Selling "better" versions of existing domains?

[Edwin]

I wonder if anyone has had success selling "better" versions of existing domain names?

I don't want to pick a specific existing domain as an example, so I'll go with an unregistered one. Please use your imagination and mentally substitute a more commercially exciting domain into the example below...

EXAMPLE
CannedTuna.co.uk

Let's say that "canned tuna" is a major product segment. Should be obvious that the above domain's the #1 best domain for that particular segment. To us, anyway.

Now let's say there are a dozen or so companies that specialise in canned tuna (I said this was a contrived example - please go with it!). That is their core business, referenced on their homepage, their "About Us" page, and so on. ("We specialise in canned tuna. Our canned tuna is the best in the business" or "Every year, we sell over £25 million of canned tuna to delighted fish eaters across the UK" etc.)

Now let's imagine they're currently using domains like:
AllCannedTuna.co.uk
GreatCannedTuna.co.uk
CannedTunaRUS.co.uk
ShropshireCannedTuna.co.uk
etc. etc.

How would you approach them to market CannedTuna.co.uk? Have you tried that sort of thing with your domains (not asking for specifics on the names themselves, just curious about your approach)? Any particular pointers, pitches that worked well, things to avoid, that sort of stuff?

I imagine there must be at least some differences in the above scenario vs approaching somebody who's in the exact same business, but using a not immediately obviously related domain name (e.g. CannyCanz.co.uk)

 

[dee]

Are you even allowed to contact them after tomorrow ? Dont mean to divert the thread Edwin, but serious question ? Isn't GDPR potentially stomping on outbound without express permission ?

 

[Edwin]

Are you even allowed to contact them after tomorrow ? Dont mean to divert the thread Edwin, but serious question ? Isn't GDPR potentially stomping on outbound without express permission ?

AFAIK from the other thread, so long as they're registered companies and you're emailing corporate email addresses (i.e. not [email protected] but [email protected]) then it's still ok. But I don't know that for sure so don't rely on it!

(Fortunately, in my scenario you don't need to see the Whois info as long as the sites resolve and have sufficient information on them to identify the entities behind them.)

 

[dee]

AFAIK from the other thread, so long as they're registered companies and you're emailing corporate email addresses (i.e. not [email protected] but [email protected]) then it's still ok. But I don't know that for sure so don't rely on it!

(Fortunately, in my scenario you don't need to see the Whois info as long as the sites resolve and have sufficient information on them to identify the entities behind them.)

Aaah.Okay. I should do a bit more reading. I'll stop diverting the thread now.

 

[ian]

There is plenty of situations where companies are using bluewidget-uk.com / .co.uk that would benefit from the none -uk. I've had a few sales from this, though in most cases, if they are using such an extension, they typically don't care, or have much of a clue, to understand the benefits.

 

[Edwin]

Interesting, thanks for that. I didn’t think to check for that particular combo. And of course there’s often somebody who’s resorted to the hyphenated version.

I’m hopeful/optimistic/deluded that at least one of the companies that “made do” with a lesser domain has grown to the point that the purchase of the main domain no longer seems a big deal to them.

What I mean is that eg £1,000 for a domain may come across as an impossible expense for a startup on a shoestring, but five years down the road they have a healthy turnover and half a dozen or so employees, and it’s a week’s marketing budget...

 

[keys]

I agree with @ian. When a domain seller makes an approach, there is usually a correlation between poor choice of domain and interest in upgrade with indifference on both counts.

In a similar vein, I wonder how yopa was chosen as brand. I have seen one of their tv commercials a few times and I reckon it is rubbish. It looks like a case of serious money for marketing, of a £10 FTR (free to register) domain.

 

[wonder_lander]

If you're marketing a domain at fixed amount then I would often say something to frame how good value it would be. "The domain is £1000 or you could lease it for £100 per month". This would show that after 10 months its paid for itself.

 

[martin-s]

I think the key is helping them believe that the benefit outweighs the hassle of changing. In their heads they'll be thinking "well, our current domain works fine and it's going to be expensive to change everything."

