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Website flipping / selling websites: how important are domain names?

by darkangel
15 replies
I'm getting into website flipping and I'm also creating a few sites from scratch to grow and sell. It is very hard to find good .com domain these days, so I'm wondering how important is the domain name when posting a site for sale on places like Flippa.

I understand that domain flipping and website flipping are two different things and that the buyer can easily buy a website on Flippa and change the domain to whatever they want.

But I'm not sure how much attention is paid to the domain when possible buyers are considering your site. I want to grow a few websites to sell maybe 1 or 2 years later for a nice profit, but if the domain is important I want to be sure I put an extra effort searching for some good ones.

Thanks guys!
#domain #flipping #important #names #selling #website #websites
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  • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
    The only thing that matters to people who know what they are doing is money. Domain names aren't worth much except to people who don't know any better.

    We've had plenty of successful sites that had domain names that weren't related to what they were selling at all. Conversely, we've had great domain names for sites that ultimately were not very successful.

    Which would you rather buy - the bad domain name, high profit website or the one with the great domain name that is barely breaking even? The answer should be obvious.

    Build a website that makes money and you'll have plenty of buyers, regardless of its domain name.
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  • Profile picture of the author tewelrogers
    The website's domain name used by a business is one of the key factors when it comes to the promotion of the brand or services offered. When a domain name relates to the services or products offered by the business then it becomes easy for users or customers to remember its name.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shana Walters
    Originally Posted by darkangel View Post

    I'm getting into website flipping and I'm also creating a few sites from scratch to grow and sell. It is very hard to find good .com domain these days, so I'm wondering how important is the domain name when posting a site for sale on places like Flippa.

    I understand that domain flipping and website flipping are two different things and that the buyer can easily buy a website on Flippa and change the domain to whatever they want.

    But I'm not sure how much attention is paid to the domain when possible buyers are considering your site. I want to grow a few websites to sell maybe 1 or 2 years later for a nice profit, but if the domain is important I want to be sure I put an extra effort searching for some good ones.

    Thanks guys!

    Well I know one lady on Medium who actually buys brand new domain names and flips them quickly for a few hundred dollars. Since AI is so popular, that's where her focus is now.
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  • Profile picture of the author iandreas1
    Hi, of course, the profit that a website makes is the most important for a buyer, but a catchy domain can sometimes push a potential website buyer to buy a website easier.

    But the important reason to choose a good domain is not that.

    The important reason to choose a good domain that includes your website topics keywords is that it can help you in SEO, so you can make profit easier and faster.
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    • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
      Originally Posted by iandreas1 View Post

      Hi, of course, the profit that a website makes is the most important for a buyer, but a catchy domain can sometimes push a potential website buyer to buy a website easier.
      Yep, that's true, all things being equal, which they seldom are. Sure, if you can get a great domain name and build a great website around it, go for it. My point is, don't let the pursuit of the perfect domain name slow you down. Super successful sites can be built regardless of domain name. (I'm sure NOBODY originally thought Craigslist or eBay were great domain names for the services they provide.)

      Now, if you just want to buy domain names and flip them without building successful websites on them, that's another matter. There will always be those out there who think the domain name really does matter and perhaps it does when you are branding your own products. Otherwise, not so much. You're just site with information someone was seeking and they found your site in a search engine. They couldn't care less what the name of the site is (and probably didn't even look).
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      • Profile picture of the author RMRC
        Originally Posted by dave_hermansen View Post

        There will always be those out there who think the domain name really does matter and perhaps it does when you are branding your own products. Otherwise, not so much. You're just site with information someone was seeking and they found your site in a search engine. They couldn't care less what the name of the site is (and probably didn't even look).
        100% TRUE! I've seen totally arbitrary website names that don't have anything to do with what they're selling but they still make a killing in sales.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jack Jackob
    Averagely, a beginner can earn between $100 to $10,000 by flipping domains. However, seasoned domain flippers can flip undervalued domains for millions of dollars.
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  • Profile picture of the author Devilfish168
    Quite a lot doing this selling expired domains but also quite a lot ownself go find expired good domains. Means they will not buy from your service. They know you are flipping the domain to sell. Of course they need some knowledge to find those domains. There are tools to scrap etc.
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  • Profile picture of the author bonussurfer
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    • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
      Originally Posted by bonussurfer View Post

      In terms of SEO, a domain name that includes relevant keywords or phrases can help the website rank higher in search engine results pages, which can make it more attractive to potential buyers looking to acquire a website with established traffic.
      Totally false. It was that way years ago but not anymore. in 2020, Google Webmaster Trends Analyst John Mueller revealed that keywords in domain names no longer play a role in determining search engine results rankings -
      Originally Posted by bonussurfer View Post

      If you're having trouble finding a good .com domain, consider looking into other top-level domains (TLDs) such as .net, .org, or country-specific TLDs like .co.uk. However, keep in mind that a .com domain is still the most recognized and sought-after TLD, so it's worth putting in the extra effort to find a good one if possible.
      If memorable is what you are going after, keep in mind that your every day "Joe" does not pay attention to TLDs. While that can be a good thing for people buying domain names with obscure TLDs, "Joe" is probably not going to remember that TLD. He is going to remember it as a .com, whether it is or not, meaning people who intended on re-visiting your site may very well end up at the.com site of your competitor.
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      • Profile picture of the author DABK
        On the other hand, I would have paid $500 for Chicagomotels.com or Lasvegasmotels com or any big city motel.com a few years ago, when I was thinking about doing a site about city+motel.com

        But they wanted 2300 or more and I figured the difference, spent on SEO, would serve me better.

        I ended up not doing hotels. Did something similar and the SEO part is what made it work, not the domain name. Though, for a sinful reason (pride) I'd like to have the domain name be my main keyword.

        At some point pride might make me stupid and I will pay thousands for a domain name. For now, though, marketing a site gets my money.
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        • Profile picture of the author dave_hermansen
          Originally Posted by DABK View Post

          Though, for sinful reason (pride) I'd like to have the domain name be my main keyword.

          At some point pride might make me stupid and I will pay thousands for a domain name. For now, though, marketing a site gets my money.
          This, more than any other reason, is why a website owner cares about a domain name!
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  • Profile picture of the author alanaj
    If it's just a money site, the domain may not be a big deal.

    However, if it will be a long-term business establishing a brand, then a domain name that will align with promotion and marketing will be better.
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  • Profile picture of the author talfighel
    The domain name itself is not important.

    The only thing that matters, at the end of the day, is how much money they can make from it.
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  • Profile picture of the author AdvantagePerks
    From my experience, the domain can increase the price, but most of the time, everybody is looking at the traffic and money the website generates. My experience are a bit outdated, as I haven't tried to flip websites for nearly 3-4 years, but I don't think that anything have changed.
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  • Profile picture of the author ahadu jhon
    Domain names play a crucial role in website flipping and selling as they can significantly impact a website's perceived value, branding potential, and search engine optimization (SEO) performance.
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