale is [domain name formatted correctly i.e. DomainName.com], here is some quick info about this domain:
[list all benefits and information that apply from the above list + any other information, this should be a list and not one big paragraph, if you have a logo for the domain include it here and make sure the file size is less than 40kb]
You can own this name today for just [price]. To secure this domain name please visit my listing on [name of marketplace i.e. GoDaddy] by going to [marketplace link].
If you have any questions or need more information please do not hesitate to call me at [phone number including dialing instructions if needed].
Thank You
[Full Name]
[Phone number again]
P.S. This is a one time email I sent you, my apologies if this email inconvenienced you in any way.
3. Forward your domain name to the marketplace listing. Most registrars allow you the option to forward your domain.
4. List your domains in as many places as possible. If you list it on eBay, make sure to break your domain down properly in the headline. For example, if your domain name is KeywordKeyword.com make sure to already write in the headline Keyword Keyword, or else eBay will not find it when someone searches for domains with one of your keywords.
5. Extend your domain names expiration date by at least 2 years. You never know who will see your email / listing, and if it’s anyone with knowledge in domaining they will check the whois record, and if they see it’s going to expire soon they might simply add it to their domain watch list and not negotiate with you.
6. Sending an email is one thing, getting it into the receivers inbox is another. To increase your chances of getting your emails delivered make sure you do not send blatant spam, it’s illegal and a complete waste of time when it comes to finding an end user for your domain. Make sure you do not include images or many links, and don’t use special formatting. Always add legitimate custom information within the email. Last but not least, do not create special email accounts to send email, use an email address you have used for a while that the networks know is legit. Make sure your ISP is ok with what you are doing, and always research all legalities prior to starting anything related to email marketing.
Another option to get cash quick using your domain is to use it as collateral and get a loan from Intelend.com. They won’t lend you the amount your domain is worth but rather what they feel they can get for it if they need to sell it in a rush.
Step 0: Check if your domain violates any trademarks: You can do a free search by visiting the USPTO’s website. For example, if your domain name is SnoopNames.com, you would simply search the words: Snoop Names. If you feel there can be other legal issues with a domain you own, please hold off selling it and consult with a domain industry attorney.
Step 1: Pricing your domain name.
In order to start the process of selling your domain name fast, you must set a buy now price. This will be the absolute minimum amount of money you are ready to take to sell the domain name right now. Never come up with an asking price based on what others are asking for similar names, anyone can ask anything, only focus on what people are currently paying for domains like yours. In real estate people only look at recent home “sales” and not recent “asking prices“, in order to determine a reasonable price for their home.
Because every domain name is unique, pricing it correctly is a bit of a challenge, but if your goal is to sell a domain quick you cannot afford to wait around and ask for people to make offers.
A good place to start and quickly review, what domains that are in your category sold for, is namebio.com. Keep in mind they can only tell you how much money a domain sold for, but it’s only ones guess as to how long they needed to wait, in order for the buyer to show up and pay that amount. Make sure to write down any pointers you see on NameBio that can help your sale. For example, if you see a name or names that are similar to yours that wen’t for more money than you are asking for, write all that data down.
Next, head over to EstiBot.com and type in the domain name you are looking to sell. The goal here IS NOT to judge your name by what estibot’s automatic appraisal says your name is worth. But rather review the other information estibot offers, such as the search engine data, related sales, CPC and much more. Any data you see on Esti Bot that can help your sale, such as lot’s of “Exact Match” searches etc. write down as you will use that as part of your sales pitch.
The “Buy Now” price should be set as follows:
Your absolute lowest price you will take for your domain + 20% negotiation room + any and all fees that you will incur such as commission, billing / escrow, taxes etc. So if your rock bottom price is $2,000 adding 20% negotiation room = $2,400 then add all fees, so for example 15% = $2,760. Note: it might be hard to come up with an exact percent as to the cost of selling your domain given different methods have different costs, so always add the highest fee amount just in case the buyer chooses that method.
Some might argue, “let the buyer make his first offer”, and although this is a valid argument, unfortunately if your goal is to sell a domain quick, you must lead the way and set a “Buy Now” price.
Step 2: Make your case.
For every one premium domain that sells, there are a ton more that aren’t even getting any offers. What I find unique in the domain business is that so few market domains with any sales pitch at all.
In any other industry a product or service comes with a sales pitch, but with domains it seems many believe that a domain speaks for itself and requires no sales pitch. The reality is, nothing is further from the truth.
