Domain investing, what is it really? If you have stumbled across it before through a friend or browsing the web, it is commonly compared to investing in real estate properties.

By registering a domain, you are investing into a digital property. Domains are simply composed of a unique set of characters followed by a select top-level domain (TLD), such as .com. There is only one of each domain name + TLD combination, which creates value and, ideally, demand. The complexity comes from knowing what domains are worth placing your money on, learning what properties make a domain name valuable, and understanding the investing strategies that can create profit.

Like all forms of investing, the goal is to earn a return on your asset that is higher than your initial cost and upkeep. A domain can generate profit in multiple ways, such as: through monetization strategies such as parking advertisements or affiliate programs, by selling to other investors so they can add it to their repertoire (called a 'domain portfolio' in the industry), or even by selling directly to businesses ('end-users') for them to use for branding or website management purposes.

Some domains sell for hundreds of dollars, others sell for millions. This makes it an exciting opportunity if you play your cards right. Initially, your goal should not be to hit the million-dollar home run. Instead, start off slowly and steadily. This will help work your way to larger profit margins through learning and direct experience.

Of course! And it is actually quite easy to see why...

Domain registrations have been around for a little over thirty years. Although there have been over 300 million domains registered, the domain name system in place for setting up a website is stable and heavily ingrained into the internet infrastructure. Websites are crucial, thriving virtual spaces for businesses. Without a strong, viable website your competitors will have an advantage. And having a specific domain name can greatly benefit a business, which is why domains can demand a high price.

Despite the internet becoming more and more saturated as businesses leap on digital facings, there is near limitless growth available for domain investors to tap into. There are new options for businesses available to represent their online platform through various domain name options, such as various newer top-level domain (TLDs) options.

What is fascinating about domain investing is the sheer creativity and forethought that can be utilized to your advantage to create more opportunities. Even without much thought, you would be surprised at what domains are still available - even some .com domain names! The opportunities to acquire valuable domains doesn't stop at finding available unregistered domains, there is real value in buying or bidding on domains through aftermarket platforms, which we will cover later.

The opportunities to invest and make a profit are plentiful. Let's start by talking about how domain investors make money.

There are multiple approaches to make money through domain investing, and we will be covering the most popular, common tactics used by many domain investors.

One of the most common tactics involves simply buying and selling domains to make a profit. This strategy is occasionally coined as 'domain flipping', which many identify as a short-term play of acquiring and selling domains quickly. Though, as many domain investors know, some domain investments naturally shift into longer-term assets.

To successfully partake in this strategy, you will need a solid understanding of domain costs and values. Because of this, this strategy is one of the more difficult investment tactics to dive into as a newer investor. Domain values can fluctuate based on many factors, including emerging trends both in the domain industry and in the industry where the domain name itself fits into. This is on top of the various other criteria that make a domain valuable, which we will get into shortly. Flipping domains requires a hefty time investment to pinpoint domains that should be purchased at a low to reasonable price in order to resell. A majority of the time these valuable domains are bought through aftermarket platforms via expired auctions or placing backorders, which we will discuss later.

It is important to note that time doesn't always increase the value of a domain, demand does. While patience is required to sell a domain, simply parking a domain to try to sell it years later will not always improve its value (though it does on occasion). That is why buying low, selling high is often combined with the following domain investing strategies.

Acquiring a domain name, setting up hosting, and building out a website on it with content is a popular long-term strategy to assist with selling domains. The obvious question is "how does that make me money?". There are multiple ways this can help you earn.

1) On-site Advertising and Affiliate Programs: Creating standout content on a domain will eventually drive traffic to your site. With this traffic, you can set up on-site advertising which will generate money based on every click. Similarly, you can join affiliate programs to accomplish the same goal while promoting another brand's product or services. If this is an approach you are considering, Dynadot has an affiliate program that you can apply to.

2) Increasing a Domain's Authority (SEO): Content creation has the side effect of improving your domain's authority in search engines. This can increase the attractiveness of a domain name for potential marketers to latch onto or for other domain investors that value domain authority. This will improve both your chance of selling domains and their estimated value.

