By actively building your online presence and dedicating time to proven online marketing and sales techniques you can start selling domain names more frequently.

In this article, I will share tips and techniques that have benefited me in the past and continue to provide great outlets for selling domains today.

[Header image via Flickr]

Personal Branding

An important starting point for domain flipping is to have a legitimate identity. Nobody truly wants to do business with an anonymous person. If you can own your name online I highly recommend it; MarkFulton.com is one of my most prized possessions. Create a website and interlink your social profiles as a platform to build your personal brand identity.

Blogging

After setting up your identity on the web my next recommendation would be to begin blogging. This can either be at your personal web page or a new company page or brand identity. Write a few posts about topics related to your domains, the domains themselves, post a sale, share some news; the point is to get original content indexed and have an outlet to advertise and accept inquiries.

Email List Building

With your blog setup, now is a great time to setup an email list and start capturing verified emails. Offer an incentive whether it be blog updates,  domain deals, a free download or eBook. Use a dedicated newsletter management service such as MailChimp that will not only let you send out your blog updates, but email your list directly and track conversions.

Networking

There are millions of people who buy domain names, build websites and start online ventures who are not exactly involved in domain industry circles. Network with fellow domainers on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, then spend some time branching out to related industries. Connect and engage with people you are sure know what a domain name is and maybe even own a few already.

Keyword Niche Marketing

A popular, albeit dated, domain flipping tactic is to market to small businesses, blogs and on forums associated with the keywords in a domain.

I don’t recommend commenting on blogs, posting on an excessive number of forums or spamming business owners. These practices can leave a permanent record of your domain sale and are usually not effective. Alternatively, you can target hashtags or keywords on Twitter using InboxQ.

Domain Forum Engagement

After you’ve checked out some of the niche forums, don’t forget we are flipping domains after-all. If you are confident that your asking price is reasonable enough for fellow resellers, compose a sales thread on NamePros and DNForum ($50 membership) for one of the easiest and fastest methods of domain flipping.

Domain Auctions

The right auction both online and offline can provide good exposure to your domain sale. You’ll have the most success here with well-aged domain names. Consider submitting your domains to some of the leading free domain marketplaces, live domain auction events or online auctions such as Flippa and Cax.com for a great opportunity to flip domains.

Advertising

Spending a little money to advertise a sale can pay off for the right domain names. Consider creating a banner or text advertisement campaign to feature on a high-traffic destination to get targeted exposure. Google AdSense and Facebook Ads are cheap and could spark a sale.

What are your top domain flipping techniques?

Thanks for reading through my tips and techniques for selling domains, now it’s your turn. I would love to hear about your own domain flipping practices. Share your story in the comments area or just fill us in on a great domain sales resource.

Domain Flipping: Advanced Tips and Techniques DotSauce Magazine

I came across an insightful article on Inc. Magazine recently featuring 5 negotiation tips that can definitely relate to domain sales.

First Mover Wins

In particular, negotiation tip #3 suggests an idea that is contrary to popular belief. Is it better to ask for buyers to make an offer or to set your asking price? The answer may surprise you.

Some studies suggest that the outcome of a negotiation ends up being closer to what the first party proposes. The article quotes an interesting excerpt from Negotiation, a book by Adam Galinsky and Roderick Swaab.

“In our studies, we found that the final outcome of a negotiation is affected by whether the buyer or the seller makes the first offer. Specifically, when a seller makes the first offer, the final settlement price tends to be higher than when the buyer makes the first offer.”

So, as it turns out, it should prove beneficial to your bottom-line to set an asking price you are comfortable with. Thinking back on my own personal sales history, this seems to make sense. If we look at the industry as a whole, the vast majority of domains that are sold started with asking prices.

Domain investors should definitely take advantage of the opportunity in pricing their domains. When listing your domains for sale on your portfolio or public marketplaces, set a reasonable asking price to put negotiations in your favor before they begin.

Related: Top 10 Reasons Your Domain Name Won't Sell

Still a Place for Offers

Of course, it is OK to accept offers for particular domains you are not ready to price or are not interested in selling in the short-term.

Be sure to research comparable domain sales and analytics for your domains and stay abreast of the latest domain pricing trends to decide if an offer is reasonable.

Negotiation tip #5 offers sage advice for dealing with low-ball offers you will inevitably receive:

Don’t take it personally. If you respond with a cool head, there may be an opportunity to make a deal no matter the starting point.

Related: Domain Sales Strategy: How To Be Three Steps Ahead

Asking Price vs. Make Offer DotSauce Magazine

If you have an eye for business, you will be able to see how the Domain Club model is intended to work. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify and discuss a few matters to anyone interested about our process and how specific Domain Club features work.

Group buying sites rely on sales volume to make up for the discounted pricing offered to members. The Domain Club works the same way, offering nice .COM domains to members at a discounted rate of just $19 each.

Domain Club Exclusivity

One of the points I would like to clarify is that while our pricing is exclusive to Domain Club members, our domain inventory is not necessarily exclusively for sale on DotSauce.

I have got back into domain sales recently, putting in work behind the scenes to resell some inventory at a markup.

I’m pleased to report that business is good in just the first few days of dipping my feet into the water of domain liquidation in 2011. That’s right, I am making easy sales of domains currently offered to Domain Club members for just $19 each. In some cases domains have sold for several hundred dollars and many are selling easily for $50-$100.

Domain sales activity and valuations are on the rise, hitting an all-time high in May 2011.

Vision

If I can do it, you can too. That is my true goal for the DotSauce Domain Club. I want to help you succeed and feel the best way to start is with quality keyword, brands, and product domains.

As Domain Club membership grows, both users and myself will reap the benefits of increased activity; more inventory and more content. I hope to continue to prove the value offered by an affordable monthly membership fee for access to exceptional deals on .com domains and domain sales resources.

Join the DotSauce Domain Club today to get first pick of domains for just $19 each and instantly access our private forum where you can learn the best places to resell domains and other insider domain sales resources.

July Update

Members, be on the lookout for a big inventory update and handpicked expired domains list very soon.

I have been quite busy this month, but I have not missed my regular domain research. I will be making considerable additions to the Domain Club inventory and publishing a handpicked expired domains list soon.

Getting Back Into The Domain Flipping Rhythm DotSauce Magazine

In less than 2 hours from the time of this posting Domain Madness will be underway. The auction closing and final bids will be broadcast here at that time.

Update: Domain Madness Auction Results

Domain Name News has reported the final sales figures for the auction. Ocean.com has been sold for $100,000 and 11 other domains including Irons.com, SmoothLegs.com and GasDeals.com made up an additional $61,000 in sales.

Live Broadcast at 3pm EST

Domain Madness Auction Inventory

I would like to quickly feature the inventory for your review and invite you to participate in the live auction event. There are no reserves and many reasonably priced keyword domains.

Several lots have already received bids and will be sold.

