What Makes A Good Domain ?

[domsaleuk]

• I would be interested to get a discussion going on what people on this forum generally think makes a good co.uk domain name. i.e. if funds were not an issue what are the three key things people would look at when considering paying say £200+ for a domain

I am happy to start this off. The three key things I would look at are as follows :-

1) Development Potential - by looking at the sector, the number of phrase match and broad match searches and the PPC rate alongside other indicators of high value revenue streams

2) Marketing / Branding potential

3) End User market - what is the market for resale and what have sales in the sector been like before

• Secondly it would be interesting to know how often people on this forum actually buy names at the moment.

I am not currently buying names as I bought loads and am now in sales mode.

• what type of names would people not buy that others do

I wouldn't buy org.uk as among other reasons my view is that end user purchasers will not like these

 

[boxfish]

I wouldn't buy org.uk as among other reasons my view is that end user purchasers will not like these

I quite like .org.uk in some instances.

I've recently (today) sold Run.org.uk - I think the domain suits it well and I've recently bought NorthYorkshire.org.uk and again I think the domain suits it and can't see end users having issues with it.

I don't like .org.uk for products or commercial phrases like 'headboards.org.uk' or 'electricwhisk.org.uk' but in the right niche they work well and I would spend decent money on one.

 

[namealot]

It’s a field I know which development will bring a return.
I have a buyer already.
I Like it.

type of names would people not buy that others do

shit ones

 

[domsaleuk]

I don't like .org.uk for products or commercial phrases like 'headboards.org.uk' or 'electricwhisk.org.uk' but in the right niche they work well and I would spend decent money on one.

I can see your point and I guess that is where it is somewhat each to their own and it can depend as you say what the name is being used for I think. For example I am very pro hyphens as I think if you are just promoting mainly online ( i.e. using digital marketing methods such as SEO, PPC etc) that hyphens are just as good generally as non hyphen.

However it seems a lot of people don't like to buy hyphens at all.

 

[domsaleuk]

It’s a field I know which development will bring a return.

This is an area that confuses me greatly, as a lot of the time when I see names offered on here for sale by others or I put them up myself (and it is incredibly clear to me that the names are good for development) - they get little or no response.

I am beginning to actually wonder whether any domainers do actually develop and/ or whether they don't get past the EMD element of things. i.e. do domainers (in general) just look at exact match stats when weighing up if a name is good for development or not ?

 

[Skinner]

I don't look at exact match at all really until I'm already liking a domain. Its a factor but not paramount.

I go off what's in serps already, what potential revenue streams, what the %'s are, a bunc of things, but mostly I have to like the name on the whole and know a bit about the sector.

 

[domsaleuk]

and know a bit about the sector.

Interesting what you say about EMD's - I wonder how many others are the same ? Your point raises anoother question as in what sectors do people generally go for ?

 

[Skinner]

Sometimes "buyproduct" or "bestproduct" can work better if exact isn't there.

I go for sectors which interest me, I have existing or considerable knowledge in.

If I know bugger all about it, I wouldn't know what was a good word and what was't, you can register a whole lotta chaff and miss the wheat if you don't know the sector enough,

 

[namealot]

This is an area that confuses me greatly, as a lot of the time when I see names offered on here for sale by others or I put them up myself (and it is incredibly clear to me that the names are good for development) - they get little or no response.

I am beginning to actually wonder whether any domainers do actually develop and/ or whether they don't get past the EMD element of things. i.e. do domainers (in general) just look at exact match stats when weighing up if a name is good for development or not ?

A million people may search the term Rolex doesn’t mean they will buy one or that there is enough profit if you sell them,

What the outlay is, competition high street, online etc Can you undercut them, Source Supply the goods, services etc will the manufactures distributors etc supply you and at what cost, a name in most cases is not the be and end all? look at it the same as any business of course its different with purely online services e.g. sex, gambling etc affiliate is slightly different but there's is less profit in them so if you don’t need to why bother with affiliate ? For an end user there are plenty of names that fill the criteria but you only need one or go brand and not bother with the generic etc at all

 

[doodlebug]

I like stuff that I think could be used in general by an end user.

eg, robinhoodcostume.co.uk is too specific unlike charactercostumes.co.uk which could cover allsorts of costumes.

robinhoodcostume.co.uk would have been fine when you could rank SB sites.