3) Tool for Self-Promotion: By creating valuable content resulting in site traffic, you can leverage your domain for self-promotion. Through this domain you can advertise anything that earns you money, which could be your domain portfolio or even a service/product you manage. Some examples could include e-books, training courses, or even a local service you provide. This can be a powerful method to consider as a revenue stream.

This strategy is one of the safer avenues to pursue when a valuable domain is acquired through a domain aftermarket. Through the process of creating consistent, strong content and building a website that has visitors, you open the door to possibilities for monthly residual income for potentially years to come. Best of all, if you find maintaining content to be tiresome at a point, you can always promote your domains for sale. The value of your domain will have increased naturally since you first acquired it due to your continued content efforts.

Using parked domains to earn money relies on owning a valuable domain to work with. If you're unaware, domain parking is a way to hold the domain without using it for a website, and it's easy to setup via DNS settings. To utilize this strategy, advertisements are shown on the domain's parking page, generating income for any users that click on the ads.

These domains usually rely on 'type-in' traffic (where the user will type in the URL to get information on a topic, such as searching for hotels.com to get information on hotels) or residual traffic from the authority developed from a previous owner. For example, if a site had approximately 1,000 monthly visitors and that domain expired, you may be able to acquire that domain, set it to parking and tap into a small percent of that traffic to earn on their clicks.

Now that we've gone over the primary strategies of domain investing, let's talk about domain names themselves. There are so many domains for sale, both through open registration (registering a domain not currently owned) or on a domain aftermarket.

How do you know which domains are valuable?

When first jumping into researching aftermarket platforms for domain investing insight, you will come across domain listings with value appraisals that may seem outlandish. "$7,894 for crazydomainname.net?!" you say? As much as that listing could be incorrect, evaluating domains for sale is a feat in itself when it comes to domain investing. Determining a price can be subjective, and one might place higher value on domains that meet their desired criteria. Domains are over and under valued frequently based on a user's knowledge and experience.

Let's go over signifiers of stronger domain names that may be worth trying to put in your domain investing portfolio. Many of the criteria for identifying valuable domains can overlap, so if a domain hits two or three of these properties, it has a higher likelihood of being a worthwhile investment.

Generic domain names are domains that target a product or service description. These can be relatively safe names to invest into as they typically fit naturally within certain industries which can make them desirable to anyone in that industry. These types of domain names are common targets for investors parking domains with advertisements for type-in traffic.

Examples: hairbeauty, speakers, yogamats, cellphones

One word or even two to four character domain names will almost always have demand and increased domain value under certain TLDs - and with good reasoning. Short domains are memorable, which makes marketing easier and is why they are in demand by brands. They are also limited in quantity as there are only so many two and three letter combinations available. This is why they are highly coveted in certain domain extensions such as .com. Always keep domain length in mind when evaluating a domain's worth. Even new TLDs commonly see fast registrations of one or two character domains by investors.

Examples: tech, ez, rocket, elect, tactic, aa, abc

Targeting locations to incorporate into your domain names can be a solid game plan to consider for your portfolio, especially in conjunction with generic names. Local markets may eventually want to obtain ownership of a name that fits in their geographical space where users may already be searching. Try to think of the various levels of zones that can be included, such as towns, cities, regions, states or provinces, and countries. Each of these can be applicable and have valuable domains associated with them if the correct keyword combination is chosen. Knowing the search volume on search engines for these keywords can be valuable to assist with selling propositions.

Examples: lafoodtrucks, canadashipping, detriotpaving, usafireworks

Relevant domain names focus on keywords or wording that could be popular (or relevant) in the near future. These domains are often tied to culturally significant keywords. They could target a keyword that garners much attention in a short period of time or one that suddenly has lasting power due to media attention. For example, this could be a new trend that is starting to emerge or a future popular event.

Examples: marketingautomation, airobotics, olympics2030, esports

Domains composed of only numbers can have inherent value and unique meaning. Individual numbers and combinations of numbers have significance in cultures such as China. For example, '8' is considered a lucky number while '4' means death in many parts of Asia. Combinations of numbers take on varied meanings which can have a large impact on the value of a numeric domain name. If you are interested in acquiring numeric domain names, make sure to research the numeric meanings in various cultures to have a better understanding of which domains may hold value.

