LasVegasHotels.com, CarInsurance.com > What 2010 was!
By Alan on Dec 10, 2010 in Domain Development
In my opinion 2010 will go down in history books as the year when many of the world’s best names were acquired at prices never to be seen again. Why? Since almost all of the key purchases this year have been made by developers and end users.
This is vastly different than prior years since if these names ever get sold again they will be sold based on a business value and not just a typical domain valuation.
While many domainers were spending time trying to cherry pick dropped names or pay $50k for some name hoping only to find a willing buyer who will pay 200k many brokers, developers and investors were targeting the very cream of the crop on the aftermarket and have succeeded in making 2010 the year of some of the most valuable domain purchases ever. Take for example just a sample of the names sold in 2010 – note that almost all of these were private transactions and not on dropped lists or even showcase auctions:
Legal Domains
- DivorceLawyers.com – a private sale currently in Escrow.com
- PersonalInjuryLawyers.com – UK law firm
Travel Domains
- LasVegasHotels.com – private purchase by Swiftrank PTE Ltd.
- BostonHotels.com – private purchase by Swiftrank PTE Ltd.
Holiday Domains
- BlackFridaySales.com – the rumcake dude
Insurance (ok – some way out of the budget for many domainers)
- AutoInsurance.com – private deal (unconfirmed)
- CarInsurance.com – Quinstreet
- Insurance.com – Quinstreet
- Insure.com – Quinstreet
- HealthInsuranceQuotes.com
- CarInsuranceComparison.com
- HomeOwnersInsurance.com
Health / Weight Loss
Gambling
Games
Cell Phones
Even sex.com was sold but odds are that domain will be another dud imo and belongs to some group who will just change the DNS every 3 months looking for a better rev share from PPC.
I could go on and on about the wealth of premier domain names that have been scooped up by people who understand development and then ask why anyone is buying 95% of any of the junk sales reported every week but this is what makes a fascinating industry. Domainers every day watch trends and try to chase patterns but when in fact most of the money made by development is in lead generation.
From finance to shopping to games – the internet mainly revolves around 15 or 20 key lead generation verticals and when you understand that then you will NEVER have to chase any pattern.
Most developers know the good names by heart while many domainers still only understand whats catchy at the moment. How many times have you heard somebody say insurance is hot in the last 6 months?
Well… duh … insurance has been hot since 1999. So are credit cards, weight loss, mortgages, hotels, holiday names and other categories in the top list.
Frank Schilling said it best a couple years – only about 2% of all names registered mean anything so let me give you a couple life lessons for 2011
- If you can’t name the top 2% then consider ignoring all drop lists for a couple weeks and go back to domain name 101 school and learn what makes a good domain.
- Stop following trends – you should know the core names almost off the top of your head and while trends have a place how can you really pick a good name from a new batch if you don’t understand the ones already around?
- Ignore weekly sales reports. They are fun but no one has been able to find logic in them since 1941 and no one ever will.
- Spend money on good names. Do not spend money on 100 mediocre ones. Buy 1 good one.
There is also life outside of America. I have heard many comments about people looking at some domain buys and then doing a Google search saying well hey – this name gets no traffic since it doesn’t show up in Google. Oh my ….
Names with international appeal like SydneyHotels.com do not need Google USA Page 1 to be successful. While a Google US search may not show SydneyHotels.com favorably yet it’s already on page 1 of Google.com from almost all locations outside the US.
Names like LasVegasHotels.com have been (by far) some of the best acquisitions EVER with thousands of direct type in traffic every month. The new owners have a site that is continuously being upgraded and now in its 3rd version. If you compare this site’s look, feel and functionality now versus the way it looked pre-acquisition earlier in the year using the history tool on Archive.org I think everyone will agree development like this undoubtedly makes a more valuable asset having undergone professional development.
I could go on and on but the fact is some of the best domains in the world are finally getting developed by people who can develop. Not mini-sites or these mass development services but people with actual development budgets and link building skills.
Finally… the future has begun -)
Troy | Dec 10, 2010 | Reply
Alas,
But in the end only the balance sheet will determine the final judgement on the antiquation and development of these names. That is the information that I don’t know.
There are plenty of developers that pretend they are making fistfuls of cash only to shut down their properties in the near future.
Anunt | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Domain Name Foreclosures will be the next wave of domains…
domainnameforeclosures.com … still available for you domainaholics
speaking of domainaholics…i own domainaholics.com and domainaholic.com …want to buy them…i’ll take $1,000.
Anders | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
On the last advice, about aquiring 1 good name…
I´d take 100 mediocre names with potential any day over 1 “good” name. Even with “potential potential”. The pricing on “good” names and the risk of putting all eggs in one basket makes that choice easy.
If you´re domaining and not developing that is.