• Ocean.com
• FamilyVacation.com
• Irons.com
• MensJewelry.com
• DomainDevelopment.com
• HomeOwnerInsurance.com
• HoneyBellOranges.com
• Pig.com
• LastMinDeals.com
• Title.info
• Gyrate.com
• Waikiki.me
• EliminateDebts.com
• DrugDeal.com
• DoubleOven.com
• ZoomLens.com
• Discount.us
• ChildDevelopment.com
• AutoRepairs.com
• LimoRental/s.com
• FinancialPlanners.com
• OfficeScreens.com
• BaseballTrainer.com
• BasketballDrills.com
• BaseballTicket.com
• BaseballGame.com
• NameGames.com
• SingAlongs.com
• SmoothLegs.com
• StationaryStore.com
• BigWinner.com
• MagicSpell.com
• iLoveShopping.com
• FlowerBouquets.com
• AthleticClubs.com
• MiracleCream.com
• Evenings.com
• StayCool.com
• GasDeals.com
• LocalSupplier.com
• ArmTattoos.com
• GPSdevices.com
• RefinanceCalculator.com
• TanningStickers.com
• CashBackCredit.com
• JobResume.com
• Cradle.net
• CheckCard.net
• Incentives.net
• Champs.tv
• RentHome.net
• FlightSale.com
• ForexCurrency.com
• YellowstoneNationalPark.net
• BroadbandProviders.com
• RibSauce.com
• OnlineTheft.com
• BetterBody.com
• SiteManagers.com
• Bet.ws
• Uncoordinated.com
• TractionTires.com
• ImpoundAuction.com
• FreezerBurn.com
• DrugDeals.com
• BasketballDrills.com

For complete details visit the official Domain Madness 3 Auction page.

I wish all parties involved; buyers, sellers and the DomainConsultant team all the best during this premier auction.

Domain Madness Live Auction Right Now! Featuring A Small Ocean.com of Keyword Domains DotSauce Magazine

It seems right to follow in the footsteps of so many powerful and compelling short brands owned by businesses who were lucky enough to be around while the best names were still available.

You may have a limited budget and are looking for five letter domains that are available to register. There are a few tools available to help. However, you will find that the supply of available five letter names is quickly diminishing in both quantity and quality.

There is still hope for finding good quality short domains. With a little time spent researching at the right sources, you will be able to find five letter domains that are affordable.

SnapNames Advanced Search

SnapNames is one of the most active auction and expiring domain marketplaces. Follow these steps to modify the search parameters. This will help you narrow the results and quickly find short .com domains.

1. Uncheck unwanted TLDs
2. Check the boxes to remove hyphens, numbers and IDNs
3. Input max characters as 5
4. Set results per page to 500

After scrolling past a limited selection of four letter domains, you will begin to see the big list of five letter domains with the potential to be acquired.

You may also want to uncheck “Buy It Now” results to avoid five letter domains with ridiculous asking pricing. Other popular domain marketplaces can offer additional results with their advanced search tools.

FreshDrop Filters

You can get super fast look at 5 letter domains that are listed on Afternic, Fabulous, BuyDomains, as well as domains expiring from GoDaddy and Dynadot using FreshDrop.net quick filters. Professional members can use these filters across other marketplaces.

The “Reg Fee” selection is a list of domains that have been deleted in the previous 10 days.

• LLLLL - Covers all five letter domains
• VCVCV & CVCVC - Help in finding potentially pronounceable domains by vowel and consonant positions

ZFBot Research Tool

The results found at ZFBot will be a little different. First, you will need to enter at least 2 characters to begin a search for short domains. A new feature allows you to place terms at the beginning or the end of a domain. This can be a great way to target a particular niche with a related two or three-letter word as part of your five letter brand.

Select your extensions, set the min and max characters to 5 and you’re on your way.

The domains found with ZFBot may or may not be available for sale. A good sign of domains that have the potential to be acquired is if they are parked. You can also search dropping domains.

When you find a domain that peeks your interest, view the WhoIs information and email the owner directly with your offer to purchase the domain.

Sedo Down for the Count

While researching for this article I was surprised to encounter difficulty finding short domains at Sedo, the world’s largest domain marketplace. The new search user interface is now using sliders and the option to define a maximum character limit is no longer present. Additionally, the Sedo inventory is not working correctly on FreshDrop.

Update: I may have encountered a bug when trying Sedo. The ‘Domain Length’ option slider now works to search for domains with a maximum of 5 characters.

Short Domains Discounted to Just $19

Before you head off on your search, I’d like to clue you in on a handful of short domains that are now available at the new DotSauce Domain Club.

• Frawn.com
• Hapse.com
• Cozers.com
• Huged.com

Premium members can buy these and other quality .com domains for just $19 each. There are many other benefits to Domain Club membership, so be sure to check it out.

Best of luck finding the perfect five letter domain. Please leave a comment to let us know how the search goes and if you know someone in need of a great brand name consider sharing this article with them.

Best Ways to Find Five Letter Domains DotSauce Magazine

Consider this list an added resource or continuation of my article on 5 Tips on Selling Domains for Maximum Profit. If you’re looking to reach a wide audience of fellow domainers, webmasters and resellers then this list is for you. Earn some extra cash or liquidate your portfolio with no upfront expenses.

[Image: Colin, FREE, July 18, 2008 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike]

Prepare your domains for sale and submit your listings absolutely free to the following forums and classified websites.

Free Domain Forums and Classifieds

1. NamePros Domains For Sale
2. WebHosting Talk Domain Advertising
3. v7 Network Domains Marketplace
4. DigitalPoint Buy / Sell / Trade
5. DomainState Domain Sales
6. WebmasterTalk Domain & Website Sales
7. @DNMarket Group on Twitter
8. Facebook Domain Name Marketplace
9. Devsa Domain Marketplace
10. NamesLot Names For Sale
11. ChowCow Free Domain Classifieds
12. 4.cn Domain Marketplace
13. Hacker News Trades
14. Domain Discussion Forum Exchange
15. Domainer’s Market Group on LinkedIn
16. Tycoon Talk Domain Marketplace
17. Craigslist Business / Commercial Classifieds

Niche Domain Marketplaces

1. AcornDomains Marketplace (CO.UK)
2. ccTLDs.com Global Buy / Sell / Trade (All Country Codes)
3. IDNForums Market – Internationalized words and special character sets
4. Short Domain Forum – 3-6 character domains and dictionary words
5. INForum Marketplace – (.IN) Indian domains

Commission Based Marketplaces

1. Sedo (10% commission)
2. Bido Auctions (8% commission)
3. Afternic (10-20% commission)
4. SnapNames (20% commission)
5. GoDaddy Premium Listings (Requires domains at GoDaddy, 30% commission)
6. Pool.com (10% commission)
7. Aftermarket.com (10% commission)
8. BrandStack Domains (15% commission)

If you decide to promote across multiple forums and marketplaces, be sure to manage your domains properly by removing old listings. Best of luck with your domain sales!

What are your favorite free places to list domains for sale? Please share a link in the comments below if I have left out a popular resource.

30 Free Places to List Your Domains For Sale DotSauce Magazine

[Image: Rick Audet, Sir Millard Mulch, October 17, 2006 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution]

How will your domain name stand out in a crowd of billions?

Here are ten reasons why your domain name won’t sell with recommendations for what not to do when marketing. I will cover how to overcome some barriers to a successful sale and some ways of breaking the ice with potential buyers.

