The recent launch of the much-anticipated Uniregistry Market generated a strong reaction by me and others. The integration of Uniregistry with Domain Name Sales is still ongoing, and overall the user experience has been carried over. While there are things missing currently, such as the custom response templates, I consider the platform to be a [&#...

Ever since I started using Domain Name Sales in the fall of 2012, I've consistently offered suggestions and recommendations to the company, directly or indirectly. In the past, I've had very little "bone" to pick with DNS, and any issues were resolved swiftly. Today's revelation of a staged rollout of new landing pages for domains […]...

An important task of a domain investor, is the evaluation of incoming inquiries and the subsequent response to them. While some inquiries might note appear to be promising, it's good exercise to respond to them, as an exercise in business communications. Many domain investors fail at this point, being unable to articulate their response in […...

My domain portfolio is mostly available through Domain Name Sales. While there have been some issues in the past, they typically get resolved quickly and I'm currently into the 4th year of using DNS both for PPC monetization and domain sales. At the same time, I typically use Uniregistry for registering and managing domain names, […]

DN.com has released a series of increasingly cryptic announcements regarding its service and web site availability. It all started when a message via Twitter and Facebook indicated that DN.com will be closing down for "1-3 days" to perform some business entity changes. The announcement was followed up by stating that more days will be required; [&#...

I have no problem with receiving domain inquiries that do not immediately convert into a sale. An exchange that did not lead to a sale, provides useful metrics about a particular domain, and helps me understand the other party's intentions better. Some inquiries fail due to a budgetary constraint, others expose the inability of the […]

Flippa is a domain marketplace that attracts a variety of domain sellers; its global reach is quite profound. While most US-based domain sellers are aware of and comprehend the purpose of trademarks, those in many other countries often do not. Trademark infringing domains are definitely being listed on Flippa, because there is no automatic provisio...

I've been a keen supporter of the new gTLD system since its launch two years ago. It is the evolution of an Internet name space that was densely occupied by those that ventured into domain investing early on. While I still invest in and support the original TLD triad, .com, .net and .org, I consider […]

As a domain investor, I often acquire domains after a considerable amount of negotiation. My goal is to maintain the privacy of the terms and the associated price. Although a non-disclosure agreement can take care of the general terms of an exchange, there is a weak point that is not always controlled by me or […]

Fifteen years ago, a Network Solutions flaw cost me a domain, albeit temporarily. That domain theft incident led me to research the proliferation of domain crime, and its processes. For the past dozen years I've been following, reporting, exposing and assisting with the return of domains that have been stolen. Many cases involved corporate domain [...

After 15 years of direct end-user domain sales, I'm very familiar with the lingo used by those who attempt to get a domain on the cheap. I'm not referring to the hordes of "poor students," or the "single entrepreneur moms," or even the occasional cash-strapped "non-profit." Domain sales occur when the offer is within my […]...

There are plenty of domain professionals from China that are honest, up front and willing to engage in domain transactions with Westerners. They speak adequate English, and at any rate, better than my Mandarin. Whether you sell to the Chinese, or buy domains from them, you're bound to come across some shady characters. I sold […]

Ever since I saw Frank Schilling's presentation of the Uniregistry Market and the presentation of the app during NamesCon, I've been patiently awaiting its upcoming launch. Uniregistry has been very consistent in improving its services, and the unification of the Domain Name Sales platform with the registrar services is expected to resolve many iss...

To paraphrase an old saying: When offered a non-gift horse, by all means look it in the mouth. Domain portfolios are often paraded among peers, in exclusive emails or lists that are shared around. Quite often, the list is sent out on the pretext that prices quoted are "friendly prices." This type of statement, coming […]

Many domain investors that do not attend domain conferences actively, view them as a vehicle for selling domains from their inventory. When I attended TRAFFIC 2008 in Orlando, Florida, I too had aspired to sell domains during the auction. While that didn't happen, it was a blessing in disguise, as some of my listings were […]

Domain auctions on several venues, such as Sedo and Flippa, come with a detailed description by the seller. Typically, a domain listing's description might contain information on the domain's qualities. Such details could be age, marketability, comparable sales figures, or statistics about the metrics for the domain (traffic, revenue etc.) For the ...

