Domainers have run out of money - fact

[retired_member6]

I'm trying to think where else to sell domains after catching on a basis where domains are actually quite good for resale in a good climate, are catchy, have worth, domains are no longer being flipped at an an adequate or cost worthy price on here, it's ridiculous that some names aren't even selling when I know they're good enough to and would have done in the past.

The recession is now affecting domainers, it may well be just the summer fix but you can't escape the situation on here the last two months, blowing my own trumpet but the names are of good enough quality, some of mine are the top ten catches of the day, soon I'll be in a position not to care for a few months so by autumn winter I suspect money will come back a bit but until then where to sell?

Sedos a waste of space, always has been, they don't change their auction model to fit requirements, theirs and our loss, I'm still contacting end users, not enough mind, however therein lies the problem that domains I catch aren't always end user specific but have an end user use, if you get my drift, how anyone can imagine some of these recent catches not selling on here two years ago well it beggars belief. Although I'll admit, lisst haven't exactly been full of quality drops lately, not list makers fault, just a dry period of good name dropping so to speak, there hasn't been many to go after.

I'll be going after more direct business next week as I have been recently anyway, it's the only way as business is dead on here, can no longer make a real deal anymore. Would love to know what happened, summer, recession, holidays, combination but the life blood has disappated, some of my best clients over the years gave up several months ago buying new stock from others, still occasionally from me but rare.

A sound decision if money not coming in from the other end but if you break the chain, then it's going to take a while to restart and the industry will suffer, the amount of domains being caught by domainers is down around 60% on a daily basis also. Speculative purchases need to be more than just speculative right now, as even good names don't resell quick enough on acorn or at an adequate price to justify speculative purchasing even on a small scale, maybe just my operation but that's how I see it.

Domainers have mostly closed up shop or are waiting for you to sell for a quid. Also it's not only domainers, it's affiliates and merchants too as they were bread and butter buyers and my names haven't changed in style or concept, I still get the same names that would do the job that others have done previously.

 

[retired_member26]

Lee,

I am an engineer and I can tell you why you can not sell a name in one sentence.

Reseller jerk cycle! A reseller is trying to sell a name to another reseller. Get the clue?

TurNIC

 

[accelerator]

It looks as though domain selling has hit tough times. Have you had any thoughts about diversifying into another type of online business?

Rgds

 

[retired_member6]

Lee,

I am an engineer and I can tell you why you can not sell a name in one sentence.

Reseller jerk cycle! A reseller is trying to sell a name to another reseller. Get the clue?

TurNIC

There's just as many reseller jerks as there were before, so I'm guessing it's something else. But if you're hinting in hard times to cut out the middle man i.e. acorn then yes it's savvy to do that, always was, however before, all the reseller jerks had money to buy domains caught or regged by others to hold and resell for more themselves.

 

[retired_member6]

It looks as though domain selling has hit tough times. Have you had any thoughts about diversifying into another type of online business?

Rgds

Yes doing what I did last time there was a hiccup like this, the deleting period, and just going out for six months. I've worked more these last two months then I have ever come close to doing so in a year or two, I don't like work. It's unfortunate the reason I'm working is I spent what I earned when I did, however, will be nice to exchange contract and relax a little.

 

[retired_member6]

accelerator, I'm not bemoaning my income, just domainers and their lack of spend, there's clearly a lack of business at the other end of their line of work. I have more clients now then I have ever done and still have four deals on the table to complete next week, just a shame it's taken a month to understand their requirements and I'll find more clients next week. Finding them is easy, knowing they want my services is also comforting, finding what they need there and then more difficult. What's dropping the last two weeks and the three weeks suspension of most drops has had an enormous effect, I'm hoping nicer names are dropping soon so we can all get back on track, I'm adamant that most of the ones I've gone for have been in the top ten, of my choice anyway, we probably differ on spots four to ten.

 

[accelerator]

Maybe targetting the PPC spenders with domains might work, sell it to them as a way to save on PPC costs by the domain ranking better naturally.

Rgds

 

[accelerator]

Also, do any other markets offer better opportunities? What's happening in India for instance? I haven't looked at foreign markets but maybe there are opportunities.

Rgds

 

[retired_member6]

Maybe targetting the PPC spenders with domains might work, sell it to them as a way to save on PPC costs by the domain ranking better naturally.

Rgds

I target them all, however I dont usually put a sales pitch in or explanation, maybe I should start. Had a few seo companies approach me, but in a reverse direction and them wanting me to add on seo services to the domains I sold.

