Every domain name has a price even if there is what seems to be an active website on it (the price might just be higher if it’s active).
One of the mistakes many people make is they see a domain they like, they go to the website, they see what looks to be an active site and they think the domain is not for sale.
Many people have blogs and sites they are not longer interested in. Hosting is cheap, they just keep renewing it for a few dollars a month and they really would hope someone makes them an offer for their domain. Not everyone with a domain for sale adds a sign on the page that it’s or sale, many just hope people will go to the whois info and contact them.
In most cases when you see a domain name you like, always check to see if its already listed for sale. First way is obvious, visit the site, see if there is any information about it being for sale. The second thing you have to do is to check several markets to see if maybe one has the name for cheaper. You will be surprised how many times you will find a 50% price difference from one market to another. Sometimes, domain sellers do that.
Once you discover the price you could either buy it obviously or try negotiating it. Obviously like in any industry, the less you know, the harder it will be for you to put up a fight to get a better price. A broker can do research to find out how the person got the name, how long they have it, any price history or history of sale attempts. A lot of information is needed before an attempt is made to buy a name at the lowest price.
If you do not see a finance plan for a domain and you want to finance it, just ask, most domain portfolio holders will be very reasonable with you. Obviously, if its someone with just one name, they might not even know what financing a domain is and might assume you are trying to scam them.
Good names sell often when they are priced right. If the name you are considering is something that you think many people are interested in, you might want to act fast. Domains are unique, only one person can own it at a time. Over the years we have seen so many cases of people looking at a name and not taking action just to have someone else buy it. Obviously if the name you want is more unique and not that known, you could risk taking more time.
Always check if the name (including the words that make up the domain) are a trademark. Many people have lost their domains because of a UDRP complaint. Never assume what is or isn’t a trademark, you will be very surprised. Take a moment to check the USPTO’s website, you never know.
If you want help buying a name you could always hire professional brokers from GoDaddy that for a fee will help you. You could also contact us, if we could help we will.
To review a small list of premium domains that sold and their final price click here.