Here is a guide on what I think are the best ways to sell a domain name.

Since every domain name is unique and all hold different values, it is important for the owner to decide the offering price of the domain. Domain names are unique and can be valued many ways but I always say to ask for a price that would make you happy to sell. Some may consider this price realistic, some will not. The key factor is, you have to be realistic with your pricing, yet be happy with the price point you choose.

Step 1: Letting people know the domain is for sale

This is a vital step and can be approached many different ways. I have always felt that if somebody is interested in buying a domain name, they visit the domain name directly. What is on that domain name (site) when the person visits will give them a good idea if the domain is for sale or not. Here are some steps that I use. Here is an example of how I created a domain name for sale page for only $4 and about 15 minutes.

Domain Registrar Search ~ Often times, somebody will visit a domain name registrar and do an availablity search to see if the domain is "available to register". This is a vital time if you own the domain that the person is searching for and you have it for sale! GoDaddy offers a unique service called Premium Domains and allows you to list your domain name for sale through its auction service. Since GoDaddy is the largest registrar, A LOT of searches are done daily at GoDaddy and some may relate to or are exactly searched by people. Using the premium listing service, will display the domain name is for sale when a person does an availablity search matching or related to your domain! Checkout premium domains at GoDaddy.

Domain Name Parking ~ Domain name parking allows the domain owner to make money off of ads placed on the domain. Making money with your domain name is nice but if you are also interested in offering the domain for sale, it is important to display something on the page that the domain is for sale. Most domain parking companies allow a feature to put either a text link that the domain is for sale or a banner type image that the domain is for sale. If the option is available, you will likely have to set (turn on) the feature. Adding a This Domain Is For Sale banner or link on a PPC parking page will allow interested parties to be aware the domain is for sale. Adding this link or banner may decrease revenue, so you have to decide what is more important. SmartName.com offers several nice options for domain for sale links and is what I use.

Domain Forwarding ~ You can simply use domain name forwarding and direct visitors to the domain name to a specific page of your choice. This option is often used to point the interested parties to a 3rd party domain listing service and the specific landing page for the domain name. Two popular domain listing services are Sedo.com and Afternic.com . Once you list a domain name with either or both of these services, you can forward your domain name to the specific URL for your listing page. The links to do this are as follows:

Sedo: http://sedo.com/search/details.php4?domain=domainhere.com&tracked=&partnerid=33366&language=us

Afternic: www.afternic.com/name.php?domain=domainhere.com&ref_id=108161

Visitors can clearly see the domain name is for sale and place an offer or use a Buy It Now if one is available when you redirect your domain using either of those links when you have your domain listed for sale with either of the services. You will not earn PPC revenue doing this, but your interested parties will clearly know the domain name is for sale, and can safely and easily make an offer!

Microsite ~ A microsite consists mainly of a single page landing site. This one page site is very easy to make using software like Xsite Pro2 (I use it often), WordPress etc. The microsite can not only benefit you by letting them know the domain name is for sale, but gives you a shot at providing your "sales pitch". A hidden value of a microsite done correctly, will help you in a couple ways. Getting ranked in search engines can and will make it easier for people to find the domain name for certain keywords you focus on. Secondly, these search engine rankings actually Raise the value of your domain name! An example of a simple microsite is a domain I own HandTrowel.com . Before I built the microsite on HandTrowel.com, it was not listed in search engines. After about a month, the site started ranking better in search engines and actually reached the # 4 spot on Google.com for the matching search term hand trowel .

Domain Sales Site (portfolio) ~ A domain sales site is better for larger portfolio owners of domain names. You can then have all your domain names listed in one place and easily allow visitors to search based on keyword, length, TLD, category and much more. This will take an investment and will need to be updated often when domains sell, but can pay off. Based on how you set up your site, you can then set all your domain name to a specific DNS and have your domains resolve the way you want.

3rd party listing service ~ A 3rd party domain name listing service like Sedo.com and Afternic.com are almost a given to list your domain names with. Sedo is free to do this, Afternic.com is $19.95 per year. I personally list my domain names with both services because you never know when a user of there service may stumble upon your domain. GoDaddy premium domains as mentioned above is another option, but you can only list GoDaddy registered domains.

Whois Contact ~ The domain name whois database is not very popular outside of the domain industry but some people are aware of it. It is important to have updated and correct data for your domain name in this system. People do use services like Whois.sc to find domain name owners. The whois system also get’s indexed by Google for many domains and an interested party could discover the whois landing page for your domain name that way also.

Step 2: Contact

It is very important to reply to any emails or phone calls of interest in your domain name that you are trying to sell. If you use any of the options I mentioned above like a microsite, be sure to offer a place for an interested party to contact you. Be sure to always research your interested party so you know who you are dealing with. You hate to leave money on the table but do not scare them away either! If you do not feel like you are very good at negotiations, I suggest you either use a friend that you know that is or you can always reach out to a domain broker. I have used my domain broker at Afternic several times and allowed her to use her skills to get the highest dollar amount. You will often pay 10-20% of the sales price in doing this, so keep that in mind.

Using 3rd party services often takes a lot of pressure off you, but it also takes a lot of control out of your hands. It is always best to handle as much of the contact as you can unless you do not know what your doing.

Step 3: Closing The Deal

A lot of deals fall through during the last steps of the sales process so it is very important you make your buyer feel as safe as you can and be honest. Since your are dealing with an intangible item, it is very important to protect yourself and your buyer during this process.

Escrow is the way to go! I think anything over $1K USD is important to use a trusted escrow service. Trusted services like Escrow.com, Moniker Escrow, Sedo Escrow and Afternic Escrow. I always split escrow fees with the buyer but this is up to you. Remember to keep the buyer happy, because the deal is not done yet!

The escrow process can take some time but it really doesn’t have to take that long! Do your part and be sure to do any process that is asked of you by the escrow service you use!

What is a payment process to accept with transactions under $1K? I personally accept Paypal Mass Payment. There is a special process to follow in order to make a Mass Pay, but because the payment has to come from funds already in the buyers account, means that a charge back is very hard to do. Not sure how to do a Paypal Mass Payment? Click that link and I explain.

Step 4: Keep The Contact

This is a step that is almost always overlooked! If you are in direct contact with a buyer via email or phone, that is an important contact. You know they buy domains or are at least aware of domain names. If you sell domain names, it doesn’t hurt to keep that contact for a potential later contact.

Do not abuse the contact but be sure to save it! If you happened to be using a 3rd party service and are not aware of your buyers contact information, check the whois for the domain name you sold a couple days after the transfer of ownership. Then save the contact info. You can use the contact info for a simply Thank You card as well.

In closing

There are clearly A LOT more places you can use to sell a domain name but I think I provided ways to get the best price for your domain name. End Users are always the best intended buyer for your domain name. Flipping domain names on domain forums or eBay can return a profit but as quality domain names continue to get harder to purchase, it will result in low inventory for you when the buyers of your domains wait for the end user and profit the amount you really wanted.

Be unique and always try to stick out from the crowd. Thinking outside the box and doing what others are not, can yield high returns.

If you are dealing with a high priced sale, it is always best to consult legal help and have a solid contract.