$$ No Sales $$

[Deleted member 70408]

agree

everybody and their momma is blogging about their knowledge of domains, and to me, it's at overload stage.
it's especially hard for a newbie, as they are most likely to be persuaded by a blog, guide or news site.

Disagree - I call it as I see it. Many of the big buyers seem to be spending less. Maybe I am focusing more on development than I was previously on buying and selling, but I think people have less money to spend. Overall PPC is down, and that is what many of the big buyers used to invest in new domain names. Of course people are buying top quality names still, but I think the middle part of the market is suffering. I am not complaining because I have been very fortunate, but I think we are in a bit of a downturn.

BTW, I don't think bloggers influence the market, I think the market influences the bloggers.

 

[hugegrowth]

There are a lot of domain auctions going on now, almost seems like one every week or two, maybe some are spending at auctions or drops instead. It can be hard to sift through threads of domain sales, and deal with lots of sellers separately on forums.

This is supposed to be the slow period, maybe once we hit summer it'll pick up.

I would also say there seem to be more people with xx,xxx and xxx,xxx budgets posting in the domains wanted section. They seem to want very specific domains, like LL.com, LLL.com, NNN.com, NN.com and quality generic .com's, or traffic .com's. Over time it makes sense that consolidation happens and less quality is available - therefore less sales.

The domain aftermarket and auctions look like they will hit an all-time high this year. There are more platforms that ever to sell your domains, maybe the sales are just getting spread out over more venues now.

 

[tinner666]

The buyers are now 'sated'? Buyouts of all the lll's, nnn's and so on have worn buyers out. And they're selling back and forth to each other. Then realizing a smaller ROI than expected overall.

Renewals might lighten a few pockets too.

Ever been to a fleamarket? Everybody (regulars) gets there early to see what they can buy/sell from each other. At the end of abig day, a talley shows more buys than sales, ie; break-even or loss.

 

[David G]

Here are some reasons I believe are causing a down-turn:

(a) Some of the (too many new) blogs and big players have been recommending to domainers they sell a percenatge of their portfolio each year to those who never thought much about sales before. That advice is a fairly new development in the business causing extra inventory on the market.

(b) The expansion and marketing of new auction venues and sales sites.

(c) The bad real estate market is causing large declines in traffic and revenue to real estate, finance & construction (plus related industry) portfolios causing some domainers with those portfolios to try and sell.

(d) Ongoing declines many experience in site income from Adsense and YPN.

(e) Increasing registry fees making cost of big portfolios increase yearly (Tucows was said to have offered to run the registry for $2 name but allegedly was rejected because ICANN favored the Verisign high prices for mysterious reasons).

(f) The fact 3 letters com prices reached unreasonable levels, especially for bad letter names.

(g) Excessive numbers of 4 letters com's for sale at high prices.

(h) Major decline in the Dollar combined with the weak economy in general.

(I) RE market causing financial problems for many domainers unable to sell their home or borrow money.

 

[GAMEFINEST]

well said trader

 

[BLazeD]

Cheap domains where? I'm buying large

 

[italiandragon]

I`m buying. Recession is not here in Australia, here we had the 8th consecutive interest rates rise just in March.

Plus with the currency getting stronger its all good for who is outsid eof the USA

 

[Mahouni]

Plus with the currency getting stronger its all good for who is outsid eof the USA

I disagree with you. I don't like the fact that dollar is weak and getting weaker when we're in a business where you get paid in dollars = less money to spend in your home country.

Unless you're buying all the time...

 

[italiandragon]

I disagree with you. I don't like the fact that dollar is weak and getting weaker when we're in a business where you get paid in dollars = less money to spend in your home country.

Unless you're buying all the time...

Where is the problem? You can choose how to get paid and...even if you choose USD then who`s stopping you from a currency conversion?

 

[neonoceans]

It's not just the US. It's general belt tightening everywhere. But yes, quality sells but I'm having difficulty finding it with my budget and as a newbie.
I also am beginning to think that outside the US and . com excepted, endusers seem to prefer their own specific country domains when several years ago that wasn't the case and add to that a whole raft of new nonsensical extensions opening on a regular basis which can, as someone else said only enrich the registrars and lower the value of other TLDs.

