Bloggings of a Domain Flipper

Linton Investments Begins Development of Kayaking(dot)org

We have begun work immediately on Kayaking(dot)org. This is a great example of a typical flip for us - a strong, valuable keyword domain that we can build a compelling, interactive website with multiple forms of monetization.

Today we created the initial look-and-feel for the site. This began with a bit of time on iStockPhoto picking-out the right image to set the tone for the site. We created a custom css style for the site and added a nice RSS feed to provide updated Kayaking news.

More to come - our goal is to have this flip finished by July 23rd. I'll do my best to update everyone on not only what we have built, but why we build sites the way we do. As I have said many times before - there are many definitions of domain flipping. Our definition involves careful market research and the creation of a high-quality interactive destination. We think we can do this in just about 20-days - unlike house flipping the same time constraints do not apply. If we took six-months to build this site I am confident we would still see over 10x return on our initial investment.

You can see this site throughout its development here.

To learn how we flip domains and make incredible profits don't forget to read my book.

Buying and Selling Domains Safely with Pay Pal

I am frequently asked by readers for my stance on paying for domains with Pay Pal, or accepting payment for domains through Pay Pal. I think it is always best to learn from experience and as a domain investment firm we have a lot of experience buying and selling domain names.

Pay Pal is a service that holds next to *no liability* for the transactions that happen through it. Sales involving "Intangible" items, i.e. a domain name are bought and sold at the risk of both parties. The number of scams - particularly with domain names that happen through Pay Pal is incredible. Pay Pal is most likely the single-largest source of fraudulent domain transactions.

There is some good news, you can take a few simple steps to vastly improve your chances of not getting scammed in a Pay Pal transaction. I'll make my disclaimer here: I always suggest domains be bought and sold using an escrow service like Escrow.com, however, should you decide to use Pay Pal this advice will prevent scams about 90% of the time.

For buyers paying with Pay Pal. Always pay with a credit card - never pay with cash or with money from your bank account. Remember, should you pay and never receive the domain, Pay Pal will have little they can do. If you pay with your bank account or cash Pay Pal is the only authority you are dealing with. Once you involve your credit card company - you are dealing with someone else's money. Think of this as bringing in the big guns. Credit card companies don't like losing money and they will fight to get their money back from scammers and online thieves.

If you don't receive your domain and have already paid, always try to get a refund from the seller first.  If this does not work then contact your credit card company - they are the only company with your best interests in mind since it is their money you are talking about!

For sellers paying with Pay Pal. Beware charge-back schemes. Just as using a credit card is a protection for domain buyers it can also be used as a tool for domain thieves to steal your domain. If you follow one simple rule then you are guaranteed success. Transfer the money you receive to your bank account and wait for it to make it into the account. Once the money hits your account a charge-back will be impossible since the money is no longer in your Pay Pal account.

You should contact Pay Pal and let them know that you have been part of what you believe to be a charge-back scheme. Pay Pal can then work with the credit card company to refute the claim. Either way, the money is in your bank account - so you have been paid, as expected for the domain.

Below is a recent example from DNForum about a Pay Pal scam currently in action as we speak:

[Read Thread]

By following these simple tips you can begin a practice of safely buying your domains through Pay Pal. I always suggest that you use an Escrow service for higher-value domains however for smaller sales Pay Pal can help to make an efficient transaction. Just remember to be very careful whenever doing business online. If something seems fishy...it probably is. By taking precautions you can prevent yourself from being the victim of a scam.

Don't forget to read my book if you haven't yet - learn how to flip domains and profit!

DomainTheft.org Updated with New Theft Reports

DomainTheft.org added eight new domains to their domain theft list today. The website has been operating for about a month now and has already amassed a good list of stolen domains. Anyone buying a domain from a forum or even a listing service like Sedo or Afternic should check DomainTheft.org first to make sure they are not buying a stolen domain name.

DomainTheft.org was launched in 2008 to provide a centralized database of stolen domain names. Any reported domain thefts are sent to DomainTheft.org and then verified for accuracy before they are added to the site. DomainTheft.org also keeps a list of known scammers on popular domaining forums. By taking a proactive approach to domain theft and online scam artists DomainTheft.org hopes to stop the crimes before they happen.

If you have had a domain stolen from you, or if you know any scam artists operating on domaining forums, please report them to DomainTheft.org.

Linton Investments Acquires Kayaking.org in Namejet Auction

Today the auction for Kayaking.org ended on NameJet with Linton Investments as the winning bidder. This is a category-killing keyword with a top TLD. Many domainers consider .org to be the next most valuable TLD next to .com.