Do you think Frank Schilling doesn´t have “longshots” in his 100.000 x ? portfolio.
stevep888 | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
I think that Domainers are afraid spending money on Development Development being Research, Design
Marketing and Testing . and also that development
could the nail that burst there dream , i think some kid themselves they have a great portfolio.
Development is the day of reckoning . So you either have to choose a company that is good .
Our try and save and project manage your self
How many Business people understand domains ? How many understand a website ,How many business people understand the value of a site on page 1 of google , A lot more, so the purchase of a well ranking site, is more appealing and also will have more potential buyers , more buyers, values grow, simple
Jon Schultz | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
LasVegasHotels.com gone forever. At least LasVegasNVHotels.com is still available…
Good post, Alan.
Bob B | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Developing good names takes a lot of work, time and money. However the satisfaction of creating a real “business” rather than simply parking is quite rewarding. Both insurance and travel are have been solid for years. We’ve just developed ZipQuote.com (2nd stage of development) and DealsToVegas.com (1st stage of development) We’re gradually picking the best names from the portfolio to move from parking to a developed website. CheapestAutoInsurance.com is next ( long name, but good search term.)
Bob B | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Correction: CheapestAutoInsuranceQuote.com is the correct name.
Robert Haastrup-Timmi | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
I should think CarOwnerInsurance.com is a highly brandable affordable domain name after CarInsurance.com and HomeOwnersInsurance.com… yum yum.
Alan | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Robert,
Any decent name can be brandable with a budget – that name is no different than 100 other combinations all available for rather cheap imo – certainly not in the top 2% of names or anywhere close – sorry -)
Sounds decent but that’s about it
John | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Tablets.com,
The future is tablets. If you own anything in tablets category don’t sell. It is generic and you will reap the rewards..
What a buy for that owner. tablet names are like buying insurance names 10 years ago..
Though carinsurance.com was outstanding.
Poor Uncle | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Hi Alan,
Can you recommend a WordPress or any CMS Theme, or a Script for an insurance lead, or a Travel lead sites? I can be reached PoorUncle(at)Gmail.com if you rather email me the info. Appreciate your help.
MG | Dec 11, 2010 | Reply
Hmm…and I got bankruptcyservice.com thinking it was good…now I find out it’s crappy
….
WYN | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
Domain industry still has a lot to go. For instance, we need a platform which can help us to link to real world merchants, business owners.
For instance: http://www.FreeWhiskySamples.com is a good domain name to promote & marketing for whisky but it’s hard to find someone who can provide “connections”….
I believe vertical contents & connections will be the king if someone can come out solutions!
You Know Me | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
I think Anders is right regarding 100 domains, that is if you are looking for resale. However, one great domain for development beats 100 mediocre domains launched as mini-sites or whatever.
Robert Haastrup-Timmi | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
Alan,
You most probably would have said the same about HomeOwnersInsurance.com or iReport.com or whatever before they were acquired by business entities, but yet those names and lots of other un-suspecting names were bought by outfits who want to utilize those domains for commerce.
The fact is domainers generally have a parochial view entirely different from business enterprise. I see lots of 2 or 3 worded domain names turned into very successful businesses online every single day. The domainer perspective is merely a fraction of what is really happening out there, not particularly relevant in my opinion unless that is your primary market.
For instance, I ran a one day test @carowners on Twitter just to see how many people will potentially follow CarOwnerInsurance.com if I ever decide to develop it, over 160 follows within a few hours. What percentage of those followers are car owners? What is a lead worth to an insurance agent and so on….
The rest is left to your level of creativity.
Cheers.
Alan | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
Robert,
The term “car owner insurance” has 91 exact matches a month. Another test is have you ever called a car insurance company and asked how much “car owner insurance” is?
No, you haven’t since nobody uses this term in any English speaking country.
It’s not a term anyone uses and when you get to that level it is a common name as any other alternatives people own.
HomeOwnersInsurance.com?
That’s a category killer name – I could have told you that in 1995 without looking at stats. Why… because it’s a real product. Home Insurance is simply short for homeowners insurance.
ireport is a short brandable name with very little alternatives. It’s still not in the top 2% of names – just a catchy brandable name that got lucky with a seller who could afford to say no and wait for a bigger price. The price paid surely put it in some of the top public sales but before CNN branded ireport it only had essentially speculative value.
It was just an opinion. Obviously you own the domain and I hope you sell it but there are many around for very low price at the same quality. It’s not a rock star name by any means – and yes, you can brand any name with the right money and do a twitter test and always get followers … still doesn’t mean you could have found a better name with the same budget if you were smarter.
The only value to this name is when it’s developed and traffic built – there is no premium advantage over this name than many others around imo.
agree to disagree – we obviously see things different and thats ok.
