Domain flipping can be a profitable online business opportunity for the right person. Could it be you? Well, let’s find out.
Buying and selling domain names isn’t anything new. In fact, it has been a practice since the early 1990s. If you are new to learning about how to earn money buying and selling domain names, let me explain how it all works.
A domain name is the address of a website. It is the word you type in to find a website. Like this website: JustOnlineBusiness.com.
And some domains can be highly lucrative. The domain Voice.com sold for $30 million in 2019 and Whisky.com for $3.1 million in 2014. [Source]
But, you will probably never up with a name that will sell for millions. That’s a bit of a long shot. But once you are experienced, you can find domains that sell for a few $100 to a few $1000’s of dollars in profit.
If you know what you are doing then it can be quite a good part-time income to a full-time income. Now, don’t go running away thinking it can make you an overnight millionaire. The chances of you succeeding and actually making a decent profit within your first few months are low. But, hey, don’t let that put you off learning about this unique online opportunity.
What is Domain Flipping?
Domain flipping is essentially, buying a domain name that you think would sell for more than your acquired price sometime in the future. It is a pretty easy concept. Buying is actually the easiest part of it. Selling…. Requires some knowledge of the market, actively looking for potential buyers and patience.
All the above requires time and effort on your part. The best way is to start with a small budget that you can afford to experiment and make mistakes. This is because you are bound to lose your money on the first few domain names you buy. Maybe start it as a side hustle till you gain traction?
What Are the Best Domains?
Contrary to what I wrote about when I wrote: Tips for choosing the right domain name for yourself. When it comes to choosing a domain extension (.com .net) for domain flipping you should not just target these top-level domains (TLDs). In some cases, you can choose extensions like .club .io and they too can fetch a high price as much as a TLD. It all depends on the market you are in and what your market needs.
And don’t worry if you think all the good ones are taken. It’s true that popular single word domains like business.com, booking.com, are taken. But there are still plenty of 2 or 3 keyword domains for you to hunt.
Another area that is still not fully purchased yet is the geographical location names. A name like California.com sold for a few million in just 2019. And keep a lookout for special big events like the Olympics.
You can also find out popular names or generic names that your chosen market might be interested in.
Why You Should Specialize in a Market
When deciding to buy domains for selling, I recommend choosing a market that you have some knowledge before you dive in and purchase any domains. This is important so you know what your prospective buyers look for in the domain to judge what domains will be in demand.
For example: Let’s say you know a lot about fishing. Then I recommend buying domains in the fishing niche. This way you know and is interested in learning about your prospective buyers.
You should avoid guessing and thinking of what domains will be profitable. Because to guess and get it right on a market you know nothing about is like buying 100 domains and selling only one.
If you are serious and want this to be at least your part-time income then you should do as the pros do, and one thing they do is networking! 🙂
Hang out in forums related to buying and selling domain names. I recommend NamePros. You can learn all things domain purchasing and selling here.
How to Evaluate the Price of a Domain Name
To evaluate the price of a domain name, you need to look at a few different things.
The amount of direct traffic (people directly typing the domain name for visiting) that domain gets.
By using a service like Afternic appraisal
By using a site like NameBio, to find out what domains similar to yours sold for.
Where to Buy the Domains
I personally buy all my domains from NameCheap. They are a reputed company that has great prices on domains that are still available. You can also use companies like NameSilo and Gandi or Google Domains.
You can buy from marketplaces like Sedo where people list their domains for sale. If you are watchful, you can snatch a few quality domains that are going to expire that people have forgotten about.
You can even try directly contacting the owner of a registered domain to see if you can negotiate the purchase of the domain.
Where Can You Sell Them?
Again there are many marketplaces that can be used to list your domain for selling.
Some of the popular ones are:
You can also do a Google search to see if there are any potential entities that might be interested in your domain. If you are going this route, be ready to negotiate and be active in the process of selling.
You can also just wait. Patience is the key here. Domains are an investment. You could sell your domain right after you buy it or wait and potentially sell it for a considerable amount more.
Are There Any Risks Involved?
There are definitely some risks in this business model just like any business offline or online. While you can make a decent chunk of money if you know what you are doing, at the beginning till you learn the ropes, you will probably lose some money. That’s why I said at the beginning to have a small budget that you can afford to lose while you learn.
Remember that your domain may not sell at all or sell at the price that you thought it would. From all the domains you buy, some will be winners, and some will be losers. The goal is to have more winners than losers and to have the winners generate you a profit overall.
You can also run into a lot of trouble if you were to purchase and use trademarked domains. To avoid this I first suggest checking the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to see if the names are already trademarked.
So do the necessary checks before you purchase anything.
Conclusion
Flipping domains is done by many people for many years. It is a craft that anyone that wants to learn can learn. To be good at it you have to network and learn all the basics, maybe read up on some courses, and definitely choose a market that you know something about or at least interested in learning about.
Before buying any domains, make sure to do a background check and also find out the current value of the domain. If you find a good deal, purchase it, and be willing to wait. Just like an investment property, domain buying, and selling takes time.