We look forward to updating our readers as to our success with this domain. This is another strong addition to the Linton Investments portfolio which now exceeds 200 domains across a number of TLD's.

Bido.com Goes No Reserve - All the Way

Bido.com has announced that they will no longer be offering a guaranteed sales price to their sellers. For those unfamiliar with this service - Bido had initially offered sellers a "guaranteed price" that they would be paid for the sale of their name, even if bidders didn't reach the agreed-upon price.

For me I think this is a change for the good. The idea of a no reserve auction with a reserve for the seller can create a different dynamic than a traditional no-reserve auction would have. So in my mind, rather than Bido.com removing this feature, they have done quite the opposite - they have decided to go no reserve all the way!

How to Sell your Domains through Forums

This month I am selling one of our most successful flips - StimulusCheck(dot)info through DNForum. You can view the listing here.

I thought this would be a great time to give my users an example of how to put together a good sales post on a forum such as this. There are really three elements I find are absolutely essential for a successful forum listing, these are:

1) Brief introduction to the market your domain addresses

2) Stats

3) Registration information

This may seem straightforward but it is amazing how many people leave this crucial information out of their domain sale posts.

First, you should start your sale post with a brief introduction to why your domain is valuable and how the market is developing around your subject-matter. In the case of Stimulus Checks I know that Obama is planning to issue a second round of Stimulus Checks - this is relevant information that gives context to the domain and validity to its continued traffic growth.

Next is stats. This could not possibly be overemphasized more!  If you are selling a domain name that has strong value in the revenue that it generates then you are going to need to provide stats. Rather than having everyone who is interested in the domain msg you for stats just include it in your post. Serious buyers will most likely want screenshots as well for proof. If this is the main reason that your domain has value then make sure the stats are there front-and-center for all to see!

The last piece of information that needs to be included on each and every sales post is the registrar. This may seem like a simple piece of information but it is very important.  Buyers want to know the full process they will have to go through to buy a domain. If your domain is registered with GoDaddy and the buyer has a GoDaddy account, this process will be much easier than transferring to a different registrar. Takes two second to add this to your post and is a piece of information any serious buyer will want before making their purchase.

That's it! If you can put together those three pieces of information in your sales post you are on your way to selling domains through a forum like DNForum or NamePros.

You can view my recent post for StimulusCheck(dot)info on DNForum to use as a guideline to help get you started. For a domain like this with such strong traffic stats a forum is a great place to sell the domain by allowing me to provide all the information I need and then enjoy the perks of a commission-free sale.

I hope this post helps anyone new to the domaining community feel a bit more confident next time they list a domain for sale on a domaining forum. As always if you have any questions don't hesitate to send me an email at: morgan@thedomainflipper.com.

WorldCigars(dot)com sell for $1,001 on Bido.com

The auction for WorldCigars(dot)com just ended on Bido.com with a final sale price of $1,001. I wanted to give some final comments on this sale. First - congrats to whoever the domain owner is, it's a fine domain name and a great final sale price.

A domain like this is one that needs the attention of a talented domain developer. There are really two types of domain investments, those that have intrinsic name-value, and those that have strong development value.

A domain name like BuyCigars.com has intrinsic name-value, people will type this into Google when they want to buy cigars and will most likely also type this into their browser window. Thus a domain like this will automatically get good type-in traffic and good search engine rankings with a mini-site on it.

A domain like WorldCigars(dot) does not have much intrinsic name-value since it is unlikely that anyone would type "WorldCigars" into their browser window or search for "World Cigars" in Google. With a nicely developed webpage though this domain could offer a valuable service because of the brandability of the name.

In three days Compete(dot)net becomes available for sale - this is a good example of a domain with intrinsic name-value since it is a one-word domain with a *very*  strong keyword. Just think how much a domain like Cigars.com or even Cigars.net would sell for!

Another exciting Bido.com auction - looking forward to see more great domains sell through Bido!

July Flip of the Month: StimulusCheck.us

We all experienced the success of StimulusChecks.info together as it skyrocketed above $150 in its first month! I had an overwhelming amount of interest in these domains as I've certainly stumbled across a very lucrative niche.

StimulusCheck.us was designed by Linton Investments with high-quality content and both Google Adsense and Amazon books for monetization. The domain has already generated $40 in its first month and the revenue, and traffic is growing!