1. Asking price is inflated. An unrealistic asking price is probably the most common reason for failing to sell a domain name. DomainConsultant recently published a detailed domain pricing guide featuring solid formulas for valuation that should prove useful to those selling premium quality domain names. Research similar keyword sales through NameBio, DNSalePrice and DNJournal to make a comparisons and avoid being laughed at.

2. Identity or legitimacy is in question. Security and fraud is always a major concern when dealing with digital goods. Are you able to offer a reputable escrow service to facilitate a secure sale and ownership transfer? You should always conduct business professionally with a clear understanding of who is selling the domain. This can be accomplished by personal email correspondence, displaying your business or personal website and phone number and having a non-private Whois registration data on your domains.

3. Not accepting offers. With no option to submit an offer available, a buyer will assume you are not willing to negotiate.  A contact form or email address will do the job. You can also mention in the sales copy that reasonable offers are welcome and will be considered. This can be a great way to bring in leads who may be interested in the domain at a later date.

4. No description of domain value. I think it is very important to share the potential of your domain to those interested. In my beginner’s guide to selling domains, I point out in the first two steps that sellers should visualize potential. Write how the domain could be used as a business or service or how it could be monetized. The vision makes it easier for a buyer to justify his purchase and for you to justify the asking price.

5. Has no value to begin with. As the video above demonstrates, the reality is that a domain registration fee does not guarantee there will be any resale value. If the words in your domain don’t make much sense, such as combinations that are never used in spoken English or made up words, then there is a chance your domain has no value at all. While it is possible to register interesting and desirable brand names, most quirky domain names have no intrinsic value and draw little interest from buyers.

6. Lack of supporting data. Last year I wrote about using domain stats and media when advertising your domain for sales. This includes data such as domain age, search results numbers, term popularity, traffic and other important metrics of the keywords in your domains. This information is important to buyers and instills confidence that your domain is a good investment. You can find a wealth of pertinent information from Estibot, the Google AdWords keyword tool and other SEO tools.

7. Wrong time to sell. In one of my earlier and personal favorite articles here on DotSauce, I describe some tips for investing in domains. One particular tip reminds domainers that you shouldn’t sell your fruit until it’s ripe. Domains are always increasing in value and the future looks bright. It may be time to hold on to a particular name and wait for the world to catch up to the latest trends. This is particularly relevant for future concepts, emerging technologies and predictive domaining.

8. Marketing to the wrong audiences. On the internet we tend to migrate within circles of like-minded people on forums, social networks and website communities. Sometimes the best thing to do is break out of your comfort zone and dive into unexplored websites that are relevant to your domain name. The lists below show examples of the options in targeting resellers or potential end user sales.

9. Poor marketing practices. It’s a great idea to get the word out about your domain for sale to many people, but sometimes it can go overboard. You don’t want to be considered a spammer as you will lose business and credibility immediately. Learn to write clean, readable and compelling sales copy without the hype. Overuse of words like “premium,” or “generic,” dollar signs, CAPS and exclamation points are all things to avoid. Make sure the important domain details are the focus.

10. Better domains available for less. Those interested in purchasing a domain for their business or personal use may have some keyword ideas in mind and will be shopping around. If you haven’t properly valuated your domains then there is a chance another seller will undercut your name for a more reasonable price. Be sure to check out the competition on any marketplace or sales venue to remain competitive.

Successful domain sales comes down to having a quality, desirable domain name and investing time into learning the best practices in marketing, communication and negotiations. I hope you are able to use what insight you have gained to make better sales and marketing decisions and steer clear of any obstacles that may be turning buyers away.

Top 10 Reasons Your Domain Name Won’t Sell DotSauce Magazine

Domain industry websites can sometimes be confusing during the learning period. Dozens of options and features associated with managing domains can overwhelm. These video guides aim to make the process simple and straightforward by leading you through key areas of the listing process.

How To Sell Domains on Sedo

The first video features the industry leading marketplace, Sedo.com. Sedo is an international domain name marketplace and holds the title for the largest inventory and most heavily trafficked website.

Listing domains on Sedo is a great starting point for getting exposure to your sale, so let’s get started…

View in Full-screen HD to read text and links. Domains shown are examples.

Transcript

Hello -

Today I will be showing you how to list domains for sale on the most popular domain marketplace, Sedo.com

Sedo recently updated their domain management control panel, so this may be important information to review for both new and experienced domain sellers.

Step 1. After registering for an account, sign in and click “My Sedo” then “Add Domains”

If this is your first time at Sedo, you will need to complete the member certification process before attempting to buy or sell.

Step 2. Enter a list of domains you would like to sell, one domain on each line.

To keep the tutorial brief, I am going to add two domains to my account.

Step 3. Check the box next to the user agreement which states that you are the rightful owner of the domains and that Sedo will take a 10% commission on completed sales.

Step 4. On this page you will define the category, listing type and price of your domain.

It is generally regarded as a best practice to define a fixed price for your domain. I would not recommend setting a minimum offer – having an individual interested at any price is a good thing.

As you can see, Sedo is pretty smart at guessing a domain name category, but you can click the category title to change it.

Step 5. Sedo will now offer you the option to park your domains by setting the nameservers, though you are not obligated to do so. Parking can earn a small amount of revenue from clicks on advertisements and enables you to track traffic statistics.

Your domains may not appear on the site for a few hours or until ownership has been verified by Sedo’s systems.

Once ownership has been verified you can access Domain Management to make changes to your listings.

And that concludes the simple process of listing domains for sale on Sedo.com, stay tuned to DotSauce Magazine for more on selling domains and best practices at the top industry marketplaces.

Sedo Domain Management

This official video provides an overview of recent updates to Sedo’s domain management control panel.

More on Domain Sales

You may also be interested in reading this guide on selling domains. And if you’re looking for some quality domains to add to your portfolio and start selling, learn more about expired domains.

I wish you the best of luck with your sales on Sedo. If you have any questions about Sedo or domain sales in general, please join the community at the DotSauce Q&A Forum and ask away.

The next videos in the series will reveal more great places to list your domains for sale. So be sure to subscribe to the newsletter for updates.

How To List Domains For Sale on Sedo (Video Tutorial) DotSauce Magazine

I hope that the Bido.com we used to know and love will live up to it’s past success, but I have my doubts.

Original founder, Sahar Sarid recently announced that Bido has been sold to an undisclosed company who is now in the process of re-launching the domain auction service. A familiar name will also be back, Jarred Cohen is taking the lead in managing and operating Bido.

I believe there are three important things Bido must address if they wish to sustain business for the long-term.

1. Domain Quality

One of the few qualms the domain community had with Bido was the lack of quality domains. Domains can be listed for free to be entered into a voting process where 10 votes will send a domain to auction. Sellers can also opt to send a domain directly to auction for 1 Bido credit ($8.88).

Bido could address this issue by providing incentives to domain sellers whose names reach 10 votes. They could also reach out to experienced Domainers to ask if they would be interested in submitting quality domains for auction.

2. Blogging / Community Connection

Sahar Sarid took advantage of his large network of friends and associates in the industry by blogging at Conceptualist.com. A quick search on Google shows that there are no less than 848 blog entries mentioning Bido. He literally posted almost everyday.

Do you think the new Bido blog will compare to Sahar’s passionate marketing? These blog posts probably drove the majority of traffic to Bido and were an essential part of it’s success.