Domains that are naturally easier to remember will have added value and is one of the primary reasons that short domains are reliable investment targets. The 'radio test' reference can be used: if the domain name is said aloud, people should be able to both understand the domain and be able to spell it. A memorable domain is valuable for end-users who may want to use the domain for their business or marketing objectives.

Examples: Yahoo, Bestbuy, WordPress, Amazon

If you are looking at domains that are expiring instead of registering brand new domains, it is worth investigating that domain's search traffic. Despite the domain potentially having an unmemorable, lengthy keyword, the domain's traffic could indicate domain authority (which will be attractive to SEO marketers). It could be in an ideal position for the value increase strategy utilizing content creation.

It is always worth using a tool such as 'wayback machine' to dig into a domain you are considering purchasing. Depending on the historical content, it may have a positive or negative effect on the value of a domain. If a domain had controversial content, it may deter future buyers. If the domain had a content-dense WordPress blog about a popular subject, it will be a more attractive domain to certain buyers.

A domain's age is occasionally a relevant property that increases a domain's value as it can indicate domain authority built up over time (if the site was previously used for content) and/or indicate that the domain was unavailable for many years, which may be attractive to some buyers.

There can be multiple ways to type one domain name. Unfortunately, many of the alternative ways are usually a devalued version of the original, properly spelled domain. Using a domain name that has alternative spelling, special characters, pluralized vs. singular and numbers will alter the allure of the domain. They can still be valuable in certain contexts but often will be unintuitive for users to remember.

Examples: one4all, carzforsale, domain-investing, trailerspark, 4getful

There are over one thousand TLDs that all serve various purposes and hold different power from an investing standpoint. While a select few can skyrocket a domain's value (such as .com), there are many TLDs which are not as popular for many investors. One fact to consider is that, as the most popular TLDs get more saturated, businesses and individuals will have no option but to expand into other domain extensions to get their desired domain name. This is already happening in certain industries with extensions like .io and .xyz. As an investor, this is an exciting avenue to travel down as, eventually, foresight and initiative may be rewarded.

There aren't any guidelines on which domain extensions you should avoid - some domain investors swear by sticking with what's popular and others are more willing to invest in new TLDs that open up plentiful hand registration opportunities (which is to manually register a domain not currently owned to build your portfolio). As with all other criteria listed here, it is best to monitor other domain sales and do thorough research to properly evaluate the success of a domain extension.

Certain TLDs can be used to expand on a domain name which, when combined, creates a complete word or phrase. These are referred to as domain hacks, and they are a creative way to incorporate a domain extension into a domain name. Domain hacks have become popular over the years, especially as a variety of new TLDs have become more commonplace. This has increased the demand for these types of domain names and, as a result, has increased the value of domain hacks in domain marketplaces. When used properly, they can improve the memorability of a domain name.

Examples: sa.me, tr.io, beautiful.ly

Pinyin is the use of the roman alphabet written to pronounce Chinese characters when they are said aloud. Pinyin has a commonplace in Chinese culture as it is taught from a young age and frequently used to read and write. Due to its commonality, it makes sense that pinyin domain names have garnered much popularity in the domain investing world as it uses the roman alphabet, can be very short, and can even have dual meaning between English and Chinese languages. Investing in pinyin domains requires a foundational understanding of both pinyin and the Chinese languages.

Examples: wanglou, niaochao, meili

There are multiple avenues that you can take when it comes to buying domains for sale and selling domains - finding the correct approach is often to utilize a mix of the following acquisition or proposition strategies.

This is the traditional method of manually registering domains. It is the most inexpensive route for building a domain portfolio, but also requires creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. Finding a valuable domain name that has not been registered is rare, as you will be competing with other investors who have been brainstorming for years. To be successful with this purchasing strategy, you often need to look ahead at emerging trends for ideas, or dive into niche categories to find your available perfect domain name to invest in.

