By Tim Niziak, Sedo.com Key Account Manager
One of the most common questions new Sedo clients have is how to price their domain names. Is it better to list them high in order to weed out any unrealistically low bidders, or is it better to go low in order to entice as many potential buyers as possible? Is it better to list domains at a fixed price, or will you receive more offers if they are listed at “Make an Offer”? What can a domain owner do to get the best offers possible for each domain?
There are certainly domains that have an intrinsic value and will likely be appealing to a variety of buyers, but there are countless other domains that, at first glance, might seem more niche orientated and thus, harder to sell. Reality however, is quite different. The domain game is a lot like real estate; much depends on the current market and what’s hot at the moment. Sometimes, owners will sit on their domains for years waiting for that perfect moment to sell. Other times, a domain will sell within hours of being listed with Sedo. Fortunately, despite all the intangibles in the industry, there are several pricing strategies that you as a domain owner can utilize in order to effectively market your domain names.
Suggested Price Options
While it might seem best to list your domain price as “Make Offer” to get as many bids as possible, our experience shows that the most effective pricing strategy involves a bit more than that. Choosing both the “Make Offer” option (in the “Price Option” box) and then listing a ball-park figure in the “Price” box have proven to be the most successful strategy utilized by our clients.
Typically, it is better to list a domain at a price that is lower than what you hope to actually sell it for because savvy buyers will often enter a much smaller initial offer amount than they are actually willing to pay. They do that because they know that, over the course of negotiations, they will undoubtedly be “talked up” and will end up paying more.
Of course, conversely, if you are adamant about not accepting any offers below a certain point, you can certainly list a “Minimum Offer” which will filter out any bids that are lower than that. Additionally, it is important to note that a “Fixed Offer” is the price that a seller has agreed to sell a domain for. The Fixed Offer creates a legally binding contract between buyer and seller as soon as a buyer agrees to purchase the domain for the listed amount. There is no additional offer and counter-offer negotiation between the parties.
Marketing your Domains with Sedo
There are several tools that you, as a Sedo client, can use to bolster your negotiating position:
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Showcase your Domain. Getting your domain listed on our home page via our Featured Listing tool will allow you to position your domain in front of the 2 million + domainers that utilize Sedo’s marketplace each month. Our Featured Listings sell at an average of 5 times faster than domains that are not featured. To learn more about our Featured Listing tool, click here.
Park your Domains with Sedo. Parking your domains with us is a great, free way to earn revenue while your domain is listed with us. In addition, parking provides a great way for your potential buyers to get important detailed traffic about your domain. For more information on our parking program, click here.
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Optimise your Keywords. Optimizing your keywords will allow you to get the visitors that are most interested in what your domain is all about. You can read more about how to choose the best keywords for your domains by clicking here.
Include a Link to your Offer Page. If you have a personal site, you can include the URL of your Sedo parking page to make the buying process easier and faster for potential buyers.
Get a Domain Appraisal. If you are uncertain about the market value of your domain and would like an expert opinion on where your domain stands in the current market, you can hire one of our domain brokers to appraise it for you. To learn more about appraisals, click here.
In pricing your domains, it is important to recognize both the market value of your domain as well as its personal value to you. Both the Minimum and Fixed pricing options are best if you only want to consider certain offers and are sure of your domains value. However, those options will most likely result in you receiving a lower number of offers for your domains. On the other hand, listing your domains as “Make Offer” will get you a broader range of offers, but might also result in you receiving offers below what you would seriously consider.
If you would like additional information on how to best list your domains for sale with Sedo, please contact us at
We’ll be happy to help.