Business wants to buy my domain.

13 years ago

Tell them to name a price, otherwise to forget it. Why? The first person to mention a number, in any business negotiation, loses. Obviously, you don't want to forget it, just to draw them out.

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mdigital57

13 years ago

You need to determine the current value of your domain name. I'm new to domain selling as a whole but from my research I understand that in order to value your domain name, you need to do the following:

By using google keyword tool - confirm the total number of monthly searches for the keywords in your domain
Next use the google traffic estimator tool to confirm the cost per click for the keywords in your domain name

Once this is done multiply the total monthly searches by 80% X cost per click X 12 or 24 months.

Whatever result you get from the above should be the minimum offer you should consider for your domain.

Hope you find the above relevant and useful.

Thanks
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Richard Van

13 years ago

Originally Posted by mdigital57

You need to determine the current value of your domain name. I'm new to domain selling as a whole but from my research I understand that in order to value your domain name, you need to do the following:

By using google keyword tool - confirm the total number of monthly searches for the keywords in your domain
Next use the google traffic estimator tool to confirm the cost per click for the keywords in your domain name

Once this is done multiply the total monthly searches by 80% X cost per click X 12 or 24 months.

Whatever result you get from the above should be the minimum offer you should consider for your domain.

Hope you find the above relevant and useful.

No disrespect intended at all but I disagree under these particular circumstances which are that the OP wants to sell to these people.

Firstly there's no way to value a domain, whoever buys it or wants it will pay what they think it's worth for them.

Secondly, as Travelin guy pointed out and their budget is limited, ask them what they will pay and work from there. If he wants to sell it to these people, coming up with some figure based on your suggestions will either be in their range or not and if not, the OP gets diddly squat (Though as Dennis pointed out, you still have a domain)

I don't know where you got your evaluation tools from but this is a supply and demand scenario. You either sell to someone who wants it, for a price they're happy with and you are, or you sit there and wait for a buyer, which incidentally may never come....and, if you had a domain and used that stuff to name a price, I'd know you haven't sold it and I'd come in much lower. It wouldn't take long to figure how long you'd had it.

Respectfully, there is no hard and fast way to determine the price of a domain. It's worth what someone will pay for it.

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mdigital57 13 years ago

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mdigital57

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Richard Van

No disrespect intended at all but I disagree under these particular circumstances which are that the OP wants to sell to these people.

Firstly there's no way to value a domain, whoever buys it or wants it will pay what they think it's worth for them.

Secondly, as Travelin guy pointed out and their budget is limited, ask them what they will pay and work from there. If he wants to sell it to these people, coming up with some figure based on your suggestions will either be in their range or not and if not, the OP gets diddly squat (Though as Dennis pointed out, you still have a domain)

I don't know where you got your evaluation tools from but this is a supply and demand scenario. You either sell to someone who wants it, for a price they're happy with and you are, or you sit there and wait for a buyer, which incidentally may never come....and, if you had a domain and used that stuff to name a price, I'd know you haven't sold it and I'd come in much lower. It wouldn't take long to figure how long you'd had it.

Respectfully, there is no hard and fast way to determine the price of a domain. It's worth what someone will pay for it.

Thanks alot for your comment. You are correct I haven't sold or even listed a domain for sale yet. I got this info from a combination of products I recently purchased. I am a total newbie looking to flipping domain names and websites. Any other tips you have will be welcomed. thanks

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Richard Van

13 years ago

Originally Posted by mdigital57

Thanks alot for your comment. You are correct I haven't sold or even listed a domain for sale yet. I got this info from a combination of products I recently purchased. I am a total newbie looking to flipping domain names and websites. Any other tips you have will be welcomed. thanks

Please don't think I was being rude but Gene knows his domain stuff very well and I think his point backed up what I was saying.

If the domain is truly important to them, you will hear from them again, whether it's a day, or several weeks later. The important thing is that you don't contact them at all after this initial message, no matter how tempted you may be. WAIT for them to come back to you. If they don't, then it is clear the domain is not important enough to them, and therefore would never pay your price. As already mentioned, the first one to name a price (or range) gets the short end of the stick.