When you do hand register a domain, patience is usually required to reap the benefits. You often must wait for a trend or category to become more prominent. During this time, it is worth considering the "Value Increase Strategy" previously mentioned, which will help bolster the domain's value over time.

If you want to hand register domains to kick off your domain investing portfolio, Dynadot provides some of the lowest prices while focusing on cost transparency. We recommend our domain search or use our domain suggestion tool to get started with your research.

Domain names have an ownership lifecycle. When domains do not get renewed at the end of their registration period, they become available for new domain investors to acquire. This occurs through expired domain auctions or backorder placement services. This is one of the best ways to obtain a high value domain as millions of domains expire monthly. While the opportunities to acquire are high, so is the competition.

An alternative method for acquiring valuable domains is through the process of utilizing "dropcatching" services or placing "backorders". Dropcatching is catching a domain prior to being re-released for public registration. Placing a backorder is the request made to attempt to automatically purchase the domain when it becomes available.

Dynadot's domain aftermarket lets users bid on expired domains and place backorder requests on domains soon to be re-released. Backorders from multiple users result in a backorder auction, which is a bidding process with other registrants to acquire that domain. Both expired domain auctions and placing backorders are powerful tools for acquiring domains with pre-existing value for your domain investing portfolio.

Buying domains through domain marketplaces require a decent understanding of both what makes a domain valuable and the appropriate price for domains for sale. Due to the sheer number of domains, these marketplaces are a fantastic resource to establish a deeper understanding of what determines perceived value.

Through websites such as sedo.com, afternic.com and Dynadot's marketplace, you will find domains of all types that range from high value (in terms of desirability) to low value in both niche and mainstream industries. These domains are listed by other users in that marketplace (often referred to as user auctions) which will often allow for an initial bidding price, a 'Buy it now' price or a 'Make Offer' price. If you want to specialize in owning valuable domains and understand the ins and outs of domain prices from a particular industry, these marketplaces are an ideal place to start. It is highly recommended that you use them as an information gathering tool to begin. Focus on gaining an understanding of the types of domains listed, and how much they can potentially go for. There are tools that can assist with this which are included later in this guide (see the 'Recommended Domaining Tools and Advice' section).

Every marketplace has its own unique listings with some overlapping domains. Due to this, many investors land on using multiple marketplaces for their domain purchasing needs. It is key to remember that the individual seller determines the price, which you hope is influenced by the market prices (though that is not always the case). If you choose to negotiate with the seller, which is common if direct communication is established, be prepared with a hard limit on how much you are willing to spend on a domain's acquisition.

Through research and negotiations, you can acquire domains through contacting a domain owner directly. This difficult approach can be incredibly fruitful if successful as prices and the selection of domain options can be wide, with the potential of snagging a domain that may not even be publicly on the market.

Be prepared for a majority of no-responses on your outreach emails while investing heavy time into conducting research to find domains/domain owners to contact. For this research, you will need to use a Whois lookup to gain access to the Whois database, a resource for obtaining contact information on a domain owner. Time invested can often pay off in the investing world. If you are patient enough and willing to do the research, this tactic is a worthwhile consideration as a strong domain investing strategy.

Domain marketplaces provide plenty of options if you want to list your domains for sale. For getting your domains in front of other investors and occasional end-user buyers, marketplaces are your best bet. They should be your first route when wanting to sell. Domains for sale have the following listing types that provide flexibility in how other users respond to a listing:

• 'Buy It Now' pricing to list a domain at a fixed price.
• 'Make Offer' to allow other buyers users submit their offers for a listed domain name.
• User auctions which set a starting bid price and allows other users to bid on the domain name.

Using multiple marketplaces is common for investors looking to promote specific domains and widen their audience that may see their domain for sale. There are both standalone marketplace websites and select registrars that also offer aftermarkets. Dynadot has a robust and user-friendly marketplace which is a great way to tap into a domain selling or auctioning platform. We are also integrated with Sedo and Afternic which will increase the exposure of your domain name listings while providing additional benefits such as fast transfer and quicker sales. You can even provide the option for users to pay in monthly installments.

