What really counts when buying domains?

[LarsenDomains]

I have been reading tons of information on domaining and have a pretty good picture of what kind of things to look for
I like to buy from SnapNames/NameJet/Godaddy for expiring domain auctions.
Here is my criteria I shoot for
1. 1-2 words
2. .com
3. High exact search volume
4. High backlinks
5. Alexa Rankings
6. SeoMoz links, authority, ranking etc
7. Traffic
8. Page Rank
9. domain age


and so on. My problem is this, after spending about 200 hours of research and using my tools to find domains, I have bought NOTHING!
It is not a capital issue, the issue I am not sure any name is worth it or good enough.
I think the issue that these "very" good domains rarely expire, but this just gets tiring.
What also bothers me is website names that have zero search volume but possible traffic and high SEOMoz domain authority.
Please help me before I go crazy. What should I really be looking for? I am mainly doing domaining for reselling.
Thanks

 

[Onward]

I have a really lame answer for you but what you really need to rely on is your gut instinct.

The analytics are a huge help - don't get me wrong - but what you really need to know is if someone will be interested in developing the domain name and the way I figure that out is I ask myself the questions....what can I do with this domain - how would I develop the domain - are there lots of other people that would want to develop the domain....then you need to trust your gut and take the leap with purchases. Sometimes it will take 2-3 years before you get a sale - and then again sometimes 2-3 weeks...the key is to make sure your names draw enough interest and sales to make a business out of it. For me - I only reg names I have a development idea on....and I have done pretty well.

 

[amplify]

What do I do when I pick a stock? The same thing as I do with domains: go with what I know best (gut) & a little research or known knowledge (for example, known knowledge AMD was in XBox 360... it was more than likely going to be in their next console as well, though it did dip and scare me for a while from my initial buy-in and I almost hopped ship, but I stayed aboard and it's still floating a little above water than initially ).

I hope that that list isn't in order by priority on how you select a domain name though as a lot of those aren't credible buying factors at all for [most] people.

Alexa - Only records information on websites with the Alexa toolbar, other toolbars or software that reports back to Alexa or a website owner installing their "counter" code (like Analytics).

High back links - I don't want 10,000 backlinks from an adult website if I'm trying to sell a domain to a reputable company... How would that make them look if they found out (and myself after the fact not disclosing that information).

Page Rank - It can be faked or lost once it's developed and doesn't have much pull in SEO as a lot of other factors (I.E. one of my websites is PR 0 but ranks right below a PR 5 that is a "competing" website for keywords).

Traffic - This can be coming from unrelated niches and isn't worth anything to you (or from those high backlinks). Also be aware that traffic on G.D. are multiples of how long they had it in their hands before and during auction (for example if it received 7 visitors during a 1 month term, from what I'm aware of they report 84 visitors for the entire year). Although, if you use your gut feeling and the keyword tool, you can get a pretty good idea on type-ins that the domain actually receives after a while.

SeoMoz - About the same opinion as Page Rank & all of the above.

(As for 1-2 words, this would be good to own for some... but long tail keywords using 2+ words do get quite a lot of exact searches as well)

To sum it up: 2, 3 and sometimes 9 are what I look for in a domain name by using my gut.

 

[Biggie]

I have been reading tons of information on domaining and have a pretty good picture of what kind of things to look for

you gut only contains what you eat

so after digesting that ton of domaining info, you got visions of pathways to take

am i getting it right so far?

My problem is this, after spending about 200 hours of research and using my tools to find domains, I have bought NOTHING!

so how much did the tools cost?

200hrs. is less than 10 days

were those hrs straight cramming or over a period of time?

It is not a capital issue, the issue I am not sure any name is worth it or good enough.

and this is where the gut comes to play

it may be what you've been digesting and where you went to eat it

you may have to throw some of that shit up and take some of this medicine i'm bout to prescribe.

 

[katherine]

... My problem is this, after spending about 200 hours of research and using my tools to find domains, I have bought NOTHING!

There is one criterion that you didn't mention, it is brandability. End users like domains that are brandable, advertising-grade and memorable as such domains are key to differentiation.
This is not a tangible thing, so Onward is right to say you have to go with your guts.
When I buy domains, I normally buy domains that I would be willing to develop, domains for which I could be the end user.
Focus on a niche/industry you know.

There are still some good domains to be found at the expired auctions, obviously there is competition but some also slip through the crack and get unnoticed. That's where I step in. There are still opportunities.

PS: I think it is very important to follow the reported sales to get a feel for what types of domains are in demand.
Domaining is more art than science.

 

[amplify]

PS: I think it is very important to follow the reported sales to get a feel for what types of domains are in demand.
Domaining is more art than science.

So would you say it's a soft science?

 

[Jack Gordon]

It is arrogant to believe you can invest a few days into learning a new business and then jump in and do well. The world just doesn't work that way.

You are going to have to take some leaps and make some mistakes. Failure and experience are how you learn. The alternative is to forever stand in your doorway waiting longingly for that perfect day while everyone else is out there having a blast playing soccer in the mud.