Letterheads, business cards, website, emails, sign writing, blah blah blah.

 

[mat]

As Ian and Keys said, in some cases I have noticed when the PERFECT domains have expired for a local business and a restaurant and have just emailed them to let them know they can buy it directly themselves, just out of niceness. In the restaurants case they had "NameLocation.co.uk" and "Name.co.uk" expired. They emailed back and thanked me for letting them know but never registered it... it was gone just over a month later. Frustrating so I don't even both now!

 

[mat]

I was also thinking at the time if I owned the restaurant I would have happily paid a few £k for it.

 

[dee]

I was also thinking at the time if I owned the restaurant I would have happily paid a few £k for it.

I know. Its bizarre isnt it. I had exactly the same with a local restaurant we use a lot. I registered their exact name, offered to give it too them and the manager just couldnt be bothered, or just genuinely didn't get what a bonus it was. And they have three of the same name in local area. I mentioned it to him about 3 times then just sold it elsewhere.

I guess because we all understand the benifit it doesn't mean the ideal end user does. How do you convince someone who just isn't bothered.

 

[mat]

Even more bizarre was this was 3-4 years ago and they have now gone onto creating a really modern website with all the bells and whistles, social media etc and have got rid of their old domain name and replaced it with their name with a hyphen in the middle, as the one without a hyphen I emailed them about is obviously now long gone.

 

[Edwin]

I guess because we all understand the benifit it doesn't mean the ideal end user does. How do you convince someone who just isn't bothered.

That's kind of my starting point for this thread: how DO you convince them?

Still hoping somebody's going to pop in with a few pointers that worked...

(BTW, also obvious to us but maybe not to end-users: all it takes is a 301 redirect to start using a new domain as an extra, simpler signpost towards an existing site e.g. in a new ad campaign or on the side of a vehicle. They don't actually have to move their site if they don't want to.)

 

[Edwin]

Even more bizarre was this was 3-4 years ago and they have now gone onto creating a really modern website with all the bells and whistles, social media etc and have got rid of their old domain name and replaced it with their name with a hyphen in the middle, as the one without a hyphen I emailed them about is obviously now long gone.

Worst I ever saw was a restaurant that had gone through 5 different iterations of its domain in less than a decade. Same restaurant, but obviously each time they changed web designer the new outfit started them off on a different name (maybe because they didn't even control the old version themselves, but maybe the old web designer or hosting firm did). Net result: loads of references to the restaurant all over the web with URLs that were broken/out of date.

 

[keys]

On the subject of restaurants. I have unintentionally acquired the active domain name for a successful, well established and award winning business. I made an offer to release the domain in return for settlement of outstanding fees of £xxx, which they ignored. The business has a turnover circa high six figures, yet they treat their domain name as insignificant. I wonder how their view will change if the domain gets suspended when renewal is next due.

 

[scottmccloud]

A shop near me launched a couple of months a go, and it almost physically hurt me every time I drove past and saw the domain.

They must have realised how bad it was, as they've redirected it to something (a little bit) better.

 

[Edwin]

Wow, that's bad.

Worst I saw was a local hairdresser with the name "Hair.co.uk" as their "official" name in big letters on their sign outside. The kicker is that they DID NOT own the domain! Presumably somebody thought it was "cool" and "trendy" or something. They lasted quite a few years before folding, too.

 

[dee]

Wow, that's bad.

Worst I saw was a local hairdresser with the name "Hair.co.uk" as their "official" name in big letters on their sign outside. The kicker is that they DID NOT own the domain! Presumably somebody thought it was "cool" and "trendy" or something. They lasted quite a few years before folding, too.

lol. That's brilliant. I'm guessing they did get many online enquiries.

 

[wonder_lander]

Wow, that's bad.

Worst I saw was a local hairdresser with the name "Hair.co.uk" as their "official" name in big letters on their sign outside. The kicker is that they DID NOT own the domain! Presumably somebody thought it was "cool" and "trendy" or something. They lasted quite a few years before folding, too.

Hair today, gone tomorrow