 

[Edwin]

I think part of it comes down to psychology.

I book a name at a catcher, which misses the name. Somebody comes on here offering the name for say 30 pounds (the same amount as the catcher).

But here's where the psychology kicks in: I might have 100 more domains still booked at catchers for the next few weeks (and 100s, 1,000s or even more domains already in my portfolio) so my level of interest in THAT domain is limited to "if it drops and I get it, it's nice to have". Suddenly having to transact a sale with somebody - even if it's nominally at the same price - is a LOT more work and requires a LOT more interest in the name. The catch is 100% passive, but a sale? Well, I have to work out how to transfer the money (and the name) and worry that the seller will take care of their side of the bargain. Then there's the info for the invoice, etc. etc.

And if that name's on an auction site (e.g. DomainLore) it's even worse, because then you've got the fear of losing the name (you bid but get outbid) all over again (you had that fear once already when the name was dropping) and/or the fear of paying "too much" precisely because you don't want to feel that you're going to lose the name.

Contrast that to the hands-off, zero seconds of work required when you successfully catch a name and it's not that surprising that SOME names that are caught don't sell for catch-level prices or a little bit higher.

If we knew with a cast-iron certainty that the drops would end next month, I think the situation would be different as people would be stocking up, but they're ongoing (for now anyway) and the supply of "if it drops and I get it, it's nice to have" quality names is seemingly limitless.

 

[retired_member12]

TBH, it surprises me how few people I know who've actually registered a domain name. Apart from obvious business savvy people, joe public still haven't caught on that domain names have value to sell, to use, to add ppc, to affiliate, etc. Maybe it still seems too technical a concept to them, when in reality we all know it's a piece of piss.

 

[stevebrowne]

Maybe we're just in the lull before the major interest begins. There are starting to be more stories in the mainstream media about domains, about how useful for business they are, about how they are rising in value, about how they might be worth investing in.

 

[Sound]

Lee your business model seems flawed? every month when you need the rent money you let people cherry pick your best names at very knock-down prices.

You are now left with a very large group of below average names that now wont sell and you believe its because of the current economic climate.

What are your three best names that you have left to sell?

 

[accelerator]

I target them all, however I dont usually put a sales pitch in or explanation, maybe I should start. Had a few seo companies approach me, but in a reverse direction and them wanting me to add on seo services to the domains I sold.

I guess another thing you could think about is building minisites on your domains to add value. Once you have a SERP result the domain might be easier to sell.

Rgds

 

[retired_member6]

Lee your business model seems flawed? every month when you need the rent money you let people cherry pick your best names at very knock-down prices.

You are now left with a very large group of below average names that now wont sell and you believe its because of the current economic climate.

What are your three best names that you have left to sell?

I've been selling my names for eight months since before Christmas, model not flawed, she's actually very beautiful and fun to be around. I catch good names that should flip, there's no point blaming my model when I and everyone else can see that domainers have stopped buying a lot even when names are good they want them cheap, too cheap but still have to flip sometimes. Hopefully better names will start dropping soon.

 

[Skinner]

Well as a domainer my spending hasn't slowed down, I'm actually spending more now.

Recent drops (without my own dac hosting) haven't been upto much for me, so I've been concentrating on my website design, selling domain names with a basic site which has made deals.

Recession is hitting everyone, and now its holiday season, I have foregoed my holiday, even foregoed Download this year, to pour the money into domain names. While names are going so cheaply, its time to snap them up .

edit:
Market forces dictate price, if the market force demands names cheaper than you want to sell then you don't sell. If you want/need to sell you take market or below market prices, you can't change that, like it or not.

 

[Alien]

Domaining is a side 'hobby' for me, my main income comes from my professional background which is totally unrelated - all I can say is I'm glad about that!

For all your full-time ****, hang on in there, it will pick up in time.

 

[websaway]

In a property market downturn good properties still sell. If they don't ,then you hang on until the market turns up, which it always does eventually. Bad properties which are even difficult to sell in a healthy market fair badly in a downturn. Be selective.

 

[mally]

At least we only need to pay £7 each domain every 2 years to keep em

 

[retired_member6]

In a property market downturn good properties still sell. If they don't ,then you hang on until the market turns up, which it always does eventually. Bad properties which are even difficult to sell in a healthy market fair badly in a downturn. Be selective.

I am now beginning to be more selective, most started being that way a month or so back, staggering how many half good names that people would speculate on that dont get picked up these days, most have cut down. Only one still banging the registrations is Grant, he must be loaded.