Wanted: Domain Appraisal Quit.co.uk

[rottensoundz]

Hi Folks,

Caught this today on my DropSystem DAC hosting account.

Would be grateful for any ideas and opinions of value.

Thanks.

 

[WalkinDude]

Luv the domain, surprisingly low on the ol' exacts though.

Quit smoking is big business, but personally i'd use it for recruitment/changing careers. Really of the moment.

 

[getmein]

Lovely domain - I immediately think of the quit smoking angle - but perhaps also an angle on rehab. Would work very well for a business where quitting is considered a positive (like the suggestion above about changing careers). A strong brand, which trumps exacts for the potential usage IMO.

Value, this is a bit difficult given the current v2 Nominet proposals, because it could create future problems for someone building a business on that domain - which is a problem for all drops at the moment. So for me it's thousands, but how many is intimately connected to the .uk proposals.

 

[Retired_Member38]

I'd say its worth < £500. Its a shame, as without .uk floating around I'd say its worth mid 4 figures, maybe more.

There is no seo angle to 'quit' so any buyer would be looking at building a brand. Quit.org.uk is unobtainable (a real charity is on that domain). They're clearly going to take the .uk under the current .uk proposal. I would like to think they are also going to get the .uk under any modified proposal that comes out too - a legitimate charity and a 1998 registration... it would be tragic if the .uk went anywhere else really.

This was nearly a brilliant domain, but as we stand today I think its pretty much worthless.

 

[WalkinDude]

I'd say its worth < £500. Its a shame, as without .uk floating around I'd say its worth mid 4 figures, maybe more.

There is no seo angle to 'quit' so any buyer would be looking at building a brand. Quit.org.uk is unobtainable (a real charity is on that domain). They're clearly going to take the .uk under the current .uk proposal. I would like to think they are also going to get the .uk under any modified proposal that comes out too - a legitimate charity and a 1998 registration... it would be tragic if the .uk went anywhere else really.

This was nearly a brilliant domain, but as we stand today I think its pretty much worthless.

By the parameters you've set out every .co.uk is now worthless. Is this what you really believe? If someone offered you Money.co.uk for £15 but you behind in the queue to get Money.uk you'd still say no to the former cos it's 'worthless'?

 

[Retired_Member38]

By the parameters you've set out every .co.uk is now worthless. Is this what you really believe? If someone offered you Money.co.uk for £15 but you behind in the queue to get Money.uk you'd still say no to the former cos it's 'worthless'?

Money.co.uk is a 7 figure domain - so of course I would gamble on it for £15. If money.co.uk didn't have a site on it, and was predated by the .org.uk - I wouldn't pay £100,000 for it.

I said 'pretty much worthless' - I do think 'brandable' domains are probably now only worth 10% of their original price if you're buying them knowing you aren't going to get the other half.

This doesn't apply to things like creditcards.co.uk, petinsurance.co.uk etc - things you can build an seo related business on. But imho you'd need to be stupid to start building a brand today on a generic, non seo targeted phrase domain already knowing you don't qualify for the .uk.

 

[WalkinDude]

Agree with your points but still remember when the general 'wisdom' in here was that .uk would the worthless flop. Oh how the tide changes.

 

[Murray]

I think quit should be worth at least 4 figures.

I said 'pretty much worthless' - I do think 'brandable' domains are probably now only worth 10% of their original price if you're buying them knowing you aren't going to get the other half. .

If you managed to get the .uk version would you build a brand on it without also owning the co.uk?.

 

[GreyWing]

Agree with your points but still remember when the general 'wisdom' in here was that .uk would the worthless flop. Oh how the tide changes.

I might be quoting you out of context mate so I apologise if I have, I don't think people have said .uk would be a flop. I think they have said it would caused confusion because it should be success in that people need to buy it to protect their brands.

Re "quit.co.uk", I'd be throwing ecigarettes all over that name.

 

[Pred]

I cannot think of a shorter, brandable, generic domain for the uk market in terms of quitting smoking
be perfick! for campaign. even if .uk comes out it will take YEARS to undo .co.uk as the number 1 go to place for uk market. if ever tbh

x,xxx ALL DAY long

 

[Retired_Member38]

If you managed to get the .uk version would you build a brand on it without also owning the co.uk?.

I wouldn't build a brand on either without waiting and seeing which one becomes the main extension for UK. The only way around that would be to own both then it doesn't matter which wins.

 

[WalkinDude]

Agree with Pred. Don't think .uk makes a blind bit of difference to a domain like this personally. And here's why. First you got a lead of at least a year. You site is done, and doing business. Okay you don't get the .UK, someone else does and builds similar site.

Well that's a Gordon Gekko moment just waiting to happen. Somethings gotta give, either party A is going to have hand some serious dosh to part B or the other way around cos this town aint big enough for the both of us.

In many cases .UK will just guarantee virtually a buyer for either the .UK or the .co.uk version as no one wants to see their business diluted. This won't happen if neither project is making money and if neither project making money than value of the domain isn't going to be up to much anyway.