3. Advertising

At one time Bido sponsored many of the leading domain industry publications, including this one. They placed their interactive “Closing Soon” widget in prime locations and showed that they supported the industry and were actively promoting auctions.

Without traffic and brand awareness there will be less interest, less mentions from bloggers and less bids.

Do take note that this time around, there is competition.

Welcome Back

Bido can overcome these hurdles during their return if they put in the effort.  I am happy to see they are back and wish the new owners and Jarred the best during this revival.

Will you eventually list domains for sale with Bido? What are your concerns about their return? Please leave a comment below.

Bido Domain Auctions Are Back, But Will They Succeed? DotSauce Magazine

These new groups have something pretty neat, a chat room feature. While casually discussing domain marketplaces in the chat room with group members, I mentioned that I do not use the marketplaces found on the popular industry news site, Domaining.com. To my surprise, a short while later I received an email from Francois who was curious as to why I don’t use the Domaining.com marketplaces.

I commend Francois for proactively seeking out feedback for the website. He has always been open to suggestions since the beginning.

Here I would like to share the concerns I expressed to Francois and his detailed responses. Some grammar has been fixed and sensitive comments omitted.

1. My domains do not appraise highly through your algorithm and may be perceived as less valuable to buyers.

Response: You know it’s not my algorythm but Estibot’s algorythm who also powers Valuate.com, and the valuations given are statitstically good to compare domains and adopted by most of the domain industry. For domains having a low appraisal and or an appraisal under the reserve price I don’t know if I coded to continue showing the appraisal in the sale page or not. It’s certainly a good point to let the owner to decide, I will add that option.

2. Don’t like that there are varying levels of membership and benefits for sellers who pay membership fees.

Response: Each plan has it’s logic. First, there are many to avoid to ask to pay too much someone who will not need of all the options and services.

The initial membership at $10 is mainly here to filter buyers and avoid anyone to come, place a fakebid and go away (what we had in the begining 3 months ago). It’s also a way to filter unscrupulous buyers that list domains they don’t own or don’t transfer a name sold. It’s the level to have a minimum of security and peace of mind for each participant. I have be thinking to have it a single time fee, maybe I will do it.

The second one is in fact the normal level to get advantage of almost any service and with almost the maximum privileges, it’s less than $4/month. It should help pay the DNS cost when you want to park your domain for sale or portfolio (not sure you know these features) which is expensive.

The third is only for buyers that want to be aware of the best deals before anyone, anyway, even this plan cost nothing… (it’s possible we raise it next year significantly).

You know, these plans are targeted for each kind of buyer/seller.

3. Marketplaces are not easily linked to each other. Some new visitor to BargainDomains.com may never see or know about Cax.com domains.

Response: Right, mainly because none is finished completly as I would like.

4. Flipping.co domain implies that you are “selling something bought for cheap” which is negative connotation

Response: It took me 2 hours to decide to create this marketplace, start the promotion and have the first domains listed. It was the morning the .CO become available to everybody. As a lot was registering for cheap (exactly), I imagine the most smart will try to immediately flip it to avoid the scenario of the .mobi.

You cannot consider people are stupid, almost everyone knows .CO has been registered for less than $25 a month ago and that you are flipping.

5. Cax.com domain does not make sense.

Response: The same Google does not make sense, Sedo, Bido, … any brandable name doesn’t make sense. Oops! People will tell you after that Sedo is “search domain” but who knows this? It’s logical only after someone has told you :) I remember a popular thread in DNF 4 years ago about a game trying to find what was the meaning of SEDO, … it was funny and outlined very well. Now that you like Cax or that you don’t like it’s up to you and it’s personal. I remember found very ugly bido and his sonority at the begining, and I also must be honnest and say I like it a lot after many months of promotion.

There are basically 2 routes when you decide to buy a domain for a service: generic or brandable. I am maybe too elitist, but my experience outline that if you don’t own the industry generic killer name then better buy a brandable. The good ones was: Aftermarket.com, Domains.com, … names I cannot buy today for many reasons. But I also want to say it’s not easy to have generic as you must allways add the .com and what ever you do you are never totally owner of the generic.

In a side note I wanted this time (after domaining.com) of a very short brandable that pass the radio test and that was easy to spell and that has some punch. I think the catchy domain Cax.com has this. Maybe after 3 months of strong promotion you will change your mind. Last thing, the type-in is proportional to the inverse of the length, it’s fast to write cax.com/mydomain.com and access your sale page or tell about your sale page.

6. BargainDomains.com is better and of course PremiumDomains.com would be the ultimate name for marketplace.. but that is for your private names.

Response: Both make sense, one to list bargain and the other for premium, but use any of them for list any kind of names does not make sense.

7. Design of the marketplaces is OK, I think it could be much more professional and more usable for buyers and sellers.

Response: Rome has not been built in 3 days. I just have a head, 10 fingers and my days like yours still have 24H :) Don’t worry they are going to be seriously improved.

Apparently you just see a part of the iceberg, look at SalePage.com, DomainPortofolio.com, … in construction. As soon Cax.com is finished all the pieces should be linked and exposed in a more logical way.

By the way Cax.com will allow to submit names without restrictions of appraisals.

Thank you Francois!

Your responses have some excellent points. While I still do not agree completely with everything (I wish there was one big marketplace with categories), it does look like your marketplaces are heading in a positive direction and will receive good use from the Domaining.com audience. I look forward to the upcoming changes and improvements.

The new DomainPortfolio site looks very promising to me. Great idea.

What do you think of the Domaining.com domain marketplaces and the possible changes and introductions? Please leave a comment below with your thoughts.

Domaining.com Responds to Criticism of Marketplaces, Hints At Changes DotSauce Magazine

Look out for a more comprehensive review of this new auction house soon, but first I have to let you know about a time-sensitive promotion and some amazing domain deals.

Today only (until midnight EST) you can sign up for membership at BoxCar for just $1 if you agree to place a bid on a domain in the next 24 hours.

After today, membership fees will return to $39.95 per year.

I am now featuring some of the domains found on AQDN at BoxCar auctions.

Now is your chance to take advantage of the promotional $1 membership fee and bid to win some great .com domains.

AQDN Domain Clearance at BoxCar

You’re not going to believe the low reseller prices!

These 14 domains have huge potential for branding and web development and could potentially be re-sold for much more than your initial bid.

Visit the auction now to see for yourself and view details on each name.

Again, today until midnight EST you can join BoxCar for $1 and bid on one or more of my affordable quality domain names.

If you have a minute please let me know what you think of BoxCar and if you will be signing up to bid or sell. I’m anxious to see how it works out. Hopefully a lot of people in the industry and interested end-users start to get involved.

Thanks in advance for visiting my auction! You can follow @AQDN on Twitter for updates and new listings.

BoxCar No Reserve Auction: 14 Great .Com Domains at Reseller Pricing DotSauce Magazine

The 2010 GeoDomain Expo will be hosted in New Orleans beginning April 28th on through April 30th. The conference will feature talks on local web business, development, branding, marketing and more. Hotels.com co-founder David Litman will be delivering the keynote speech.

SnapNames has just announced the GeoDomain Expo Live Auction inventory which showcases quality geo, travel and local search related domain names.