NamesCon 2016 was a turning point, as far as domain conferences go; it is also a pivotal point for the domain industry. Its organizers have extensive data about attendance and other important metrics, and I'm certain that part of it will be released eventually. What matters right now, is the impact of such an event […]

When I thanked Richard Lau and the NamesCon Team in advance, I had no doubt in my mind that they'd produce a stellar domain conference. Spending several days in Las Vegas can take its toll, particularly when one has to balance business with entertainment. My legs are still sore from being part of a quickly […]

NamesCon 2016 is a few days away, and I'm excited to be arriving in Las Vegas this coming Saturday. This will be my 4th domain conference in Vegas since 2010, and the 3rd time attending Richard Lau‘s superb creation. I'm well aware of the fact that Richard did not magically create this ground-breaking get-together of […]

I was born and raised at a time and place, where Christmas is celebrated as the holiday for giving. The birth of Jesus can be taken literally – with religious overtones – or abstracted as the birth and personification of hope upon earth. Every calendar year ends a week later; all of a sudden we […]

If there's one thing I regret about certain private domain sales, is that the NDA – non disclosure agreement – involved, does not expire. I'd love to share some notable domain sales, as I often do when the buyer has secured their business launch and/or other TLDs. In the case of domain sales tied to […]

I'm not a Catholic, so quick disclaimer: the reference to a "Purgatory" does not intend to offend, nor is intentionally religious. Going by the definition of Purgatory: "A place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven." Very recently, I sold a domain through […]...

Domain liquidity is the ability to convert digital assets into currency, quickly and without much hassle. Whether this title applies to domains used as "coinage" for years, such as LLL .coms, brandables or dictionary domains, one thing really matters: getting the cash you need. Underselling one's assets makes little sense, but in a liquid domain [&...

One thing I miss from the days of using Sedo to sell domains, is their trader feedback indicators. While not perfect, the Sedo method of displaying a potential buyer's activity status helped a lot with determining their "worthiness." To a degree, the Sedo system makes up for the lack of important intel related to the […]

The good news: Long term holders of LLLL .com domains are seeing their investments appreciate, as throngs of – allegedly – Chinese domain investors are snapping up these assets. The bad news: Someone ran a WHOIS of all LLLL .com permutations, and has been sharing the database. What this means: Even if you sell, or […]

I've been following the proliferation of professional domain brokerage establishments for several years, and have arrived to the following conclusion: It's a cut-throat business, and a ‘dog eat dog' world. During the previous decade, the focus shifted from domain selling venues, to aggressive acquisitions and sales via the use of brokers. The...

Despite having moved all my domains out of Sedo three years ago, I still buy domains at their marketplace. Recently, I completed an acquisition of a generic domain via Sedo, from domains in their owned inventory. Curious about what other domains they are offering, I was able to locate several LLLL .com domains, one of […]

Domain investors probably had palpitations earlier today, after the uncovering by George Kirikos of a huge domain sale. The "lease to own" sale of LasVegas.com for the astronomical amount of $90 million dollars, stirred the otherwise relaxed waters on a Friday morning. Such domain sales are quite rare, but they do occur when there is […]...

ICANN has been making a nice $185,000 dollars from every gTLD applicant, and the gift keeps on giving every year thereafter. I expressed my support for the expansion of the Internet namespace, ever since it went into effect, believing in meaningful keyword+gTLD pairs that offer a great service to consumers. That being said, I detest […]

It's been almost three years since I started using Domain Name Sales, and after hundreds of domain inquiries, this one wins a special prize. I can't disclose the exact details of it, as there's still hope that the buyer will fork out five figures made via a payment plan. After quoting the price, the potential […]

It's not rare for inquiries to arrive in waves, for the same domain name. Perhaps the domain became popular overnight thanks to the news, or a technological breakthrough. Researching one's domain prior to sending out a quote, is a must. What is rare, however, is for two or more people from the same company sending […]

After processing the shocking allegations about Adam Dicker for two full weeks, it's time to come up with a series of hard decisions. As an active – and sometimes overly vocal – member of the domain community, processing dozens of pages about Adam was a very difficult task for me. Knowing Adam for a decade […]

Expired domain auctions constitute a large portion of a smart domain investor's focus. The main reason: domains are typically aged, and – in theory – belong to a pool of good domains that is running dryer with every new .com registration. Auction venues such as GoDaddy Auctions, Sedo, NameJet and Flippa provide the vast majority […...

