About ten years or so ago when a lot of companies were making their first steps onto the online world, domain names were being snapped up aggressively. Many purchases were speculative or have now become surplus to requirements for one reason or another. But instead of letting these pieces of internet real estate quietly expire, why not try auctioning them off instead?
The three most popular domain name auction sites where domain name owners can place their redundant domain names up for sale at a fixed price or for auction are sedo.com, eBay and AfterNIC. Check, too, with your domain name registration company, they may be able to help you. Frequently, they have their own systems in place for customers to sell domains.
The highest prices are paid for three or four letter domains, especially dot coms rather than country specific domains, and domains that are generic. For instance, ekym.com was recently sold on sedo.com for $1150 (approx. £575) while mymobile.mobi went for $15,500 (approx. £7750).
Before selling off your spare domains however, take into account the impact it will have on your own business first. Could it be used to undermine your brand or as a domain for a rival company competing in the same marketplace?
Also, ensure you have the right to transfer the domain out from its existing registrar. If the domain name was purchased by you this should not be a problem. But domains that were obtained for free as part of a web hosting package or from an ISP are another matter. Often, though the customer is listed as the keeper of the domain, the company who offered it as a freebie retains the overall rights as per the small print. Some refuse point blank to release a name; others will demand a hefty fee to transfer the domain away from their control. So look into this matter first.
Listing a domain for sale is free, the cost comes later if the name sells and then users are required to pay a percentage of the sale price, normally around 10 per cent.
You could, of course, cut out the middleman and simply put a holding page up for the domain that advises visitors the domain is for sale and supplying contact details. The downside is that you are then relying on a potential buyer actively seeking out the domain rather than placing it in a well-trafficked domain auction site and scoring an impulse buyer. It could well be the only thing attracted are unwanted cold call salespeople. A better idea would be to put up a “for sale” holding page with a link to your domain name auction site listing.
If the complexities of transferring out a domain name are off-putting bear in mind that most domain name companies have a quick and easy system in place to enable internal transfers between customers. The simplest way to avoid domain name headaches is to insist the buyer creates an account at your domain name hosting company, make the internal transfer and then it up to them to sort out the details of moving the domain away should they so wish.
Now, excuse me, I may well have some leftover domains I can offload myself.
Useful links
Domain name selling strategies