Raleigh.com is listed for sale with a reserve price between $1M and $5M. This premium domain represents one of the largest cities in the U.S. and a truly unique opportunity to develop a business around it.  CNN Money ranked Raleigh as the #3 place to start a business in 2009.

Raleigh, NC is just a couple of hours inland from the coast where I live, so I like to visit when I can. I have friends in what is known as the Research Triangle Park, which includes Raleigh’s North Carolina State University and surrounding area universities; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham. I’ve also attended events like Startup Weekend in Raleigh’s beautiful downtown area. So, I must say that I’m a fan of the city and this gem of a domain name.

Raleigh.com is currently owned and operated as a city portal by the Associated Cities network who are also the hosts of the GeoDomain Expo.

Notable domains featured in the GeoDomain Expo auction include:

• Raleigh.com
• Lisbon.com
• CityMaps.com
• Bucharest.com
• Crete.com
• BeachResort.com
• FamilyVacation.com
• PapauNewGuinea.com
• Cannes.net
• LocalGyms.com
• NYShows.com
• RestaurantSearch.com
• AffordableVacation.com
• CaliforniaDesign.com
• DublinRestaurants.com

The auction officially comes to a close on May 4th at 3:15 ET so check out the full inventory and register to bid at SnapNames.

GeoDomain Expo: Live Domain Name Auction Features Raleigh.com DotSauce Magazine

It’s hard to rank every single domain marketplace, because each one tends to have a unique price range, inventory size, domain quality, keyword types, domain extensions and other distinguishing factors.

That being said, the top 5 listed below are my personal favorites for 2010. The remainder of the list is not necessarily ranked in any order of importance as great domain deals can be found on all of them!

UPDATED: October 16th. New additions marked with a plus (+) sign.

Top 20 Places to Buy Domains in 2010

1. BoxCar Auctions +

   Recently launched by industry veterans at DomainConsultant.com, BoxCar has introduced a unique and refreshing take on domain auctions. Sellers can list up to 50 domains in their own lot auction for a small fee per domain.

2. GoDaddy or your favorite registrar.

   On a tight budget? You may want to opt for registering a new domain. Finding available domains today is very tough, but if you do your research you may just find a great domain for $7.49.

3. Devsa Marketplace +

   Another newcomer to the industry is a marketplace with social networking features built in. Devsa is beautifully designed and definitely one to watch out for. There are numerous features and ways to promote your domains. List fixed prices or have interested parties contact you with offers.

4. BargainDomains Marketplace

   A new service by Domaining.com which uses automated appraisal data and recquires domain listings be a fraction of their appraisal estimate. Turns out this makes for some really good deals on keyword domains.

5. FreshDrop Research Tool

   An informed purchase is a wise purchase. FreshDrop can provide some great data on domains that is easy to browse, search, sort and filter. With pro features you can get some really juicy details on Google advertisers and keyword search data.

6. Flippa Marketplace by Sitepoint

   SitePoint’s new marketplace Flippa has taken off as a popular destination for extended domain name and website auctions.

7. GoDaddy Auctions (formerly TDNAM)

   The largest registrar in the world features their massive lot of expiring domains here. Popular “Domain Fire Sale” section features domain auctions from $5 + registration renewal cost.

8. Moniker Live Auctions

   Moniker features monthly themed showcase auctions and annual live auction events. Coming up, DomainFest 2010 in lovely Santa Monica, CA on January 26-28.

9. Afternic Marketplace

   A leader in domain sales since the early days. This marketplace has a huge inventory of quality domains to browse.

10. @DNMarket on Twitter

    Yea, Twitter!  I started @DNMarket earlier this year and it has been gaining steam with well over 1000 followers currently watching listings. Follow along and be on the look out for domain sales straight from owners.

11. SnapNames Marketplace & Auctions

    SnapNames is one of the premier expired domain marketplaces and exclusive private auctions. SnapNames is an Oversee.net company and partners with industry leading registrar Moniker.com for live auction events.

12. BuyDomains Marketplace

    This massive marketplace features lots of premium domains. BuyDomains consistently tops the charts in high value sales.

13. Sedo Marketplace & Auctions

    The largest domain name marketplace to date features domain auctions starting at $60 from private owners. Lots of domains in all extensions are sold daily.

14. Rick Latona Newsletter & Auctions

    Rick is the largest individual domain name broker in the business and publishes a daily domain deals newsletter. Latonas.com Auctions also host live domain auction events through the year and at T.R.A.F.F.I.C. conferences (see below).

15. AQDN.com Affordable Domains

    Affordable Quality Domain Names is a marketplace of keyword and brandable .COM domains with development potential. You can also follow @AQDN on Twitter.

16. Brandstack Logo Marketplace

    Brandstack is an excellent marketplace for high quality logo designs. Many designs are coupled with domain names. More recently, Brandstack has featured a domain names only area of the marketplace.

17. T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Conference

    A premier domain industry conference founded by Rick Schwartz. Upcoming events and live domain auctions will be hosted in Miami, FL on October 17th – 20th.

18. Facebook Marketplace Group +

    The Facebook Domain Marketplace is an industry leading Facebook group with over 700 members. Members frequently post domain names for sale on the wall and in discussion forums. Also consider joining the new Domaining Facebook group (no advertising) to network.

19. DNForum Community

    One of the leading forum communities for domain industry professionals. Check out the platinum marketplaces for domains being offered for sale above and below $100, fixed prices, auctions and offers wanted.

20. NamePros Community

    The largest domain industry forum features fixed price, make offer and auction marketplace forums. Occasionally NamePros will host a live auction event through the member chat room where domains can sometimes be found on the cheap.

Hope you enjoyed the list and are able to find some great domain names! Be sure to bookmark this article for future reference and pass it on to your web savvy friends.

If you have any comments or suggestions for buying domain names, please leave a comment.

Top 20 Places to Buy Domains in 2010 DotSauce Magazine

The TRAFFIC, New York 2009 domain conference is underway and starting right now Rick Latona Auctions is broadcasting live on Domaining.com

Domains being offered today include gems like Bananas.com, Bourbon.com, Database.com, Hookahs.com, Draw.com, Referrals.com and many more.

To review all of the premium domains being auctioned today or participate in the auction you can visit the official auction page on Proxibid.

Frank Michlick will be reporting final sales prices live from DNN.com

Tomorrow, October 28th at 4:00 – 6:30 PM ET Moniker will host another live premium domain auction at the TRAFFIC conference.

Up for auction are some valuable properties including…

• Photo.com
• QB.com
• Feature(s).com
• Stuff.com
• OfficeSupply.com

To review all of the premium domains being auctioned tomorrow or participate, visit Moniker’s Auction Headquarters auction inventory. The extended online auction will continue through Nov 4.

Rick Latona Domain Auction Broadcasting Live – Moniker Auction Tomorrow DotSauce Magazine

FreshDrop.net originally launched in 2007 as a unique tool for browsing GoDaddy’s popular TDNAM domain marketplace. Over the years, founder Tan Tran and his team have worked on many enhancements and new features that have transformed FreshDrop.net into an all-around powerful domain research tool designed by domainers for domainers.