Follow Katherine's advice in particular. If you are going to monitor drops, don't compete against everyone else in the world who is monitoring drops. You are a guppy in shark-infested waters. Go with what you know. Do you have experience in any particular industry? Figure out where the niche opportunities are in an area that you understand, then work that niche and build a marketing plan. If you already speak a particular market's language, you will have a much easier time communicating with them, right?

 

[katherine]

So would you say it's a soft science?

Soft art

 

[LarsenDomains]

Thank you all for the replies, I think it should really help me with my quest!
I need to start taking some chances, or else I will just tread water.

 

[LarsenDomains]

I saw a domain that estibot said was worth $24,000 it was LibertyLoans.com for
around $200, is that a good example of Brandibility?
Did I make a mistake passing on it?
It had no search volume thats why I did.

 

[asfas]

Brandables typically have no search volume.

 

[katherine]

Do not rely on automated tools, they are a joke.

 

[NAK]

I like that you are particular about the names you register, it will prove to be a big advantage.

 

[Jack Gordon]

LibertyLoans.com could be a nice find for someone looking to get into the loan business. Be aware, however, that if you were to acquire names like that, there is a good chance they are being used by others and possibly trademarked.

The conventional wisdom used to be that registering names of business already used in commerce was a good marketing opportunity. Over time, that model has become steadily more risky. Pursue it at your own risk, but do not pursue it at all if you are unfamiliar with the risks.

 

[amplify]

I saw a domain that estibot said was worth $24,000 it was LibertyLoans.com for
around $200, is that a good example of Brandibility?
Did I make a mistake passing on it?
It had no search volume thats why I did.

A brandable will typically have no search value, as nobody knows what it is. Imagine for a second "Skype" came out and they had no advertising whatsoever. How would you find them? Search "Skype", "VoIP phone calls" or another related phrase? This is a prime example for a brandable. Although it has many exact searches now (20 million globally) for "Skype", how much do you think it had prior to 2004 (when the domain was registered with the intentions of setting up "Skyper" [interesting Archive on it ])? Probably 0 or less than 10 (the amount of people in the company) until it grew into the enormous corporation it was that Microsoft (another brandable, yet much older) ate up and another product they may turn to sh*t (...already getting disconnected more and more frequently since then).

As far as brandables go though, you mentioned the selling price of $200. I can only imagine that this was a 5, 6 or maybe 7 letter domain name. For a brandable, I would typically look for a good CVCV (C = Constant [or character], V = Vowel) as 1) they are frequently used and either easier to sell or sell for more (Vuze, Hulu, etc.), though they come in the low $XXXX reseller range (you mention you have capital so owning a couple of these are worth more than owning a lot more 5+ letter brandables)... for example on a CVCV selling for a lot: YTD sales on Mojo (of course your gut would tell you to pick that one up) for $300,000.

If I found one, it would most likely be mid-to-high $XXXX as I look for domains with the Japanese alphabet specifically exact Japanese words themselves, so I have 2 selling factors. (I keep kicking myself in the butt for getting out of participating on the auction Kuso dot com... sounds like a nice brandable, right? It surely is, but I could also sell it to an adult "niche" company as well. ) I also just went to Neko dot com and found the footer funny: "This domain is not for sale. Quit asking." (Neko: Cat in Japanese if you didn't get it from the picture )

Don't rely on Estibot or any automated sales tool. You will be the one who determines how much the domain is worth (eventually) and sell accordingly (that doesn't mean post a lot of crap on eBay for $50,000,000 though).

Edit: I stopped reading when I saw Estibot so excuse my assumption on the domain name and take advice from @Jack Gordon and others who suggested gut & niche.

 

[angel69]

Some erudite advice on this thread, wow .... :smilewinkgrin:

OTOH.... acquiring (and holding on to) just the right domains requires such expertise and dedication that some of us may conclude in the end that to be successful in domaining you have to work just too hard.....if you have a f/t job you just can't do all this unless you're truly gifted (IQ > 130 ? lol) ... :uhoh: .... many noobs actually quit well before they complete their 1st year... and I know some who are successful people in real life but they just can't take all this after a while...

Good luck to LarsenDomains, tho.... nice research ! and it's always better to have done it (even if you can't decide what to buy exactly after it's done) than not to have done any ( you might wanna try buying on a gut feeling now and then, domains you simply like.... maybe in areas you're familiar with, it hasn't worked too bad for me when I've gone that way, you feel more comfortable owning them (one day develop ?) even if you can't monetize them well... ) k:

All of them gave you really good advice and you must be on the right track but....(any here feel free to grill me on this)....IMHO sometimes you can get too technical about what criterion is more important than the others at buying, and you become too strict as to what you buy (or handreg, or even what you sell) and then you just can't see the forest for the trees. Some names may meet some criteria and others will meet totally different criteria, but hardly ever will you find a domain that has all (or even most) of the attributes you look for... just some food for thought...