Robert Haastrup-Timmi | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
Alan,
Indeed you are absolutely correct in your traffic analysis, but very wrong in your end user perceived brand value and usability. I’m assuming you are based in the United States, hence that is your perspective. I can tell you the term Car Owner Insurance is widely used here in the UK, also a big potential market. In fact, there are several large UK insurance companies who advertise in print media every day using the key phrase car owner insurance… just pick up a copy of our London Evening Standard to see for yourself. In the US, I understand people are more likely to use the word “Auto” and the UK, hardly anyone uses the word auto. Of course the US is a much bigger market, but that is really besides the point. There are so many insurance variations being utilized both in the US and the UK in terms of insurance. A lot of these companies couldn’t care less about inherent traffic… that phrase is uttered every day naturally in the UK, along with Car Insurance. In fact, I have spoken to a large domain US registrar, who has indicated about $25 to $50k for this domain as their perceived value, which is not that bad really. However, I’m still toying with developing this one myself if I can, which is why I ran a quick test just to see what might happen. It’s a bit challenging to develop as a white label, but I’ve got a few ideas and have carried out a lot of research. Very interesting market.
As you say, a difference of opinion and way of looking at it and thats ok. What do you think of AutoComparisonInsurance.com ?
Cheers
Robert.
Alan | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
Robert,
AutoComparisonInsurance.com – I dont -) ..
The proper route (UK or USA) AutoInsuranceComparison.com … 50-100k just as an undeveloped domain name.
I actually have a very strong insurance development background developing many sites in the insurance field over the last decade (carinsurancecompanies.com for example) from scratch and pretty familiar with all the keywords of insurance so as for a domainers perspective lets not group me in here -) but agree to disagree is fine.
btw comparisoninsurance.com you can buy for $125 .. go for it ..
Robert Haastrup-Timmi | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
Alan,
There’s something strange about that site. I’m surprised ComparisonInsurance.com is only worth $125 even though it should be InsuranceComparison.com . To an end user or Google after development, it wouldn’t make that much of a difference at all. Are you sure these guy’s are legit? I must admit, the domain business is really weird! There doesn’t seem to be any coherent logic in the aftermarket, everything is so helter skelter, especially when you observe all those sales on DNjournal.com. Nothing seems to make any sense… just pure luck imo.
Thanks for all the heads up and your site looks great!
Alan | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
I have no idea .. just typed it in. The name is worth more than $125 but not for me. Sure somebody will buy it but have no idea who the seller is.
Alan | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
“There doesn’t seem to be any coherent logic in the aftermarket, everything is so helter skelter, especially when you observe all those sales on DNjournal.com”
that about sums it up …
James M | Dec 12, 2010 | Reply
If you’d like to test out developing a website for any of your domain names…a good site to go to is FastWebsiteBuilder.com
It’s free, easy and kind of fun to build out your ideas. If done correctly, you’ll have an Alexa and Google ranking in very little time.
Poor Uncle | Dec 13, 2010 | Reply
Hi Alan,
All these talks about leads gen..and particularly insurance got me all excited. After 30 minutes of searching, I hand registered Buy-Insurance.org. That was the only 12 characters name I could find. I know it has dash & .org. I figure the space is so competitive it doesn’t matter much what name a poor guy like me chooses…as long as I have a “trustworthy” looking site, and if I drive some traffic to the site on my own, and able to get some poor guys to request an insurance quote of any sort I might be able to make a buck or two. (Literally).
I have 2 questions. Hope you can give me your 2 cents.
1. Would you spend $300 for someone to customize template & graphic for you to do insurance quote with a name like mine?
2. I don’t even have an insurance affiliate account. How do I get them to approve me when I don’t have any sites selling insurance?
Thanks.
ValueDrops.com | Dec 30, 2010 | Reply
CarInsurance.com was a good one.
Cooking Games | Jan 6, 2011 | Reply
cookinggames.com is a good investment
Premium Domain Names | Jan 18, 2011 | Reply
I think 2011 will be even bigger. I am seeing tons of domains selling already.
simon | Feb 3, 2011 | Reply
I own domains
HPCOMPUTERSDESKTOP.com
P1610.com
TABLETPCTOSHIBA.com
MOTHERBOARDSCOMPUTERS.com
any comments on value
Sai Pola | Feb 17, 2011 | Reply
Alan,
Even I was shocked to see the rock bottom prices at which some of the prime names went. 2012 will sure be the Realization and Monetization year for all these names and many from US and India are slowly moving to the development phase rather than the parking route.
Regards,
Sai Pola
JoeB | Mar 29, 2011 | Reply
I thought you made a post the other day – I went back and there is nothing. Did I just imagine that happened?
sam | May 13, 2011 | Reply
Someone know for how much the domain http://www.autoinsurancequotes.net/
was sold ?