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First, you might want to sell your domain name if you no longer need it. This can happen if you purchase a domain name and close your business or if you never use the domain name.
Alternatively, you might want to learn how to sell a domain name to make a profit. Buying and selling domain names is referred to as domain trading. Domain selling can be a lucrative business if you build up a solid portfolio of domains.
There are risks involved if you plan to turn domain selling into an investment or business. You should learn about how to sell domain names before you invest a lot of resources.
As far as commodities go, domains do not have a high level of liquidity. The sales process can be long, and you should be prepared to wait for offers. Additionally, if you run into trademark issues, you might have to surrender your domain for free.
Understanding how to sell domain names is a useful skill whether you need to sell a few or if you want to invest in it long term.
If you follow the steps in this guide, you can learn how to sell a domain name safely and for the best price.
When you’re ready to sell your domain name, there are a few places you can go to sell it.
Experienced sellers various platforms to find buyers, including domain marketplaces and in-person selling.
Some popular domain marketplace websites include Afternic, Flippa, and Sedo.
Listing sites can connect you to a marketplace of interested buyers. Additionally, most domain marketplaces offer related services, including valuation assistance, finding a domain broker, and financing.
You can also put your domain up for auction with listing websites. Many large domain marketplaces offer auctions too.
And finally, reach out to people in your network that might be interested in purchasing your domain.
Before you sell a domain, you need to know its value. Domain values vary greatly, from a few dollars to thousands or millions.
Domain valuation involves several factors, including:
Some of the domain valuation factors are static. However, if you have a domain name similar to a popular brand or topic, its relevance (and value) can skyrocket.
To find your domain’s value, you can use an online appraisal tool or work with a professional appraiser.
Online appraisal tools like honmart.comuse a variety of metrics and factors to estimate the value of your domain name.
Online appraisals provide several analytic results along with your estimated value. The analytic results include comparable domain sale values and keyword rankings.
On the other hand, if you have trouble finding a value for your domain using online estimators, you might need the help of a professional appraiser.
Finding your domain’s value is the first step to sell a domain name. Next, you need to set a price.
There are several pricing strategies you can employ, depending on your goals and where you choose to sell it. If you’re entertaining multiple buyers in an auction, you can advertise a lower price to generate interest.
Alternatively, you can set a fixed price and advertise your domain as “priced to sell.” A fixed “buy now” price on your domain works best if you want a fast sale.
Why learn how to sell a domain name if potential buyers can’t contact you?
It’s important that potential buyers can quickly get in touch with you. So, make sure your contact information is available on all listings and landing pages (see step four).
You don’t need to provide extensive contact details, but at the very least, you should have an email or phone number that buyers can use to reach you.
In addition to updating your listings, you want to check that your WHOIS listing is up to date. A WHOIS record identifies the domain owner (also known as the registrant) and provides their contact information.
If you used a private registration service or a proxy service when you purchased your domain, then you should register the domain under your contact information before you sell it.
Your domain name listing is like a store display. The better it looks, the more attention it receives.
Create an attractive listing and highlight your domain’s selling points to help stand out from the competition.
Display any metrics or factors that increase your domain’s value (or potential value) on your listing page to increase your chance of selling your domain.
If you want to know how to sell a domain name like a professional, then consider creating a landing page for your domain.
You can create a landing page by using a URL redirect. Simply put, this causes the domain name you’re selling redirect to the landing page you created.
So, if someone tries to visit your domain as a website, they’ll see it’s for sale and find your contact information.
Handling payments for a domain name sale isn’t as simple as a regular purchase. There’s some trust involved with the transfer.
For example, you can transfer the domain and then trust the buyer will send you the money. Or, the buyer can pay you first and trust that you’ll transfer the domain.
But how to choose which order?
The good news is that you don’t have to risk it. You can use an escrow service to secure the transaction. An escrow service holds onto the payment until the domain name is transferred.
Escrow services facilitate any type of transfer. In short, an escrow service helps protect both parties from fraud.
Most domain marketplaces offer an escrow service, but if you sell with one that doesn’t, you can employ your own. Escrow.com is one of the most popular services for selling domains.
When you choose an escrow service, check to see if it offers seller protection for intangible goods. Finally, confirm that your escrow service is licensed. Escrow scams can occur, and you want to make sure the one you use is legitimate.
Now that you’ve chosen an escrow service and payment has been made, it’s time to transfer your domain to the new owner.
The domain transfer process changes depending on where your domain is registered. Different domain registrars may require other steps.
However, there are always three main steps in any transfer. They are:
After the domain is transferred, the new owner will need to verify their ownership. If you’re using WHOIS privacy, then you need to disable it. Otherwise, you can skip this step.
You will need the account administrator to provide authorization during the domain transfer process. So, before you initiate a transfer, make sure that the admin is up to date.
Check with the domain registrar to see which email address is listed and change it if necessary.
If you need to update the admin email, your registrar might place an anti-transfer lock on your account for up to 60 days. The transfer lock prevents fraudulent activity, but it can also delay the transfer process.
Most domain registrars place a transfer lock on domains to prevent fraud or mistakes. If your domain has a lock on it, contact your registrar to unlock it before moving on with the transfer process.
Once the domain is unlocked, you’ll need the transfer authorization code from your registrar. Your registrar might also refer to this code as the auth code, EPP code, or secret code.
You’ll need the domain buyer to request the transfer. They’ll need the transfer authorization code from step three to purchase another year of registration. The additional year begins after your current registration plan ends.
When the transfer request comes through, all you need to do is approve it and the process begins. The request goes to the email on file as the admin, so be sure you take care of step two.
There are multiple reasons you might want to sell a domain name. Whether you’re going to invest in domain trading or you want to sell an unused name, you must take the time to learn how to sell a domain name.
The process can take time, so make sure that you do it right and avoid fraud. Otherwise, all the time you invested might not pay off.