Prospects interested in your domain will likely go directly to the domain name's URL for research. This is an opportunity to utilize a "For-Sale" landing page to promote that you are accepting offers and/or outreach regarding price negotiations. A landing page is an important step in providing the easiest outreach method for buyers as they typically come with direct contact methods such as a contact form. If you are interested in setting up a "For-Sale" landing page, Dynadot makes the setup process quick and simple so your prospects can easily make offers and contact you. Visit our help page to learn how to list your domain for sale on a "For-Sale"landing page.

Many domain investors or end users conducting domain research start with the Whois database. To make it simple for others interested in your domain, it is recommended to set your Whois privacy to public. At Dynadot, our Whois privacy comes with every domain for free. If you are trying to get offers for your domain, turn off your domain privacy for any domains you are looking to sell and update your Whois contact record if needed. Please note, since GDPR, some domain extensions will not allow your Whois information to be shown, which is why "For-Sale" landing pages are key.

Standing out in a crowded marketplace with thousands of domains for sale is a difficult task. Though, there are options available to get more eyes when selling domains. Outreach in the right areas can make all the difference between selling domains and remaining undiscovered in the domain investing world. Ways to further promote your domain include:

• Utilize forums that allow 'domains for sale' advertising.
• Research companies that fit in your domain's industry and reach out to the right contact.
• Reach out to other domain investors contacts. Your profit margin may not be as high, but you'll be given the option to sell sooner.
• Attend industry-related events or conferences to network and build your contact list.
• Hire a domain name broker to gain access to their wider network of contacts.
• Utilize social media to conduct personal outreach to contacts who may be interested in the domain.

With all these approaches, remember to be respectful and avoid spamming one contact or a website forum - you don't want to be a hindrance to any potential buyers and lose opportunities.

There are actions that we recommend you stay clear of when it comes to domain investing. Truth is, there are many grey areas when it comes to the buying and selling domains. Just be aware of the following when entering domain investing as they can cause frustration, legal issues and/or money lost.

Known as "cybersquatting", domain squatting occurs when a user registers a domain name that has a branded/trademarked keyword, name or slogan from a company or individual. Registrants who participate in this are usually either trying to block the domain from being registered by the company/individual or are using it as a part of their portfolio to profit by applying various investment strategies.

ICANN has the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) in place to prevent users from abusing this tactic. Avoid registering branded or trademarked terms all together.

Although a majority of TLDs can be registered without specific or unique rules attached to them, there are some (particularly country-code TLDs and some generic TLDs) that have restrictions. These restrictions are created by the TLDs registry and they decide on the requirements for those restrictions. Many of the restrictions involve living in a certain place or locational restrictions on gaining access (for example, you need to be a Canada resident to register .ca domains). You can see a list of all the restrictions by going to our TLD listings page and reviewing the "restrictions" column.

When it comes to dealing with other buyers and sellers, it pays to be cautious. There are numerous shady tactics others can use when it comes to domain investing. Examples include lying about a domain's information, owning stolen domains and scams regarding transactions. This is why it is important to conduct research prior to committing to purchasing a domain - know the domain's history and verify the ownership via Whois Lookup. When you're ready to make a purchase, use an escrow service or a domain broker to help keep the transaction safe and the exchange smooth.

Technically, there are not many barriers to getting started with domain investing. Once you have your aftermarket and/or registrar selected and a payment method, you can start registering or buying domains. However, the following facts are important to know to smooth out the learning curve.

Like every form of investing, outcome is going to be tied to both your budget allocation and your time investment. Both time and money will be a limited resource when you are starting. Deciding how much of each should be seriously considered.

For time allotment, research should and likely will take priority when jumping into domain investing. This could be reading step-by-step guides on using tools, watching videos, or participating in online community discussions. When you're ready, shift into researching actual domain names, reviewing aftermarket listings and monitoring auctions of interest. All research will require your time, so consider how much you will put aside daily or weekly and integrate it into your schedule. The more diligent you are about building your foundation of knowledge, the higher the likelihood you will start your investing journey off strong. You will be better equipped to make confident and informed decisions.