So to summarise if your domain or website is crap, .UK isn't going to make it any crapper. If your domain/website good, it's unlikely your potential sale price will be any lower given for every downside there's a comparative upside.

I'd like nothing better than to own a domainname.co.uk, have some zillionaire or over funded startup get hold of the .UK version, build their mega enterprise and get irritated every single day I own the .co.uk. The email of inquiry will be in my view inevitable.

 

[Retired_Member38]

Agree with Pred. Don't think .uk makes a blind bit of difference to a domain like this personally....

I'd like nothing better than to own a domainname.co.uk, have some zillionaire or over funded startup get hold of the .UK version, build their mega enterprise and get irritated every single day I own the .co.uk. The email of inquiry will be in my view inevitable.

But surely those two statements don't go together?


Nobody sets up a website with the plan to fail, or even to be average. You would already know that as you build domainname.co.uk and it gets more and more success, you're also increasing the value of domainname.uk which you don't own.

Why would anyone want to set up a brand on this basis, knowing they were directly working to improve the value of a domain that they don't even own, and are going to be forced to buy at some point at a vastly inflated price?

 

[GreyWing]

I'd like nothing better than to own a domainname.co.uk, have some zillionaire or over funded startup get hold of the .UK version, build their mega enterprise and get irritated every single day I own the .co.uk. The email of inquiry will be in my view inevitable.

Not sure it would mate, people may just abandon .uk's all together and head off to an extension that hasn't got any confusion. Both .co.uk and .uk lose out.

Anyway not to hijack this thread with another .uk issue, good name but I wouldn't invest in the .uk market at the moment as monkey says. Worth a punt, but also worth a punt for current owner to hold out until after September.

 

[aZooZa]

I wouldn't build a brand on either without waiting and seeing which one becomes the main extension for UK. The only way around that would be to own both then it doesn't matter which wins.

What nonsense. Are you sure you only joined here in June of this year? Not to put too fine a point on it, but I've seen you dropping pearls of wisdom in nearly every thread that's started on this forum, like a new dog on the block urinating everywhere to mark its territory. You portray an aura of experience and knowledge but I'm not buying into it.

 

[Retired_Member38]

So you think its a great idea to build a brand, then lose the .uk which goes on to be seen as the main extension for UK?

Why risk it, why not just build a brand on a domain where you're going to get the .uk anyway?

 

[WalkinDude]

I don't see any contradiction. When the government builds a new town. Tesco don't say we're not opening a store there cos that will increase the economic value of the town and make it more profitable for Sainsbury's when they get round to turning up.

You don't decide not to do something cos of the benefits it might bring your competitor, you decide to do something purely on the benefits it's going to bring you in my book. And as I say if be so that both or one business turns a profit, some of that profit will go on buying the other domain to enhance control of that .uk/.co.uk niche. This is normal in business. All industries get the ground moved from under them and are expected to adapt.

People forget that if you own domainname.co.uk and person B gets domainname.uk and turns it into a success. The stats on your .co.uk are going to walk hand in hand with their stats re monthly searches, and you've sat on your ass, and they've done all the work. If their project goes nowhere, and you wish to acquire their .uk you will.

 

[WalkinDude]

Not sure it would mate, people may just abandon .uk's all together and head off to an extension that hasn't got any confusion. Both .co.uk and .uk lose out.

Anyway not to hijack this thread with another .uk issue, good name but I wouldn't invest in the .uk market at the moment as monkey says. Worth a punt, but also worth a punt for current owner to hold out until after September.

The domain business has always only ever rewarded the biggest risk takers. The challenge ahead is no more difficult than many of us who bought hundreds if not thousands domains expecting riches, I don't think this new situation is as difficult as overcoming that hurdle. And I think we are sticking on topic. This guy has Quit.co.uk, and my view is build it, go for it, rest will sort itself out.

 

[Retired_Member38]

I don't see any contradiction. When the government builds a new town. Tesco don't say we're not opening a store there cos that will increase the economic value of the town and make it more profitable for Sainsbury's when they get round to turning up.

With the big difference being if Tesco sets up at the other side of town from Sainsburies... nobody gets lost on the way to one and ends up in the other.

Comparing internet domains to physical stores makes no sense at all.

You don't decide not to do something cos of the benefits it might bring your competitor, you decide to do something purely on the benefits it's going to bring you in my book. And as I say if be so that both or one business turns a profit, some of that profit will go on buying the other domain to enhance control of that .uk/.co.uk niche. This is normal in business. All industries get the ground moved from under them and are expected to adapt.

You need to weigh it up though - if you build up the value in someone else's domain you're just working against yourself. You know if you get to a certain level of success you're going to have to buy it anyway. And all that success is going to be used against you in the valuation process.

I suspect that for most people developing sites, its going to make sense to do so from a domain that you own .co.uk/.uk of (or if you're building before launch, you are as close to certain as you can be that you'll get them)

 

[RobM]

Well if anyone has keywords like this that don't think they're worth renewing for £6 drop me a PM and I'll give you £7 for them.