Ever since I had a website back in 1996 and then sold that domain name in 1998 for 5 figures, I have been interested in domain names and the domain name aftermarket. The domain name aftermarket refers to expired domain names, and how domain names (before they expire) are sold by registrars at an online auction. These registrars, such as GoDaddy.com and Network Solutions, sell off domain names before they are released to the general public.
Godaddy Sells Expired Domain Names on their Website, and Network Solutions sells Expired Domain Names on NameJet.com.
What if there was a domain name out there that already had the links, traffic, and notoriety that your business needs–you just need to own it and use it for your new website? That’s where the domain name aftermarket can come into play. Rather than starting fresh, with a brand new domain name, it’s quite possible that you could find a good, keyword rich domain name with some history behind it. Oftentimes, buying a domain name from a domain name auction can be very helpful, especially if “all the good domain names are taken”.
I hear that a lot from business owners: “all the good domain names are taken”. Well, honestly, they aren’t. They just might cost a little bit more than the ‘usual’ registration fee of $10 per year. You might have a invest a few hundred, a few thousand, or a few hundred thousand dollars for the domain name that is ideal for your website.
Buying a domain name that’s been registered before has its risks. Take, for example, the case of Nuts.com, where the business owner had a successful online business selling nuts online. His website was NutsOnline.com. So he decided to purchase Nuts.com, which, honestly, is a better name. But when he switched his domain name, there were issues: nuts.com had all sorts of “bad” history associated with it, and was not related to peanuts or walnuts. So, the search engines decided that nuts.com should not rank well for nut-related phrases like “buy walnuts online”. The business lost a lot of revenue as a result. It took the business owner some time before he finally regained what he had lost.
But, there are more positive results from owning and using a keyword rich domain name. What if you’re an relatively unknown business? If you move your website to a “category killer” domain name, the domain that perfectly describes your industry, then you could suddenly gain notoriety and even traffic and sales: just for owning and using that domain name.
There are a lot of pitfalls and “gotchas” when it comes to domain names and the domain name aftermarket. Finding the right domain name, dealing with a domain name broker, and getting your website moved to the new domain name must be done right. I have done this hundreds, if not thousands of times over the years, and have the experience that is needed in this ever-changing market. Feel free to contact me if you have questions, I will be happy to help.