Top 5 Websites for Buying And Selling Domain Names in 2022

Who doesn’t want to earn a profit while doing business? Everyone wants to taste profit and success. But many get stuck, follow the wrong track, and end up in a disaster. The same is the case when one isn't aware of the business of buying and selling domains.

If you are new to buying and selling online domains, here are some points you need to know before getting your hands dirty.

• Best places to buy domains from.
• Best places to sell domains.
• The domain transfer process.
• The price at which you should sell domains.
• Trademark issues while buying and selling domain names.

This post will further deal with the best way of buying and selling domains, how you can find domains, how can you make money by selling domains, and the best places to sell domains.

How to Buy Domain Names?
How To Sell Domain Names?
Pricing Consideration While Selling A Domain
Top Websites For Buying And Selling Domain Names
FAQ

How to Buy Domain Names?

The first thing you need to understand is how to get a domain registered. Back in the day, .com and .net were extremely popular as extensions. If you got in early and purchased some domains, you are sitting on a pile of cash because some of these domain names are worth a lot today.

Go to websites like Domain.com and GoDaddy.com. Search for the keywords or the exact name you want your domain to be. This search tells you whether the domain name is available or not.

In case the domain name is available, you have the option of adding it to the shopping cart. If you plan to purchase the domain, you need to see for how long do you want to register. This time is generally in years. You also get the option of purchasing add-ons like domain privacy.

How To Sell Domain Names?

The first step to selling a domain is to prepare a list of the domains you possess. Now shortlist the ones you need to sell. Next, decide on a pricing structure of the domain. Though it's not mandatory (you can auction your domain), having a base price in mind makes it easy with the selling process.

Now, you need to list your domain for sale. You can visit websites like GoDaddy which provides the option of putting up domains for sale. Once your domain is listed, now watch how people place absurd bids to purchase your domain.

If you're thinking so, you're wrong. It takes time for a sale to happen unless you have an extremely visible and profitable domain name. It will take weeks or even months to receive that first purchase offer.

Pricing Consideration While Selling A Domain

In 2009, insure.com was sold for $16 million which is equal to Rs. 1,14,46,40,000 (approximately as per today’s exchange rate value). Mind-boggling, right? That's just crazy and there are several other examples: insurance.com, vacationrental.com, etc.

This doesn't mean you'll also get astronomical amounts for your domain. A lot of the popular keyword domains have already been purchased. And it's unlikely that you have a domain with common but attractive names (bank.com, digitalworld.com, etc.).

To get an idea of the pricing, visit domain trading websites. You'll know how much the domains similar to yours are being listed. Set the pricing expectations accordingly.

Top Websites For Buying And Selling Domain Names

So, you have learned how the process of buying and selling domain names takes place and the pricing considerations. Now let's have a look at these 5 websites where you can buy and sell domains.

1. Namecheap

Namecheap was founded all the way back in 2000 by Richard Kirkendall. Over the past 20 years, they’ve reportedly racked up three million customers.

How to Buy and Sell Domains from Namecheap?

Namecheap's domain marketplace is a simple, easy-to-use platform to list domain names for sale. While there are many ways to promote domains you want to sell, this online domain buying and selling website makes connecting with interested buyers easy.

To make a purchase, just view the listings, and click “Add to Cart.” If you have an idea for an interesting domain that no one has ever registered before, you can buy it yourself as a business investment.

Once you have registered new domains, you can list them on the marketplace at a premium price, and sell them to other businesses for a profit. Alternately, if you previously purchased a domain, and no longer need it for yourself, it can be sold on the marketplace to other interested parties. For example, if you operate an online store, and decide to move on to other business ventures, other digital retailers might be interested in buying your domain.

Namecheap Pricing

When you sell your domain name using Namecheap’s marketplace, it charges a flat 10% commission. By charging this commission, they can maintain a domain marketplace that is easy to search and well-known by many people who purchase domains regularly. A listing on its site ensures that the name you are selling can be seen by anyone searching the internet, with a transaction that is completed on a secure, trusted website.