I appreciate you're knew to this and domain flipping isn't something I've a lot of experience in but I don't think there's an actual price you can put on domains. It's an emotive issue, one person may do anything to get a domain and the next person may not even want it.

Like I said, I wasn't calling you out, just making a point.

Good luck to you mdigital57, Gene's a good person to pick some very good tips up from on this and Sbucciarel has some good advice and a course I believe (I'm sure I got something on this from her anyway)

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goindeep

13 years ago

Originally Posted by travlinguy

Tell them to name a price, otherwise to forget it. Why? The first person to mention a number, in any business negotiation, loses. Obviously, you don't want to forget it, just to draw them out.

Exactly. I always do this. Ask them to name the price first.

If i where you i would take anything over $1000. As you yourself said there is no development on the domain and anything with regards to the future is not set in stone with yourself. So go for it.

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Dennis Gaskill

13 years ago

It's easy. Tell them your no regrets price.

What that means is, tell them the price you'd be willing to sell at that would leave you with no regrets. If they buy it, you got a price you can be thrilled about, so no regrets. If they don't buy, no regrets that way either because you still have it.

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webster85

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill

It's easy. Tell them your no regrets price.

What that means is, tell them the price you'd be willing to sell at that would leave you with no regrets. If they buy it, you got a price you can be thrilled about, so no regrets. If they don't buy, no regrets that way either because you still have it.

Man... My no regets price? Even that's hard to determine. I mean where's the ceiling? We've seen transactions like this for anywhere from $1,000 -1,000,000+. There's a number in my head that I wouldn't look back for, but I dunno... What would be your no regrets price?

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Dennis Gaskill

13 years ago

Originally Posted by webster85

Man... My no regets price? Even that's hard to determine. I mean where's the ceiling? We've seen transactions like this for anywhere from $1,000 -1,000,000+. There's a number in my head that I wouldn't look back for, but I dunno... What would be your no regrets price?

I don't have plans for the domain so I can't say what my no regrets price would be. You're the only one with plans for it, so that part up to you to determine.

Here's another thing to think about though (in case you don't have enough things to think about ;-) ...

Suppose you do let them name a price as others have suggested. I'm not saying that's a bad idea, but there's always the possibility they could name a price that you would accept -- but that price might be lower than your no regrets price, which they might have accepted as well.

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webster85

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill

I don't have plans for the domain so I can't say what my no regrets price would be. You're the only one with plans for it, so that part up to you to determine.

Here's another thing to think about though (in case you don't have enough things to think about ;-) ...

Suppose you do let them name a price as others have suggested. I'm not saying that's a bad idea, but there's always the possibility they could name a price that you would accept -- but that price might be lower than your no regrets price, which they might have accepted as well.

Yeah, but hypothesize for me. Suppose you were in my shoes. What might your no regrets price be? Or perhaps our no regrets range?

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Dennis Gaskill 13 years ago

Originally Posted by webster85

Yeah, but hypothesize for me. Suppose you were in my shoes. What might your no regrets price be? Or perhaps our no regrets range?

That's really hard for me to do because, as I said, I don't know your plans for the domain and how much it might be worth to you long term. I also don't know how much you need the money or how much money is a lot of money to you. Plus, I don't know how important owning the domain is to you.

So many unknown factors, but if you want me to make a wild guess, the best I can say is it would be at least 4-figures, and perhaps 5-figures. If it's a business name and not a premium keyword domain name it would be hard to get more, IMO.

Again though, my wild guess is meaningless because I have nothing to go on.
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travlinguy 13 years ago

Originally Posted by webster85

Yeah, but hypothesize for me. Suppose you were in my shoes. What might your no regrets price be? Or perhaps our no regrets range?

Post the domain. It's no big deal. You'll get much more legit feedback that way.
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- webster85 13 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by travlinguy
  
  Post the domain. It's no big deal. You'll get much more legit feedback that way.
  
  Call me paranoid, but I don't want this thread with the domain name to be indexed in the search engines.
  
  Thanks
  
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NoBSGuy

13 years ago

According to your information the company is interested in buying your domain mainly because of the name (same name as the company). This fact alone makes it worth the purchase price. The purchase value is basically determined by the brand name itself and can`t be estimated somewhere out there apart from the buyer`s individual interest. Companies pay insane money for domains with brand names.