Not only will time investment help you succeed, it will help you save money. The more research you conduct, the more you will understand investment strategies, with each of the strategies having multiple approaches which will dictate your spending. For example: you may choose to take the content building strategy approach on a valuable domain with participation in on-site advertising and affiliate programs. You may decide you are willing to spend $2,000 as a budget limit to find one or two domains to obtain through an aftermarket. Alternatively, you could spend your time researching keyword ideas in niche industries and hand register 10 domains for less than $100.

You will need to decide the approach, research accordingly, and build a limited budget around your strategy. Just ensure the budget in mind is appropriate and doesn't cause you financial strain. All forms of investing can be risky - don't overcommit. Focus on gaining experience in your desired strategy.

Regardless of whether you own 10 or 100 domains, renewal fees are an expense that needs to be considered when it comes to maintaining your domain investing portfolio and deciding on how many domains you want to acquire. Creating a wide domain portfolio through hand registering could impact your allocated budget (as hand registering can take time to profit from). On the other side, slowly building up your portfolio to ensure that every domain has value will lower your annual renewal costs. Just be aware that TLDs have varying renewal costs. You can see the renewal rates for Dynadot on our TLD prices page.

Understanding domain transfers is crucial as a domain investor - after all, if you can't transfer in or transfer out a domain, you won't be building your portfolio with aftermarket domains or making any money through selling.

Here is an overview of what is required to transfer a domain, whether you are receiving or sending out a domain to another registrar/users account:

• The domain to be transferred must be registered or in your account for more than 60 days.
• The domain will need to be unlocked to successfully transfer, which is a security measure to prevent unauthorized transfers.
• With your domain unlocked, you can access the domain's authorization code. This name may change based on the registrar, it is also often called an EPP code. This code is shared with the buyer OR inserted into a registrar to initiate the start of the transfer process if you are the buyer.
• The transfer process can take anywhere from a few hours to ten business days. If the transfer was made to another registrar, another year will be added to that domain name's registration.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with popular registrar domain transfer protocols. The information above is only an overview. Many registrars have unique procedures when it comes to transferring. As a best practice, it is highly recommended that the transfer is done in conjunction with an escrow or domain broker service to secure the exchange if it was purchased through an aftermarket platform such as Sedo or Afternic.

For more information about the domain transferring process through Dynadot, see the domain transfers section of our help pages.

When it comes to buying and selling domains directly to or from other users, negotiation becomes a focal point. This is a key area you will want to be conscious of that becomes much more prevalent once you are selling high value domains to both end-users and other investors. Since each investor or end-user places value in different domain criteria, it is important to establish your minimum you would be willing to receive (if you are selling) or the maximum you would be willing to pay (if you are buying) prior to entering negotiations to guide sound decisions. Take time and do your research before committing, as rash decisions can lead to bad investments. If you are new to negotiating, it is worth spending time learning about various negotiation approaches that compliment your personality by reading, taking courses or even through discussing with other investors.

Choosing the right tools is one of the easiest ways to put yourself on the path to success when domain investing. There is an incredible amount of options available on top of the recommendations we list below. We encourage you to conduct research to find a mix of resources that align with your time, monetary and investment strategies.

Keeping up to date with the domain investing community offers a wide range of benefits that you will eventually see trickle into your investing efforts. Joining in on investing forums, reading blogs and news sites that will keep you informed on industry news, attending industry events such as NamesCon, and reviewing sites that compile domains for sale/highlight specific sales from the week or month should all be considered. These are fantastic ways to understand trends and broaden your perspective when it comes to investing approaches from other investors that frequently participate in buying domains for sale and selling domains.

Many of the members contributing to these content sources have been involved in domain investing for years and comprise a wealth of knowledge. If you can tap into them for insight, you will make better evaluations when it comes to important investing decision points and placing your domains for sale.