FreshDrop.net is not your average domain search and scan tool. The power lies in the amazing filters, functions and statistics that allow domain investors to easily target valuable domains. By filtering out all the “junk” names and getting right down to the types of names one is looking for at the best deals.

Where Do These Domains Come From?

The first thing you will see on FreshDrop is a list of domain marketplaces and individual areas of interest in certain marketplaces. TDNAM, Sedo, Afternic, BuyDomains, Fabulous, Dynadot, and yea even eBay. The marketplace data highlighted in yellow is reserved for FreshDrop Pro subscribers.

Here is a quick overview of some of the filters, features and search parameters that are not to be missed on FreshDrop.net

Domain Filters

This is where FreshDrop really shines. Unique filters narrow down thousands of results based on specific and strict filters like the following…

• Language Filters: English, Spanish, French, German, Dutch, Pinyin, Turkish, Italian
• Short Domain Filters: VCVC, CVCV, LLL, LLLL, LLLLL, NNN, etc.
• Geography Filters: Geo, Travel, US State, US City, Region, Country
• Niche Filters: Adult, Auto, Finance, Health, Internet, Legal, etc.

Domain Search Features

Once you have chosen a desired filter on FreshDrop.net you can further narrow your results to find the perfect names with these search features…

• Domain Extensions
• Require or Exclude Keywords
• Require Statistical Values (See Below)
• Domain Length Restrictions
• Exclude Undesirable Hyphens or Numbers

Domain Statistics

This is something that virtually all domain marketplaces are missing out on. They simply do not show you the hard data attached to each domain. FreshDrop.net aggregates a ton of valuable data and displays it for each domain. Does a domain receive traffic? Is it indexed on Google?

FreshDrop Pro members enjoy valuable added statistics like WordTracker scores as well as in-depth Google search and advertising data for domain searches that provide awesome insight into the value of names.

Go Give It A Try! Free Pro Subscription Trial

So you’ve read about all these cool features on FreshDrop.net and you’re still here? Go check it out for free!

If you’re a domainer looking to automate and expand your domain research then you definitely want to sign up for FreshDrop Pro, there is a 10-day no risk free trial!

I would love to hear your comments about FreshDrop, please leave one below.

FreshDrop: Powerful Domain Name Research DotSauce Magazine

Starting today, July 16th at 12:00 PM PDT / 3:00 PM EDT, the Summer Stimulus Auction kicks off with 44 domains at no reserve!  Here are a few of my picks…

• DegreePrograms.com
• HeadButt.com
• PokerStrategies.net
• Scared.net
• GolfingMaui.com

This is an exciting opportunity for anyone to acquire valuable domains at great prices.

Some premium quality domains are also being offered at auction with reserve prices. Here are some of the best…

• WirelessModem.com – Reserve: $1001 – $2500
• Pumped.com – Reserve: $1001 – $2500
• MusicArchive.com – Reserve: $2501 – $5000
• BuildingInspections.com – Reserve: $5,001 – $10,000
• HomeFitness.com – Reserve: $10,001 – $25,000
• 3N.com – Reserve: $25,001 – $50,000

Visit the SnapNames Summer Stimulus Auction now to view all 80 domains and place your bids.

What do you think of the names in this auction?  Please leave a comment below.

Summer Stimulus Domain Auction at SnapNames DotSauce Magazine

Risky Business

There are evident risks for trademark infringement when using .CM domains.

I encourage any decent sized company to take the initiative and pre-order their respective .CM domain to prevent any later headache.  I also strongly discourage anyone from attempting to profit from typo traffic on established .COM websites.

The typo traffic is likely not as much as you think on your average .CM name. There are more profitable ways to quickly develop online business on legitimate domain names.

I’m also not convinced that .CM is a viable brand option for anything but a company in Cameroon.

Traffic Machines?

On the other side of the table, there are countless .CM domains are generic in nature and can not be said to violate any trademarks. Could these be valuable resources for driving some targeted traffic to existing business?

Rick Latona is managing an auction currently of premium .CM domains that are generic in nature.  Domains such as Cars.cm, Loan.cm, Games.cm, etc. are available with reserves from $1000 to $20,000.

NameJet has gained exclusive rights to manage the sunrise registration / pre-orders for .CM domains.

So What’s Your Move?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Please respond to the poll and leave your comments below.

POLL: Will you pre-order or buy .CM domains? DotSauce Magazine

The NamePros live auction inventory looks good so far with some decent keyword .com names, LLLL.coms and various brandable names. There is still room for more as auction inventory is usually much larger than this. Looks like all domains submitted may get a shot at being sold!

$1 Reserve Featured Domains!

I am liquidating a few names myself for some extra spending money and have listed these nice domains for just $1 reserve!

You can view all the domains being auctioned and place your bids here!

Turnkey Domaining Site For Sale – DropEntry.com

I am also selling a turnkey available domain sharing website that I had developed but never had the opportunity to use.  You can read more about DropEntry here.  This auction lot features the DropEntry.com domain name, custom script and professional logo design!

Join us in the NamePros Live Chatroom at 6pm EST to see the sale!

Upcoming NamePros Auctions

The next event will feature ALL $1 No Reserve domain auctions, that is sure to be fun!  Other NamePros live auctions will highlight ccTLDs and short domain names.

You can view this thread on NamePros.com for all the details on upcoming themed domain auctions, dates and times.

NamePros Live Domain Name Auction! Thursday, July 9th, 6pm EST DotSauce Magazine

These .ME domains are owned by Randy Charach, founder of Synergy Domain Club and all around great online businessman and fellow domainer.

There are hundreds of quality, actionable, and generic one word .ME domains that can be purchased for as little as $69 starting today through the month.

I just browsed through the list and over 150 of these .ME domain names already have backorders placed!  Some great brand names can be found and even real world first names.  Here are some examples…

You can follow this link to view all Premium .ME Domains on NameJet.

A handful of these backorder opportunities may end soon, so check it out while you can and keep watching as Randy has just informed me more will be added in the coming weeks.

Premium .ME Domains For Sale at NameJet DotSauce Magazine

Members of the popular SitePoint Forums marketplace received an announcement this morning about the upcoming launch of Flippa.com, a rebranded and enhanced SitePoint Marketplace. All 36,000 SitePoint members will be able to login with their existing username and password.

An official date has not been set on when the site will be public.

The Flippa interface is quite simplified but is lacking the defined categories that exist in the current marketplace such as Established Websites, Domain Names, and Startup Websites for example. However, Flippa’s Advanced Search feature may make up for it.

Here is what SitePoint had to say about this specific change…

“In the old marketplace we defined what a ‘start up site’ was and an ‘established site’ and so on. This caused way too much confusion. It’s now up to buyers to define their own categories based on data that sellers have entered for their listing. For instance, I might setup a saved search for “sites with more than 10,000 page-views a month” and I might call that ‘established sites’.” via Flippa Blog

The team at SitePoint seems to be focusing on website sales with this new marketplace brand.  The lack of defined categories could be beneficial for domainers to have their domains placed in the same marketplace stream as websites, especially if those domains are earning revenue.

It has yet to be announced if goods and services like hosting, links, consulting, and scripts will even allowed to be listed on Flippa.

There are some noteable improvements to the process of buying and selling websites through classifieds as well as features from the original SitePoint Marketplace.