Put simply: wait for the company to offer a price you are fine with.

Tip: in this case, steer clear from so called internet estimators that evaluate your domain`s name based on factors like age, traffic, links etc...

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Gene Pimentel

13 years ago

My advice: You need to determine their hunger for this domain. Tell them that you've decided not to sell it, as you will be developing it for your own business. Then say nothing more. If the domain is truly important to them, you will hear from them again, whether it's a day, or several weeks later. The important thing is that you don't contact them at all after this initial message, no matter how tempted you may be. WAIT for them to come back to you. If they don't, then it is clear the domain is not important enough to them, and therefore would never pay your price. As already mentioned, the first one to name a price (or range) gets the short end of the stick.

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Gene Pimentel

13 years ago

Originally Posted by IM Gold

if the domain name is part of their domain name i think they can accuse you of cybersquatting and just take it from you. Similar thing happened to me last year with a domain name containing the "copyrighted" word ancestry

If it is a Trademark owned by someone else, you have to be careful not to use it on a websiter that infringes. However there is no such thing as a "copyrighted" domain name.

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webster85 13 years ago

Thank you all for the perspective. It's just difficult to come up with a number I'd be satisfied with, given the extreme range of price tags on these kinds of transactions. Supply and demand being controlled for, the only thing that matters is what the solicitor can afford -- and that's not something I can come up with arbitrarily, so I'll insist that they make an offer and that will be my final communication with them until they do. They know that I am not squatting and that it is the name of my business as well, and with their response they've also hinted that they are afraid of the tab -- I say that to say that they know they have to talk real money.
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tomewer

13 years ago

My 2 cents...

I'm new to internet marketing, but I am not new to business, and more importantly, price negotiation.

They need to make you an offer. If they are actually unwilling to make an offer, then they were never really serious about buying the domain. I can almost guarantee that.

Put yourself in their shoes. If the owner of the domain tells you that he needs a price, are you going to pull out? It would make no sense to if you really want it. At the very least you would put in a lowball offer.

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Big Gee

13 years ago

What if you do like how they do on that show called Sharks with investors...get a monthly residual. Sell for a low to moderate price but for every month/year whatever they own it they pay you X amount otherwise you retain the rights and if THEY turn around and sell it or fail you get it back for whatever you agree upon before it can be released. HAHA idk if you can even do that with domains ? can you the current owner lease a domain or in turn become a like a domain provider.... sorry new at everything IM so excuse my ignorance

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webster85

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Big Gee

What if you do like how they do on that show called Sharks with investors...get a monthly residual. Sell for a low to moderate price but for every month/year whatever they own it they pay you X amount otherwise you retain the rights and if THEY turn around and sell it or fail you get it back for whatever you agree upon before it can be released. HAHA idk if you can even do that with domains ? can you the current owner lease a domain or in turn become a like a domain provider.... sorry new at everything IM so excuse my ignorance

You're not totally off actually. Leasing is definitely an option, and if they don't come in at the right price I've considered proposing a leasing or lease to own arrangement. The terms & conditions of such arrangements would likely require legal consultation though, as they can be much more complex than a simple sales transaction.

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Rashell

13 years ago

My first thought also went towards the possibility of trademark infringement. It'll make a big difference in whether you get to "sell it" or they get to "take it". They could just be "playing nice" right now. Have a sit down with an attorney who specializes in this area. If I were them I'd be doing just that.

Rashell

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webster85

13 years ago

Originally Posted by Rashell

My first thought also went towards the possibility of trademark infringement. It'll make a big difference in whether you get to "sell it" or they get to "take it". They could just be "playing nice" right now. Have a sit down with an attorney who specializes in this area. If I were them I'd be doing just that.

Rashell

I'm not worried about trademark infringement or cybersquatting charges. As I stated, this is a registered business of mine in the states. Their business is a non-profit out of South Africa. There's no way they could present the case that I'm intentionally profiting off of their trademark, and I'm pretty sure I purchased this domain before they were even in business. Aside from that I don't know what legal grounds they'd have to take what I rightfully own, and trying to find whatever flimsy justification they could for such a case would surely be much more expensive than just buying it from me.

