Monetizing Domains through Sales – Best Practices

Before domain parking most domain owners monetized their domain portfolio through domain sales.  Paying the registration fees for a large portfolio can be a challenge.  Before you allow your domains to expire, consider these best practices for domain sales.

1. Keep your contact information up-to-date, and include a real email address where people can contact you.  I get more sales inquires through people who look-up the whois on my domains than any other way.  Sure, some of these people want me to sell for $50, but others understand the value of a good domain for branding and direct navigation.  Back when BuyDomains first started (and before they were bought by NameMedia) they always used a statement such as “This Domain For Sale” instead of their actual registrant name.
2. Consider creating a sales site for your domains.  I created HealingSites.net for my domains in 2001.  It gets good Google rank for niche keywords, but I have sold more domains through the whois data and sites such as Sedo and Afternic.   
3. Get listed everywhere you can.  Sedo and Afternic are absolutely essential.  It’s difficult to keep up the listings at both places if you have a large portfolio that changes, though.  NameDrive’s new NDX service is similar.  Consider the expanded options that these companies offer.  Afternic will list you and collect 10% of the sales price.  If you allow them to collect 20% your names will also show up on places like GoDaddy, DomainTools, DirectNIC, BuyDomains, and even Network Solutions.  
4. Use the Expanded/Premium promotion on Afternic for the domains you believe have exceptional potential and those you can afford to pay 20% (minimum $120) to sell.
5. Price your domain names.  The research shows that priced domains consistently sell faster than “make offer” domains.  A potential buyer will hesitate to make an offer because they have no idea what ballpark you are targeting.  Afternic has a pretty good webinar on pricing, but the login requirements are a little annoying.  Just put it on YouTube guys.
6. Copy BuyDomains.  This company sells more domains than anyone else in the world.  Take a look at how they do it and follow their lead.
7. Auction sites like eBay can be a decent sales venue for very timely domains (especially those that don’t have as much lasting value).  If you own a domain that covers a topic in the news, try selling in a quick sale on eBay.