Here is a snapshot of the handy statistics widget embedded within each listing.

What are your thoughts on Flippa? I for one am excitied to see it grow and gain more exposure to domain and website sales.  Please leave your comments and questions below.

SitePoint Set To Launch Flippa.com Enhanced Website Sales Marketplace DotSauce Magazine

The nature of a domain registration will continue to provide virtually infinite opportunity for domainers, simply because of the fact that names expire.

Please respond to this quick poll question…

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Many domains will be held on to for decades, but the majority of domains will find their way through the proverbial domain recycling plants.

If they are lucky little expired domain names they may end up at SnapNames, NameJet, TDNAM or Pool.com with multiple people vying to be their new owner or a special name may find a new home after becoming available a short time.

Expired domains keep our industries’ wheels turning and money in our pockets!

If you want to take advantage of the expired domain market and get top expired domain picks from myself, please fill out your name and email here…

This brief newsletter gets sent out about every 2 weeks and contains a list of valuable expired domains that have become available to register on a first come first serve basis.

POLL: Do You Buy Expired Domains? DotSauce Magazine

Mr. Ed Keay-Smith, Oz Domainer, will be representing DotSauce readers. He won a free conference pass here a couple weeks ago.  Tell us how it goes Ed!

The complete auction list has been posted on the RickLatona.com and your early bird bids are being accepted via our online auction platform at proxibid.com/ricklatona

To register now for the auction visit www.proxibid.com/ricklatona and create your account.  For any technical questions please contact our Proxibid support lines at 877-505-7770 in the U.S. and +1-402-505-7770 for outside the U.S.

Official T.R.A.F.F.I.C. ccTLDs Domain Auction Catalog

You can type the Euro amount in this Google Finance EUR to USD Conversion tool.

The live auction begins at 4:00 PM GMT +1.  This is 10:00 AM Eastern Time, 7:00 AM Pacific Time.  Auctioneer Matt Lowery will beginning promptly, if you are unable to attend the online it is recommended that you place your bids early online at proxibid.com/ricklatona

Directly following the live auction, any unsold domains – as well as the online only inventory of over 1000+ additional domains will begin.  The online only auction begins on June 5^th and bidding will take place at proxibid.com/ricklatona

TRAFFIC Amsterdam Domain Auction Inventory – 2000 Quality Country Code Domains For Sale DotSauce Magazine

Check out the loaded conference schedule which features some great sessions and a keynote by Dr. Kevin Ham!

I won a free all inclusive conference pass from Rick Latona for referring the most members to his new ccTLDs.com forum. (So, if you need to get the word out about domain related business you know who to go to!)

HOWEVER, I am a bit of slacker and was not able to get my passport in order to be able to attend the conference.

Take My Place, Vote & Comment Below!

I know this is going to be an excellent gathering of top domainers from around the world and I don’t want that experience to go to waste.  Rick has stated that I can transfer my free conference pass to someone else.

Only vote “YES!” if you can make travel arrangements (and have your passport in order) to attend the TRAFFIC conference on June 1st, then leave a comment stating your interest! This is so I can email you if chosen.

Just a simple “I would go!” comment will suffice.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

I will then pick a winner from those who posted a comment at the end of the week on Friday May 15th, that should give the winner a little over two weeks notice to prepare.

Note, this conference pass is a $1,495 value!

Please share this post if you know someone who would be interested!

Poll: Would you go to T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Amsterdam if the Conference Was FREE? DotSauce Magazine

This means that each domain name listed for sale on 1DollarNames.com will sell if a $1 offer is made.

That is, of course, a risk that a domain seller has to take similiarly to the wildly popular Bido.com daily live auctions.

This could mean that only quality domain names will begin to appear soon on 1DollarNames.  I may give it a try myself with a domain that is obviously worth much more than $1, so be on the lookout!

You can also follow @1DollarNames on Twitter for auction updates and while you’re at it, check out @DNMarket also.

$1 Dollar Domains Forum Marketplace Launches DotSauce Magazine

Don’t Miss This Live Auction Event

A portfolio of 2,600 real estate domains have been acquired over 10+ years and will be available for the first time.

Monte Cahn, Founder & President of Moniker had this to say about the upcoming auction, “It is extremely rare for such a preassembled platform of virtual real estate to become available.”

What’s Included In The Portfolio:

• 2,300+ U.S. City Geo-Targeted Collection Covering 99% of the Cities Greater Than 35,000 in Population
• All 50 U.S. State Level Domains
• Top 250 U.S. City Domains
• 145 International Domains
• All 210 Nielsen Media Market City Domains
• 95% of the Collection is Dot Com (.com) Extension

A complete list of domains to be auctioned can be found on JPKing.com.

Quality Geo Domains Representing All Major Cities

Houston, Seattle, Denver, Chicago and New York and more…

Hundreds of millions of searches are made each year for the domain keywords included in this auction.

It has been shown that 90% of today’s real estate buyers are beginning their search online.

This is a unique opportunity for a domain investor or developer to gain an enormous advantage by ranking for high traffic real estate search terms.

For comprehensive details on the real estate domain portfolio and the upcoming June 11th auction please visit WorldRealEstateListings.com.

Upcoming Auction: World’s Largest Real Estate Listings Domain Portfolio DotSauce Magazine

Topping the list was the sale of Ad.com for $1.4 million, an extraordinary domain name you’re sure to hear more about in the coming days and weeks.  Read more below about this sale.

Top 10 Sales from TRAFFIC Silicon Valley Auction

1. Ad.com  – $1,400,000.00
2. BottledWater.com – $45,000.00
3. Athletic.com – $40,000.00
4. Vixen.com – $32,500.00
5. Shutter.com – $25,000.00
6. Diets.net – $21,000.00
7. NonProfits.com – $20,000.00
8. OnlineTelevision.com – $20,000.00
9. Jonesboro.com – $19,000.00
10. SteakKnives.com – $18,000.00

You can view the complete list at Moniker’s Auction Headquarters.

Details On the Ad.com Sale

DNN reports the winning bidder of Ad.com to be Divyank Turakhia whom I had the pleasure of meeting at DomainFest Hollywood last year.

Divyank is the Co-founder of Directi and CEO of Skenzo, an industry leader in domain traffic monetization.

Congratulations sir on your new gem!

We look forward to seeing what plans you have for Ad.com.

TRAFFIC Silicon Valley Live Domain Auction Brings Over $2 Million in Sales DotSauce Magazine

Preliminary contenders for inclusion in the final auction catalog are:

• Realty.com
• Ad.com
• Viajes.com (Spanish for “travel”)
• RepairMyCredit.com
• BestCDRates.com
• BusinessBankruptcy.com
• DebtCollections.org
• DiscountToyStore.com
• OfficeSupplyStores.com
• MovingService.com
• OnlineTelevision.com
• PopUpBlockers.com
• NonProfits.com
• CureForCancer.com
• Junk.net
• SanBernardino.com
• SantaClara.com
• FreightLines.com
• CollegeCourse.com
• SiameseCats.com
• Punks.com
• Reunions.info
• HairReplacement.info
• Commitment.org
• DiscountSoftware.org
• Deal.mobi

The complete catalog will be released on April 14.
For more information, visit: http://domainauctions.moniker.com.

