My Experience
Yesterday, September 19, 2020 marked 2 years exactly since I registered my first domain names for investment purposes. I have bought, sold, brokered, renewed, helped lease, dropped, backordered, pushed, accepted, received and gave away domains for free.
I have also worked full time as an independent contractor at a domain name registrar. With that I have dealt with customers, both buyers and sellers, helped random persons acquire domains and other digital assets. For the past couple of days, I have been on a sabbatical from domaning twitter to gather some thoughts and to check to see if I am on track with my vision.
What I am about to tell you is something that you should take into careful consideration based on my past two (2) years in the domain name industry. For the next couple of days I will be sharing a few thoughts on why I think we (domainers) are operating below our potential.
A Domain Name Is Part Of A Full Experience
I can’t explain the feeling of joy when I wake up to a domain name that sold, or I get a price inquiry or learn something interesting that boosts the value of domain name I hold. As domain name investors, the ultimate goal is to sell a domain name, yes?
Hmmm, I don’t think so. I think it really should be to ensure the domain name is used in the best way it possibly could be used. The reason why other people spend money on domain names is not the inherent value of the name itself but the POTENTIAL that it has to actually provide value to other people through an app, website or redirect.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the phrase “Domain Names As A Service” and the talk about domain names as the digital asset class of the future. Yes, I am an enthusiast as well.
But, let’s not forget that end users (who determine the value of a domain) have a vision and a goal to squeeze as much value out of that brand as is possible and the domain name is only a part of the full experience that they hope to provide to a lot more people.
Domains Were Meant To Be Built On
Are you sitting on a domain that could add more value to the world right now than be on a for sale lander? I am not talking about the ones that you have a BIN price on in Sedo, Afternic, Dan or Epik.
I am talking about that brilliant domain that gets a whole lot of targeted traffic, you don’t have a BIN price just make offer and you see random people writing messages ever so often on the lander thinking it’s a site. That name that you think might just be worth over 5 or 6 figures. Are you sitting on potential that can be materialised today by you rather than when it sells? Think about it.
I will delve into this a bit more soon.