 

[sashas]

its really funny when I see some ultra newbie with ultra crappy names starting his own blog about domain names, where you can find "tips, advice, and the 'inside scoop' on the domain industry"

Thats like blind leading the blind

Where is the problem? You can choose how to get paid and...even if you choose USD then who`s stopping you from a currency conversion?

the problem is that most buyers are still America based, or use USD for their transactions

This means that if I quote my prices in Euros, its possible that I might lose a sale because the price for my domain goes up automatically because of the weak dollar.

10000 Euros is 15000 USD, even though the numerical value remains the same

A buyer might've been able to afford 10k USD, but might shy away from shelling out 10k Euros

 

[Edder]

I agree. But that's why the domain industry is going to be miraculously saved by George W's rebate checks that will be sent out next month! I'm really optimistic that will it "stimulate" people into pumping money into domains and not their lifeblood, $4 gas. /sarcasm

Here are some reasons I believe are causing a down-turn:

(a) Some of the (too many new) blogs and big players have been recommending to domainers they sell a percenatge of their portfolio each year to those who never thought much about sales before. That advice is a fairly new development in the business causing extra inventory on the market.

(b) The expansion and marketing of new auction venues and sales sites.

(c) The bad real estate market is causing large declines in traffic and revenue to real estate, finance & construction (plus related industry) portfolios causing some domainers with those portfolios to try and sell.

(d) Ongoing declines many experience in site income from Adsense and YPN.

(e) Increasing registry fees making cost of big portfolios increase yearly (Tucows was said to have offered to run the registry for $2 name but allegedly was rejected because ICANN favored the Verisign high prices for mysterious reasons).

(f) The fact 3 letters com prices reached unreasonable levels, especially for bad letter names.

(g) Excessive numbers of 4 letters com's for sale at high prices.

(h) Major decline in the Dollar combined with the weak economy in general.

(I) RE market causing financial problems for many domainers unable to sell their home or borrow money.

 

[dominator]

I agree with trader plus
(j) .asia registrations

 

[actnow]

The only part of the domain industry that is seeing a downturn is the
domainer to domainer sales segment which feeds on the lowball strategy.

That segment includes the forums, Sedo daily auction, etc.

Endusers are continuing to buy - EVERYDAY.

NameMedia, Moniker auctions $, private brokers, Snapnames, etc, etc, etc are up.

Many of the people on the forums keep running around saying
"the sky is falling, the sky is falling".
I guess it has become a self-fulfilled prediction for forum sales.
But, not in the everyday domain community.

I don't have access to the number of offers Sedo received for domains for the last quarter.
But, I speculate it is much higher than the 1st qtr of 2007.

I have seen a lot of the sales numbers for the past quarter. (public and non-disclosed)
There is no downturn. If anything, business is running very strong.

I will also say that I'm hearing about more and more non-disclosed transactions now
than I have ever heard in the past.

I heard about one yesterday that pissed me off.
I doubt it will ever become public knowledge.

I said to myself "What about me? I could use a sale like that !"

 

[Duke]

The only part of the domain industry that is seeing a downturn is the
domainer to domainer sales segment which feeds on the lowball strategy.

The available sales data backs that up and in fact there in no evidence whatsoever that the domain aftermarket is down. In fact it hit an all time high in the first quarter of 2008:
http://www.dnjournal.com/archive/lowdown/2008/dailyposts/04-02-08.htm

In my own personal dealings, 1Q 2008 was also the best sales quarter I have ever had (almost every sale was to a small business end user). I agree with ActNow that if there is any softness it is in the domainer to domainer segment. I don't know how soft that may be as it is not a category I sell in. However, businesses are continuing to buy domains for their online platforms . Operating on the web is much more cost efficient than brick and mortar so I would expect the recession in the general economy (which is clearly already under way in the US) will drive more businesses to go online where they can cut costs (and perhaps leave brick and mortar all together) .

 

[acronym007]

To add to that we now have legitimate companies offering financing tools for domainers to get their domain(s). So there may be some transition to a brighter future but overall we're seeing more legitimacy and growth in all domain aspects. Who would of thought years ago you could get a loan on a domain name alone?

 

[randomo]

Just wanted to confirm the slowdown ... I run a "Mega-Sale" every 2 months, with many hundreds of domains, and so far April's is off to the slowest start ever! :-(