A sales experiment...

Edwin · Dec 3, 2013

I've just set up a special offer to give a decade's worth of renewals free with all domain sales through Christmas. In other words, I will renew the domain through 2023 before transferring it (the condition is that the sale must be paid in full before the end of 2013)

I'll post back here if there's any major change to the pace of sales i.e. if it seemed to make a genuine difference to buyers.

(Logic: that offer costs me just £30+VAT but has a >> £30+VAT value to customers since A) they're paying retail renewal rates and B) it saves them the "time value" of not having to muck around every year or two with renewals)

Admin · Dec 3, 2013

Nice idea Edwin, keep us posted and thanks for sharing.

Admin

diablo · Dec 3, 2013

Edwin said:
I've just set up a special offer to give a decade's worth of renewals free with all domain sales through Christmas.

I'm not sure how you are wording it, but you cannot extend a domain name's registration period by more than ten years (so if for example it has a year's registration time left, you can't offer someone a further ten years).

Edwin · Dec 3, 2013

diablo said:
I'm not sure how you are wording it, but you cannot extend a domain name's registration period by more than ten years (so if for example it has a year's registration time left, you can't offer someone a further ten years).

I have worded it as "we will renew it until 2023". I think that covers the issue you describe.

Stephen · Dec 3, 2013

God luck with your sales

Good initiative for your premium domains.

Suggest ensure it doesn't look like a lease and there would therefore be another big payment after the ten years.

Giving more prominence to rights for .uk would improve sales volume and price more.

Although nothing stopping both sales points being run at the same time.

Good luck with your sales.

namealot · Dec 3, 2013

Not sure anything that draws attention to how low renewals are in respect of how much I’m asking is a good idea? infact end users mind “it cost them x and they want xxxx ??? ” may even have a reverse effect? Does offering what looks like a few % discount annoy more than it would entice?

Plenty ask about development, hosting, the most common with small business is email (amazes me how often you see yahoo gmail as there main email accounts? ) Can’t say anyone’s ever asked me to reg a name for 10 years prior to purchasing or not having it has been a deal breaker? I hope it works though.

diablo · Dec 3, 2013

Edwin said:
I have worded it as "we will renew it until 2023". I think that covers the issue you describe.

That should do it.

Be interesting to see how it does.

It's very difficult striking a balance between offering something extra and adding confusion, so I see where Stephen is coming from with regards to it looking like some kind of lease agreement.

Last month I extended a name to the full ten years for a client at cost when they were being charged £35 a year by another Registrar for renewal of an existing name so it can potentially mean a saving of hundreds of pounds for a potential buyer.

Retired_Member39 · Dec 5, 2013

I had a idea a few weeks ago if you dont mind me posting in this thread. How about offering to buy the domain back off the buyer in a year for half the price they paid for it if not satisfied?. Obviously some basic terms would have to be included.

Edwin · Dec 5, 2013

Tictak said:
I had a idea a few weeks ago if you dont mind me posting in this thread. How about offering to buy the domain back off the buyer in a year for half the price they paid for it if not satisfied?. Obviously some basic terms would have to be included.

I certainly wouldn't go for that idea myself, but others may want to take it and run with it.

Retired_Member39 · Dec 5, 2013

Edwin said:
I certainly wouldn't go for that idea myself, but others may want to take it and run with it.

Fair enough was just an idea wasn't necessarily saying it was a good idea.

jacal1 · Jan 3, 2014

I like the idea a lot - I once heard a rumor that some SEs like domains that don't expire for a long while, but even if that is not true your offer reads to me the same as some sort of rebate or incentive and those types of strategies work well, especially on buyer's comparing between two or more products. (For that reason I would not use it on "have-to-have-it domains" like generics where the buyer is not actively comparing possibilities.)

Best of luck!