2. Flippa

Flippa is the #1 platform to buy and sell online businesses. It is a website and domain flipping website. In simple words, you can sell a website and buy a website from Flippa. Each month, over $41 million worth of business value is listed for sale on Flippa and nearly 500,000 business owners and buyers visit Flippa to sell or buy businesses between the prices of $5,000 and $5,000,000.

How to Buy and Sell Domains from Flippa?

To Buy or Sell Domain on Flippa, sign up with a valid Email Account and list your website or domain for sale. After listing your domain, it's time for the description, people tend to write a long description, but that’s not what it should be like. The description should be short and simple which does not bore the Buyer and gives the buyer a brief idea of your Blog or Website or domain.

Now the most important part is to Set Flippa bidding options.

• Set the Reserve price after evaluating it properly
• Set it to the price at which you can afford to sell your online property
• Set a Correct and reasonable Buy it now price (BIN)

Keep the starting Bid price low, as you can encourage more users to Bid. After the Auction is successfully finished, do research about the user who has won the Bid and his history of the transaction. So that you can take proper measures before you initiate Blog/Website/Domain transfer and receive payments.

Flippa Pricing

Flippa has a fixed fee and listing packages. If you sell your domain with Flippa it has fixed-fee pricing. A success fee is payable which is 5% when you sell and this is calculated as a percentage of the sale price.

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s domain auction space serves as a “marketplace” for buyers and sellers to get together and make deals. When a domain expires, it typically goes right back to the registry. If it’s a valuable domain name, however, registrars will try to sell it through auction, and buyers are always eager to capitalize on potential deals.

How to Buy and Sell Domains on GoDaddy?

GoDaddy Auctions gives you listing options for selling your domain names. You can use a free, basic listing, or you can add optional features to increase your domain name's exposure.

Here are the simple steps to pricing, listing, and selling your domain through GoDaddy.

1. Find out what your domain is worth: You’ll want to set a realistic price. One place to find out the sale prices of comparable domains is the free GoDaddy Domain Value and Appraisal tool. Just type in the domain you want to sell and you'll learn the estimated value, as well as comparable domains sold. Even better, it’s all free.

2. Make communication easy: Be sure to un-privatize your contact information on WHOIS. That way, when an interested buyer looks up your domain on WHOIS, they can find your publicly available information and contact you directly.

3. Put out a "For Sale" sign: If you haven’t already, set up a single-page website on your domain, called a park page or domain parking. This page lets visitors know that the domain is owned and for sale. It’s the simplest way to announce your domain is for sale. But to announce it far and wide, you’ll want to list your domain on some online marketplaces.

4. Sold: Once your domain has sold, if you haven’t listed it as a Premium Listing, you’ll want to make the final move using the Domain Transfer Tool here.

GoDaddy Pricing

To join, you’ll need to purchase an annual GoDaddy Auctions membership for ₹364.23/yr. Once you’ve purchased a membership, you can take advantage of member benefits such as its Auction Tools, which can help you prepare before buying or selling any domains. Once you’ve purchased a membership, you can choose a free and simple listing, or add advanced features to increase your domain’s visibility.

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Afternic

With Afternic, you can list your domain name on their sales platform and have it sent out to more than 100 different partners around the world. These include other major registrars (the companies who sell domain names to the public), such as GoDaddy, Network Solutions, Register.com, Enom, etc. which means, anyone searching for a domain at these sites will have the ability to see your listing.

How to Buy and Sell Domain on Afternic?

To buy a domain on Afternic, perform a domain search on its inventory of nearly six million premium domain names. Domains with listed prices can be bought easily by placing the domain in your shopping cart and completing your purchase. For domains without a listed price, or if you want to negotiate the price, you can reach their experienced sales team with its online price request or on the phone (Toll-Free in the U.S. 866-351-9586).

