Every website has a domain name. This is the address users must type in to access it. Well-known examples include google.com and whitehouse.gov. Domains are not simply an address, but an identity. Sometimes, they're referred to as online real-estate, distinct spaces on the Internet that can be bought and sold. If you own a domain name with a great deal of potential or for a site that has already established itself, it's possible to sell this virtual real estate for many times what you bought it at.
Instructions
Difficulty:
Domain Listing Services
Step 1
Use a domain listing service if you want to advertise the sale of your domain with minimum cost and hassle. The trade-off is that domains might not sell for as high a price as if you used a broker or auction site. There are dozens of domain listing services online, such as Afternic, Fabulous Domains and Sedo.
Step 2
Visit a domain-listing service website and create an account. In most cases, you will be asked to enter financial information so that you might be billed for services and paid for successful deals.
Step 3
Post domain names as you wish to sell them. Desirable and under-priced domains might sell quickly, while others could take months or years to sell--if they ever sell at all.
Auction Sites
Step 1
Use an auction site if you believe your domain name is desirable enough to lead to a bidding war. This can significantly increase the payout for your domain name, though if the auction doesn't go well, the domain name might sell for less than you intended. You can use both auction sites specific to domains like GoDaddy's Domain Auctions, or generic auctioneering sites like Ebay. As a rule of thumb, use domain auction sites to sell undeveloped domains and Ebay to sell fully functional and popular websites.
Step 2
Go to the auction website of your choosing and create an account. Some sites like Ebay do not handle money transfers themselves, but instead rely upon a third-party money handler like PayPal. Because of this, you might need to register with more than one site. The auction site you choose will provide more specific directions.
Step 3
Post your auction. Most sites allow you to select a time frame for your auction, ranging from one day to several weeks. The longer the auction lasts, the more attention it will receive and the greater the likelihood that it will get bids.
Brokers
Step 1
Use a broker if you have numerous domains you wish to sell at the highest possible price. As professionals in the virtual real-estate market, brokers have a developed sense of the worth of a domain name, as well as how to best get your money for it. They will handle all your sales for you, if you choose, allowing you to focus on buys. For their active labor, however, they ask for a larger cut of the sale than an auctioneering site or domain listing would.
Step 2
Search for brokers and visit their websites to get a sense of which ones would best suit your needs. Some brokers will not work with you unless you've already established a reputation for good sales. Others might ask for more than you're willing to pay. Narrow the pool.
Step 3
Contact likely candidates via email, explaining what you'd like them achieve and asking how much they'd charge for it and how long they estimate their services taking. In addition to noting their answer, pay attention to how long it takes them to respond and how well they communicate. The better their ability to communicate with you, the easier future interactions are likely to be.
Step 4
Choose your broker and select the domains you wish for them to sell. Although you can give all your domains to the broker to handle, at first you might want to give only a few as a test. If they do well, you can trust them with more later on.