Multiple Bidding Opportunities Available
Registered T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Silicon Valley attendees are automatically eligible to attend the private live auction. Bidders not in the room for the auction can place bids online through SnapNames Live™, an integrated live and online auction platform developed by SnapNames®, another Oversee.net company. Interested bidders may also submit an absentee bid form to the auctioneer, or may sign up for telephone proxy bidding.

Moniker will also host an extended online auction in conjunction with the live event, offering thousands of additional names for sale. The online auction will run for a full week starting on Wednesday, April 29 at 12:15 p.m. Pacific Time (3:15 p.m. Eastern) and closing on Thursday, May 7 at 12:15 p.m. Pacific time (3:15 p.m. Eastern).

To learn more about bidding options for this event, see a complete list of rules and procedures for all Moniker auctions and review all live and online domain auctions throughout the year, visit the Moniker Domain Auction website at http://domainauctions.moniker.com.  Bidders may also contact sales@moniker.com or call (800) 688-6311 for more information.

Moniker Unveils Premium Domains for TRAFFIC Silicon Valley Live Auction DotSauce Magazine

There will be a live auction at Bido.com starting at 1PM today for the purchase of Astounded.com, biding starts at $1 and there is no reserve price!

More About Astounded.com Live Domain Auction

Expert commentary for the domain name has been very positive. Here are a few quotes from the comments on Bido for Astounded.com

“You can’t go wrong with this name. It’s an old name that was a built out site for 8+ years. It is not only a dictionary dotcom the root word astound has power. Kind of a shock and awe word. Strong one word names make the best domains. It is very brandable.”

“I could see this name worth close to 13k when the economy turns around… this domain is a solid investment.”

– Richard Keicher of NameOrder.com

“I would be ‘astounded’ if this went for under 1K. The history and flexibility of this domain give it great value.”

– Shane Cultra

“Astounded? You should be, here is a fantastic opportunity to get your hands on a very strong domain for any portfolio…. I expect this beauty to go for $5,000+ and wouldn’t want to see any less.”

– Gary Taylor of 3ac Domains

Read more comments and register to Bid at Bido.com

Bido is a great new domain marketplace that features 1 domain auction everyday at 1pm.  There is even a bidder chat room.  Simply sign up for a free account and verify a credit card to be able to participate in the live auction!

A Little History About Astounded.com

In 1998, I started a web hosting and design company while fresh into high school. My company, Astounded.com was born out of a passion for creating websites and online business.

I resold some amazing hosting and contracted out to a number web design savvy friends and freelancers for development and design work. I even signed up for this cool online banking service called X.com, now PayPal, and started selling websites and domain names. Back when the old Afternic domain aftermarket chat room was the place to be and domain registrations still cost you $70 a year.

Here is a newspaper clipping of when I was inducted into the Jacksonville, NC Chamber of Commerce as their youngest ever member.

Over the years I gained clients of all types from the local country club, chamber of commerce, musicians, organizations and at one point had 75 web hosting clients. Business was booming, but I was looking for something more that didn’t require so much tech support and allowed me to be more creative.

I later sold the hosting clients (not the company or the Astounded.com domain) and pursued a new path in writing, marketing, developing online businesses and of course domaining has been the foundation of my success online.

I will spare you my college years for now where more online businesses arose and fell and save those stories for another article.

So, with my experience and passion for domaining I have developed this website, DotSauce.com to be a top community of domain owners and my hope is to provide some of the best content, tools and resources available for the domain industry.

A good portion of the proceeds from the sale of Astounded.com will go into improving the DotSauce domainer community!

Sorry, not everyone can win Astounded.com!

Other ways you can support DotSauce…

1. Consider becoming a lifetime DotSauce Premium member.  There is lots of valuable domaining content to be discovered and other generous perks.
2. Advertise your domain industry business on DotSauce.  There are currently a select few positions available, if you feel your business is right then please contact me.
3. Join Rick Latona’s ccTLDs.com forum, I’m in the lead towards winning a conference ticket to TRAFFIC, Amsterdam!

Thanks to all the DotSauce readers new and old!

Astounded.com on Bido Live Auction Today at 1PM EDT – Read expert commentary and history of this 10 year old domain. DotSauce Magazine

Sahar Sarid and Jarred Cohen of Bido.com are organizing a live domain portfolio auction of several donated animal related domains. The live auction will happen on the Bido website on April 1st 2009 at 1PM EDT!

Donna Mahony, a wonderful lady I had the pleasure of meeting at DomainFest, discovered the animal shelter in need of our support.

All of the auction proceeds will go towards feed for the animals (burros, horses and others) at a non profit lifetime animal sanctuary in Arizona, Hacienda de los Milagros.

Visit the Official Bido Charity Auction page for continual updates or to bid.

It takes $500 a day to feed the animals there, and that doesn’t take into account vet bills. The local vet has already donated many thousands of dollars in care as the shelter just can’t pay.

Donated Portfolio of Animal Domains up for Charity Auction

AnimalRescue.us by Jarred Cohen of Bido.com
LostGoat.com by Jarred Cohen of Bido.com
PetBurros.com by Donna Mahony of DomainBoardroom.com
CockatielCare.com by Donna Mahony of DomainBoardroom.com
BrazilianBulldogs.com by Alan Dunn of NewFoundNames.com
DalmatianDogs.net by Alan Dunn of NewFoundNames.com
DogHomes.org by Alan Dunn of NewFoundNames.com
YourHolisticPets.com by John Martel of BuyAndSellDomains.biz
DogAcne.com by John Martel of BuyAndSellDomains.biz
FancyDogs.com by Bob Olea
FurChase.com by Al of FullConfidence.com
PetSalon.org by Al of FullConfidence.com
DallasTexasKennels.com by Kevin Davis of QuickFlipper.Com
RecoverPet.com by Stephen Douglas of DomainRoundtable.com
VetListings.com by Colin Pape of Namage.com
AdoptADonkey.com by Sahar Sarid of Bido.com
DonkeyTime.com by Sahar Sarid of Bido.com
SeniorDog.com by Sahar Sarid of Bido.com
PetVIP.com by Sahar Sarid of Bido.com
MyPetPark.com by Patrick Ruddell of ChefPatrick.com
NineLives.org by Robbie Ferguson of RegFeeNames.com

Visit the Official Bido Charity Auction page to place your bid of support to purchase the portfolio of animal domains!

To submit your animal related domains to the auction
please email jarred @ bido .com

Thank you to Donna and Bido.com for putting on the charity event!  Unfortunately, I don’t have any animal domains to speak of but I hope this post will help out.

My prayers are with the animal sanctuary to protect the animals and to bless those that give!

A side note for domainers… these domains will be featured this week on Bido prior to the charity portfolio auction:

• Astounded.com – Sold! Monday, March 23rd at 1PM EDT
• ZGM.com – Tuesday, March 24th
• HealthCareChat.com – Wednesday, March 25th
• iWhiskey.com – Thursday, March 26th
• TuitionLoans.net – Monday, Mar 30th
• PokerInstructor.com – Tuesday, Mar 31st
• Animal Domain Portfolio for Charity – Wednesday, April 1st!

Bido Charity Domain Auction on April 1st to Support Arizona Animal Rescue Center DotSauce Magazine