What to Look for When Buying a Domain
Looking to buy the perfect domain, but don’t know where to start? Below are 15 factors to consider when buying a domain.
Looking to buy the perfect domain, but don’t know where to start? Below are 15 factors to consider when buying a domain.
The domain extension aka the tld (top level domain) is one of the most important factors in a domain’s value. Globally .com is by far the most popular extension. Today, there are well over a thousand extensions and that number is growing. At Beverly Domains, we generally prefer renown legacy tlds like .com, .net and .org.
Would you be able to spell your domain after hearing it on the radio? Imagine hearing an ad, “Find this deal only at two.com!” Would customer type in two.com, too.com, to.com or a misspelling such as tu.com? Passing the radio test helps in marketing, media coverage and even everyday conversation about your site!
Every year domain names must be renewed. Renewal costs generally vary greatly by domain registry (organization that runs the extension) and registrar (e.g. godaddy, name.com, google domains, etc). Renewal costs consist of the Registry Fee, Registrar Fee and ICANN fee. At Beverly Domains, we believe in reasonable renewal costs.
This is an often overlooked factor in domains. The longer the domain, the higher the probability there will be a misspelling and the less marketable. It’s not only the prestige and ease in advertising a short domain, but also imagine the customer’s thoughts when they’re emailing john@example.com instead of john@thisisaverylongexample.com.
How much are keyword(s) in your domain worth? A good rule of thumb is checking google’s keyword planner tool to see search volume and advertiser bids. These can provide a ballpark of your keywords’ demand. In addition, check which way keywords are trending. e.g. “cassettes” trending down, while “digital music” trending up.
Similar to keywords, the industry / topic of your domain impacts its value greatly. While some domains are brandable and can represent any vertical, domains about real estate will be worth more than domains about sunflower seeds. Lucrative and in-demand fields generate interest in domains which drives up their prices.
In the early days of the internet, type in traffic was significantly higher. But even today, some domains have natural traffic. This is traffic from users that literally type in your domain into the browser’s url bar. There may also be residual traffic from previous sites in the domain’s history or backlinks.
Age is just a number- but for domains it may be an indicator. Many of our assets at Beverly Domains were registered in the golden age of the internet back in the 1990’s. Some before google even existed! It would be impossible to hand register these today. Check domain age: Website SEO Checker | Web Confs
It is wise to check if your domain name may have any history, particularly recently. This may affect organic search engine rankings, bring residual traffic from old sites, and backlinks from other sites. If your domain has significant history, it’s wise to do your own due diligence prior to purchase.
Like any market, the domain market has its peaks and troughs. Unlike many markets, most domains are illiquid– they’re difficult to sell at will at market value. Domain values are somewhat subjective, and many sales go unreported with NDA’s b/w buyer and seller. YTD Top Sales Chart | Reported Sales History
A quick rule of thumb to estimate demand is checking how many domains are registered with your keyword(s) in the domain. Next, check how many domain extensions (tlds) are registered with your exact domain. What about domains in other extensions with your keywords somewhere in the name?
Pronounceability is a desired trait in domain names. This is especially true for brandable domains without meaning. For example, wocs.com vs wcso.com. Neither means anything, and both have the same letters, but wocs is pronounceable. Brandable domains are usually pronounceable and catchy.
Most four letter (or shorter) .com domains and coveted number .com domains not only carry value, but are somewhat liquid. Value indicators include pronounceability, pattern, and specific letters. Specific numbers matter too- in Chinese culture, 8 is a desirable number while 4 is considered unlucky.
Hyphens & letter/number combo domains often detract from a domain’s value. People must remember how to type them. Whether to add a dash or switch from letters to numbers. They all fail the radio test. That said, this is somewhat debatable, especially for natural words like “X-Ray” or “N95” masks.
When picking the ideal domain, sometimes you go with your gut feeling. It’s the intangible “je ne sais quoi”. Say it aloud. Does it feel right calling your website that? Whether it’s rhyme, alliteration, assonance, or simply the right sound or look to it, gut feeling cannot be ignored.