Obama announced that he wanted to issue a second round of stimulus checks which will keep this trend alive and continue to grow the traffic and revenue to the domain. An excellent investment for domain investors looking for a nice passive-income generating domain.

If you would like to buy this domain please contact morgan@thedomainflipper.com.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy the July Flip of the Month - something tells me this will go quickly!

If you want to learn how to make domains like this that make over $40/month then read my book.

Bido.com - The Future of Domain Auctions

Online auctions - pioneered by eBay, changed the way that people buy and sell goods online. In the domain world, auctions take place across a number of different sites from listing services like Sedo and Snapnames, to forums like DNForum and NamePros. All of these auction services share one common attribute - your domain is a needle and a *very* large haystack.

Enter Bido.com with a completely new approach to online auctions. What is not often brought-up is the fundamental strategy change that Bido introduces to the auction world. By offering one domain a day for auction they are changing the rules of online commerce and focusing on a single product (or domain name in this case). Think of what it's like selling a car, or a television online; what if your car was the *only* car for sale on a website one day? You would probably sell your car - with all the focus on you the chances you'd find an interested buyer go up astronomically.

Bido.com also offers a few great additions to their service that make it by far the best venue online to sell your domain names. First, Bido offers a "Scorecard" that can show you all the pertinent information you need when trying to understand the traffic, backlinks, directory listings and more. Bido.com introduced a great feature that allows Experts to comment on the domains and give their opinion of it's value. This means that before making a purchase decision you can see what domain experts think about the potential of the domain which will help you set a reasonable price expectation for yourself.

Withe the Scorecard and Expert comments Bido.com gives you all the tools you need to make an informed purchase decision. As a seller the key benefit is simple, 24-hours for your domain to be in the spotlight, for all the domaining world to see. Seamless integration with Bido.com means you can manage your entire domain portfolio and easily select domains to put-up for auction on Bido. 

Looking at a service like Bido.com is also very relevant to Domain Flipping. From both the buying and selling side Bido offers a valuable service to Flippers as well as traditional domain investors. If you successfully flip a domain and now have a high-quality website on the domain, consistent monthly revenue the Scorecard will show-off these features to a potential buyer. If the Experts like your domain this promotion greatly increases the chance your domain will sell for a good price.

I've been a big fan (and user) of DNZoom since the beginning and can see that Bido.com will be a game-changer in a world of commerce that until now has gotten a bit stale. A traditional Listing Service can easily become too large making it almost impossible to get potential buyers to look at your domains. Forums will oftentimes yield sales, but only at rock-bottom prices most of the time. There has been a pause in the innovation of how we buy and sell things online. Bido.com offers a new way of approaching domain auctions that will change the domaining world forever and might just change the e-commerce as we know it!

Why it isn't always easy to sell your domains

Lately I've received a number of emails from domainers asking why it is so hard to sell their domain names. Many people are using listing services like Sedo or Afternic and are surprised that their domains don't generate any interest.

The problem here is simple - simply listing your domain names on a listing service, does not mean they will sell anytime soon - even if they are great names. Many new domainers expect that they can register a few good domains, throw them on a listing service and viola! they will sell right-away. When this doesn't happen they get discouraged and feel as if there is no hope for their domains.

The issue here is simple but it might not be the answer a new domainer wants to hear. You have very actively promote the sale of your domains if you want to sell them. This may seem like an oversimplification but it is amazing how many people miss this point.

So how do you actively promote your domains? Get proactive and start selling your domains through multiple services. With each listing or sales letter, make sure you are thinking about everything a potential buyer might want to know about your domain. Does it get any traffic? Revenue? Does the name contain any highly-searched keywords? You need to *Sell* your domain rather than expecting it to sell itself!

When making your Sedo or Afternic listing make sure you include every detail you can think of, the more effort you put into your listing, the more attractive it is to a potential buyer. Try selling domains through popular domaining forums, auction services like TDNAM or even marketplaces like Pool.com. You might find soon that you just had bad luck with Sedo but forums and Pool.com work great. The idea here is to get you names on the market, through multiple services. You can then learn which service works best for you and start to develop a list of buyers.

Once you have sold your first 5-10 domains you should have a good list of buyers that you can work with to help find more domains. Word-of-mouth is always a strong sales approach and if someone has had a good experience buying from you in the past they are much more likely to do so in the future.

My final point is simple: selling domain names might not be as easy as you think. It does take time, and yes, work, to sell your domains for a fair price. The most important thing for new domainers is to be persistent - if you continue to believe you can sell your domains, and put the time in - you will find the success you are looking for.