Selling domains on Afternic is easy. Follow these steps to list your domains for sale, and watch the power of the Afternic marketplace work for you:

1. Create an account: Creating an Afternic account to sell domains is easy, and once you do you will have a seller profile that you can use to promote yourself and your domains.
2. Add Domains For Sale: When you list a domain for sale, price your domains when you list them for sale. Fact: Priced domains are more likely to sell than domains without a price. When you also set a buy now price, your domain is eligible to be a fast-transfer premium domain.
3. Optimize your listings for better domain sales: Once you have your domains in Afternic, there are three specific things you can do to optimize your listings for the highest sale probability -
   a) Let potential buyers know your domain is for sale by utilizing a “For Sale Page” or “For Sale Banner”.
   b) Price your domains with Buy Now
   c) Opt your Domains into Fast Transfer

By following these simple steps, you can get your domains exposed to the maximum number of potential buyers and leverage the network/sales teams to help get your domains sold.

Afternic Pricing

Afternic charges a sale commission based on the price of a domain.

Sedo

Sedo is the largest domain marketplace in the world. It has a listing of around 20 million domains. It is used by over 2 million buyers. Sedo not only enables you to sell domains, but it also allows you to sell websites. It is used by top companies and brokers. Over half of the domains listed on Sedo are premium.

How to Buy and Sell Domains on Sedo?

If you’re looking to buy a domain, Sedo makes this very easy. They have a robust search tool allowing you to find the name you are looking for, as well as hundreds or thousands of alternative related domain names.

If the domain you are looking for hasn’t been registered, you can register it immediately from the search results. If it isn’t listed with Sedo, you can ask a broker to help you complete a sale. If you are an active investor looking to expand your portfolio with many premium domain names, Sedo’s specialists can help with that, too.

Sedo offers several options for selling your domain names:

1. Buy Now (Free): Find a buyer for your domain directly on the marketplace: Buy Now domains offered at a fixed price are sold up to three times faster in comparison to other sales options.
2. Make offer (Free): Communicate to potential buyers that you are interested in receiving offers for your domain. You can start negotiating with any interested parties directly and agree on a price as soon as an offer is received.
3. Marketplace Auction (No initial fee): Offer a domain for sale as "Make Offer". As soon as the first offer is received, you can put your domain up for auction – using the original offer as the reserve price!
4. Direct Auction (Starting at $59): Start your own domain auction whenever you want, displayed on the homepage and in the matching search results. This enables you to reach a particularly large number of potential buyers – and achieve a high sales price.
5. Auction Events (Starting at $10): Sedo's domain experts regularly create their own auctions with particularly high-grade domains – most notably, it's signature bi-monthly GreatDomains auction. Apply now to gain even more exposure and sales leads for your most attractive domains.
6. Broker Service (No upfront costs): Sell your high-value domains with the support of Sedo's professional Domain Brokers. They contact potential buyers, negotiate the price, then secure payment and ensure a seamless Domain Transfer.

Sedo Pricing

Sedo charges a commission for domains traded on its platform. The amount of the commission depends on the type of sale and TLD.

Conclusion

While buying up a ton of domains seems like a great way to make money, real-world results show it's not that easy to churn profits. As with any industry, you will have those "golden moments" when you read about someone who made domain flipping into a million dollar a year business, all while sitting in the comfort of his home.

Don't get disheartened. Even you'll have your moments of success provided you persevere and put in the required efforts. Be careful because just like any business, buying and selling of domains also involve a risk factor. Therefore, calculate the risk, consider all factors, and then get your hands dirty in domain flipping.

FAQ

What is the domain registrar and what is its purpose?

The domain name registrar is a business that handles the reservation of domain names as well as the assignment of IP addresses for those domain names.

Which is the best site to buy and sell domain names?

The best site to buy and sell domain names are:

• Namecheap
• Flippa
• GoDaddy
• Afternic
• Sedo

Is buying and selling domain names profitable?

Buying and selling domain names can be profitable but it involves risks too. If your domain name is unique and top-level then only you can make a good amount of money.

Can you buy a domain name forever?

You cannot buy a domain name permanently. Domain name registration is done on a yearly basis. However, you can pre-pay for up to 10 years which guarantees that you will have a domain name for 10 years.

Can I create a domain name for free?

Yes, you can create a domain name for free. There is a platform called "Bluehost" which provides a free domain name along with web hosting.