Organization is the basis of sound investing. Make it your priority to go slowly and stay organized. To accomplish this, there are online tools that can help monitor and meticulously organize all your domains. You can also rely on a simple yet robust spreadsheet, whether through excel or a free platform like Google Docs. This will provide control over your domain portfolio information, such as:

• Domain status (acquisition dates, expiration dates, negotiation status)
• Domain pricing (estimated price, acquisition price)
• Outreach status (any current bids or contacts regarding selling)
• Which registrar the domain in under
• Industry/category identifier
• TLDs
• Research required or any other notes you want to make

This organization goes beyond just managing your domains. When you are new to domain investing, you will consistently come across useful web pages, articles or forum posts that will offer valuable insight that can lightly modify or radically change how you may approach investing in domains from a certain niche industry. Maintaining a library of useful articles in an organized directory will keep you efficient and informed, especially when there is limited time to commit to investing and research.

Lastly, find a registrar that allows for easy domain management in their platform. Dynadot allows you to set up folders to store and label your domains easily while providing intricate filtering options to sort through your domains based on criteria. You even have the ability to add domains residing under other registrars to help you keep track of your entire domain portfolio from one control panel.

As soon as you move towards buying or selling domains, find yourself an escrow service to securely go through the buying or selling process. An escrow involves bringing in a third party who receives and distributes money on your behalf based on an agreement (in this case, sending or receiving money in exchange for transferring in or out a domain). There are many issues that can arise when doing direct exchanges with a buyer or seller, with the largest being scams - take the extra step and avoid potential challenges by using an escrow service.

Discovering the value of a domain you own or one you have your eye on acquiring, can be difficult without the right tools, even as an experienced domain investor. Domain evaluation resources can assist in evaluating the domain's price. There are various types of tools that will assist with your investing journey that should be considered staples in your repertoire:

Aftermarkets are often called domain marketplaces. Aftermarkets are the bread-and-butter platforms for a vast majority participating in domain investing. They provide an outlet to easily get your valuable domains in front of the eyes of potential buyers. They will also be the tool you use to acquire some of your most valuable domains. Every aftermarket has its own unique user base, set of built-in tools, interfaces, customer support and commission fees, which is why we emphasize finding a few domain aftermarkets that you gravitate towards and monitor.

With all these tools, remember that evaluating a domain is going to be subjective. Always try to use multiple resources to be as informed as possible, regardless of whether it is a domain you are selling or a domain you want to purchase. You can use these evaluations or research tool insights as part of your criteria for negotiating price ranges for end-users making purchases or other investors looking to buy.

If you are looking for a domain registrar to start your domain investing journey, we encourage you to check out our tools and services.

We have everything you need to kickstart your portfolio:

Domain investing revolves around continued learning to have consistent success. Even experts who have been investing for over 15 years are still learning from experiences and from the ever-evolving marketplace. Industries change, and interests of end-users will continue to shift, especially as certain popular TLDs become more and more saturated. Ultimately, it is mostly the end-users that drive demand, which reverberates through what domains sell high or don't sell at all.

Here are five resources to launch you into further research:

A domain investing forum with a massive community of investors that discuss recent news, trends, appraisals, and buying/selling domains.

A historical domain name database that tracks domain sales. Useful for researching and evaluating comparable domains.

Learn directly from the experts with over one hundred interviews with experienced domain investors. A great resource for domain-related news, perspectives on investing strategies and delving deeper into the process of other investors.

Resource to stay informed in the industry, focusing on both news and firsthand accounts from domain investors.

Another resource focusing on news, domain sales and auctions.

Getting into domain investing does have a learning curve. We, like a majority of domain investors out there, would emphasize one point when it comes to any sort of investing - read and read some more. Visit forums, go to domaining events, pull knowledge from your peers (even non-domain investors can provide valuable ideas about niches and keyword ideas). The more you invest into learning the intricacies of domain investing, the more you will likely see success when making investing decisions.

When it comes to getting set up to start investing, there may be questions that this guide does not cover. Our support team is available 24/7 to help with any questions you have regarding using our platform to start domain investing.

Please note, we cannot provide recommendations on which domains to invest in. Research, discussions with investing communities, and gaining familiarity on final sale prices will all assist in making informed decisions on investment targets.
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