Sure, many domains sell without a sales pitch attached to it, but many more would sell if they had a sales pitch. Here are some of the things you can mention as part of your sales pitch.
1. Are the other extensions taken? For example, if you are trying to sell a .com domain, check to see if the name is available in the other extensions (.net .org etc). If it is, let potential buyer know that, especially if there is a live site on those extensions.
2. When was the first time your domain was registered? This is not necessarily when you registered it but rather when the first time was anyone registered it. You can find the domain creation date by searching your domain at DomainTools.com. A domain that was first created a long time ago might add some appeal to the name. If the name was created more than 10 years ago write the year it was created, but if it was created within 10 years write the number of years. So for example, if we are in year 2014 and your domain was first created in 1999, tell the buyer “The domain was first created in 1999.” But if the name was created in 2007, tell the buyer “The domain was first created 7 years ago.” There is no point in mentioning the creation date if it’s less than 5 years.
3. Was your domain ever used for something that might make the sale more exciting? Check to see if the domain ever had an active site that might motivate the buyer even more to buy your name. For example, if you have a domain related to Auto Repair, and you notice that in the past it was an active site related to Auto Repair, make sure to give all those details to the potential buyers. To learn how to check the history of a domain, please read our article titled: What was the domain used for in the past?
4. Does your domain have a PR ranking? Even if it’s a PR1, mention it to potential buyers. To check PR Ranking click here.
5. Does your domain have any backlinks to it? Mention if it has any backlinks and if so how many. Explain the potential buyers that backlinks can potentially be beneficial to them for traffic and search engine marketing. Click here to check for backlink info.
6. Is the domain currently listed in any directories? If the domain currently listed in any directories share that with the potential buyers. Click here to quickly see in what if any directories your domain is listed in. Explain the potential buyers that being listed in those directories can potentially be beneficial to them for traffic and search engine marketing purposes.
7. What have similar domains sold for? Share with them domain sales that are similar to your domain and the amounts they sold for. It is very important you mention where they can see this data themselves. Provide them with a link as to where you got the data from. If you cannot find similar domains that sold make sure to mention the sales of other recent premium domains, you can find that data updated often on DN Journal. Make sure to use recent data not sales that happened a decade ago.
Do not assume end users know the value of a good domain name. Most have been trained to associate the words “buy a domain name” with something that costs less than $10. Educate them quickly, it will only help you.
Last but not least, did you pay a higher amount for the domain than the current asking price? (do not mention this unless you have proof). Was it ever sold for more than you are currently asking? Share any and all price information with potential buyers.
8. What is the “Exact Match” search volume? Share that data with the potential buyers and include any and all other search volume data possible.
9. Is your domain easy to spell, memorable, brandable etc? Mention any and all of those benefits to the potential buyers.
10. Do you have a logo for the domain? If you don’t, you can get a nice logo designed on fiverr.com for $5. A logo can take a bland sales pitch and really brighten it up.
11. Does the name generate any income right name? Include any revenue information and explain what if anything you do day to do to generate this revenue.
12. Traffic information: Include any traffic information and the source if possible.
13. Why are you selling? You have to decide on a case by case basis if this information is something you need to include, I am against saying anything as it will either be a lie or cause the buyer to low ball you big time. There are those who simply make up stuff such as, “i’m going through a divorce”, or “need to raise immediate funds, my loss your gain”. I would highly advise against this practice. But at the same time, there is no benefit of saying the reason you are selling is because, “you are moving on to buy bigger and better domains”. Do not take people for complete fools, saying things like, “I hope you buy this domain as I know you will take good care of it”, is also a real stupid thing to say.
Step 3: Make it easy to buy your domain.
There are two parts when it comes to making it easy to buy something:
1. Make the buying / checkout process easy: If you are emailing potential buyers and telling them that “in order to buy the name they should respond to your email,” you can be confident that you will see very poor results if any at all. Your first contact should include a way for them to instantly buy the name.
2. Make it psychologically easy for them to buy your name: The chances of your email reaching someone who just so happens to have been looking to buy a premium domain, is pretty much near zero. So by default the receiver is looking for a reason not to buy something. The first thing that will come to mind is that the entire email is a scam and how do they know you will give them the domain if they pay etc. There are only a few things you can do to combat this situation.
