A reality check needed on domain prices?

[GreyWing]

But Edwin, how on earth can you tell the number of us that do what you say and don't bother posting on behalf of clients that want a domain for xx

Because by the very definition of those that don't accept those requests from their clients, they don't post them on the site. So what you are suggesting, happens everyday.

Unless someone starts a thread for no reason about how they turned down a clients request (which is pointless), how you ever going to judge the numbers who do what you say against those that don't? That's not to say I agree with what you say anyway as I don't.

 

[websaway]

Yes, that was my main issue.

People can ask for domains in whatever price range they like if they're doing it for themselves or as a favour. I have no problem with that (I just won't contact posters whose budget doesn't match my own expectations)

But if they post "looking ON BEHALF OF A CLIENT" and they're really doing it for a 100% genuine business client who is paying them (explicitly or implicitly) for their knowledge and experience of the domain market, that's where the whole "expectations" issue rears its ugly head!

I know where you are coming from, but in all honesty not many sophisticated members on AD expect high quality domains for £x to £xx . They know you get what you pay for and within that range you are getting low quality names which tend to be costly in the long run because it's a bad business plan. What most people don't realise is, especially for start up's, a £5000 domain works out not be a cost but an assett. The future is rosy.

 

[retired_member16]

Peoples business is exactly that, their own business.

You worry about what you are doing and let everyone else worry about exactly what it is they are doing, if you think it's incorrect or not.

No one person is wrong in what business method they choose and if they are putting food on the table then that's fine with me.

 

[newguy]

Peoples business is exactly that, their own business.

You worry about what you are doing and let everyone else worry about exactly what it is they are doing, if you think it's incorrect or not.

No one person is wrong in what business method they choose and if they are putting food on the table then that's fine with me.

This , though it is always good to hear people's opinions here. Lots of lively debate.

 

[stender]

If someone wants to bid £5 for a domain then so beit. No one is forced to sell are they.
As for hobbiest domainers, whats wrong with them? I thinks it's frowned upon as some elitist domainers feel that their portfolios are being devalued by the bargain basement crew. If the domains are so crap you shouldn't need to worry.
Theres too much whinging on acorn these days imho. I suggest people start their own elitest forum where membership is only allowed for a select few and only domains over £1000 are permitted.

 

[rob]

Nothing wrong with sideline / hobbiest domainers, I did not say there was.


If you read the full post my point is to do with the lack of concern that some people have with regards to their actions as they operate alone and do not see a community nor care if there is one.

It is short-termist at best.

I disagree with Lee though, not everything that puts food on the table is fair game IMHO.

 

[vizzo]

Edwin has some valid points but i would like to say this:

I think it is possible that not all members of this forum are purely into buying and selling domain names. There can be an assumption that they are.

Some people may be just dabbling as a hobby
Some may primarily design websites for others
Some may primarily be using keyword rich domains to earn money from adsense or advertising.
Some for a avariety of other reasons

I think they are all valid

I can easily see a situation where "a Client" could be an owner of a small business on a limited budget. He's not going to employ a "domain expert" to go out and buy a domain name for £2000. That's probably double his total budget for his website! So his web designer punts around to see what is the best domain he can get for a limited budget - that seems ok to me!

The other side of the coin is this. In my niche area where i would consider that i have some expertise, I see domain names at silly high prices. The domain name will never sell because the person who has registered it and is trying to sell it has no understanding of the type of business that would want the domain and the type of budget they will be working with.

 

[rob]

there are loads of companies out there who will spend £10k on a transit van they dont need, yet £200 on a domain name.

I think frank referred earlier to how to educate someone who does not 'get it'. Surely thats a great bit of added value for people who work in this area if they have the time/reward/ability to do it?

 

[websaway]

there are loads of companies out there who will spend £10k on a transit van they dont need, yet £200 on a domain name.

I think frank referred earlier to how to educate someone who does not 'get it'. Surely thats a great bit of added value for people who work in this area if they have the time/reward/ability to do it?

Interesting observation, because 25 years ago they would not even have bought a transit van, so things are heading in the right direction.
I cringe when I see for example abcsolutionssignsandgraphics co uk on the back of there vans, although this is the extreme, signs co uk looks much better.

 

[Edwin]

there are loads of companies out there who will spend £10k on a transit van they dont need, yet £200 on a domain name.

Even worse is the companies that spend £1,000,000 on a major TV ad campaign to promote what must have been a £10 name!

It's what I'd call a "5% strategy" - there's probably about a 1-in-20 chance that they will build up enough brand recognition and word-of-mouth to sustain their business, and the rest of the time they're going to flame out and disappear.

 

[websaway]

I don't know if it's just my focus or are more television ad campaigns being accompanied by the companies using .TV ?

I think .TV is arriving as was of course inevitable.

 

[Bailey]

Well, I will add my pennies worth to the debate.

lets acknowledge there is a very mixed level of operators here but, that applies to any board I've ever come across in around the last 10 years, even the exclusive boards find themselves with a fair mixture of experience and pricing, and lets face it the mouse-over text always lets you know if you want to explore further.

