Being a domain name investor I know of different places to "look" for domain names but as a domain name owner are thinking outside the box to allow an end user to even know your domain name is for sale?

I have said many times that "end users" will likely do two things to see the status of a domain name:

1. Do an availability search at a domain name registrar
2. Visit the domain name via direct navigation and see whats on it

A third option may be if the user is aware of whois but that is not always likely.

I am in the process of building a website to offer some prints on canvas and I did my research to take advantage of keywords in my domain name but each domain name that I had interested in was already registered. This is nothing new because I understand why these domains are already registered. This is often the same process an end user will use.

This is a vital point for a domain name owner to let this interested party know the domain name is for sale but is often missed because the user simply "moves on" to another available domain or picks a catchy brandable type domain due to the preferred domain names already being registered.

What can be done to catch these end users?

Not just listing your domain name at Sedo or Afternic but that would be nice.

Afternic does a better job than Sedo, because if you pick Expanded Promotion and have your domain name priced, your domain name will be listed at GoDaddy but sadly only in the GoDaddy Auctions section of the site but that is better than nothing. If you want to capture the eye of a end user doing an availability search at GoDaddy (the most popular domain name registrar), you are going to need to list your domain names for sale using Premium Listings.

If somebody is to do an availability search at Godaddy for your matching domain name, your domain name will be displayed that it is for sale! A whois search will also display a premium listing domain name for sale. This is a big deal and one of the vital times to display your domain name in front of the end users eyes!

Downside to GoDaddy’s Premium Listing?

Your domain name has to be registered with Godaddy. It is free to use Premium Listing but if your domain name sells, 30% of the sale price is what it will cost you! This is one of, if not the highest rates in the domain name industry. Payment is sent via snail mail in check form and isn’t sent out for 30 days after the sale takes place!

These are some things to consider but if you are selling to an end user, your sale price will likely be worth it. Be sure to keep in mind the 30% commission fee when pricing your domains when listing with Premium Listings.

What is on your domain name?

So what is an interested party going to see upon visiting your domain name using direct navigation? During my search today and using direct navigation to see what was on the domain names I was interested in, I was looking for one thing. A for sale sign or content letting me know the domain name was for sale.

Sadly, 1 domain I looked at had a for sale banner on it. The remaining were domain name parking pages and your average text link ads and standard parking images. No way to easily contact the current owner or any clue the domain name may even be for sale.

I would have like to see at least a hint that the domain name was for sale. If there was, I would have contacted them with the method in place. I simply moved on to the next since no easy way directly on the domain name that I could contact them or know the domain name was for sale.

I understand domain name makes revenue off of these parked pages and not every domain name is for sale but if you are offering it for sale, it would be wise to let people who visit the domain name know it. You could be missing out on a sale.

I did drop over to Sedo and several of the domains I was interested in were listed for sale but keep in mind that I am a domain name investor and am aware of Sedo, the vast majority of end users are not.

Search Engines

I used the exact match terms during a Google search and never found any of the domains I was interested ranking in the top 10. This is another avenue for an end user to easily find your domain name. Search Engine Rank Placement. This would have excited me a bit if they did rank but what is very likely preventing them from doing so? Parked page! Having even a tiny bit of content on your domain name can help your domain name rank well in SE’s. Not only will this drive up traffic, it will likely increase value to the buyer! More traffic, decent SE rank already and knowing the domain name is for sale can never hurt in your shot at selling a domain name asset you own.

Do not let your domain name for sale get lost in crowd, using some of these tips above can greatly increase your chance at selling your domain name to an interested party. Never assume somebody will know your domain name is for sale.