- List your name with GoDaddy or another well known marketplace: The reason I mentioned GoDaddy is simply because to end users that is the most popular domain company. List your domain for sale on Godaddy and make mark it as a “Offer / Counter Offer w/ Buy Now” listing. Doing this will allow the buyer to take action right away and he will be working with a company he recognizes. In addition, they also have a 24/7 phone number people can call with any questions. For domains under $350 I would suggest to mark the domain as a “Buy Now” only.
- List your phone number in the email: List a phone number within the email that you can be reached at should they have any questions. Most will communicate by email, but the fact that there is a phone number listed in the email, already set’s their mind at ease.
- Put your complete name in the email: Instead of calling yourself, “Joe” or “Jane”, type out your first and last name.
Step 4: Finding End Users Quickly.
Before you continue reading on about emailing potential customers, click here to read a very important article about email marketing. We all hate spam emails, and quiet frankly you will be wasting your time and risk legal issues.
Because this article is about selling a domain name fast, simply listing it on the popular marketplaces will rarely lead to a quick sale. Therefore, you must do some work in order to sell your domain fast.
1. List your domain in as many places as possible, you never know what domain will sell where. Start off by listing the domain on GoDaddy and Sedo, make sure to include your sales pitch with each listing. Next, pause to email end users as outlined below, followed by listing your domain in even more places.
2. Using a search engine of your choice search for businesses (using relevant keywords) that you feel would be interested in your domain name. Take special note of those businesses who use sub-domains or other webpages that are not theirs, these people can truly use their own domain.
When trying to contact website owners always try finding an email on their website versus using whois and sending an email to the address listed there.
After each email make sure to write down the URL you already emailed in order to avoid emailing the same person twice.
The goal here isn’t quantity but rather quality, 10 good emails is better than 25,000 random emails.
3. Create an email template, this will be 100% plain text, with a link to where they can buy the domain right now.
Some tips on the email format:
Subject Line: The subject line of the email is the most difficult thing to figure out. The subject will be the deciding factor if your email is read or deleted right away. One thing is certain, using subject lines like, “Great Opportunity”, “Must Read” etc. will simply not work. You certainly do not want to use any misleading subject lines, or leaving the subject line empty. The key is to write something creative that’s relevant but not misleading.
Body: This must be custom and not cookie cutter. Meaning, you must specify clearly to each person how it can benefit them. Could they use this domain to get more traffic? Would the name be a nice upgrade to what they have now?
Dear John
My name is [full name] and I am contacting people within the [keyword+industry OR Business etc.] as I have a domain for sale that I feel can be very beneficial to a business owner within the [keyword+industry OR Business etc.]
The domain I have for sale is [domain name formatted correctly i.e. DomainName.com], here is some quick info about this domain:
[list all benefits and information that apply from the above list + any other information, this should be a list and not one big paragraph, if you have a logo for the domain include it here and make sure the file size is less than 40kb]
You can own this name today for just [price]. To secure this domain name please visit my listing on [name of marketplace i.e. GoDaddy] by going to [marketplace link].
If you have any questions or need more information please do not hesitate to call me at [phone number including dialing instructions if needed].
Thank You
[Full Name]
[Phone number again]
P.S. This is a one time email I sent you, my apologies if this email inconvenienced you in any way.
3. Forward your domain name to the marketplace listing. Most registrars allow you the option to forward your domain.
4. List your domains in as many places as possible. If you list it on eBay, make sure to break your domain down properly in the headline. For example, if your domain name is KeywordKeyword.com make sure to already write in the headline Keyword Keyword, or else eBay will not find it when someone searches for domains with one of your keywords.
5. Extend your domain names expiration date by at least 2 years. You never know who will see your email / listing, and if it’s anyone with knowledge in domaining they will check the whois record, and if they see it’s going to expire soon they might simply add it to their domain watch list and not negotiate with you.
6. Sending an email is one thing, getting it into the receivers inbox is another. To increase your chances of getting your emails delivered make sure you do not send blatant spam, it’s illegal and a complete waste of time when it comes to finding an end user for your domain. Make sure you do not include images or many links, and don’t use special formatting. Always add legitimate custom information within the email. Last but not least, do not create special email accounts to send email, use an email address you have used for a while that the networks know is legit. Make sure your ISP is ok with what you are doing, and always research all legalities prior to starting anything related to email marketing.
Another option to get cash quick using your domain is to use it as collateral and get a loan from Intelend.com. They won’t lend you the amount your domain is worth but rather what they feel they can get for it if they need to sell it in a rush.
No comments:
Post a Comment