I'm wondering if Edwin has been submitting domains to posters only to get the "low ball park budget response", which for an active seller must be frustrating. But, it does seem everyone tries to get sellers to range their expectations and besides I think some of the posted requests and pricing can be quite funny.

ie In a Granny with one-eye looking for athletic build stud to share good-times with, sort of way

 

[Pred]

ie In a Granny with one-eye looking for athletic build stud to share good-times with, sort of way

LOL!
classic

 

[pugyrob]

There is a lot of arrogance in this thread, not everyone has fortunes to spend on names and it is not against any rules or ethics to post for lower budget names. It is very easy to skip those threads if they don't appeal. The domain name market place is very unlikely to be affected by any such threads.

Also, do have to agree with Frank, you shouldn't post about quality hand regged names than price them for £,£££ as that is probably more hurtful to the domain industry by letting people think they can find a top name at reg fee if they look hard enough,rather than buying one.

Personally i am more tired of reading about the "domain industry standards" unwritten rule book. Be grateful, those who have the good names that got in early and spend the time developing or selling them.

 

[mat]

Even worse is the companies that spend £1,000,000 on a major TV ad campaign to promote what must have been a £10 name!

Even worse is the same £10 domain name would probably cost £1000 from you. Does that then make it ok for them to promote?

 

[Edwin]

I'm baffled. Honestly. I still don't see how I price my names or choose to mine the still-unregistered goldmine has anything to do with the initial point that I made. That's like trying to argue that the Earth is flat because it goes around the sun! The latter fact may be "true" but it has nothing to do with the former...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

 

[GreyWing]

I'm baffled. Honestly. I still don't see how I price my names has anything to do with the initial point that I made. That's like trying to argue that the Earth is flat because it goes around the sun! The latter fact may be "true" but it has nothing to do with the former...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem

IMPORTANT: While I freely admit that my pricing is "end-user", this is not specifically about my domains! What I choose to charge has nothing to do with the validity of the comment above so please don't let that sidetrack the wider discussion...

Now you are just being silly, if it had nothing to do with your prices, why did you mention it in the first post and defend yourself before anyone had accused you of it.

Your full of crap fella, from people who have contacted me today, who all feel the same. You'd be surprised just how many of us think it here. So if you are talking down on people, might want to get your own ship in order and that includes your pricing structure, it's an embarassment. Took me 5 months to realise you weren't selling in Yen.

Whatever domain community you think you represent doesn't include any of us.

 

[Edwin]

Your full of crap fella, from people who have contacted me today, who all feel the same. You'd be surprised just how many of us think it here.

They could have just contacted me. I'm pretty easy to get hold of.

 

[domainking]

Wow

Well this looks like a can of worms and may as well add my 50pence worth.

It does not matter who sells what name for what price. at the end of the day if the seller and buyer are happy with the deal then its done.

With regards selling low ball names 90% of the names that some domainers have up for sale are living in fairyland. the domain market has changed since last 10 years parking is down and development is the way foward.

How many domainers know how do develop domains into a business would say about 10% at most so that leaves the rest hopeing for Mr moneybags to buy the golden domain from them for XXXXXX.

I have names that are 10 years old and still not got round to developing might take me another 10 years to do that, I would rather sell the names for price im happy with as this would allow me to focus on my other projects,

I have sold names for £50.00 that i know could easy get £500 if i held on to them or maybe more, but im a developer and not a domainer.

There is no such thing as a UK domainer community good % of you are stabbing each other in the back to get those domains, and before you say anything about it just ask yourself this it was a socalled domainer from this forum that stuck in andrew bennett about his whois site that got taken down.

 

[jasman]

Here's how I see it. There are AD members whose business model is high volume low profit, who typically sell at £XX - low £XXX, often posting a long list of names with heavy discounts for bulk. There are others who also register large numbers of names but insist on £XXXX prices, knowing they will sell a much smaller quantity but each sale at a high profit. Then there are others who keep a small portfolio of genuine premium names etc.

Given that there are several members following the high volume low profit model, if someone wants to pick up some cheap names relating to a given industry/ keyword, it's fair enough for them to put up a Wanted ad specifying a low budget range. It's intended for the high volume guys, anyone else can ignore it.

As for acting on behalf of a client, I still think it's fair enough. One AD member might try and sell a name they registered at reg fee for say £1000. Alternatively if the name is owned by a high volume seller, another member who has a client who will pay £1000 for the name, might see if he can pick up it up for £XX and pocket the difference.

Ultimately, if buyers aren't offering enough, they won't get the goods. But with huge differences in AD members' sales pricing strategies, we can expect huge differences in buyers' offers.

I don't know if it's just my focus or are more television ad campaigns being accompanied by the companies using .TV ?

I think .TV is arriving as was of course inevitable.

Yes I think a lot of that is that they have a .co.uk as the main site and then use a .tv domain in their TV ads so that they can measure the performance of their TV advertising spend.