How to Sell Domain Names for Profit

A domain name is a meaningful word or phrase Internet surfers use to identify a website. It masks a website's real ID, which is its IP address. Many people buy domain names, often in bulk, to sell them for a profit. They view domain names as pieces of real estate in cyberland that can gain value. For example, Creditcards.com was bought for $35 but recently sold for $2.75 million.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Credit card (purchases are made only online)
• Book that explains domain names more in depth, like "Domain Names for Dummies" by Suzan Wels

1. Be alert for new buzzwords. Identify words or phrases that are repeated in the media, like "global warming." Look for phrases that are meaningful to the average person and describe a specific niche, like "dog grooming."
2. Find a website that sells domain names. The website must have at least two important features: it must allow key word searches and it must return similar domain names that are available or auctioned. One such website is Buydomains.com. A search for "globalwarming" yielded:
   GlobalWarmingProblem.com
   GlobalWarmingResource.com
   Globalwarming-Theend.com
   GlobalWarmingSite.com
   GlobalWarmingFallout.com
3. Secure any of the results from Step 2 that you think might sell for a profit. Pay the regular price, not the auctioned price set by someone who has done what you're doing now.
4. Park the domain name(s) that you bought in Step 3. That is, advertise the availability of the domain name you secured on websites that have a similar theme. When you sell the domain name, you pay a small percent to the website for the advertising privilege.
5. Subscribe to receive notifications for expired domain names. Many times, owners forget to renew a domain name before the expiration date and it goes up for grabs. If you buy it, there's a chance that you can resell it for a higher price. Many websites, like Buydomains.com, offer the expired domains notification feature.
6. Use Domain Redirect and affiliate programs to drive more visitors to your site. An affiliate can earn commission by advertising other websites (usually by banners) on her website.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't buy trademarked words, or you might get involved in legal battles. If you secure Colgate.com and Colgate is a trademark, the owner will probably take legal action, not buy your domain name.