Which domains to buy?

[Coolguydudeman]

Obviously this question is broad and there is no definitive answer but what I mean by this is, what kind of factors should I consider when going to buy a domain name? Is there a method I should follow which can help me determine whether the domain holds any monetary value?

Should I only target single or double word domains or is there still good value in some of the longer domain names?

Any pointers in the right direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Skinner]

Are you looking at buying domains from another person, or buying as in registering them ?

 

[deluxedomains]

you can learn lots from the people on here .just read on this forum and soak everything in. I have not been here long but enjoyed reading through lots of old posts/threads

enjoy

 

[Coolguydudeman]

Buying as in registering them. I don't have large volumes of cash to play with unfortunately

 

[Skinner]

My top advice is avoid trademarks and brand names like the plague, its a waste of money which could cost you big.

Aside from that, I would suggest looking for something which you can find an affiliate program for, or for a service domain.

Good Exact Match (google keyword tool) numbers are a good indicator or whether people are looking for the product or service.

If you can find exact matches into the thousands, which isn't a trademark or brand, which has a potential affiliate program, you're prob on a good thing

 

[Coolguydudeman]

Thanks for the tips When you say exact matches in the thousands can you be more specific? Of course the bigger the number the better but should I be looking for a minimum figure?

 

[Skinner]

It depends what the product is, if the domain was "cheapaabatteries" which normally sell at £2, with 10% commission payout then you need 5,000+ say, but it was say "cheapmemorycards" which sell at say £20 each and 10% commission, then 1,000 maybe worth a punt

I have made reasonable money on exacts as low as 500, but each item was £100-150 average and 20% commission so I only needed to sell 1 to make a profit.

No hard and fast rules, really but it's also worth looking at the current search results as well, see if the market is saturated.

 

[philiporchard]

If you're interested in developing the domain, choose a phrase / word that does well for Google ads. i.e. or put the search phrase on Google and see how man adverts appear.

E.g.

Plumbers in Cardiff - Yes
Knitting in Cardiff - No

 

[Sussexite]

In addition to all the above another 2 things to consider are...

1. "Can I imagine writing something about this subject so interesting or useful that I could persuade other people to link to it?"

You could contract out the writing of course, but you'll have to decide on what the interesting content would be.

2. Who are the competitors? If they are all huge, well established sites with millions of pounds behind them, you are unlikely to ever get a sniff of any traffic. If they are all small businesses or poor quality sites, you have a great chance.

 

[Coolguydudeman]

Great advise thanks everyone I am certainly interested in developing some domains up for side projects if I came across the right domains. What are he most profitable commission schemes usually?

 

[Skinner]

One of the easiest sectors to break into for me, with good commissions and things which are usually bought online was ummmm "toys" of the ummmm buzzing variety and such like hehe.

 

[retired_member29]

One of the bits of advice i have taken on board here and other sources is asking yourself honestly a few questions. Would you pay £100 of your hard earned cash for this domain if you were buying it and why. And would you develop it yourself.

 

[websaway]

Best advice, if you really don't know what you are doing don't rush in.
The world is not going to end all of a sudden.
Look at dnjournal and the like and watch the sales, they are a good indicator, although the vast majority of sales are never publicised, people are in the main secretive.
Where you are fortunate is that we are at a stage of the cycle where you will not be buying at the top.

You might also email Nominet and ask for their advice on what you should be looking at in the secondary market and why.

Lastly
if I had that domain, could I add value to it ?

 

[Skinner]

When looking at dnjournal as above, don't pay much mind to "weird" .com sales.

Have a look for posts by Bailey (acorn name) and read his views on .com vs .co.uk, some whacky things sell in .com which you couldn't give away in .co.uk