I think the wider the product or service covered by the domain the better.

If I had £200+ spare for a doamin name I would buy a LLL.co.uk and hold onto it until I found a buyer (hopefully)

 

[Bailey]

I don't look at exact match at all really until I'm already liking a domain. Its a factor but not paramount.

I go for sectors which interest me, I have existing or considerable knowledge in.

If I know bugger all about it, I wouldn't know what was a good word and what was't, you can register a whole lotta chaff and miss the wheat if you don't know the sector enough,

All good and valid Points and Pretty way much the same way I see things.

And On the whole that £200 figure your working to (even at reseller prices) is still going to keep you at the hobbyist level, if your just looking to move it on in-time

 

[Edwin]

Agreed. £200 is just too low a figure to be discussing when talking about "good" domains.

 

[domsaleuk]

Agreed. £200 is just too low a figure to be discussing when talking about "good" domains.

Yep - I totally agree with you when talking about premium domains - sorry that was a bit misleading maybe. What I was trying to establish is what do people look for when they are spending hundreds or low thousands on a domain -.i.e. what makes a domain worth spending this type of amount on ?

With premium names - i.e. ones worth many thousands I realise that other things come into play but it will still be of interest to hear thoughts on this too

 

[websaway]

Look for names with inherent value and not fads or fashions, it's an easy option but no long term certainty.
If you have one really good xxxxx value domain it's better than having 200 names that might have some value.
Either pay for a good name or work for it.
Too many people are just registering anything and hoping for the best, and the end user market has been swamped by people pitching low quality domains,
( silk purses and sows ears comes to mind ) this confuses an unregulated market.
When I look at the drops I think a lesson has been learned about quality not quantity.
I do think when the dust settles and end users really learn the value of a good industry or product short exact domain, values will begin to rise.
But lets be honest it's hard for someone who say has a good one word domain where the likes were selling for high four figures last year and they can't sell it at the moment, if they are not totally focused they may become negative and begin to think prices won't rise to past highs, when really they will.
But that's why the rich get richer.

 

[Bailey]

Yep - I totally agree with you when talking about premium domains - sorry that was a bit misleading maybe. What I was trying to establish is what do people look for when they are spending hundreds or low thousands on a domain -.i.e. what makes a domain worth spending this type of amount on ?

With premium names - i.e. ones worth many thousands I realise that other things come into play but it will still be of interest to hear thoughts on this too

A lot depends on which market your addressing. The 'Active' buyers in the .com are generally looking for 'Project' domains these days . Equally the person looking to purchase in that market is quite often somebody involved at the outsourced development part and so not necessarily the final completed project owner (and that of course can put another step in the sales process) - or he/she is also looking at the domain in context the overall project budget.

The good thing about these buyers - If they like a domain - then they like it. No-matter what they tell you about having half-a-dozen alternatives up their sleeves,

The Country level purchases however are still predominately in the hands of the one-man-band type of operation. They tend to be able to 'Switch on and off' to their target domain.

Obviously loads of exceptions to the above. but is quite often the mindset your dealing with.

oh and .org /.net / .info (and dare I say .org.uk) buyers can't normally decide whether it's a new domain or Garden shed that's their priority. With a Budget for neither

 

[Skinner]

Ouchies.

I don't think I own any .org/net/info any more. I used to always buy .com/net/org as a set, but people in the UK assumed .org is .org.uk. .Net isn't too bad for telling people.

I have a .tel I use, and people assume thats .tel.com or .tel.co.uk or something else. Despite the adverts on TV lately promoting .tel

I think the Radio Test is one of the things at the top my list, which I forgot about until this.

oh and .org /.net / .info (and dare I say .org.uk) buyers can't normally decide whether it's a new domain or Garden shed that's their priority. With a Budget for neither