How to Sell My Domain Names
There are hundreds of millions of domains registered to people and companies around the world. Many of these names go unused. Before you just let a name expire, you should consider selling the domain name. Many domain owners may not realize that their domain may be desired by someone else and that the other person may be willing to pay for the privilege of taking ownership of that domain. There are many ways to sell your domain including through auctions, escrow companies and brokerage sites.
Instructions
Difficulty:
Step 1
Sell your domain at auction. There are auctions specifically for reselling domain names. Both GoDaddy and Network Solutions offer such auctions. There is a fee to place your domain in the auction. You may specify a buy-it-now price, a lowest-bid-accepted price and the duration of your auction. There may be an additional transaction fee once the domain is sold. The site will then handle the transfer from your name to the seller and make sure that you receive payment.
Step 2
Sell your domain name with an escrow company like Moniker and Escrow. Just like for real estate transactions, domain escrow companies hold the property (in this case the domain) and the payment from the buyer in an escrow account. Once a deal has been reached and the necessary papers signed, the escrow company will release payment to you and transfer the domain to the purchaser. You can sell the domain at whatever price you like, although you may receive a counteroffer from the customer. Once you agree to the price, an agreement will be signed between you and the purchaser. The seller will be required to pay an escrow fee based upon the final sales price of the domain.
Step 3
Sell your domain through a domain broker. Domain brokerage firms like Sedo and DomainBrokers will market your domain name to potential buyers. They will also handle all negotiations and the transfer of your domain on your behalf. Some domain brokerage firms may also work with a domain escrow company. Any additional fees for the escrow service will be taken out of the total fees charged by the brokerage firm. Brokers usually prefer that your domain name be generic and/or highly descriptive, as those names are typically more valuable. For example, cars.com is both a generic and highly descriptive name, and ehow.com is a highly descriptive name. Domains must be approved by the brokerage firm before they will agree to assist you with selling your domain name. The seller will typically pay a percentage of the sale, which may be 10 percent of the total sales price.
References
Resources
Article Written By Si Kingston
Si Kingston has been an online content contributor since 2004, with work appearing on websites such as MadeMan. She is a professional screenwriter and young-adult novelist and was awarded the Marion-Hood Boesworth Award for Young Fiction in 2008. Kingston holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mills College.