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seasoned

13 years ago

Originally Posted by webster85

I'm not worried about trademark infringement or cybersquatting charges. As I stated, this is a registered business of mine in the states. Their business is a non-profit out of South Africa. There's no way they could present the case that I'm intentionally profiting off of their trademark, and I'm pretty sure I purchased this domain before they were even in business. Aside from that I don't know what legal grounds they'd have to take what I rightfully own, and trying to find whatever flimsy justification they could for such a case would surely be much more expensive than just buying it from me.

Don't underestimate south africa. Verisign, for example, had only a little less than like 40% of the SSL market. They wanted to grow QUICK! You know what they did? They bought a little company called THAWTE, in SOUTH AFRICA!

About Thawte - SSL and Code Signing Certificates from Thawte, Inc.

Thawte - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thawte was originally run from Shuttleworth's parents' garage. Shuttleworth's original project was to produce a secure server not fettered by the restrictions on the export of cryptography which had been imposed by the U.S. The server, Sioux, was an adaptation of the Apache HTTP server; it was later integrated with the Stronghold web server as Thawte began to concentrate more on their certification activities.
[edit]Sale

In 1999 VeriSign acquired Thawte in a stock purchase from Shuttleworth for US$575 million.[1] Both VeriSign and Thawte had certificates in the first Netscape browsers, and were thus 'grandfathered' into all other web browsers. Before VeriSign's purchase, they each had about 50% of the market. VeriSign's certificate rollover was due to take place on 1 January 2000 -- an unfortunate choice considering the imminent Y2K bug. (Thawte had a similar rollover in July 1998.) The purchase of Thawte ensured there would be no business loss over Y2K[citation needed].

Steve

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WebPen

13 years ago

I'd go with whatever Gene says, since he's the domain master around here!

If you had approached them I'd think maybe you should throw out a price first, but since they approached you maybe you should make them sweat a little.

Ask any real estate agent how much of a difference playing the waiting game can make!

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timpears

13 years ago

I don't know if you are in the USA or not, but if you are, there is a possibility that you can structure a transaction that will benefit both of you, and you can come out knowing that you did a favor for someone.

This will depend on your income level. But if you set a price high enough that the tax deduction will pay you to give it to them as a donation. I am assuming that this is a non profit with favorable tax status that you can get a tax deduction.

I have no idea what price this would need to be for you to consider. But if you let them know that they would need to give you a receipt for your donation commensurate with what you would need so that amount deducted from your taxes would yield a big to make up for your loss of the domain.

That of course assumes that you decide to part with it, but I don't get the opinion that you want to part with it. And in that case, just tell them that you have an attachment to it and really want to develope it.

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goldmills 13 years ago

Honestly - I'd sell it to them at the price they can afford.

If you have this domain now, and it's not making you ANY money by sitting on it, then selling it makes you money - do it.

Ask them what their budget is.

Then sell it to them. It's better to have a domain sold than a domain name grow old.

Yes, I agree - first one to mention price "loses" but only if it's a really low price. You gotta do your research too...

Show this business:

1. How many searches per month the domain keywords are getting
2. Show them how many searches similar domains are getting
3. Put a value on it that is fair
4. Sell it - give the non-profit with a limited budget a good price, where everyone wins.
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Karen Connell

13 years ago

First you have to make a decision - do you want to sell.

Once that decision is made and assuming that you do want to sell, ask them to make you an offer.

Triple their offer - that will give you an idea of what they are willing to pay.

Now you just have to decide if the figure (offer x 3) is one you are prepared to begin negotiations with.

If it is nowhere near what you want for the domain, tell them that you won't sell it for triple their offer and wait.

If they really want it, they will be back. If not you still have the domain to develop yourself.

Karen

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nicholasb

13 years ago

the basics of negotiation are

1. never make the first offer
2. the first offer they make is never high enough even if they say a million bucks
3. Double or even triple what they said if they say a million say you want 2 million

then work on a price from there get as much from them as they are willing to pay and if it's worth your while take the offer.