One of my early domain registrations was a four letter .com, COVX.com. I registered it on a "whim" in late 2000, while owning just a handful of other domains, because it was short and sounded edgy. At the time, I only pursued domain registrations as brand ideas only. There were very little resources about domains, […]

As a Greek investor and entrepreneur, a good portion of my domain portfolio is focused on Greek brands, names and geodomains. It's not easy to relay the true essence of the Greek society and entrepreneurship, without it being distorted by the media. One thing is certain: there is plenty of capital in Greece, and a […]

If you casually acquire domain names off lists, auctions or even domain investors beware: some of these domains might be stolen property. Last week, a domain auction that was advertised on blogs, social media, and even Domaining.com, was terminated. The domain was stolen from its rightful owner by a person other than the seller; after […]

Every time I receive an inquiry for a domain name best suited for a start-up or a product, I face the same dilemma. Do I quote the maximum valuation price for the domain, or do I give them a break? This dilemma stems from a statement that is often part of the response to a […]

I recently upgraded to the Premium membership at LinkedIn, the global network of professionals. It's not that I desired to expand my 500+ business connections much further. After all, one has to be selective with their contacts, or things like this happen. In this case, I was interested in getting in touch with LinkedIn members […]

Recently, I shared my frustration on the prolonged time it takes to confirm outgoing domain transfers away from NameCheap. While some blame the delays on the fact that NameCheap utilizes the back-end of eNom, from my understanding NameCheap is an ICANN-accredited domain registrar and no longer an eNom reseller. Either way, the process of transferri...

In this time and era we're often caught in the rat-race, and society has changed a lot in the past decade and a half. While the Internet connects billions of people, that digital umbilical cord is fragile and easy to disintegrate into the bits and pieces it's composed of. Our friends are one-dimensional, flat projections […]

One of the most frustrating characteristics of domain transfers, is the inability to expedite them to the gaining registrar. It's the year 2015, a full decade since EPP / authentication codes were introduced to authorize an inter-registrar transfer, and yet, some domain registrars ignore the progress made since. NameCheap is one of those registrars...

By now, the subject of so-called "liquid domains" has been covered ad nauseam. My recent position on the subject generated a lot of interesting commentary, for and against the existence of this domain genre. Personally, I believe that it's a unicorn of sorts. Elliot's blog featured a "free for all" listing of 3-letter and 4-letter […]...

September 11 marks the haunting legacy of human loss, in an extensive act of terrorism that cost 3,000 human lives. Every year, memories of that day should become stronger, not weaker; they should become starting points for new beginnings, not the end of the line. This year also marks the first time since the 9/11 […]

This year marks the 10th anniversary of my first five figure sale. I still remember the feeling of crossing the number "10000", up from four figures. The German buyer still uses the domain, which makes me feel good about the sale. In the years since, not much has changed in how I attack domain investing, […]

After getting a new phone over the Labor Day weekend, I found myself in a situation I hadn't planned for. While transferring photos, contacts etc. was my priority, I didn't remember to disable two way authentication at various domain registrars, before switching to the new phone. By doing so, I effectively locked myself out of […]

I see a lot of thirst for knowledge in the domainer community, and it's not always from newcomers to the game of domain investing. Domain forums such as DNForum and NamePros are active beehives of information, and one has to be able to extract the honey without consuming too much pollen. Over the course of […]

If I could have a dollar for every email I sent, educating prospective buyers about aftermarket domains, I'd be at least one thousand bucks richer. The fact is, end user buyers – as opposed to domain investors – are for the most part unfamiliar with the value and pricing of domain names. This comes as […]

Shocking news this morning, as Google revealed its new corporate logo. The new Google logo inherits the same colors per letter, and gets rid of the serifs it used for years. It also changes its little "g" icon, replacing with a four color "G". The font family appears to be Relish Pro, according to a […]